Back to results
US 10,648,554 B2Granted
Continuously variable transmission
AssigneePolaris Industries Inc.
InventorsAmery D. Kuhl, Jacob R. Jain, David J. Hicke, Steven L. Nelson, Anthony J. Ripley
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A vehicle may include a continuously variable transmission which requires non-recycled air. The continuously variable transmission may provide non-recycled air to a first number of sheaves of the continuously variable transmission with a second number of air supply conduits, the second number being less than the first number. A cover of the continuously variable transmission may have a unitary body.
Claims38
A continuously variable transmission for coupling a drive shaft and a driven shaft, the continuously variable transmission comprising:
- a housing including a base having a first opening adapted to receive the drive shaft and a second opening adapted to receive the driven shaft and a cover being coupled to the base, the cover and the base cooperating to define an interior of the housing;
- a drive clutch positioned within the interior of the housing and adapted to be operatively coupled to the drive shaft, the drive clutch including a first drive clutch sheave and a second drive clutch sheave moveable relative to the first drive clutch sheave;
- a driven clutch positioned within the interior of the housing and adapted to be operatively coupled to the driven shaft, the driven clutch being operatively coupled to the drive clutch and including a first driven clutch sheave and a second driven clutch sheave moveable relative to the first driven clutch sheave;
- a first number of air supply conduits removably coupled to the housing, each providing non-recycled air from an exterior of the housing to the interior of the housing through at least one air supply opening in the housing;
- and
- at least one air outlet conduit coupled to the housing, wherein a second number of the first drive clutch sheave, the second drive clutch sheave, the first driven clutch sheave, and the second driven clutch sheave are directly contacted by the non-recycled air provided by the first number of air supply conduits, the second number being greater than the first number and the second number is at least equal to three, wherein a first air supply conduit of the first number of air supply conduits is coupled to the cover of the housing independent of the base of the housing and a second air supply conduit of the first number of air supply conduits is coupled to the base of the housing independent of the cover of the housing.
3 more elements
A continuously variable transmission for coupling a drive shaft and a driven shaft, the continuously variable transmission comprising:
- a housing including a base having a first opening adapted to receive the drive shaft and a second opening adapted to receive the driven shaft and a cover being coupled to the base, the cover and the base cooperating to define an interior of the housing, the cover having a unitary body;
- a drive clutch positioned within the interior of the housing and adapted to be operatively coupled to the drive shaft, the drive clutch including a first drive clutch sheave and a second drive clutch sheave moveable relative to the first drive clutch sheave;
- and
- a driven clutch positioned within the interior of the housing and adapted to be operatively coupled to the driven shaft, the driven clutch being operatively coupled to the drive clutch and including a first driven clutch sheave and a second driven clutch sheave moveable relative to the first driven clutch sheave, the unitary body of the cover including a flat surface which overlaps an outer portion of a first side of the driven clutch which is perpendicular to a rotational axis of the driven clutch and the flat surfaces cooperates with the driven clutch to define a gap between the driven clutch and the housing which causes air to be accelerated towards the drive clutch when the driven clutch is rotating about the rotational axis of the driven clutch, wherein the unitary body of the cover includes an air diverter positioned between the drive clutch and the driven clutch, the air diverter having an upper portion, a lower portion, and a waist portion between the upper portion and the lower portion, the air diverter channels air to travel from proximate the driven clutch to proximate the drive clutch in a first region in the interior of the housing above the upper portion of the air diverter and channels air to travel from proximate the drive clutch to proximate the driven clutch in a second region in the interior of the housing below the lower portion of the air diverter, wherein the lower portion of the air diverter has an air peeler, the air peeler dividing the air into a first portion which is channeled to travel from proximate the drive clutch to proximate the driven clutch in the second region in the interior of the housing below the lower portion of the air diverter and a second portion which is directed back towards the drive clutch.
1 more element
A continuously variable transmission for coupling a drive shaft and a driven shaft, the continuously variable transmission comprising:
- a housing including a base having a first opening adapted to receive the drive shaft and a second opening adapted to receive the driven shaft and a cover being coupled to the base, the cover and the base cooperating to define an interior of the housing;
- a drive clutch positioned within the interior of the housing and adapted to be operatively coupled to the drive shaft, the drive clutch including a first drive clutch sheave and a second drive clutch sheave moveable relative to the first drive clutch sheave;
- a driven clutch positioned within the interior of the housing and adapted to be operatively coupled to the driven shaft, the driven clutch being operatively coupled to the drive clutch and including a first driven clutch sheave and a second driven clutch sheave moveable relative to the first driven clutch sheave;
- a first number of air supply conduits coupled to the housing, each providing non-recycled air from an exterior of the housing to the interior of the housing through at least one air supply opening in the housing;
- at least one air outlet conduit coupled to the housing, wherein a second number of the first drive clutch sheave, the second drive clutch sheave, the first driven clutch sheave, and the second driven clutch sheave are directly contacted by the non-recycled air provided by the first number of air supply conduits, the second number being greater than the first number and the second number is at least equal to three;
- wherein an first air supply opening in the housing is positioned within an envelope of a first side of the driven clutch perpendicular to a rotational axis of the driven clutch, a first air supply conduit of the first number of air supply conduits being positioned to provide non-recycled air through the first air supply opening in the housing to contact the first side of the driven clutch;
- and
- wherein the housing includes a flat surface which overlaps an outer portion of the first side of the driven clutch and cooperates with the driven clutch to define a gap between the driven clutch and the housing which causes air to be accelerated towards the drive clutch when the driven clutch is rotating about the rotational axis of the driven clutch.
5 more elements
A continuously variable transmission for coupling a drive shaft and a driven shaft, the continuously variable transmission comprising:
- a housing including a base having a first opening adapted to receive the drive shaft and a second opening adapted to receive the driven shaft and a cover being coupled to the base, the cover and the base cooperating to define an interior of the housing;
- a drive clutch positioned within the interior of the housing and adapted to be operatively coupled to the drive shaft, the drive clutch including a first drive clutch sheave and a second drive clutch sheave moveable relative to the first drive clutch sheave;
- a driven clutch positioned within the interior of the housing and adapted to be operatively coupled to the driven shaft, the driven clutch being operatively coupled to the drive clutch and including a first driven clutch sheave and a second driven clutch sheave moveable relative to the first driven clutch sheave;
- a first number of air supply conduits coupled to the housing, each providing non-recycled air from an exterior of the housing to the interior of the housing through at least one air supply opening in the housing;
- at least one air outlet conduit coupled to the housing, wherein a second number of the first drive clutch sheave, the second drive clutch sheave, the first driven clutch sheave, and the second driven clutch sheave are directly contacted by the non-recycled air provided by the first number of air supply conduits, the second number being greater than the first number and the second number is at least equal to three;
- and
- an air diverter supported by the housing and positioned between the drive clutch and the driven clutch, the air diverter having an upper portion, a lower portion, and a waist portion between the upper portion and the lower portion, the air diverter channels air to travel from proximate the driven clutch to proximate the drive clutch in a first region in the interior of the housing above the upper portion of the air diverter and channels air to travel from proximate the drive clutch to proximate the driven clutch in a second region in the interior of the housing below the lower portion of the air diverter.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.