Dual-input differential planetary gear transmission

Abstract

A dual planetary gear transmission according to the following characteristics is disclosed: 1) a first input and common output rotate in the same direction with the same speed as long as; 2) changing an input angle of the second input causes a differential angle between the first input and common output, said differential angle remaining constant until said second input returns to an original position or said input angle is changed; 3) the input angle may be added at any time independent of the first input's rotational speed; and 4) the first input has no effect on the differential angle caused by the second input angle. A mirrored version of the transmission includes two independent systems of two gear sets each. Based on the characteristics, the transmission allows the ratio of the input to output to be altered by changing the differential input. The transmission has many applications, including integration within a weight-generating device.

I claim:  
     
         1 . A dual planetary gear set transmission having arranged in parallel a first planetary gear set and second planetary gear set, each gear set having a sun gear, a plurality of planet gears meshed with a sun gear, a planet gear carrier, and a ring gear meshed with said planet gears wherein: 
 each sun gear is identical, each planet gear is identical and each ring gear is identical;    a first sun gear is connected to a grounded shaft and a second parallel sun gear is connected to a differential input member, said shaft and differential input member being arranged in parallel;    said first planetary gear set and second planetary gear set are joined by means of the coupling of a first ring gear to a second ring gear, said ring gears being arranged in parallel; and    a first planet gear carrier acting as an input means and a second planet gear carrier acting as an output means with a ratio of 1:1 as long as said first sun gear and said second sun gear are at rest whereby due to the grounded first sun gear any differential input angle to said second sun gear creates a proportional offset differential angle between said planet gear carriers.    
     
     
         2 . The dual planetary gear set transmission of  claim 1  wherein said differential input angle may be added independently of a rotational input speed of said first planet gear carrier.  
     
     
         3 . The dual planetary gear set transmission of  claim 1  wherein said first planet gear carrier acting as an input means has no effect on the added differential input angle.  
     
     
         4 . The dual planetary gear set transmission of  claim 1  further including a second identical dual planetary gear set arranged in parallel along the grounded shaft and having a single output means defined by a single planet gear carrier supporting the two identical parallel dual planetary gear sets.  
     
     
         5 . The dual planetary gear set transmission of  claim 1  further including a second identical dual planetary gear set joined in parallel along the grounded shaft and having two output means defined by two independent parallel planet gear carriers.  
     
     
         6 . A dual planetary gear set transmission having arranged in parallel a first planetary gear set and second planetary gear set, each gear set having a sun gear, a plurality of planet gears meshed with a sun gear, a planet gear carrier, and a ring gear meshed with said planet gears wherein: 
 each sun gear is identical, each planet gear is identical and each ring gear is identical;    a first planet gear carrier is connected to a grounded shaft and a second parallel planet gear carrier is connected to a differential input member, said shaft and differential input member being arranged in parallel;    said first planetary gear set and second planetary gear set are joined by means of the coupling of a first ring gear to a second ring gear, said ring gears being arranged in parallel; and    a first sun gear acting as an input means and a second sun gear acting as an output means with a ratio of  1 : 1  as long as said first planet gear carrier and said second planet gear carrier are at rest whereby due to the grounded first planet gear carrier any differential input angle to said second planet gear carrier creates a proportional offset differential angle between said sun gears.    
     
     
         7 . The dual planetary gear set transmission of  claim 6  wherein said differential input angle may be added independently of a rotational input speed of said first sun gear.  
     
     
         8 . The dual planetary gear set transmission of  claim 6  wherein said first sun gear acting as an input means has no effect on the added differential input angle.  
     
     
         9 . The dual planetary gear set transmission of  claim 6  further including a second identical dual planetary gear set joined in parallel along the grounded shaft and having two output means defined by two independent parallel sun gears.  
     
     
         10 . A dual planetary gear set transmission having arranged in parallel a first planetary gear set and second planetary gear set, each gear set having a sun gear, a plurality of planet gears meshed with a sun gear, a planet gear carrier, and a ring gear meshed with said planet gears wherein: 
 each sun gear is identical, each planet gear is identical and each ring gear is identical;    a first planet gear carrier is connected to a grounded shaft and a second parallel planet gear carrier is connected to a differential input member, said shaft and differential input member being arranged in parallel;    said first planetary gear set and second planetary gear set are joined by means of the coupling of a first sun gear to a second sun gear, said sun gears being arranged in parallel; and    a first ring gear acting as an input means and a second ring gear acting as an output means with a ratio of 1:1 as long as said first planet gear carrier and said second planet gear carrier are at rest whereby due to the grounded first planet gear carrier any differential input angle to said second planet gear carrier creates a proportional offset differential angle between said ring gears.    
     
     
         11 . The dual planetary gear set transmission of  claim 10  wherein said differential input angle may be added independently of a rotational input speed of said first ring gear.  
     
     
         12 . The dual planetary gear set transmission of  claim 10  wherein said first ring gear acting as an input means has no effect on the added differential input angle.  
     
     
         13 . The dual planetary gear set transmission of  claim 10  further including a second identical dual planetary gear set joined in parallel along the grounded shaft and having two output means defined by two independent parallel ring gears.  
     
     
         14 . A dual planetary gear set transmission having arranged in parallel a first planetary gear set and second planetary gear set, each gear set having a sun gear, a plurality of planet gears meshed with a sun gear, a planet gear carrier, and a ring gear meshed with said planet gears wherein: 
 each sun gear is identical, each planet gear is identical and each ring gear is identical;    a first ring gear is connected to a grounded shaft and a second parallel ring gear is connected to a differential input member, said shaft and differential input member being arranged in parallel;    said first planetary gear set and second planetary gear set are joined by means of the coupling of a first sun gear to a second sun gear, said sun gears being arranged in parallel; and    a first planet gear carrier acting as an input means and a second planet gear carrier acting as an output means with a ratio of  1 : 1  as long as said first ring gear and said second ring gear are at rest whereby due to the grounded first ring gear any differential input angle to said second ring gear creates a proportional offset differential angle between said planet gear carriers.    
     
     
         15 . The dual planetary gear set transmission of  claim 14  wherein said differential input angle may be added independently of a rotational input speed of said first planet gear carrier.  
     
     
         16 . The dual planetary gear set transmission of  claim 14  wherein said first planet gear carrier acting as an input means has no effect on the added differential input angle.  
     
     
         17 . The dual planetary gear set transmission of  claim 14  further including a second identical dual planetary gear set joined in parallel along the grounded shaft and having two output means defined by two independent parallel planet gear carriers.