Continuously variable planetary gear set
First Claim
1. A vehicle having a power-assisted steering system, the vehicle comprising:
- a chassis adapted for transporting passengers;
a plurality of drive wheels operationally coupled to the chassis;
a rack and pinion steering assembly operationally coupled to the drive wheels;
a steering shaft connected to a pinion of the rack and pinion assembly;
a steering wheel connected to the steering shaft;
a plurality of traction rollers distributed radially about the steering shaft, each roller having a tiltable axis about which it rotates;
an input disc in contact with the rollers;
an output disc in contact with the rollers;
an idler coaxial with and rotatable about the steering shaft, the idler in contact with the rollers;
a cage adapted to maintain a radial and axial orientation of the rollers about the idler, wherein the cage is adapted to rotate about the steering shaft;
a tubular output shaft positioned coaxially about the steering shaft and connected at a first end to the output disc and connected at a second end to the pinion; and
a source of rotational power, wherein the input disc is fixed and does not rotate and wherein the source of rotational power is coupled to the cage;
wherein the axes of the rollers tilt in response to a shift in an angular orientation of the steering shaft; and
wherein the rollers convert the rotational power of the source to an output torque transmitted through the output disc to the output shaft in response to a shift in the angular orientation of the steering shaft.
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A continuously variable planetary gear set is described having a generally tubular idler, a plurality of balls distributed radially about the idler, each ball having a tiltable axis about which it rotates, a rotatable input disc positioned adjacent to the balls and in contact with each of the balls, a rotatable output disc positioned adjacent to the balls opposite the input disc and in contact with each of the balls such that each of the balls makes three-point contact with the input disc, the output disc and the idler, and a rotatable cage adapted to maintain the axial and radial position of each of the balls, wherein the axes of the balls are oriented by the axial position of the idler.
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Citations
18 Claims
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1. A vehicle having a power-assisted steering system, the vehicle comprising:
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a chassis adapted for transporting passengers; a plurality of drive wheels operationally coupled to the chassis; a rack and pinion steering assembly operationally coupled to the drive wheels; a steering shaft connected to a pinion of the rack and pinion assembly; a steering wheel connected to the steering shaft; a plurality of traction rollers distributed radially about the steering shaft, each roller having a tiltable axis about which it rotates; an input disc in contact with the rollers; an output disc in contact with the rollers; an idler coaxial with and rotatable about the steering shaft, the idler in contact with the rollers; a cage adapted to maintain a radial and axial orientation of the rollers about the idler, wherein the cage is adapted to rotate about the steering shaft; a tubular output shaft positioned coaxially about the steering shaft and connected at a first end to the output disc and connected at a second end to the pinion; and a source of rotational power, wherein the input disc is fixed and does not rotate and wherein the source of rotational power is coupled to the cage; wherein the axes of the rollers tilt in response to a shift in an angular orientation of the steering shaft; and wherein the rollers convert the rotational power of the source to an output torque transmitted through the output disc to the output shaft in response to a shift in the angular orientation of the steering shaft. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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Specification