Continuously variable transmission

• US 7,125,297 B2
• Filed: 01/05/2005
• Issued: 10/24/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fallbrook Intellectual Property Company LLC (Fallbrook Technologies Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Fallbrook Technologies Incorporated
• Inventors: Allen, David J., Smithson, Robert A., Miller, Donald C.
• Primary Examiner(s): BASINGER, SHERMAN D
• Application Number:
  US11/030,625
• Publication Number:
  US 20050170927A1
• Time in Patent Office: 657 Days
• Field of Search: 440/3, 440/75, 475/215, 475/189, 475/196, 476/36, 476/37, 476/38
• US Class Current: 440/75
• CPC Class Codes: B62M 11/04 of changeable ratio
• CPC Class Codes: B62M 11/14 with planetary gears
• CPC Class Codes: B62M 9/08 involving eccentrically- mounted or elliptically-shaped driving or driven wheel; with expansible driving or driven wheel
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 15/28 with external friction surface
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 15/40 in which two members co-operative by means of balls, or rollers of uniform effective diameter, not mounted on shafts
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 15/50 Gearings providing a continuous range of gear ratios
• 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 15/52 in which a member of uniform effective diameter mounted on a shaft may co-operate with different parts of another member
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2037/088 Power split variators with summing differentials, with the input of the CVT connected or connectable to the input shaft
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2037/101 Power split variators with one differential at each end of the CVT
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 37/084 at least one power path being a continuously variable transmission, i.e. CVT
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 37/0853 CVT using friction between rotary members having a first member of uniform effective diameter cooperating with different parts of a second member
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 37/086 CVT using two coaxial friction members cooperating with at least one intermediate friction member
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 61/6649 characterised by the means for controlling the torque transmitting capability of the gearing
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 63/067 mechanical actuating means
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49464 Assembling of gear into force transmitting device
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 408/65 Means to drive tool

Abstract

A variable speed transmission having a plurality of tilting balls and opposing input and output discs is illustrated and described that provides an infinite number of speed combinations over its transmission ratio range. The use of a planetary gear set allows minimum speeds to be in reverse and the unique geometry of the transmission allows all of the power paths to be coaxial, thereby reducing overall size and complexity of the transmission in comparison to transmissions achieving similar transmission ratio ranges.

Claims

1. A watercraft comprising:

a watercraft chassis;

a propeller operationally coupled to the watercraft chassis;

a power train operationally coupled to the propeller, the power train comprising;

a planetary gearset mounted on a shaft, the shaft defining a longitudinal axis;

a variator comprising;

a plurality of balls, each ball having a tiltable axis about which it rotates;

a first disc in contact with the balls;

a second disc in contact with the balls; and

an idler in contact with the balls, wherein the idler is supported on the shaft and is free to rotate about the shaft, wherein the external surface of each ball is contacted only at three contact patches;

wherein the variator is mounted coaxially with the planetary gearset along the longitudinal axis; and

wherein the planetary gearset is operationally coupled to the variator.

2. The watercraft of claim 1, further comprising a power source operationally coupled to the power train.

3. The watercraft of claim 2, wherein the power source comprises an electric motor or an internal combustion engine.

4. The watercraft of claim 2, wherein the power source comprises an electric motor and an internal combustion engine.

5. The watercraft of claim 1, wherein the planetary gearset comprises:

a ring gear mounted coaxially about the longitudinal axis;

a plurality of planet gears in engagement with the ring gear, each planet gear having a planet shaft about which the planet gear rotates;

a sun gear mounted coaxially about the longitudinal axis and in engagement with the planet gears; and

a planet carrier mounted coaxially about the longitudinal axis and adapted to support and position the planet shafts.

6. The watercraft of claim 5, wherein the planet carrier is operationally coupled to a drive shaft.

7. The watercraft claim 5, further comprising a cage adapted to align the tiltable axes of the balls and to maintain the angular and radial positions of the balls.

8. The watercraft of claim 7, wherein the cage is nonrotatable.

9. The watercraft of claim 7, wherein the cage is adapted to rotate about the longitudinal axis.

10. The watercraft of claim 7, wherein the idler or the cage provides a torque input to the planetary gearset.

11. The watercraft of claim 7, wherein the planet carrier receives an input torque and is coupled to the first disc, wherein the sun gear is coupled to the cage, wherein the ring gear is fixed and does not rotate, and wherein the variator supplies an output torque via the second disc.

12. The watercraft of claim 5, further comprising a force generator adapted to generate an axial force that increases the traction between the first and second discs, the balls, and the idler.

13. The watercraft of claim 12, wherein the force generator produces an amount of axial force that is a function of a transmission ratio of the variator.

14. The watercraft of claim 1, further comprising shift guide sleeves operationally coupled to the idler.

15. The watercraft of claim 14, further comprising a shifting mechanism that shifts the transmission by axially moving the guide sleeves.

16. The watercraft of claim 1, further comprising a shaft operationally connected to the idler and adapted to receive a torque from the idler and to transmit the torque out of the variator.

17. The watercraft of claim 1, further comprising a force generator that comprises:

a third disc having a threaded bore;

a first set of ramps operably coupled to the third disc near an outer diameter of the third disc;

a plurality of bearings adapted to engage the first set of ramps; and

a second set of ramps, the second set of ramps operably coupled to the first disc and adapted to engage the bearings.

18. The watercraft of claim 17, the force generator further comprising:

a rotatable screw adapted to engage the threaded bore;

a third set of ramps, the third set of ramps operably coupled to the screw; and

a fourth set of ramps, the fourth set of ramps operably coupled to the first disc and adapted to engage the third set of ramps.

19. The watercraft of claim 18, the force generator further comprising:

a thrust bearing contacting the screw; and

a linkage assembly adapted to apply a force to the thrust bearing tending to move the screw away from the first disc in response to a shift in the transmission ratio.

20. The watercraft of claim 19, wherein in response to a shift in the transmission ratio the linkage assembly varies the axial force applied to the thrust bearing as a function of the transmission ratio.