GB2041117A

GB2041117A - Lubrication of a transmission

Info

Publication number: GB2041117A
Application number: GB8001892A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Nissan Motor Co Ltd
Current assignee: Nissan Motor Co Ltd
Priority date: 1979-01-23
Filing date: 1980-01-21
Publication date: 1980-09-03
Also published as: JPS55100463A; DE3002316A1

Abstract

A transmission of an automotive vehicle includes a main shaft 6 which is supported at each end by a side wall of a transmission casing and by a side wall of a clutch housing 1, respectively, and has an oil passage 6a therein in its axial direction. An oil plug 46 is fitted in an opening 1a formed on the side wall of the clutch housing coaxially with the main shaft. The oil plug includes a cylindrical body 47 positioned in the through opening, oil guide means 49 provided on a side wall of the cylindrical body, and supply means 48 extending from the oil guide means into the oil passage of the main shaft when the oil plug is attached into the through opening of the clutch housing. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Oil plug for a transmission The present invention relates to an improved oil plug for use in a transmission of an automotive vehicle.

In general, an automatic transmission of an automotive vehicle is formed in such a way that rotatable shafts are journaled to a side wall of a clutch housing and a transmission casing. For example, a main shaft and an input shaft are such rotatable shafts. In this type of transmission, an oil passage is formed usually at the center of each shaft so as to supply the lubricating oil or the like thereinto from an peripheral annular feeding groove or the like formed near bearing means for supporting the shafts.

When the transmission is assembled, the clutch housing is utilized as a standard element. For such a reason, a through hole or opening is formed on a side wall of the clutch housing so that it can facilitate the alignment of the axial center. However, such a through hole or opening must be completely closed after the transmission is assembled, in order to prevent the oil from leaking therethrough, or to prevent the extraneous substances from entering therethrough into the clutch housing.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved oil plug in which a lubricating oil can be easily supplied to desired portions in a transmission of an automotive vehicle.

According to the present invention, a transmission of an automotive vehicle includes an input shaft and a main shaft supported through bearing means by a side wall of a transmission casing and by a side wall of clutch housing, respectively. The main shaft has an oil passage therein. An oil plug is fitted in an opening formed on the side wall of the clutch housing coaxially with the main shaft.

The oil plug includes a cylindrical body positioned in the through opening, oil guide means provided on a side wall of the cylindrical body, and supply means extending from the oil guide means to the oil passage of the main shaft when the oil plug is attached into the through opening of the clutch housing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS These and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following description of the preferred embodiments thereof when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a schematic sectional view showing a transmission in which an oil plug is arranged in position according to the present invention; Figure 2 is an enlarged sectional view of an essential portion of the transmission as shown in Fig 1; Figure 3 is a perspective view of the oil plug as shown in Fig. 1; and Figure 4 is a perspective view showing an oil plug according to another embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREF ERRED EMBODIMENTS Fig. 1 shows a transmission for a front engine front drive type automotive vehicle according to the present invention. The clutch housing 1 is provided in a conventional manner to an engine body (not shown). The transmission casing 2 is attached to the clutch housing 1 so as to define a transmission chamber therein. The input shaft 3 is supported at its ends by the housing 1 and casing 2 through the bearings 4 and 5, respectively. The input shaft 3 is connected at its right hand in the figure with a clutch mechanism (not shown) which is installed Win the clutch housing 1 whereby it is rotated by the engine power. The main shaft 6 is supported by the bearings 7 and 8 which are fitted on the clutch housing 1 and transmission casing 2, respectively, in parallel with the input shaft 3.The idle shaft 9 is fixed at its both ends on the clutch housing 1 and transmission casing 2 above the input shaft 3. The conventional differential gear 10 is provided below the main shaft 6.

The input shaft 2 has, in order from the right hand, the first gear 11, reverse gear 12, second gear 13, third gear 14, fourth gear 1 5 and over-drive gear 1 6 formed integrally therewith. Except the reverse gear 12, each gears 11, 13, 14, 15 and 16 of the input shaft 3 are always meshed with the first gear 18, second gear 19, third gear 20, fourth gear 21 and over-drive gear 22, respectively, supported rotatably, through the bushes 1 7 by the main shaft 6. The first, second and third synchronizers 23, 24, 25 are placed between the first and second gears 18, 19, between the third and fourth gears 20, 21, and at one end of the over-drive gear 22, respectively.The synchronizes 23, 24 and 25 are equipped with the synchrohubs 23a, 24a, 25a fixed to the main shaft 6, the coupling sleeves 23b, 24b, 25b in spline connection therewith, and the boulk rings 23c, 24c, 25c, all of which are well known in the art. By displacing axially any one of the coupling sleeves 23b, 24b, 25b, the coupling sleeve 23b becomes selectively meshed with the clutch gear 1 8a or 1 9a of the first and second gears 18, 19, the coupling sleeve 24b becoming selectively meshed with the clutch gear 20a or 21a of the third and second gear 20, 21, and the coupling sleeve 25b becoming selectively meshed with the clutch gear 22a of the over-drive gear 22, so that any one of the gears 18 to 22 can be connected with the main shaft 6.The reverse gear 1 2 is to be meshed with the reverse gear 27 formed on the periphery of the coupling sleeve 23b through the idle gear 26 rotatably supported on the idle shaft 9 when the idle gear 26 is axially displaced.

