And Lock-up Clutch Patents (Class 475/320)
  • Patent number: 6022289
    Abstract: A transfer case for a four-wheel drive vehicle having a planetary gear assembly and a synchronized range clutch which can be selectively shifted on-the-move for establishing four-wheel high-range and low-range drive modes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 1998
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2000
    Assignee: New Venture Gear, Inc.
    Inventor: Philip J. Francis
  • Patent number: 5895336
    Abstract: An apparatus for changing power direction for a bicycle is provided. The apparatus for changing power direction roughly including a shaft housing, a change ring, a carrier, a sun gear and a sprocket cap is located between a pedal shaft and a driving sprocket. The shaft housing supports the rotating pedal shaft and controls the carrier by using a plurality of pawls to be released from and inserted into a plurality of openings formed at the inside of a rim of a right cap of the shaft housing when pedaling rearward. The change ring releases and inserts the pawls from and into the shaft housing when pedaling rearward, and the carrier having a first ratchet and a second ratchet at the outside and inside of a left portion thereof, respectively, and a plurality of planetary gears to be rotatably set at a right portion maintains or changes the direction of power from the pedal shaft, thereby transmitting the power to a driving sprocket.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 1997
    Date of Patent: April 20, 1999
    Inventor: Mun-Su Yoo
  • Patent number: 5846153
    Abstract: A clutch mechanism disposed between an engine (2) and a transmission (3) includes an input part (10) supplied with torque from the engine (2), an output shaft (11) of the transmission (3), a planetary gear train (12) and a clutch device having clutches (13) and (14). The planetary gear train (12) has a sun gear (31), planetary gears (32) meshing with the sun gear (31), a carrier (34) carrying the planetary gears (32), and an ring gear (33) meshing with the planetary gears (32). The clutch device is operable to selectively engage and disengage portions of the planetary gear train (12) such that one of two differing power transmission paths may be used to transmit torque. One power transmission path transmits torque at a lower speed than the other transmission path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 1997
    Date of Patent: December 8, 1998
    Assignee: Exedy Corporation
    Inventor: Yoshihiro Matsuoka
  • Patent number: 5685796
    Abstract: This invention discloses an improved planetary gearing-unit. The device includes: an input shaft; a sun gear, tightly linked to the input shaft, rotatable as driven by the input shaft; several planet gears, engaged with the sun gear; a fixed ring gear, encircling the circumference of the planet gears and engaged with the various planet gears; a planet gear carrier, being rotatable driven by the planet gears' revolving motion; an output shaft; a gearshift device, allowing the output shaft to be connected either to the input shaft or to the planet gear carrier, optionally, and to correspondingly rotate either along with the input shaft or with the planet gear carrier, so as to allow for switching into high or low gear. In this device assembly, both in high and in low gear the ring gear is fixed in the planetary gearing box without motion, thus not developing the stirring of oil and overcoming the problem of temperature rise and mechanical deformation, furthermore reducing the waste of energy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 1996
    Date of Patent: November 11, 1997
    Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
    Inventors: Lei-Yi Chen, Huie-Jan Shih
  • Patent number: 5531651
    Abstract: A differential motion gear system that controls the output speed ratio by changing the revolving direction of the input shaft. Different embodiments produce different combinations of output direction and output speed ratio.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 1994
    Date of Patent: July 2, 1996
    Inventor: Tai-Her Yang
  • Patent number: 5266068
    Abstract: A vertical blind construction, including slats arranged hanging on a slat carriage each, tiltably around a vertical axis, and with a driving element (1), whose direction of movement is reversible, or a gear, which can be connected by coupling elements to an endless pull cord (6) for laterally displacing the slat carriages guided in a support rail (31), and to a grooved shaft (11), which passes through a tilting gear for tilting the slats in the slat carriages. The rotatable driving element (1) in connection with a planetary gear, wherein the driving element (1) is connected to the central gear (2), whose outer ring (4) is connected by a first recording disk idling gear (5), whose idle is adjusted to a slat tilt angle of 180.degree., to a drive gear (7) or the pull cord (6) and, via an intermediate gear (10) as well as a slip clutch (13), to the grooved shaft (11). The slip clutch (13) is associated with a second recording disk idling gear (12) for a slat tilt angle which likewise corresponds to 180.degree.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 1992
    Date of Patent: November 30, 1993
    Assignee: Benthin Management GmbH
    Inventor: Siegfried Benthin
  • Patent number: 5263906
    Abstract: A multi-speed mechanical automatic transmission has two planetary gear trains, each including a sun gear, planet gears mounted in a planet carrier, and a ring gear. The first planetary gear train provides low gear and direct drive; the second train modifies low gear operation of the first train to provide an intermediate gear operation. The first sun gear is fixed to an input shaft, and the first planet carrier drives an output shaft. The second planet carrier is coupled to rotate the first ring gear in one direction, and free wheels or selectively actuated friction brakes prevent rotation of the first and second ring gears in the opposite direction. The first planetary train has helical gears, and a direct drive clutch selectively couples the first ring gear to the first planet carrier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 1991
    Date of Patent: November 23, 1993
    Assignee: Antonov Automotive North America B.V.
