Vehicle Transmission Assembly With Offset Gears to Cut Wear
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing transmission assemblies for vehicles face issues with unwanted wear and power loss due to high-speed rotating gear wheels, and they often require complex and costly components, which can lead to potential transmission failures.
Innovation Solution
A transmission assembly configuration with axially offset gear wheels that eliminates the need for a gear wheel on the first input shaft to mesh with the output shaft's first gear wheel, using a first torque path that includes the first input shaft gear wheel, the output shaft second gear wheel, the second input shaft second gear wheel, the second input shaft, the second input shaft first gear wheel, and the output shaft first gear wheel, reducing the risk of high-speed rotation and simplifying the design by integrating components and using fewer clutch members.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a gear wheel on the first input shaft meshes with the output shaft's first gear wheel, then the transmission assembly can provide direct power transfer, but the gear wheel rotates at high speed causing unwanted wear and power loss
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the first input shaft gear wheel that directly meshes with the output shaft's first gear wheel from the transmission assembly. This extraction eliminates the high-speed rotating gear wheel that caused power loss and wear, while maintaining the necessary power transfer functions through alternative gear paths involving the second input shaft gear wheels.
2Reliability
If traditional transmission assembly configuration is used, then power transfer is achieved, but complex and costly components are required leading to potential transmission failures
Solution Approach 1:
The patent simplifies the transmission assembly by removing unnecessary gear wheels and clutch members. Specifically, it eliminates the first input shaft gear wheel that meshed with the output shaft's first gear wheel, and reduces the number of clutch members from four to two, thereby reducing component complexity and potential failure points while maintaining reliable power transfer through alternative gear paths.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent integrates the functions of multiple components into fewer elements. By using the second input shaft gear wheels (22, 21) to provide both gear reduction and power transfer paths, and by reducing clutch members to only engage/disengage the second input shaft gear wheels, the design merges functions that were previously handled by separate components, reducing overall system complexity.
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple clutch members are used for engaging/disengaging different gear wheels, then gear selection is achieved, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes two clutch members from the traditional four-clutch configuration. The first input shaft gear wheels (11, 12) are eliminated along with their associated clutch members, as their functions are absorbed by the second input shaft gear wheels (22, 21) which remain engaged with the output shaft gear wheels (32, 31). Only two clutch members are needed to engage/disengage the second input shaft gear wheels, reducing complexity while maintaining full gear selection capability through the alternative power paths.
Data Source
AI summary
A transmission assembly for a vehicle, includes a first input shaft gear wheel arranged on a first input shaft, a second input shaft first gear wheel and a second input shaft second gear wheel arranged axially offset with respect to each other on a second input shaft, an output shaft first gear wheel and an output shaft second gear wheel arranged axially offset with respect to each other on a common output shaft. The second input shaft first gear wheel meshes with the output shaft first gear wheel, and the first input shaft gear wheel and the second input shaft second gear wheel mesh with the output shaft second gear wheel. A first torque path is provided from the first input shaft to the output shaft.