CONTINUOUSLY VARIABLE GEAR TRANSMISSION
10 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A continuously variable gear is described having an input shaft (1), a plurality of traction balls (2) distributed radially around the axis, each traction ball (2) is mounted on an axle (3) passing there through, the axles (3) are tiltable in the radial grooves (4) in the housing (5) and support plate (6), To control the position of the traction bails (2), the axles are guided in curved slots (13) of turnable iris plate (7). To control the axial placement of the traction balls (2), there is a rotatable input disc (8) positioned adjacent to the traction balls (2), a rotatable output disc (9) positioned adjacent to the traction balls (2) opposite the input disc (8), and a pre-spanning ring around the traction balls (2) such that each of the traction balls (2) is making three-point contact with the input disc (8), the output disc (9) and the pre-spanning ring (11), the contact surface of the pre-spanning ring (11) having a specific curvature larger than the radius of the traction balls (2).
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Citations
40 Claims
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1-14. -14. (canceled)
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15. An apparatus for facilitating control of the ratio of a continuously variable transmission (CVT), the apparatus comprising:
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a first member having a first plurality of radial grooves; a second member having a second plurality of radial grooves; wherein the first and second pluralities of radial grooves are arranged angularly about an axis; and wherein the first and second members are configured for rotation relative to one another such that during operation of the CVT the first plurality of radial grooves can be angularly misaligned relative to the second plurality of grooves. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A method for facilitating control of the ratio of a continuously variable transmission (CVT), the method comprising:
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providing a plurality of traction balls; providing each traction ball with a ball axle about which the traction ball rotates; providing a first plurality of grooves for engaging a first end of the ball axles; providing a second plurality of grooves for engaging a second end of the ball axles; and arranging the first and second plurality of grooves relative to one another such that during operation of the CVT the first plurality of grooves can be misaligned relative to the second plurality of grooves. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25)
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26. A method of controlling the ratio of a continuously variable transmission, the method comprising:
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providing a plurality of traction balls; providing a first plurality of radial grooves for engaging a first end of each of the ball axles; providing a second plurality of radial grooves for engaging a second end of each of the ball axles; and providing a second plurality of radial grooves for engaging a second end of the ball axles; and rotating the first and second plurality of radial grooves relative to one another. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29)
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30-35. -35. (canceled)
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36. A continuously variable transmission (CVT) comprising:
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a plurality of traction balls angularly arrayed about a shaft, each traction ball provided with a ball axle about which the ball rotates; an input disc in contact with the traction balls; an output disc in contact with the traction balls; a prespanning ring in contact with the balls; wherein the input and output discs contact the balls at a position that is radially inward relative to the position where the prespanning ring contacts the balls; and wherein the prespanning ring is configured to translate axially when the ball axles are tilted.
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37. A continuously variable transmission (CVT) comprising:
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a shaft; a plurality of traction balls arrayed angularly about a longitudinal axis of the shaft; a plurality of tiltable ball axles, each ball axle corresponding to a traction ball; a first plurality of radial grooves engaging a first end of the balls axles; a second plurality of radial grooves engaging a second end of the ball axles; and wherein the first plurality of radial grooves is configured for rotation relative to the second plurality of radial grooves such that rotation of the first plurality of radial grooves causes the ball axles to tilt in the first and second pluralities of radial grooves. - View Dependent Claims (38, 39, 40)
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Specification