CONTINUOUSLY VARIABLE TRANSMISSION

• US 20140094339A1
• Filed: 06/10/2011
• Published: 04/03/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/10/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Ogawa, Hiroyuki, Tomomatsu, Daisuke, Murakami, Akira, Shiina, Takahiro, Aratsu, Yuki
• Application Number:
  US14/123,442
• Publication Number:
  US 20140094339A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 476/38
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 15/28 with external friction surface
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 15/503 in which two members co-operate by means of balls or rollers of uniform effective diameter, not mounted on shafts
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 57/0427 on rotary parts, e.g. using baffles for collecting lubricant by centrifugal force
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 57/043 within rotary parts, e.g. axial channels or radial openings in shafts
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 57/0487 Friction gearings

Abstract

A continuously variable transmission includes a plurality of planetary balls interposed between a first and second rotating elements on a shaft, an iris plate and a worm gear that tilt the planetary balls, a sun roller that includes a first sun roller that includes a first tubular section having first contact points with the planetary balls and a second tubular section having a smaller outer diameter than the first tubular section and is capable of relative rotation with respect to the shaft and a second sun roller that includes second contact points with the planetary balls and is capable of relative rotation with respect to the first sun roller on an outer peripheral surface of the second tubular section, and thrust bearings that are arranged between the first sun roller and the second sun roller and bear thrust loads transmitted from the planetary balls to the first sun roller and the second sun roller.

Claims

1. A continuously variable transmission comprising:

a transmission shaft which serves as a rotational center;

a first rotating element and a second rotating elements that are arranged to face each other on the transmission shaft, have a common first rotational central axis, and are capable of relative rotation;

a plurality of rolling members that have a second rotational central axis in parallel with the first rotational central axis, radially arranged around the first rotational central axis, and are interposed between the first rotating element and the second rotating elements;

support shafts that have the second rotational central axis and have both ends protruding from the rolling members;

a holding member which holds the rolling members so as to allow tilt via the respective protrusions of the support shafts;

a third rotating element which includes a first rotating body that includes a first tubular section having first contact points with the rolling members on an outer peripheral surface and a second tubular section having a smaller outer diameter than the first tubular section and is capable of concentric relative rotation with respect to the transmission shaft and a second rotating body that has second contact points with the rolling members on an outer peripheral surface and is capable of concentric relative rotation with respect to the first rotating body on an outer peripheral surface of the second tubular section;

bearings that are interposed between the first rotating body and the second rotating body and bear thrust loads in an axial direction that are transmitted from the rolling members via the first contact points and the second contact points to the first rotating body and the second rotating body; and

a transmission device which changes gear ratios by changing rotational ratios between the first rotating element and the second rotating element by tilt actions of the rolling members.

2. The continuously variable transmission according to claim 1, wherein the third rotating element is a sun roller in a two-part split structure having the first rotating body and the second rotating body.

3. The continuously variable transmission according to claim 1, further comprising:

first bearings and second bearings that are arranged at intervals in the axial direction between the first rotating body and the transmission shaft; and

third bearings that are arranged between the outer peripheral surface of the second tubular section and an inner peripheral surface of the second rotating body,

wherein an axial oil passage to which lubricating oil is supplied and discharge passages that allow communication between the axial oil passage and spaces between the first bearings and the second bearings are provided in the transmission shaft, and the first rotating body is provided with oil passages that allow communication between the spaces and sides of the first contact points and the second contact points.

4. The continuously variable transmission according to claim 3,

wherein a first guide section which guides the lubricating oil discharged from the oil passage of the first rotating body toward the first contact point and a second guide section that guides the discharged lubricating oil toward the second contact point are provided in an end section of the second rotating body which is positioned between the first contact point and the second contact point.