Patent ID: 6918852

Claim:
A speed change gear for an automatic transmission, comprising: 1) an input portion for inputting an input rotation from a power source; 2) an output portion disposed substantially coaxially with the input portion and outputting an output rotation of the speed change gear; and 3) a plurality of planetary gear sets including a compound planetary gear set, the plurality of the planetary gear sets providing a plurality of power conductive paths to an area defined between the input portion and the output portion, the plurality of the planetary gear sets comprising: first clutch; a second clutch; a third clutch; a first brake; and a second brake, wherein the clutches and the brakes are configured to be selectively engaged and disengaged in such a manner that the planetary gear sets change a rotation from the input portion at a corresponding gear change ratio by selecting one of the plurality of the power conductive paths, thereby outputting the thus changed rotation to the output portion, wherein combinations of engaged clutches and brakes and combinations of multiple engaged clutches define at least six successive forward gears and one reverse gear, wherein one of the plurality of the planetary gear sets is a speed reduction planetary gear set for continuously reducing the input rotation and outputting the thus reduced rotation, wherein in the first through the fifth forward gears, the first clutch and/or the second clutch is/are engaged to transfer the reduced rotation from the speed reduction planetary gear set to the compound planetary gear set, wherein in the sixth forward gear, neither the first clutch nor the second clutch is engaged, wherein the third clutch, which is a direct clutch for outputting the input rotation to the compound planetary gear set, is disposed radially outward relative to a first ring gear of the speed reduction planetary gear set, wherein the first ring gear has an outer periphery that is provided with a clutch hub, and wherein the clutch hub constitutes the direct clutch and is an input member to the third clutch.