Transmission with integrated PTO input gear damper

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9067492-B2
Application number	US-201213471884-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 15, 2012
Priority date	May 15, 2012
Publication date	Jun 30, 2015
Grant date	Jun 30, 2015

Abstract

A power take-off unit (“PTO”) may include a damper to reduce noise while the PTO is operating at low torque or at low RPM. The damper may also be located in the transmission before the PTO driver gear. A method may be used to systematically measure the frequency and/or amplitude of the vibrations that cause noise and to adjust the damping constant of a damper to reduce the noise.

First claim

I claim:

1. A damped transmission for connecting to a power take-off unit, the damped transmission comprising:
a damper;
a drive gear;
a torque converter;
a first shaft configured to transmit torque from the torque converter to the damper; and
a second shaft configured to transmit torque from the damper to the drive gear, wherein the drive gear is configured to connect with the power take-off unit.

2. The damped transmission of claim 1 , wherein the damper is
a fluid damper.

3. The damped transmission of claim 1 ,
wherein the damper is a spring damper and
the spring damper has a predetermined spring constant, wherein the predetermined spring constant is configured to dampen vibrations of an engine that is operating at approximately 1000 RPMs and is coupled to the damped transmission.

4. The damped transmission of claim 1 , wherein the damped transmission is an automatic transmission.

5. The damped transmission of claim 1 , wherein the power take-off unit comprises an input gear connected to an input shaft, wherein the input gear is connected with the drive gear of the damped transmission.

6. The damped transmission of claim 5 , wherein the power take-off unit further comprises an idler shaft and an output shaft, wherein the input shaft and the output shaft are coupled in part by a clutch configured to selectively transmit torque from the input shaft via the idler shaft to the output shaft.

7. The damped transmission of claim 1 further comprising a vibration sensor configured to detect vibrations of the transmission.

8. The damped transmission of claim 7 , wherein the vibration sensor is in communication with the damper.

9. The damped transmission of claim 8 , wherein a damping constant of the damper is adjusted based on a signal received from the vibration sensor.

Assignees

• Hairston Berron
• White Bradford
• Zahnradfabrik Friedrichshafen

Inventors

• Hairston Berron
• White Bradford

Classifications

• B60K17/28 Primary

  characterised by arrangement, location, or type of power take-off · CPC title

• F16F15/12

  using elastic members or friction-damping members, e.g. between a rotating shaft and a gyratory mass mounted thereon ({F16F15/14} , F16F15/16 take precedence) · CPC title

• Y10T74/19623

  Backlash take-up · CPC title

• F02B67/04

  of mechanically-driven auxiliary apparatus · CPC title