US PATENT CLASS 475
Class Notes


Current as of: June, 1999
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475 /   HD   PLANETARY GEAR TRANSMISSION SYSTEMS OR COMPONENTS



DEFINITION

Classification: 475/

This is the class for planetary gear power transmission and elements thereof, such transmission being defined as an assembly of parts including interacting first and second gears each having a central axis and wherein, during at least one mode of operation, the axis of one of the gears follows a path extending around the axis of the other gear.

(1) Note. A nominal recitation of a device for applying power to, or receiving power from, a structure of this class will not exclude a patent from being placed in this class.

LINES WITH OTHER CLASSES

A method or apparatus for manufacturing a device of this class is not found herein (Class 475), but is found in an appropriate manufacturing class. See References to Other Classes, below.

REFERENCES TO OTHER CLASSES

SEE OR SEARCH CLASS

29, Metal Working,

893+, and the other subclasses in Class 29, directed to process and apparatus of mechanical manufacture. (See Lines With Other Classes and Within This Class, above.) 74, Machine Element or Mechanism,

52, and 63+ for mechanical movements which may include planetary gearing, 640 for gearing of the "strain wave" type, and 843+ for a planetary gearing control interrelated with a motor control.

180, Motor Vehicles, for combinations of significant vehicle structure which may include planetary gearing, especially

6.2+, for steering by driving; 65.7 for an electric motor driven change speed gearing; 165 for the use of a fluid accumulator or flywheel to store and release energy; 233+ for a four wheel drive vehicle; 292+ and 374+ for spatial relationships of a transmission and a vehicle frame; and 369 and 372 for planetary combinations.

184, Lubrication, for lubrication generally, and especially

6.12, which has not been screened for planetary gearing.

188, Brakes, for brakes*, per se.

192, Clutches and Power-Stop Control, subclasses headed "INTERRELATED POWER DELIVERY CONTROLS", which may include planetary gearing controls combined with clutch* and motor controls; 3.21+ and 3.34 for an impeller-turbine type fluid drive in combination with a clutch* and brake*, respectively; 3.52+ for controls for a planetary transmission and coaxial clutch*; and 215+ for a transmission control and brake*.

477, Interrelated Power Delivery Controls, Including Engine Control, for interrelated control between an engine and a transmission, clutch, or brake.

701, Data Processing: Vehicles, Navigation, and Relative Location,

51+, for a transmission control of that type.

GLOSSARY: The following glossary will define words or phrases used in the class and subclass definitions and are identified by an asterisk which appears after the word, or in the instance of a phrase, after the last word of the phrase:

BEVEL GEAR

A gear having radial teeth extending in the same general direction as the rotational axis of the gear, but inclined with respect to the rotational axis of the gear.

BRAKE

Mechanism to selectively or automatically stop a moving part with respect to a stationary part.

CLUTCH

Mechanism to selectively or automatically couple two relatively moving parts together for common movement or to uncouple such parts.

CONDITION RESPONSIVE

Mechanism to sense a condition or change of condition in the environment of a planetary gear transmission; and, in response to such sensing, effect a control function on the transmission or on a drive train* to or from such transmission.

DIFFERENTIAL TRANSMISSION

Mechanism having separate outputs driven simultaneously from a different member of a planetary gear transmission; the arrangement being such that a change in speed of one of the outputs, in at least one mode of operation, has a direct effect on the speed of the other output. DRIVE TRAIN

Mechanism including a group of interconnected elements which transfers rotational power from a power source* to a load device*.

INPUT MEMBER

Mechanism which receives rotational power from a power source*, and transfers such rotational power to a planetary gear transmission.

LOAD DEVICE

Mechanism which receives rotational power from an output member* to put such rotational power to useful work.

ONE-WAY BRAKE

A brake* which automatically engages to stop a rotating part when the rotating part attempts to rotate in a first direction, but which permits rotation of the rotating part in a direction opposite to said first direction.

ONE-WAY CLUTCH

A clutch* which automatically couples two rotatable parts together for joint rotation when a first of said parts rotates in a first direction, but which automatically

uncouples said parts when the first of said parts rotates in a direction opposite to said first direction, or uncouples said parts when the second part rotates faster than the first part.

ORBIT GEAR A gear mounted for rotation about the same axis as a planet carrier* and having a drive face contacting a drive face of a planet pinion* at a location radially outward from the rotational axis of the planet pinion*.

OUTPUT MEMBER

Mechanism which receives rotational power from a planetary gear transmission and transfers such rotational power to a load device*.

OVERDRIVE

Mechanism wherein an output member* is driven at a greater rotational velocity than the rotational velocity of an input member*.

PLANET CARRIER

A device mounted for rotation about a first axis, and carrying a planet pinion*, the planet pinion having a second rotational axis.

PLANET PINION

A gear mounted on a planet carrier*, said carrier rotatable about a first axis, and said gear rotatable about a second axis.

POWER SOURCE

Agency for supplying rotational power to an input member* of a planetary gear transmission.

SPEED RATIO Rotational velocity of an output member* divided by the rotational velocity of an input member*.

SPUR GEAR

A gear having radially extending teeth on the rim, wherein the edges of the teeth extend in a direction generally parallel with rotational axis of the gear.

SUN GEAR

A gear mounted for rotation about the same axis as the rotational axis of a planet carrier* and having a drive face contacting a drive face of a planet pinion* between the axis

of the planet pinion and the axis of the planet carrier.

UNDERDRIVE

Mechanism wherein an output member* is driven at a slower rotational velocity than the rotational velocity of an input member*.

UNITARY DRIVE

Mechanism wherein an output member is driven at the same rotational velocity as an input member.

WORM GEAR

A gear having radial teeth on the rim with the edges of the teeth arranged as a helix extending around the rotational axis of the gear.