Electromotive drives
First Claim
1. An electromotive device comprising:
- a plurality of balls arranged angularly about an axis;
a first disc in contact with the balls;
a second disc in contact with the balls, wherein the first and second discs are positioned relative to one another on opposite sides of the plurality of balls;
an idler in contact with the balls, the idler positioned radially inward of the balls;
an electrical stator configured to rotate about said axis, wherein the electrical stator is directly coupled to one of the first disc, second disc, or idler;
an electrical rotor configured to rotate about said axis, wherein the electrical stator is directly coupled to one of the first disc, second disc, or idler;
wherein the electrical stator and the electrical rotor are configured relative to one another to together function as an electrical motor or as an electrical generator.
6 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A transmission having a plurality of tilting balls and opposing input and output discs provides an infinite number of speed combinations over its transmission ratio range. The transmission provides multiple powerpaths and can be combined with electrical components to provide motor/generator functionality, which reduces the overall size and complexity of the motor and transmission compared to when they are constructed separately. In one embodiment, rotatable components of a continuously variable transmission are coupled separately to an electrical rotor and to an electrical stator so that the rotor and stator rotate simultaneously in opposite directions relative to one another. In other embodiments, an electrical rotor is configured to transfer torque to or from a disc that is in contact with a plurality of speed adjusters, while an electrical stator is configured to transfer torque to a shaft that is operationally coupled to the speed adjusters via an idler.
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Citations
19 Claims
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1. An electromotive device comprising:
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a plurality of balls arranged angularly about an axis; a first disc in contact with the balls; a second disc in contact with the balls, wherein the first and second discs are positioned relative to one another on opposite sides of the plurality of balls; an idler in contact with the balls, the idler positioned radially inward of the balls; an electrical stator configured to rotate about said axis, wherein the electrical stator is directly coupled to one of the first disc, second disc, or idler; an electrical rotor configured to rotate about said axis, wherein the electrical stator is directly coupled to one of the first disc, second disc, or idler; wherein the electrical stator and the electrical rotor are configured relative to one another to together function as an electrical motor or as an electrical generator. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. An electromotive drive comprising:
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a plurality of speed adjusters arranged angularly about an axis; a first disc in contact with the speed adjusters; a second disc in contact with the speed adjusters; an idler in contact with the speed adjusters and positioned radially inward of the speed adjusters; an idler shaft rigidly coupled to the idler; a rotatable cage configured to support radially and axially the speed adjusters; a plurality of magnets rotationally coupled to the cage; and a plurality of electrical conductors coupled to the idler shaft. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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Specification