transmission

Abstract

To provide a transmission capable of efficiently lubricating a gear by an oil.SOLUTION: A transmission 1 includes: a rotor 50; a first rotating shaft 21 connected to the rotor 50; an outer cylindrical portion 25 disposed at an outer peripheral side of the first rotating shaft 21 relatively rotatably to the first rotating shaft 21; a first gear 22 supported by the first rotating shaft 21; a second rotating shaft 31 disposed in adjacent to the first rotating shaft 22; a second gear 32 supported by the second rotating shaft 21 and engaged with the first gear 22; a bush 40 fitted to an outer periphery of the outer cylindrical portion 25; and an oil flow passage 41 formed so that an oil can flow therein through a clearance between the bush 40 and the outer cylindrical portion 25. In the transmission 1, the oil flow passage 41 has an opening portion 44 for discharging an oil, and the opening portion 44 is positioned between the first rotating shaft 21 and the second rotating shaft 31 and disposed at an upper side of at least one of tooth portions 22a, 32a in the first gear 22 and the second gear 32.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a transmission.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, transmissions such as continuously variable transmissions (CVTs) and automatic transmissions (ATs) are known (for example, Patent Document 1). In the transmission described in Patent Document 1 mentioned above, various gear mechanisms are used. Gears and bearings in the gear mechanism need to be lubricated to prevent wear.

[0003] Therefore, a conventional transmission is provided with an oil pump for supplying oil for lubricating the bearings, and the oil is forcibly supplied to the bearings by the oil pump. Also, a part of the oil supplied to the bearings is supplied to the gears. Thereby, the bearings and gears are lubricated with oil.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] By the way, in the transmission described in Patent Document 1, the primary shaft is rotatably supported by bearings, and an input shaft gear is supported on the primary shaft adjacent to the bearings. Also, the oil supplied by the oil pump is supplied from the bearing side toward the input shaft gear. Therefore, the oil supplied to the bearings by the oil pump is supposed to be supplied to the input shaft gear via the bearings with the momentum sent out from the oil pump.

[0006] However, in conventional transmissions, the oil supplied by the oil pump is supplied to the bearings, so in order to get the supplied oil to the gears, it was necessary to increase the amount of oil supplied. Consequently, conventional transmissions had the problem of poor fuel efficiency due to the increased workload of the oil pump and increased mechanical losses in bearings, etc.

[0007] Therefore, the present invention aims to provide a transmission that can efficiently lubricate the gears with oil. Furthermore, the present invention aims to provide a transmission that can suppress an increase in the workload of the oil pump and reduce mechanical losses such as bearings. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] (1) The transmission of the present invention, provided to solve the above-mentioned problems, comprises a rotating body, a first rotating shaft connected to the rotating body, an outer cylinder portion disposed on the outer circumference of the first rotating shaft so as to be rotatable relative to the first rotating shaft, a first gear supported by the first rotating shaft, a second rotating shaft disposed adjacent to the first rotating shaft, a second gear supported by the second rotating shaft and meshing with the first gear, a bush fitted on the outer circumference of the outer cylinder portion, and an oil passage formed so as to allow oil to flow through the gap between the bush and the outer cylinder portion, wherein the oil passage has an opening from which the oil can be discharged, the opening is disposed between the first rotating shaft and the second rotating shaft and is located above the teeth of at least one of the first gear and the second gear.

[0009] The transmission described above can allow oil to flow into the oil passage via a bush. Furthermore, the transmission described above can supply (discharge) oil from the oil passage to the upper side of the teeth of at least one of the first gear and the second gear through an opening in the oil passage. Here, the oil flowing into the oil passage is, for example, oil around the rotating body or around the first rotating shaft (e.g., leak oil). Therefore, the transmission described above can supply oil to the first gear and the second gear (simply referred to as the gears) via a different route than the bearing lubrication oil supplied by, for example, a bearing lubrication oil pump (also simply referred to as the oil pump). In other words, the transmission described above can supply oil to the teeth of the gears by allowing, for example, leak oil to flow into the oil passage. Consequently, the transmission described above can suppress an increase in the workload of the oil pump and reduce mechanical losses such as bearings. This can be expected to improve the fuel efficiency of vehicles using the transmission. In addition, since the transmission described above can suppress an increase in the amount of oil supplied to the bearings, it can reduce mechanical losses in the bearings. Thus, the transmission described above can efficiently lubricate the gears by effectively utilizing leaked oil, etc.

