Patent ID: 8464610

Claim:
A center section for use in a drive device for a vehicle, the center section comprising: a pump mounting portion comprising a pump running surface and a first pair of kidney ports formed on the pump running surface; a motor mounting portion comprising a motor running surface formed coplanar with the pump running surface and a second pair of kidney ports formed on the motor running surface; a first fluid passage structure engaged to both the pump mounting portion and the motor mounting portion, the first fluid passage structure having a first porting formed therein to fluidly connect one of the first pair of kidney ports with one of the second pair of kidney ports; a second fluid passage structure engaged to both the pump mounting portion and the motor mounting portion, the second fluid passage structure having a second porting formed therein to fluidly connect the other of the first pair of kidney ports with the other of the second pair of kidney ports; a central rib integrally formed with the first and the second fluid passage structures and disposed between the pump mounting portion and the motor mounting portion, the central rib comprising a first end extending to a first side of the center section, and a second end extending to a second side of the center section, opposite the first side; a first strengthening rib extending from the first side of the center section to the pump mounting portion; a second strengthening rib extending from the second side of the center section to the pump mounting portion; a third strengthening rib extending from the first side of the center section to the motor mounting portion; a fourth strengthening rib extending from the second side of the center section to the motor mounting portion; and a plurality of areas located between the first side of the center section and the second side of the center section, wherein each area comprises a reduced amount of material compared to the amount of material in each of the strengthening ribs.