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US 10,309,506 B2Granted
Multiple-mode continuously variable transmission
AssigneeFord Global Technologies, LLC
InventorsDavid Allen Janson, Donald Edward Hoffman
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A continuously variable transmission includes four shift elements to establish three forward driving ranges and one reverse driving range. Two of the forward driving ranges utilize recirculating power flow paths in which the power transmitted through the variator is much smaller than the power transmitted by the transmission. Both variator sheaves rotate about axes that are offset from the input axis such that neither sheave is partially submerged in transmission fluid.
Claims18
A transmission comprising:
- an input on a first axis;
- a variator configured to transmit power between a first sheave on a second axis and a second sheave on a third axis wherein the second and third axes are offset from the first axis;
- first and third shift elements configured to establish low and high recirculating power flow paths;
- and
- second and fourth shift elements configured to establish mid-range and reverse non-recirculating power flow paths.
2 more elements
A transmission comprising:
- an input fixedly coupled to a first gear,
- a variator having first and second sheaves;
- a second gear meshing with the first gear and fixedly coupled to the first sheave;
- a sun fixedly coupled to the second sheave;
- a ring operatively selectively coupled to the sun;
- third and fourth gears coupled to the input;
- and
- fifth and sixth gears coupled to a carrier and meshing with the third and fourth gears respectively.
5 more elements
A transmission comprising:
- an input on a first axis;
- a variator configured to transmit power between a first sheave on a second axis and a second sheave on a third axis wherein the second and third axes are offset from the first axis;
- and
- a controller programmed to
- launch a vehicle using a first recirculating power flow path in which power flows from the second sheave to the first sheave,
- adjust a variator ratio,
- shift from the first recirculating power flow path to a first non-recirculating power flow path in which power flows from the first sheave to the second sheave wherein the variator ratio is adjusted such that a speed ratio between the input and an output does not change during this shift, and
- shift from the first non-recirculating power flow path to a second recirculating power flow path in which power flows from the second sheave to the first sheave.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.