[0010] Here, the first gear and the second gear are preferably rotated toward the opening (upward side). By having the above-described transmission configured in this way, the amount of oil supplied to the first gear and the second gear that falls downward can be reduced. Therefore, the above-described transmission can more efficiently lubricate the first gear and the second gear with oil.

[0011] Here, the load on the first and second gears is expected to be greatest at the meshing portion between the first and second gears. Therefore, it has been found that it is desirable to supply lubricating oil to the meshing portion between the first and second gears.

[0012] (2) Based on the above findings, the transmission of the present invention described above is characterized in that the opening is formed to protrude toward the meshing portion of the first gear and the second gear, and the opening is positioned above the meshing portion.

[0013] The transmission described above, with this configuration, can supply oil to the upper side of the meshing portion of the first gear and the second gear. Therefore, the transmission described above can supply oil to both the first gear and the second gear. As a result, the transmission described above can reliably lubricate the meshing portion of the gears under heavy load, thereby effectively suppressing gear wear and damage.

[0014] (3) The transmission of the present invention described above is characterized in that the opening is positioned tangentially to and above the first gear and the second gear in the meshing portion.

[0015] The transmission of the present invention, as described above, can supply oil evenly to both the first gear and the second gear by having this configuration. As a result, the transmission can reliably lubricate both the first gear and the second gear.

[0016] (4) The transmission of the present invention described above may be characterized in that the opening is provided with a shielding portion that covers at least the lower end.

[0017] The transmission described above is equipped with a shielding section, which allows oil splashed up by the first gear and second gear (hereinafter collectively referred to as gears) to be reflected by the shielding section and supplied back to the gears. As a result, the transmission described above can efficiently utilize the oil discharged from the opening, and can efficiently lubricate the gears even when there is little oil flowing into the oil passage. Furthermore, since the lower end of the opening of the transmission described above is covered by the shielding section, it is possible to prevent oil splashed up by the gears from flowing back (entering) from the opening. Therefore, the transmission described above can smoothly discharge oil from the opening and supply it to the gears.

[0018] (5) The transmission of the present invention described above is preferably characterized in that the rotating body is a torque converter.

[0019] By adopting such a configuration, the transmission described above can be preferably used for a transmission having a torque converter. Therefore, automation of the transmission can be expected. (6) The transmission of the present invention described above is preferably characterized in that it is configured as a continuously variable transmission or an automatic transmission.

[0020] By adopting the configuration as described above, the transmission described above can be made suitable for a continuously variable transmission (CVT) or an automatic transmission (AT). Thereby, the gears in the continuously variable transmission or the automatic transmission can be efficiently lubricated with oil.

Advantages of the Invention

[0021] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a transmission capable of efficiently lubricating gears with oil. Further, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide a transmission capable of suppressing an increase in the workload of the oil pump and reducing mechanical losses such as bearings.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0022] [Figure 1] It is a cross-sectional view of a transmission according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] It is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a main part of a transmission according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] It is an enlarged view of a main part of an oil flow path constituting the transmission of the present invention as seen from the opening side.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0023] The following describes a transmission unit 1 (also referred to as a transmission 1) according to one embodiment of the present invention, with reference to Figures 1 to 3. In this embodiment, the case in which the transmission 1 is configured as a continuously variable transmission 10 (also referred to as a CVT 10) is described as an example. It should be noted that these figures are schematic diagrams and do not necessarily represent the exact proportions of the dimensions.

