Hydrostatic transaxle

摘要

A transaxle for a vehicle is provided, including a pump assembly having an input shaft extending from a housing and driven by a prime mover and a pump disposed on a first hydraulic mounting member attached to a pump housing. An attached motor assembly includes a tubular axle/motor housing, a motor disposed on a second hydraulic mounting member therein and openings in the axle/motor housing to receive hydraulic fluid from the first mounting member. The pump hydraulically drives the motor through porting formed in the first and second hydraulic mounting members via protrusions extending from the first mounting member to the second mounting member. A pair of dual planetary gear reduction mechanisms may be driven by the motor output shaft to power one of a pair of driven wheels of the vehicle.

主权项

1. A transaxle for mounting on a vehicle having a prime mover, comprising
a pump assembly, comprising a pump housing joined to a pump end cap to form a first sump, a pump located in the first sump, and a pump shaft extending into the pump housing and engaged to and driving the pump; a motor housing having a first end, a second end and a generally cylindrical outer wall connecting the first end to the second end and having a generally circular cross-section, wherein a portion of the pump assembly is connected to the outer wall of the motor housing, and wherein the motor housing forms a second sump; a motor port block disposed in the motor housing and having a generally circular outer circumference sized to fit within the motor housing; a motor disposed in the motor housing and operationally engaged to the motor port block; a motor shaft disposed in the motor housing and having a first end, a second end and a longitudinal axis of rotation, the motor shaft being engaged to and driven by the motor; a first axle engaged to and driven by the motor shaft, and extending out the first end of the motor housing; and a second axle engaged to and driven by the motor shaft and extending out the second end of the motor housing.