Modular Powershift Transmission Layout for Flexible Gear Variants
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional powershift transmissions for agricultural vehicles are costly to produce and limited in operational modes, as they require separate designs and adaptations for different gearshift variants, which restricts flexibility and increases production costs.
Innovation Solution
A modular transmission unit with a fixed housing and identical shaft orientation for all variants, allowing for the implementation of different numbers of gearshift variants (e.g., 12, 18, 24, 32) by adding or omitting gearwheel steps, with a unified hydraulic actuation system, enabling cost-saving production and flexible use across various vehicle types.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If separate designs are used for different gearshift variants, then each variant can be optimized for its specific requirements, but production costs increase and manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a universal transmission unit with a fixed housing and standardized shaft orientation that can accommodate multiple gearshift variants (12, 18, 24, 32 gears) through the selective addition or omission of gearwheel steps. This multi-functional design allows the same basic unit to serve different vehicle types and requirements without requiring separate designs for each variant, thereby reducing production costs while maintaining adaptability.
Solution Approach 2:
The transmission unit is segmented into modular components: a fixed housing containing the core transmission mechanism, and interchangeable gearwheel steps that can be added or removed. This segmentation allows different configurations to be assembled from the same base unit, enabling cost-effective production across multiple variants while maintaining optimization capabilities for each specific gearshift requirement.
2Adaptability or versatility
If separate designs are used for different gearshift variants, then each variant can be optimized for its specific requirements, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a universal transmission platform with standardized housing and shaft orientation that can support multiple gearshift variants. This reduces device complexity by eliminating the need for separate design sets for each variant, while still providing the flexibility to configure different gear counts through modular gearwheel additions or omissions.
Solution Approach 2:
By segmenting the transmission into a fixed core unit and modular gearwheel steps, the patent simplifies the overall device architecture. Each variant is achieved through simple combinatorial assembly rather than complete redesign, thereby reducing design complexity while maintaining adaptability across 12, 18, 24, and 32-gear configurations.
3Ease of manufacture
If a modular transmission unit with fixed housing is used, then production costs decrease and assembly is simplified, but the ability to accommodate different gearshift variants is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a dynamic configuration capability within the fixed housing by allowing gearwheel steps to be selectively added or omitted. This enables the transmission unit to adapt its gear count (12, 18, 24, or 32 gears) based on specific vehicle requirements, maintaining high adaptability despite the standardized housing design, while still benefiting from cost-effective modular production.
4Volume of moving object
If a compact transmission unit design is used, then space requirements decrease and assembly is simplified, but the ability to integrate multiple gearwheel steps is restricted
Solution Approach 1:
The patent efficiently utilizes the internal three-dimensional space of the fixed housing to accommodate multiple gearwheel steps and their associated clutches. By optimizing the spatial arrangement within the compact housing, the design allows for the integration of sufficient gearwheel steps to achieve 12, 18, 24, or 32-gear variants without significantly increasing the external dimensions of the transmission unit, thus maintaining compactness while providing configuration flexibility.
Data Source
AI summary
A method is provided for configuring different numbers of gearshift variants in a stepped powershift transmission for an agricultural working machine. The method includes providing a transmission unit, a front-mounted range unit, a gear reduction unit, a rear-mounted range unit, a housing, a drive shaft, a lay shaft, an output shaft, and a hydraulic control arrangement. The same transmission unit is used for all the numbers of gearshift variants while an identical spatial orientation of the shafts is maintained for all the numbers of gearshift variants. The method further includes adapting exclusively the gearshift variants by varying the front-mounted range unit or the rear-mounted range unit.