Patent ID: 8234948

Claim:
A transmission comprising: a fixed transmission part having an internal space defined therein; a movable transmission part having an internal space defined therein, the movable transmission part being movably connected to the fixed transmission part via a shaft such that the movable transmission part is pivotally movable relative to the fixed transmission part about an axis of the shaft, the shaft being rotatably mounted to the fixed and movable transmission parts, wherein the fixed transmission part has a hollow cylindrical first connecting portion through which the shaft extends, and the movable transmission part has a hollow cylindrical second connecting portion through which the shaft extends, and wherein one of the first connecting portion and the second connecting portion is received in the other of the first and second connecting portions with a single seal member disposed between the first and second connecting portions so that the internal space of the fixed transmission part and the internal space of the movable transmission part communicate with each other to thereby form a single hermetically-sealed space for holding therein a lubricating oil; and a position holding mechanism for holding the movable transmission part in a predetermined rotational position relative to the fixed transmission part, wherein the position holding mechanism has a positioning pin provided on the movable transmission part and extending parallel to the shaft, a reference pin provided on the fixed transmission part and extending parallel to the shaft, a pair of position holding plates pivotally connected at one end to a portion of the movable transmission part for undergoing pivotal movement about the axis of the shaft, the pair of position holding plates being configured to hold the positioning pin and the reference pin at an opposite end thereof, and a spring acting between the pair of position holding plates to urge the pair of position holding plates toward each other.