[0024] First, the transmission unit 1 of the present invention will be described with reference to Figure 1.

[0025] The transmission unit 1 (power transmission device) according to this embodiment is, for example, a unit mounted on a vehicle that changes the power generated by the engine 2, which serves as a drive source for driving. The vehicle on which the transmission unit 1 exemplified in this embodiment is mounted is a FR (front engine, rear drive) based two-wheel drive vehicle. By providing a transfer case, it can also be used in a 4WD (four-wheel drive) vehicle.

[0026] Engine 2 is, for example, a 3-cylinder, 4-stroke engine, mounted longitudinally with the crankshaft oriented vertically relative to the vehicle's front-to-rear direction. The number of cylinders in Engine 2 is not limited to 3; it may be 4 or more cylinders, or 2 or fewer cylinders. Also, the number of strokes in Engine 2 is not limited to 4; it may be 2.

[0027] The transmission unit 1 (power transmission device) comprises a unit case 11, a torque converter 50 (also referred to as a rotating body 50), and a CVT 10 (Continuously Variable Transmission). The transmission unit 1 is also equipped with a forward clutch 93 and a reverse clutch 94.

[0028] The transmission unit 1 has a configuration in which a torque converter 50 and a CVT 10 are housed within a unit case 11 that forms a housing. The unit case 11 includes a transmission case 11a that houses the torque converter 50 and the CVT 10, and a partition wall 11b that separates the torque converter 50 and the CVT 10.

[0029] <torque converter> The torque converter 50 is housed in the unit case 11. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the torque converter 50 includes a front cover 51, a pump impeller 52, a turbine hub 53, a turbine runner 54, a lock-up mechanism 55, and a stator 56.

[0030] The front cover 51 extends in a roughly disc shape around the input shaft 21 (also referred to as the first rotation shaft 21) which extends in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle (body), and its outer peripheral end is bent towards the rear, opposite to the engine 2 side (towards the continuously variable transmission mechanism 30, which will be described later). The central part of the front cover 51 bulges forward. The crankshaft of the engine 2 is coupled to this bulging portion in a way that prevents relative rotation.

[0031] The pump impeller 52 is located on the rear side of the front cover 51. The outer peripheral end of the pump impeller 52 is connected to the outer peripheral end of the front cover 51 and is provided to rotate integrally with the front cover 51 around the axis of rotation. Multiple blades 57 are arranged radially on the inner surface of the pump impeller 52. The pump impeller 52 extends in a substantially disc shape around the input shaft 21, with its inner circumference bulging towards the rear. The pump impeller 52 also has a rear projection 52a that protrudes cylindrically towards the rear along the input shaft 21.

[0032] The turbine hub 53 is located between the front cover 51 and the pump impeller 52.

[0033] The turbine runner 54 is fixed to the turbine hub 53. Multiple blades 58 are arranged radially on the surface of the turbine runner 54 facing the pump impeller 52.

[0034] The lock-up mechanism 55 includes a lock-up piston 61 and a damper mechanism 62.

[0035] The lock-up piston 61 is roughly annular in shape, with its inner circumferential end fitted onto the turbine hub 53, and is located between the front cover 51 and the turbine runner 54. When the hydraulic pressure in the engaging-side oil chamber 63 on the turbine runner 54 side is higher than the hydraulic pressure in the releasing-side oil chamber 64 on the front cover 51 side relative to the lock-up piston 61, the differential pressure causes the lock-up piston 61 to move towards the front cover 51. When the lock-up piston 61 is pressed against the front cover 51, the pump impeller 52 and the turbine runner 54 are directly connected (lock-up on). Conversely, when the hydraulic pressure in the releasing-side oil chamber 64 is higher than the hydraulic pressure in the engaging-side oil chamber 63, the differential pressure causes the lock-up piston 61 to move towards the turbine runner 54. When the lock-up piston 61 is separated from the front cover 51, the direct connection between the pump impeller 52 and the turbine runner 54 is released (lock-up off).

