Drive force transmission device
AssigneeKabushiki Kaisha Toyota Chuo Kenkyusho
InventorsEiji Tsuchiya, Yoshihiro Mizuno, Norio Yonezawa
Life of this patent
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Abstract
To provide a drive force transmission device that is capable of transmitting elastic energy of an elastic member to an output shaft with a simpler structure than the structure of the related art. A drive force transmission device includes a first shaft (input shaft), and a second shaft (a crankshaft, a crank disc, an intermediate shaft). A force is applied to the second shaft in a predetermined direction of rotation and in a direction opposite to the direction of rotation. The force varies in strength in association with the rotation. The first shaft is connected to the second shaft, and transmission of a drive force of the first shaft to the second shaft is enabled.
Claims7
A drive force transmission device comprising:
- a first shaft that is configured to rotate;
- a crankshaft that is also configured to rotate, a main journal of the crankshaft being coaxially connected to the first shaft;
- an elastic member that is connected at one end thereof to a circumference of the crankshaft, the one end of the elastic member being slidably connected to a crank pin of the crankshaft;
- a fixed member that is arranged separately from the first shaft and the crankshaft;
- and
- a processor programmed to acquire a demand value, wherein the processor controls a range of a force applied to the crankshaft based on the demand value acquired by the processor,
- wherein:
- the elastic member is fixed at the other end thereof to the fixed member,
- the crankshaft is applied with the force in a predetermined direction of rotation or in a direction opposite to the direction of rotation via the elastic member,
- the force varies in strength in association with the rotation, and
- the first shaft is configured to receive a drive force and apply the drive force to the crankshaft so as to rotate the crankshaft.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.