Bosch Automotive Systems Corporation

Toyoda Koki Kabushiki Kaisha

Toyoda Machine Works, Ltd.

Makoto Nishiji

Shinichiro Nakajima

Yozo Yamashita

Seiya Ikeda

Akinao Minegishi

An internal gearis rotatably received within a housing(planetary carrierand case), and a sun gearis rotatably disposed on a circle located inside of and concentric with the internal gear. Planet gearswhich are carried within carrying openingsformed in a planetary carrierare disposed between the internal gearand the sun gearin meshing engagement with the internal gearand the sun gear. The internal gear, the sun gearand the planet gearseach have spherical gear teeth, and develops a thrust upon occurrence of a relative rotation therebetween. A couplingis connected to the inner periphery of the internal gearthrough helical splinesandfor purpose of power transmission. The helical splines provide a novel thrust generating mechanism, which enlarges the extent in which a bias ratio can be adjusted.

Differential gearing for vehicle

An interaxle transfer case distributes drive power from an input drive shaft to both a rear propshaft aligned with the input drive shaft and to a front propshaft that is offset from both the input drive shaft and the rear propshaft. Within the transfer case, a planetary gear unit provides for delivering drive power from the input drive shaft to the front and rear propshafts at different speed ratios. A single-pinion differential gear unit within the transfer case provides for unequally dividing drive torque between the front and rear propshafts. Planet gears of the planetary gear unit and pinion gears from the single-pinion differential gear unit are mounted for rotation within a common carrier. The common carrier has one or more extended portions for supporting ends of a transfer case housing.

Two-speed torque-splitting interaxle transfer case

Five receiving holesextending along the axis of a circular cylindrical portionof a housing are formed in the circular cylindrical portion. Those five receiving holesare arranged at equal intervals in the peripheral direction of the circular cylindrical portion. Each receiving holerotatably receives therein a planetary gear. The respective planetary gearsare in engagement with an inner gearand a sun gear. The teeth of the inner gear, the sun gearand the planetary gearsare helical teeth. The numbers of teeth of the inner gear, the sun gearand the planetary gearsare set to 36, 24 and 6, respectively. As a result, the numbers of teeth of the inner gearand the sun gearlocated between adjacent two planetary gearsin the peripheral direction become 7.2 and 4.8, respectively, which are values each having a fraction below the decimal point.

Planetary gear apparatus

A carrieris fixed to one end opening part of a circular cylindrical apparatus main body. A plurality of receiving holes, which extend in parallel with a rotation axis L, are formed in the carrierat the same interval in a peripheral direction. A planetary gearis received in each receiving holesuch that the planetary gearcan rotate on its own axis. An inner gearand a sun gear, which are arranged with their axes aligned with the rotation axis L of the apparatus main body, are disposed within the apparatus main body. The inner gearis engaged with the planetary gearsat the outside thereof. The sun gearis engaged with the planetary gearsat the inner side thereof. An engagement part between the inner gearand the planetary gearand an engagement part between the sun gearand the planetary gearare displaced from each other in a direction of the rotation axis L so that they are not overlapped with each other in a direction of the rotation axis L.

A receiving portionfor rotatably receiving therein a planetary gear, is formed between a plurality of retaining protrusionsof a carrier. A connection portionextending annularly about a rotation axis L is formed on an outer peripheral of a distal end portion of each retaining protrusion. Through this connection portion, the distal end portions of the respective retaining protrusionsare connected to each other. Owing to this arrangement, each retaining protrusionis reinforced to minimize its deformation. As a result, deformation of the receiving portionis greatly reduced and the planetary gearreceiving in the receiving portioncan rotate smoothly.

Planetary gear device

A planetary gear mechanism is provided at one end portion of a housing in a direction of the rotation axis L. The mechanism includes a planetary gear disposed at the housing such that the planetary gear is rotatable about its own axis and revolvable about the rotation axis together with the housing, and an inner gear and a sun gear which are in mesh with the planetary gear. A differential gear mechanism is provided at the other end portion of the housing. The mechanism includes a casing non-rotatably connected to the sun gear, a pair of pinion gears disposed within the casing such that the pinion gears are rotatable about their axes and revolvable about the rotation axis together with the casing, and a pair of side gears , which are in mesh with the pinion gears.

Combined differential gear device

A planetary gear is contacted at its at least one tooth of all its teeth with an end edge facing an inner releasing part of an inner peripheral surface of a receiving hole irrespective of a rotational position of the planetary gear . By doing so, the planetary gear is prevented from moving in the radial direction. As a result, the planetary gear can be prevented from vibrating in the radial direction. Thus, vibrations of a planetary gear apparatus can be reduced, and the planetary gear and a carrier can be reduced in damage.

A casing of a second differential gear mechanism is constituted by a carrier and a sun gear which are separately formed. Owing to this arrangement, the casing is divided into two parts in a direction of its axis. The carrier is movable in a direction of an axis L. By meshing engagement between a pinion gear and a side gear A, the carrier , which forms a part of the casing , is press contacted with a housing through a washer

A housing ( ) has a planetary gear mechanism ( ) composed of an inner gear ( ), a planetary gear ( ) and a sun gear ( ), which mechanism is disposed within the housing ( ) on its outer periphery side. The inner gear ( ) is connected with a casing ( ) arranged on a rotation axis (L). A spherical receiving portion ( ) is formed on the casing ( ). This receiving portion ( ) is received in the sun gear ( ). A pair of element gears ( ) and a pair of side gears ( ) of the planetary gear mechanism ( ) are received in the receiving portion ( ).

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Kumagaya, Japan

Makoto Nishiji