[0036] The damper mechanism 62 is a mechanism for damping vibrations from the engine 2 when the pump impeller 52 and the turbine runner 54 are directly connected.

[0037] The stator 56 is located between the pump impeller 52 and the turbine runner 54.

[0038] When the lock-up is off, the engine torque causes the pump impeller 52 to rotate, generating an oil flow from the pump impeller 52 towards the turbine runner 54. This oil flow is received by the blades 58 of the turbine runner 54, causing the turbine runner 54 to rotate. At this time, the torque converter 50 amplifies the torque, generating a torque greater than the engine torque in the turbine runner 54.

[0039] <cvt> As shown in Figure 1, the CVT 10 is housed in a transmission case 11a. The transmission case 11a has a partition wall 11b formed radially on the rear side of the torque converter 50. The partition wall 11b separates the torque converter 50 from the CVT 10.

[0040] The CVT10 comprises an input shaft 21 (also referred to as the first rotating shaft 21), a continuously variable transmission mechanism 30, an output shaft 23, and a reverse transmission mechanism 75. In addition to the above, the CVT10 also comprises a stator shaft 25 (also referred to as the outer cylinder portion 25), a bush 40, and an oil passage 41. Details of the bush 40 and oil passage 41 will be described later. The transmission unit 1 is arranged longitudinally, with the input shaft 21 of the CVT10 extending in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle.

[0041] In the following explanation, the direction in which the axis of the input shaft 21 extends may be simply referred to as "axis direction X".

[0042] Furthermore, in the following explanation, in the direction of input from engine 2, which is the power source (axial direction X), the front (forward) as seen from the power source (engine 2) may be simply referred to as "front Fr," and the rear (backward) may be simply referred to as "rear Rr."

[0043] The input shaft 21 is formed as a hollow shaft and is positioned so that its axis coincides with the rotation axis of the torque converter 50. An input shaft gear 22 (also referred to as the first gear 22) is integrally formed on the input shaft 21. The front end Fr of the input shaft 21 is inserted into the torque converter 50 and spline-fitted with the turbine hub 53. This connects the torque converter 50 and the input shaft 21. The input shaft 21 is also rotatably supported by bearings 70 and 73.

[0044] A through-hole formed at the axial center of the input shaft 21 is through which the pump shaft 26 is inserted. The pump shaft 26 is inserted with a gap between it and the inner circumferential surface of the input shaft 21. The front end of the pump shaft 26 reaches the front cover 51 of the torque converter 50 and is connected to the center of the front cover 51 in a way that prevents relative rotation. As a result, when the front cover 51 rotates due to the power of the engine 2, the pump shaft 26 and pump gear 28 rotate together with the front cover 51, generating hydraulic pressure from the oil pump 27.

[0045] The stator shaft 25 (outer cylinder portion 25) is formed in a cylindrical shape and is supported by press-fitting into the unit case 11. The input shaft 21 is inserted through the stator shaft 25 so as to be rotatable relative to it. The stator 56 is supported on the outer circumference of the front end of the stator shaft 25.

[0046] An oil pump 27 is connected to the bearing 70 via an appropriate oil supply passage (not shown). Therefore, lubricating oil is supplied to the bearing 70 via the oil pump 27. In addition, as shown in Figure 2, an oil seal 71 is provided on the front Fr side of the bearing 70.

[0047] The oil seal 71 is formed in an annular shape using rubber or the like as a material and is fitted onto the outer circumference of the bush 40, which will be described later. The oil seal 71 is also held in place by a rib 11d that protrudes in an annular shape from the partition wall 11b toward the front Fr side. As a result, the oil seal 71 prevents the oil supplied to the bush 40 from flowing out toward the front Fr side (torque converter 50 side).

