Patent ID: 6890280

Claim:
A lubricating device for a planetary gear unit of an automatic power transmission which has an operation mode wherein when, under rotation of an input shaft, a pinion carrier is prevented from making a revolution, pinions carried by the pinion carrier are rotated, the lubricating device comprising: a structure defining a first oil passage, the first oil passage being formed in a fixed wall of the transmission and adapted to be connected with an oil supply source; a structure defining a second oil passage, the second oil passage being formed in the input shaft, the input shaft being rotatably held by the fixed wall; a structure defining a third oil passage, the third oil passage being formed in the pinion carrier to feed the pinions with the lubrication oil, the pinion carrier being concentrically disposed around an axis of the input shaft; a structure defining a first connection passage, the first connection passage connecting the first and second oil passages, the first connection passage including a first bore that is formed in the input shaft to lead the oil from the first oil passage to the second oil passage, and a second bore that is formed in the input shaft to lead the oil from the second oil passage to the first oil passage; and a structure defining a second connection passage, the second connection passage connecting the first and third oil passages.