A plug-in hybrid powertrain for automotive vehicle is provided which has an internal combustion engine; an electric machine; multiple planetary gear sets, multiple selectively engageable clutch mechanisms and an output member. Selectively engaging those clutches will achieve multiple operation modes including multiple torque transfer ratio from electric machine to output member; multiple torque transfer ratio from internal combustion engine to output member; electric machine propulsion mode; internal combustion engine propulsion mode; generator assistant vehicle launch modes for forward and reverse in the internal combustion engine vehicle launch operations; motor assistant propulsion when in internal combustion engine vehicle propulsion operations; and engine cranking mode. The plug-in hybrid powertrain achieves more torque transfer ratios and operational mode with given number of planetary gear sets and clutches then any existing system.

A planetary gear train of automatic transmission may include input shaft, output gear, first to fourth planetary gear sets, first rotating shaft including first sun gear, second rotating shaft including first planet carrier, second ring gear, third planet carrier, and fourth ring gear, third rotating shaft including first ring gear and third ring gear, and selectively connected to transmission housing, fourth rotating shaft including second sun gear, and selectively connected to transmission housing, fifth rotating shaft including second planet carrier, and selectively connected with first rotating shaft and simultaneously and directly connected with input shaft, sixth rotating shaft including third sun gear, seventh rotating shaft including fourth sun gear, and selectively connected with sixth rotating shaft and simultaneously and selectively connected to transmission housing, eighth rotating shaft including fourth planet carrier, and selectively connected with sixth rotating shaft and simultaneously and directly connected with output gear, and six friction elements.

Eleven forward speeds and one reverse speed are achieved by a planetary gear train of an automatic transmission for a vehicle. The planetary gear train includes: an input shaft, an output shaft, four planetary gear sets respectively having three rotational elements, and six control elements for selectively interconnecting the rotational elements and a transmission housing. In particular, the six control elements may be four clutches and two brakes, and the rotational elements of each planetary gear set may be a sun gear, a planet carrier rotatably supporting pinion gears, and a ring gear which internally meshes with the pinion gears.

An automatic transmission has eight rotatable shafts, four planetary gear sets and seven shift elements for shifting several forward gears and one reverse gear. A first element of the second planetary gear set forms the first shaft designed as the drive shaft of the transmission. A second element of the third planetary gear set forms the second shaft designed as the output shaft of the transmission. A second element of the first planetary gear set forms the third shaft. A first element of the first planetary gear set forms the fourth shaft. A third element of third planetary gear set forms the fifth shaft. As the sixth shaft, a third element of the first planetary gear set, a second element of the second planetary gear set and a first element of the third planetary gear set are constantly connected. A third element of the second planetary gear set forms the seventh shaft. A first brake is arranged in the power flow between the third shaft and the housing. A second brake is arranged in the power flow between the fourth shaft and the housing, a third brake is arranged in the power flow between the fifth shaft) and the housing. A first clutch (C1) is arranged in the power flow between the first and the seventh shafts. A second clutch is arranged in the power flow between the first and third shafts. A third clutch is constantly connected to the eighth shaft. A fourth clutch is in the power flow between the first and fourth shafts.

A power-split drive train having a main drive, three output shafts (Ab1, Ab2, Ab3) and a continuously variable powersplit transmission with three additional drive units. The transmission enables rotational speed variability at the shafts (Ab1, Ab2, Ab3). Furthermore, each drive unit (2a, 2b, 2c) has a respective energy converter (3a, 3b, 3c) which are all electrically connected. Drive unit (2a) has planetary gearset (4a) that is connected, via a first shaft (W1), to the main drive. Shaft (Ab1) is connected, via a second shaft (W2), to gearset (4a) and energy converter (3a) is connected, via a third shaft (W3), to gearset (4a). The drive unit (2a) is at least indirectly connected to drive unit (2b) which is connected by a fifth shaft (W5) to shaft (Ab2). Drive unit (2a) is at least indirectly connected to drive unit (2c) which is connected by a seventh shaft (W7) to shaft (Ab3).

A planetary gear train of an automatic transmission includes an input shaft; an output shaft; a first planetary gear set having first to third rotating elements; a second planetary gear set having fourth to sixth rotating elements; a third planetary gear set having seventh to ninth rotating elements; a fourth planetary gear set having tenth to twelfth rotating elements; and seven control elements, wherein the input shaft is continuously connected with the second rotating element, the output shaft is continuously connected with the eleventh rotating element, the second rotating element is continuously connected with the fourth rotating element, the third rotating element is continuously connected with the tenth rotating element, the sixth rotating element is continuously connected with the seventh rotating element, the ninth rotating element is continuously connected with the twelfth rotating element, the third rotating element and the eighth rotating element are selectively connected.

A family of transmission gearing arrangements each establish at least one reverse gear ratio and between nine and fifteen forward gear ratios. A shiftable gearing arrangement establishes a variety of speed ratios between the input and a first shaft. In some embodiments, a fixed speed ratio is established upstream or downstream of the shiftable gearing arrangement. In reverse and low gear ratios, a low clutch couples the first shaft to the output. In the high gear ratios, a combining planetary gear set establishes a linear speed relationship between the first shaft, a second shaft rotating at a speed proportional to the input, and the output.

A planetary gear train of claim of an automatic transmission for a vehicle may include an input shaft for receiving an engine torque, an output shaft for outputting a shifted torque, a first planetary gear set, a second planetary gear set, a third planetary gear set, a fourth planetary gear set, a first shaft, a second shaft, a third shaft, a fourth shaft directly connected with a transmission housing, a fifth shaft selectively connectable with the second shaft, a sixth shaft directly connected with the output shaft, a seventh shaft, an eighth shaft selectively connectable with the first shaft and the second shaft, and directly connected with the input shaft, and a ninth shaft selectively connectable with the sixth shaft.

A planetary gear train of an automatic transmission for a vehicle may include an input shaft receiving torque of an engine, an output shaft outputting torque, a first planetary gear set, a second planetary gear set, a third planetary gear set, a fourth planetary gear set, a first shaft directly connected with the input shaft, a second shaft, a third shaft, a fourth shaft, a fifth shaft selectively connectable with each of the first shaft and the second shaft, a sixth shaft selectively connectable with the third shaft, and directly connected with the output shaft, and a seventh shaft selectively connectable with the second shaft.

Transmissions with at least three gearing-arrangements with similar first and second gearing-arrangements that produce a number of transmissions having an eleven forward-speed and two reverse-speed ratios, having ten forward-speed and three reverse-speed ratios, and having five forward-speed and one reverse-speed ratios by selective engagement of three shift-elements in various combinations. Some embodiments include four simple planetary-gearsets and six shift-elements of which two or three are brakes. Another embodiment includes a double-pinion planetary-gearset and six shift-elements of which three are brakes. Other embodiments include three simple planetary-gearsets and five shift-elements of which one or two are brakes.