[0048] As shown in Figure 1, the output shaft 23 is positioned a distance rearward (Rr) from the input shaft 21. The output shaft 23 is positioned so that its axis aligns with the axis of the input shaft 21. In other words, the input shaft 21 and the output shaft 23 are positioned with a distance in the axial direction X, and have a common axis extending longitudinally along the front-rear direction of the vehicle. An output shaft gear 24 is integrally formed on the output shaft 23. The output shaft gear 24 meshes with a secondary output gear 35, which will be described later.

[0049] Furthermore, the output shaft gear 24 is a helical gear. Therefore, when the output shaft gear 24 rotates by receiving rotational power from the secondary output gear 35, a force (thrust force) acts on the output shaft 23 in the direction of the rear Rr along the axial direction X.

[0050] The continuously variable speed mechanism 30 comprises a primary shaft 31 (also referred to as the second rotating shaft 31), a secondary shaft 33, a primary pulley 36, a secondary pulley 39, and a belt 49.

[0051] The primary shaft 31 (second rotation shaft 31) is positioned so that its axis aligns with (is parallel to) the axis of the input shaft 21 (first rotation shaft 21). The primary shaft 31 is also positioned radially apart from the input shaft 21. A primary input gear 32 (also referred to as the second gear 32) is mounted on the primary shaft 31 so as to be rotatable relative to it. The primary input gear 32 (second gear 32) meshes with the input shaft gear 22 (also referred to as the first gear 22) to form a meshing portion 45 (see Figure 2).

[0052] The secondary shaft 33 is positioned so that its axis aligns with (is parallel to) the axis of the input shaft 21. Furthermore, the secondary shaft 33 is located radially spaced from the axis of the input shaft 21. A secondary input gear 34 and a secondary output gear 35 are mounted on the secondary shaft 33.

[0053] The secondary input gear 34 is located on the front Fr side of the secondary shaft 33 and is rotatable relative to the secondary shaft 33.

[0054] The secondary output gear 35 is located on the rear side (Rr) of the secondary shaft 33. Furthermore, the secondary output gear 35 is mounted so as not to rotate relative to the secondary shaft 33. The secondary output gear 35 meshes with the output shaft gear 24, which is located on the output shaft 23.

[0055] The primary pulley 36 comprises a primary fixed sheave 36a and a primary movable sheave 36b. The primary fixed sheave 36a is fixed to the primary shaft 31. The primary movable sheave 36b is positioned opposite the primary fixed sheave 36a, with the belt 49 in between, and is supported so as to be movable in the axial direction of the primary shaft 31 but not so as to rotate relative to it. A cylinder 37 is provided in front of the primary movable sheave 36b Fr. A hydraulic chamber 38 (piston chamber 38) is formed between the primary movable sheave 36b and the cylinder 37.

[0056] The secondary pulley 39 comprises a secondary fixed sheave 39a and a secondary movable sheave 39b. The secondary fixed sheave 39a is fixed to the secondary shaft 33. The secondary movable sheave 39b is positioned opposite the secondary fixed sheave 39a, with the belt 49 in between, and is supported so as to be movable in the axial direction of the secondary shaft 33 but not rotatable relative to it. A piston 47 is provided at the rear Rr of the secondary movable sheave 39b. A hydraulic chamber 48 is formed between the secondary movable sheave 39b and the piston 47.

[0057] The belt 49 is formed in an endless shape. The belt 49 is wrapped around the primary pulley 36 and the secondary pulley 39. More specifically, on the primary pulley 36 side, the belt 49 is wrapped around the primary pulley 36 while sandwiched between the primary fixed sheave 36a and the primary movable sheave 36b. On the secondary pulley 39 side, the belt 49 is wrapped around the secondary pulley 39 while sandwiched between the secondary fixed sheave 39a and the secondary movable sheave 39b.

[0058] In the continuously variable transmission mechanism 30, the hydraulic pressure supplied to the hydraulic chambers 38 and 48 of the primary pulley 36 and secondary pulley 39 is controlled, and the groove widths of the primary pulley 36 and secondary pulley 39 are changed, thereby continuously and steplessly changing the belt speed ratio (pulley ratio between the primary pulley 36 and the secondary pulley 39) within a constant speed ratio range.

