| US 7,419,030 B2 | ||
| Axle driving unit for a lawn tractor | ||
| Robert Abend, Adairsville, Ga. (US); Norihiro Ishii, Amagasaki (Japan); and Ryota Ohashi, Amagasaki (Japan) | ||
| Assigned to Kanzaki Kokyukoki Mfg. Co., Ltd., Hyogo (Japan) | ||
| Filed on Oct. 21, 2005, as Appl. No. 11/254,746. | ||
| Application 11/254746 is a continuation of application No. 10/847372, filed on May 18, 2004, granted, now 6,983,815. | ||
| Application 10/847372 is a continuation of application No. 10/187848, filed on Jul. 03, 2002, granted, now 6,752,236, filed on Jun. 22, 2004. | ||
| Application 10/187848 is a continuation of application No. 10/101071, filed on Mar. 20, 2002, granted, now 6,568,498, filed on Mar. 27, 2003. | ||
| Application 10/101071 is a continuation of application No. 08/875724, granted, now 6,390,227, filed on May 21, 2002, previously published as PCT/US95/04097, filed on Mar. 30, 1995. | ||
| Prior Publication US 2006/0064958 A1, Mar. 30, 2006 | ||
| Int. Cl. B60K 17/00 (2006.01) | ||
| U.S. Cl. 180—370 [180/376; 180/377] | 3 Claims |
| 1. A transaxle comprising:
a housing having a fluid pump therein;
a hydraulic pump disposed in said housing, said hydraulic pump including a movable swash plate and a pump shaft;
a hydraulic motor disposed in said housing, said hydraulic motor including a motor shaft;
an axle supported by said housing and disposed in parallel to said motor shaft, said axle having an outer portion extended
outward from a side surface of said housing, and said axle having an inner portion disposed in said housing to be mechanically
connected to said motor shaft;
a mechanical drive train including an intermediate gear for mechanically connecting said motor shaft to said axle;
a center section disposed in said housing, said center section including a pump mounting surface and a motor mounting surface
which are disposed perpendicular to each other and overlap each other in an axial direction of the axle, wherein said hydraulic
pump and motor are mounted onto said pump mounting surface and said motor mounting surfaces of said center section, respectively,
so as to be fluidly connected to each other through said center section, and to overlap each other in the axial direction
of the axle, and wherein a phantom surface including the motor mounting surface intersects the pump mounting surface when
the phantom surface is extended toward the pump mounting surface;
an operation shaft supported by said housing so as to operate said movable swash plate of said hydraulic pump, wherein said
operation shaft and said motor shaft are extended in parallel and have respective outer portions projecting outward from said
side surface of said housing;
a speed-control operation lever provided on said outer portion of said operation shaft; and
a brake rotor provided on said outer portion of said motor shaft.
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