Patent ID: 7340891

Claim:
A transaxle comprising: a common housing; an axle disposed in the housing; a hydraulic pump disposed in the housing; a hydraulic motor disposed in the housing so as to drive the axle; a center section disposed in the housing so as to fluidly connect the hydraulic pump to the hydraulic motor; a pump mounting portion of the center section, wherein the pump mounting portion includes substantially horizontal upper and lower surfaces, wherein the hydraulic pump is mounted onto the upper surface, and wherein the pump mounting portion includes a section having a first thickness between the upper and lower surfaces thereof; a motor mounting portion of the center section, wherein the motor mounting portion includes a substantially vertical side surface onto which the hydraulic motor is mounted, and wherein the motor mounting portion includes a section having a second thickness between upper and lower ends of the side surface, wherein the section of the pump mounting portion having the first thickness is continuous to the section of the motor mounting portion having the second thickness, and wherein the pump mounting portion and the motor mounting portion are aligned substantially perpendicular to the axle; a pair of first ports opened at the upper surface of the pump mounting portion of the center section to the hydraulic pump; a pair of second ports opened at the side surface of the motor mounting portion of the center section to the hydraulic motor; and a pair of upper and lower fluid passages formed in the section of the pump mounting portion of the center section having the first thickness so as to be connected to the respective first ports, and extended into the section of the motor mounting portion of the center section having the second thickness substantially perpendicular to the axle so as to be connected to the respective second ports.