[0059] The reverse transmission mechanism 75 is a mechanism that transmits power (rotation) from the input shaft 21 to the secondary input gear 34. The reverse transmission mechanism 75 comprises a reverse idler shaft 76, a first reverse gear 77, and a second reverse gear 78. The first reverse gear 77 is integrally formed with the reverse idler shaft 76 and meshes with the input shaft gear 22. The second reverse gear 78 is formed integrally with the reverse idler shaft 76 at the rear Rr of the first reverse gear 77 and meshes with the secondary input gear 34. Although details are omitted, the reverse transmission mechanism 75 is designed to transmit power when reversing the vehicle.

[0060] The above describes the configuration of the transmission unit 1. Next, we will explain in detail the bush 40 and the oil passage 41 (for lubrication of the first gear 22 and the second gear 32) in the CVT 10 (transmission 1) of the present invention.

[0061] As shown in Figure 2, a bush 40 is fitted onto the outer circumference of the stator shaft 25 (outer cylinder portion 25). The bush 40 has a gap (not shown) between it and the stator shaft 25, and an oil passage 41 (also referred to as an oil drain hole 41) is formed to communicate with this gap.

[0062] The bush 40 is formed in a cylindrical shape using, for example, metal, resin, or rubber as a material, and is fitted onto the inner circumference of the rear projection 52a of the torque converter 50. Therefore, the bush 40 supports the torque converter 50. In other words, the torque converter 50 is supported by the stator shaft 25 via the bush 40.

[0063] Furthermore, an oil seal 71, which will be described later, is positioned on the outer circumference of the rear projection 52a.

[0064] The gap between the bush 40 and the stator shaft 25 allows oil to flow in from the torque converter 50 side. Here, the oil flowing into the oil passage 41 is, for example, oil around the torque converter 50 or around the input shaft 21 (e.g., leak oil).

[0065] One end of the oil passage 41 communicates with the rear end of the gap (bush 40) above the input shaft 21. The oil passage 41 is led from the gap into the interior of the partition wall 11b. The oil passage 41 also functions as an oil drain hole 41 for leak oil, etc. Here, a boss 43 is formed on the partition wall 11b so as to protrude toward the first gear 22 on the front side. The protruding end (front end) of the boss 43 is formed to protrude toward the upper side of the teeth 22a of the first gear 22. In other words, the protruding end of the boss 43 is formed to protrude with a length that covers at least a portion of the upper side of the teeth 22a of the first gear 22. The oil passage 41 is raised upward inside the partition wall 11b and bent toward the front side (bearing 70 side) in the middle portion, and is led into the interior of the boss 43. The oil passage 41 also has an opening 44 on the other end.

[0066] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the opening 44 is located at the protruding end of the boss 43, allowing oil that has flowed into the oil passage 41 to be discharged. The opening 44 is located between the input shaft 21 (first rotation shaft 21) and the primary shaft 31 (second rotation shaft 31). The opening 44 is preferably located above at least one of the teeth 22a, 32a of the first gear 22 and the second gear 32. This allows oil that has flowed into the oil passage 41 to be supplied to the first gear 22 and the second gear 32. Thus, the first gear 22 and the second gear 32 are efficiently lubricated.

[0067] In this embodiment, the opening 44 is positioned above the meshing portion 45 of the first gear 22 and the second gear 32, where the greatest load is expected to be applied. That is, the opening 44 is formed to protrude toward the meshing portion 45 of the first gear 22 and the second gear 32, so that the opening 44 is positioned above the meshing portion 45. Therefore, the transmission unit 1 can supply oil to the above side of the meshing portion 45 of the first gear 22 and the second gear 32. As a result, the transmission unit 1 can supply oil to both the first gear 22 and the second gear 32 (also simply referred to as the gears). This allows the transmission unit 1 to reliably lubricate the meshing portion 45 of the gears under heavy load, thereby effectively suppressing gear wear and damage.

