Torque transmission system

• US 4,515,575 A
• Filed: 08/11/1981
• Issued: 05/07/1985
• Est. Priority Date: 08/22/1980
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nippondenso Company Limited 1 1-Chome Showa-Cho Kariya-Shi Aichi-Ken Japan, Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha 1 Toyota-Cho Toyota-Shi Aichi-Ken Japan
• Original Assignee: Nippondenso Co., Ltd. (DENSO Corporation), Toyota Jidosha Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Hattori, Yoshiyuki, Hayakawa, Hideyuki, Takizawa, Masaaki, Jufuku, Yasunobu, Matsui, Kazuma, Tamura, Masaru, Kinbara, Hiroji
• Primary Examiner(s): Staab, Lawrence J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bednarek, Michael D.
• Application Number:
  US06/291,946
• Time in Patent Office: 1,365 Days
• Field of Search: 474/11, 474/13, 474/15, 474/12, 474/19, 474/21, 308/215, 308/202, 308/187
• US Class Current: 474/13
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 61/66227 controlling shifting exclusively as a function of speed and torque

Abstract

A torque transmission system has driving and driven pulley units around which an endless V-belt extends. Each pulley unit has a stationary pulley part rotatable with a shaft and a movable pulley part disposed to define with the stationary pulley part a circumferentially continuous groove for receiving the V-belt. The movable pulley parts of the pulley units are axially resiliently biased so that the radii of the circle along which the V-belt engages the driving and driven pulley units are varied to change the speed-change ratio of the transmission system. The movable pulley part of the driven pulley unit is axially shifted by the action of fly weights held between a stationary plate fixed to the shaft and a holder fixed to the movable pulley part. One of the holder, movable pulley part and stationary plate is provided with surfaces extending parallel to the axis of the shaft and directed radially inwardly to radially inwardly support the fly weights when they are centrifugally moved to their radially outermost positions whereby the axial thrust force imparted by the radially outward movement of the fly weights to the V-belt is limited.

Claims

1. A torque transmission system including:

a pulley unit comprising a fixed pulley part fixed to a shaft for rotation therewith a movable pulley part disposed in axially opposite relationship to said fixed pulley part to cooperate therewith to define a circumferential belt-receiving groove and being movable in the axial direction of said shaft toward and away from said fixed pulley part to vary the width of said belt-receiving groove;

a V-belt received in said belt-receiving groove;

circumferentially spaced holders fixed to the side of said movable pulley part opposite to the side thereof which is contacted by said V-belt;

a fixed plate fixed to said shaft against axial movement and disposed axially outwardly of said holders;

at least one fly weight disposed between each of said holders and said fixed plate and being centrifugally movable in the radial direction of said shaft to axially displace said holder and said movable pulley part relative to said fixed pulley part;

one of each holder, said fixed plate and said movable pulley part providing a holding surface substantially parallel to said shaft, said holding surface being adapted to radially support said fly weight when the same is centrifugally moved to its radially outermost position;

each of said holders being provided with substantially radially extending side edges and with flanges extending along said side edges for guiding radial movement of said fly weight;

adjacent flanges of each circumferentially adjacent pair of holders defining therebetween a generally radially extending space and being provided with means for communicating the interiors of said holders with said radially extending space;

said communicating means disposed in said flanges adjacent to said holding surface;

said movable pulley part being provided with a lubricant guiding wall faced to each of the radially extending spaces and circumferentially adjacent pair of holders for centrifugally guiding lubricant to said communicating means.

2. A torque transmission system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said fixed plate is provided with a surface inclined toward said fly weight.

3. A torque transmission system according to claim 1, wherein said lubricant guiding wall provides a pair of surfaces faced to said radially extending space and extending substantially symmetrically from said communicating means to a point disposed radially inwardly of said communication means.

4. A torque transmission system as claimed in claim 3, wherein said holder is provided with a surface inclined toward said fly weight and disposed adjacent to one end of said holding surface.

5. A torque transmission system as claimed in claim 4, wherein said holder is provided with an additional surface inclined toward said fly weight and disposed adjacent to the other end of said holding surface.

6. A torque transmission system as claimed in claim 3, wherein said holder is provided with said holding surface.

7. A troque transmission system according to any one of claims 3, wherein one of said fly weight, said holder and said fixed plate is provided with recess means for retaining lubricant therein.

8. A torque transmission system according to claim 3, wherein the communicating means of each flange comprises an aperture formed in the flange.

9. A torque transmission system comprising:

a driving pulley unit and a driven pulley unit;

each of said driving and driven pulley units including a fixed pulley part fixed to a shaft for rotation therewith, a movable pulley part disposed in axially opposite relationship to said fixed pulley part to cooperate therewith to define a circumferentially extending belt-receiving groove and being movable in the axial direction of said shaft toward and away from said fixed pulley part to vary the width of said belt-receiving groove;

an endless V-belt extending around said driving and driven pulley units in frictional engagement with the fixed and movable pulley parts thereof;

one of said driving and driven pulley units including a series of a plurality of holders arranged about the axis of said shaft in circumferentially spaced relationship with each other and secured to the side of said movable pulley part opposite to the side thereof in engagement with said V-belt, a substantially circular fixed plate secured to said shaft coaxially thereof and disposed axially outwardly of said holders to cooperate therewith to define circumferentially spaced fly weight spaces therebetween, and fly weights disposed in said fly weight spaces and adapted to be centrifugally moved radially outwardly with respect to the axis of said shaft;

one of said series of holders and said fixed plate being provided with surfaces inclined to the axis of said shaft and directed generally toward said fly weights to convert the centrifugal radially outward movements of said fly weights into axial movement of said movable pulley part;

one of said series of holders, said movable pulley part and said fixed plate being provided with surfaces extending substantially parallel to the axis of said shaft and being radially inwardly directed for supporting said fly weights radially inwardly when said fly weights are centrifugally moved to their radially outermost positions;

each of said holders being provided with radial flanges extending along radially extending side edges of the holder to radially guide an associated fly weight;

each of the radial flanges of each holder cooperating with an adjacent radial flange of an adjacent holder to define a radially outwardly diverging space;

each of said radial flanges being provided with means for communicating the fly weight space in an associated holder with an adjacent radially outwardly diverging space;

said movable pulley part being provided with a lubricant guiding wall disposed in each of said radially outwardly diverging spaces for centrifugally guiding lubricant to the communicating means in the adjacent radial flanges.

10. A torque transmission system according to claim 9, wherein said inclined surfaces are formed on said holders.

11. A torque transmission system according to claim 9, wherein said inclined surfaces are formed on said fixed plate.

12. A torque transmission system according to claim 10, wherein said fly weight supporting surfaces are formed on said holders and are contiguous with said inclined surfaces, respectively.

13. A torque transmission system according to claim 9, wherein said lubricant guiding wall comprise a pair of surfaces disposed in said radially outwardly diverging lubricant space and extending substantially symmetrically from said communication means to a point disposed radially inwardly of said communicating means.

14. A torque transmission system according to claim 9, wherein at least the fixed pulley part of at least said driving pulley unit is provided with radial cooling fins.

15. A torque transmission system according to claim 9, wherein one of said driving and driven pulley units further includes a fluid-sealing cover secured to the axially outer end of the movable pulley part and covering the axially outer end face of said fixed plate, and wherein said cover is provided with radial cooling fins formed on the axially outer end face thereof.

16. A torque transmission system according to claim 9, wherein the communication means of each flange comprises an aperture formed in the flange.