The differential gear 10 is arranged below the main shaft 6. The drive gear 28 in parallel with the main shaft 6 is engaged with the drive pinion 29 formed integrally with the main shaft 6 near its right end. The differential gear casing 30 is fixedly provided with the drive gear 28. The side gears 31, 32 are connected to axle means (not shown). The pinion-mates 33, 34 are supported by the pinion-mate shaft 35.

A system for operating the synchronizers 23, 24 and 25 will be now described. A fork rod 36 is supported at its ends by the housing 1 and the casing 2 in such a way that it can move in parallel to the main shaft 6 within a limited range. The four forks 37, 38, 39, 40 are attached at their one end to the fork shaft 36. The forks 38, 39, 40 are inserted at their other end in the fork grooves 23d, 24d, 25d of the coupling sleeves 23b, 24b, 25b of the synchronizers 23, 24, 25 so that they can move axially together with the coupling sleeves 23b, 24b, 25b. The fork 37 is to move together with the idle gear 26 in the axial direction. Each end 37a, 39a, 40a of the forks 37, 39, 40 extends axially so as to be positioned side by side on the shaft of the fork 38 in such a way that a channel-shape end 38a of the fork 38 can hold them therein, with the shifter engaging grooves thereof.

The shifter 41 includes a cylindrical body 41a which is rotatable around and axially movable along the shaft 42 fixed in a vertical direction in the figure. The pawl 41 b projecting from the cylindrical body 41 a is positioned at its front end in the shifter engaging groove 45. The left end of the operation arm 43 is engaged with the arm 41c protruding in the direction perpendicular to the pawl 41 b.

The striking rod 44 is arranged in a direction perpendicular to the main shaft 6 with its right end being connected through a linkage to a control lever which is usually provided near the driver's seat so that the striking rod can be rotated and axially moved by the operation of the control lever. The operational arm 43 is fixed at its base portion onto the striking rod 44 in a perpendicular direction thereto. The globular portion 43a of the operation arm 43 is engaged with the recessed front portion of the arm 41c. Thus, the shifter 41 can be axially moved along the shaft 42 by the rotation of the striking rod 44 while it can be rotated around the shaft 42 by the axial movement of the striking rod 44.

When the shifter 41 is axially moved in such a way, the pawl 41b is moved within the shifter engaging groove in the direction shown by the arrow A in Fig. 1 so as to be selected in a desired position. When the shifter 41 is rotated in such a manner, the pawl 41b is moved in the direction of the arrow B in the figure so as to shift thus selected fork in the axial direction whereby the coupling sleeves 23b, 24b, 25b and the idle gear 26 are axially moved so that a desired ratio of transmission can be set.

The main shaft 6 is journaled at its both ends by the clutch housing 1 and the transmission casing 2 through the bearings 7, 8, respectively. The through opening 1 a is formed on the side wall of the clutch housing 1 for the purpose of alignment of the shafts Means for closing the through opening 1a such as an oil plug 46 is fitted into the through hole la.

As shown best in Figs. 2 and 3, the oil plug 46 has the cylindrical body 47 from the side wall of which the supply means 48 of a trough shape protrudes in a direction perpendicular to the side wall of the body 47. The oil guides 49 extend from the base of the supply means 48 to the side edge of the cylindrical body 47 in a fan-shape.

As Fig. 2 shows, the supply means 48 of the oil plug 46 extends into the oil passage 6a of the main shaft 6 when the cylindrical body 47 of the oil plug 46 is attached into the through hole 1 a of the clutch housing 1.

When the oil plug 46 is arranged in position, the oil guides 48 come in position below the supply opening 1 b formed on the upper portion of the clutch housing 1 for the purpose of supporting the bearings in such a way that the oil guides 49 can effectively receive the lubricating oil dropping from the supply opening 1 b. Accordingly, when the oil is jumped by the first gear 1 8 and others in a conventional manner, the oil comes via the supply hole 1 b, the oil guide 49 and the supply means 48 into the oil passage 6a of the main shaft 6. Thereafter, the lubricating oil is introduced through the main shaft 6 into between each transmission gears and bushes therefor.

The lubricating oil is sucked by the vacuum produced by the flow of the oil.

Fig. 4 shows another embodiment of the oil plug. The fan-shaped plate 50 is attached on the front edge of the oil guides 49 so as to improve the efficiency of the oil supply.

As can be seen from the foregoing, according to the present invention, a structure for supplying the lubricating oil can be completed only by fitting the oil plug into the through hole of the clutch housing. Therefore, the structure is simple and can be easily produced.

Claims

1. In a transmission for an automotive vehicle, having a main shaft with an oil passage therein and an input shaft supported by as side wall of a transmission casing and by a side wall of a clutch housing, respectively, the clutch housing having a through opening formed on the side wall of the clutch housing coaxially with the main shaft, an oil plug fitted in the through opening comprising a cylindrical body positioned in the through opening, oil guide means provided on a side wall of said cylindrical body and supply means extending from said oil guide means into the oil passage of the main shaft when said oil plug is arranged in the through opening of the clutch housing.

2. The oil plug as defined in claim 1 wherein said oil guide means is formed in a fan shape so as to facilitate the receipt of the oil.

3. The oil plug as defined in claim 1 wherein said supply means is in a trough shape, extending in a direction perpendicular to the side wall of said cylindrial body.

4. The oil plug as defined in claim 1 further comprising a fan-shaped plate attached on the front edge of said oil guide means.

5. An oil plug as claimed in claim 1 and substantially as herein described with reference to and as illustrated in Figs. 1 to 3 and 4 of the accompanying drawings.