Patent · US Expired

Continuously-variable-ratio-transmissions

US5564998A · kind A · utility

152Cited by
5References
6Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateMay 17, 1995
Grant dateOct 15, 1996
Priority date
Expiry dateMay 17, 2015

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC F)Mechanical Engineering; Lighting; Heating
  • CPC primaryF16H2037/104
  • WIPO fieldMechanical elements
  • WIPO sectorMechanical engineering

Abstract

A continously-variable-ratio transmission ("CVT"), for instance of the toroidal-race rolling-traction type, capable of geared neutral and of operating in at least two regimes and including a ratio-varying component ("variator"), a power-recircuiting epicyclic, a final drive shaft connectable with the variator by way of one of two alternative driven shafts and an input epicyclic the input of which is connectable to a prime mover and the two outputs of which are connected to the two alternative driven shafts respectively. One of the regimes includes a "geared neutral" condition, and the power-recirculating epicyclic is associated with clutches whereby power is recirculated through it in that regime. In the remaining one or more regimes no power is recirculated within that epicylic, but drive reaches the CVT output by way of appropriate clutches and whichever of the two driven shafts will rise in speed as that regime proceeds.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.