[0068] Furthermore, the opening 44 is preferably positioned tangentially to the first gear 22 and the second gear 32 in the meshing portion 45 (see Figure 3) and on the upper side. With this configuration, the transmission unit 1 described above can supply oil evenly to both the first gear 22 and the second gear 32. As a result, the transmission unit 1 described above can reliably lubricate both the first gear 22 and the second gear 32.

[0069] Furthermore, as described above, the opening 44 is opened at the protruding end of the boss 43. Therefore, at least the lower end of the opening 44 is covered. As a result, a shielding portion 46 is formed on the lower end side of the opening 44.

[0070] As described above, the transmission unit 1 is equipped with a shielding portion 46, so that the oil splashed up by the first gear 22 and the second gear 32 (also simply referred to as the gears) can be reflected by the shielding portion 46 and supplied back to the gears. As a result, the transmission unit 1 can efficiently utilize the oil discharged from the opening 44, so that the gears can be efficiently lubricated even when there is little oil flowing into the oil passage 41. Furthermore, since the lower end of the opening 44 of the transmission unit 1 is covered by the shielding portion 46, it is possible to suppress the backflow (inflow) of oil splashed up by the gears from the opening 44. Therefore, the transmission unit 1 can smoothly discharge oil from the opening 44 and supply it to the gears.

[0071] The above describes an embodiment of the transmission unit 1 of the present invention. Next, the operation and effects of the transmission unit 1 of the present invention will be described below.

[0072] The transmission unit 1 described above can supply (discharge) oil to the upper side of the teeth of at least one of the first gear 22 and the second gear 32 through the opening 44 in the oil passage 41, by allowing oil to flow into the oil passage 41 via the bush 40. Therefore, the transmission unit 1 can supply oil to the first gear 22 and the second gear 32 via a different route than the bearing lubrication oil supplied by the oil pump 27, for example. In other words, the transmission unit 1 can supply oil to the teeth 22a and 32a of the gears by allowing leaked oil to flow into the oil passage 41, for example. Consequently, the transmission unit 1 can suppress the increase in the workload of the oil pump 27 and reduce mechanical losses such as bearings. As a result, improved fuel efficiency can be expected for vehicles using the transmission unit 1. In this way, the transmission unit 1 can efficiently lubricate the gears by effectively utilizing leaked oil, etc.

[0073] Furthermore, by configuring the first gear 22 and the second gear 32 to rotate toward the opening 44 (upward), the amount of oil supplied to the first gear 22 and the second gear 32 that falls downward can be reduced. As a result, the transmission unit 1 described above can more efficiently lubricate the first gear 22 and the second gear 32 with oil.

[0074] The above describes the configuration and effects of an embodiment of the transmission unit 1 of the present invention. However, the transmission unit 1 of the present invention is not limited to the embodiments or modifications described above, and can be modified in various ways.

[0075] In this embodiment, the rotating body 50 is configured as a torque converter 50, but the rotating body 50 can be anything other than a torque converter 50, such as a differential gear. Also, in this embodiment, the case where the transmission 1 (transmission unit 1) is configured as a CVT 10 is illustrated, but the transmission 1 of the present invention can be used in various types of transmissions, not just CVTs 10. For example, the transmission 1 may be configured as an automatic transmission (AT) or a manual transmission. Also, in this embodiment, the case where the transmission 1 is mounted on a FR (front-engine, rear-drive) based two-wheel drive vehicle is illustrated, but it can also be used in, for example, an FR-based four-wheel drive vehicle. In such cases, it is advisable to provide a transfer case. Furthermore, the transmission 1 can also be used in vehicles with transversely mounted engines or FF (front-engine, front-drive) two-wheel drive vehicles, etc. In addition, the transmission 1 of the present invention can be used in power drive mechanisms of various vehicles and devices.