    Inventor: Roumen Antonov
  • Patent number: 5209708
    Abstract: An apparatus for changing the rotational speed of a mechanism includes an input shaft, several planetary gear units, an output rotor, a rotating disc and a casing. The planetary gear units are connected together. The sun gear of the first unit is connected to the input shaft and the carrier of the last unit is connected to output rotor. An internal gear of one of planetary gear units can rotate in the casing but can be stopped by an internal gear stopping device. The input shaft is connected to the rotating disc. The rotating disc can be brought into contact with the output rotor by a disc-contacting device. The disc-contacting device and the internal gear stopping device are driven in a complementary manner. When the internal gear stopping device is excited and the disc-contacting device is unexcited, the output rotor rotates at a low speed level. When the disc-contacting device is excited and the internal gear stopping device is unexcited, the output rotor rotates at a high speed level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 1990
    Date of Patent: May 11, 1993
    Assignee: Matex Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Shoji Igaku
  • Patent number: 5141476
    Abstract: Disclosed is a two-way-driven 3-speed free wheel which provides a multi-gear-changing mechanism for use with various kinds of pedal cycles. The disclosed device has four kinds of catches: pawl, hook-pawl, backward pawl and forward pawl. The backward and forward pawls respectively are hinged on the opposed sides of a sprocket wheel by small spindles mounted on the opposed sides of the sprocket wheel. On one side of the sprocket wheel are the backward pawls and an outer ring; on the other side are forward pawls, a ratchet cone and a bearing collar. Between the outer ring and a central gear are two or more planet pinions. As compared with prior art structures, this invention has the following advantages: the structure is simple, the cost is lower, and it is facile to operate and to change speed. Also disclosed are one-way-driven 2-speed free wheels and two-way-driven 2-speed free wheels, using two or three kinds of catches, of the above-described four kinds of catches.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 1991
    Date of Patent: August 25, 1992
    Assignee: S. W. Lam
    Inventor: Dianlin Chang
  • Patent number: 4920828
    Abstract: A transmission is equipped with a planetary gear type transmission unit disposed between an input member and an output member within a casing. The transmission unit is comprised of a sun gear, a ring gear and a plurality of planet gears carried by a carrier coupled with the output member. The planet gears are in mesh with the sun gear and the ring gear. The input and output members are coupled with each other by bypassing the gears of the transmission unit in direct drive or via these gears in reduction ratio drive. The transmission is further provided with a first change-over member in mesh with the input member for selectively connecting the input member with the carrier in direct drive or with the sun gear in reduction ratio drive and a second change-over member secured to the first change-over member for engaging the ring gear with the casing in reduction ratio drive or disengaging the former from the latter in direct drive.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 1989
    Date of Patent: May 1, 1990
    Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Osamu Kameda, Satoshi Fujikawa, Toshiharu Shinmoto