Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.

Aisin Aw Co., Ltd.

Shail N Shah

Nicholas Vernon

Shinji Oita

Brady James Gambatese

Sean I Hayes

A planetary carrier subassembly for a transmission is provided that is sintered using braze preforms. The carrier subassembly may include a powder metal carrier member having a plurality of carrier legs extending a distance therefrom, and a powder metal cover member having a plurality of cover legs extending a distance therefrom. The carrier member and cover member are positioned such that respective ends of the carrier legs and ends of the cover legs are aligned with one another. The subassembly is provided with at least one braze preform including a braze material and a sacrificial binder, such as a wax. The braze preform is placed between a respective pair of the aligned carrier legs and the cover legs. The braze preform is provided with a geometry configured to direct a flow of braze material during a subsequent sintering process.

Braze preform for powder metal sintering

A planetary carrier assembly is provided for a transmission. The carrier assembly comprises a powder metal carrier member including a carrier plate having a plurality of carrier legs extending from the carrier plate, and a powder metal cover member including a cover plate having a plurality of cover legs extending from the cover plate. The carrier assembly includes a sleeve member defining a plurality of braze material retention features stamped along a perimeter of the sleeve member. In various aspects, the braze material retention features cooperate with the carrier member and the cover member, in an assembled state, to define retention apertures shaped and sized to retain a braze material adjacent the single plane prior to a sintering process. A portion of the carrier member is aligned with both a portion of the cover member and a portion of the sleeve member, and brazed together in a single plane.

Braze retention feature for a carrier assembly

A Ravigneaux planetary carrier assembly is provided for accommodating pinion gears of an automatic transmission. The carrier assembly comprises a powder metal carrier member including a carrier plate having a plurality of integral carrier legs extending therefrom, and a powder metal cover member including a cover plate having a plurality of integral cover legs extending therefrom. The carrier assembly is arranged such that respective ends of the carrier legs and ends of the cover legs are aligned with and brazed to one another, defining an interior of the carrier assembly configured to house the pinion gears.

Two-piece sintered metal ravigneaux carrier

A powder metal component for a transmission includes a body portion defining a substantially planar major surface, and at least three radially spaced-apart retention features formed in the body portion in a green state, prior to sintering. Each retention feature may include a bore having a shaped geometry extending between an upper region adjacent the major surface of the body portion, and a lower region defining a radius of curvature. Each bore may be defined by two opposing, substantially parallel sidewalls and a substantially U-shaped bottom portion. The U-shaped bottom portion may include a center region defining the radius of curvature connecting two angled bottom walls.

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Ann Arbor, MI, United States of America

Shail N Shah