[0076] In this embodiment, oil flows into the oil passage 41 through the gap between the bush 40 and the stator shaft 25 (outer cylinder portion 25). However, the bush 40 can be of various shapes, sizes, and materials (e.g., metal, rubber, resin, etc.). Furthermore, the shape and spacing of the gap between the bush 40 and the stator shaft 25 can be changed according to the properties of the incoming oil. In addition, not only leak oil but also various types of oil (e.g., forcibly pumped oil) can flow into the oil passage 41. Furthermore, the shape of the oil passage 41 can be of various shapes and sizes, as long as it can discharge oil from above at least one of the teeth portions 22a, 32a of the first gear 22 and the second gear 32. In this embodiment, the opening 44 is formed as a boss 43, but the shape and size of the opening 44 can be changed according to the properties of the oil and the arrangement of the gears. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the gap on the upper side of the stator shaft 25 is used as the gap between the bush 40 and the stator shaft 25, but the gap can be positioned in various locations that can guide oil into the oil passage 41. Also, in this embodiment, the first rotating shaft 21 is formed to be hollow, but this is not limited to this, and various forms (for example, non-hollow ones) can be used for the first rotating shaft 21.

[0077] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the opening 44 is formed to protrude toward the meshing portion 45 of the first gear 22 and the second gear 32, and the opening 44 is positioned above the meshing portion 45. However, the opening 44 may be positioned above a position away from the meshing portion 45, not just above the meshing portion 45. The opening 44 can be positioned in various locations as long as it lubricates the first gear 22 and the second gear 32.

[0078] Furthermore, in this embodiment, a shielding portion 46 is provided on the lower end side of the opening 44, but the shape and size of the shielding portion 46 can be appropriately changed considering the properties of the oil and the rotation direction of the first gear 22 and the second gear 32. Also, the opening 44 can be made without a shielding portion 46. In addition, the opening direction of the opening 44 is not limited to the horizontal direction, but can be any of the various directions (for example, upward, downward, left side, right side, diagonal direction, etc.) as long as it does not obstruct the outflow of oil.

[0079] The above describes embodiments and modifications of the transmission unit 1 according to the present invention. However, the present invention is not limited to those exemplified in the embodiments and modifications described above, and it will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art that other embodiments may exist in the spirit and teachings thereof, without departing from the scope of the claims. [Industrial applicability]

[0080] The transmission of the present invention can be used in various types of transmissions, such as continuously variable transmissions (CVTs) and automatic transmissions (ATs). Furthermore, the transmission of the present invention can be used in various vehicles such as automobiles and power transmission mechanisms (differential gears), etc. [Explanation of symbols]

[0081] 1: Transmission unit (gearbox) 10: Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT) 21: Input axis (first rotation axis) 22: Input shaft gear (first gear) 22a: Teeth 25: Stator shaft (outer cylinder part) 31: Primary axis (second rotation axis) 32: Primary input gear (second gear) 32a: Teeth 40: Bush 41: Oil passage (oil drain hole) 44: Opening 45: Entanglement part 46: Shielding part 50: Torque converter (rotating body) 70: Bearings< / cvt>

Claims

1. A rotating body and A first rotating shaft connected to the rotating body, An outer cylinder portion is disposed on the outer circumference of the first rotation axis so as to be rotatable relative to the first rotation axis, The first gear supported on the first rotating shaft, A second rotation axis is arranged adjacent to the first rotation axis, A second gear is supported on the second rotating shaft and meshes with the first gear, A bush fitted to the outer circumference of the outer cylinder portion, An oil passage is formed to allow oil to flow through the gap between the bush and the outer cylinder, Equipped with, The oil passage has an opening from which the oil can be discharged. A transmission characterized in that the opening is located between the first rotating shaft and the second rotating shaft, and is located above the teeth of at least one of the first gear and the second gear.

2. The transmission according to claim 1, characterized in that the opening is positioned tangentially to and above the first gear and the second gear in the meshing portion.

3. The transmission according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the opening is provided with a shielding portion that covers at least the lower end.

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