Continuously variable transmission
AssigneePolaris Industries Inc.
InventorsStephen L. Nelson, Amery D. Kuhl, Narender Bejawada, Bruce E. Herrala, David J. Hicke, Paul Averillo, Giorgio Demetriou, Jeffrey I. Peterman
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A continuously variable transmission for a vehicle includes a drive clutch, a driven clutch operably coupled to the drive clutch, and a belt extending between the drive and driven clutches. The continuously variable transmission also includes an inner cover and an outer cover removably coupled to the inner cover. At least one of the inner and outer covers includes an air inlet for providing cooling air to the drive and driven clutches and the belt.
Claims24
A continuously variable transmission (“CVT”) for a vehicle, comprising:
- a drive clutch;
- a driven clutch operably coupled to the drive clutch, and the driven clutch includes a moveable sheave and a stationary sheave, and the stationary sheave includes a plurality of fins extending axially outward and an angular distance between adjacent fins of the plurality of fins is less than 15 degrees, wherein the plurality of fins includes a first plurality of fins and a second plurality of fins, and the second plurality of fins has a length less than that of the first plurality of fins.
A continuously variable transmission (“CVT”) for a vehicle, comprising:
- a drive clutch including a moveable sheave and a stationary sheave;
- a driven clutch operably coupled to the drive clutch and including a moveable sheave and a stationary sheave;
- and
- a housing generally surrounding the drive and driven clutches and including an inner cover and an outer cover, and the inner cover includes at least one volute and a channel configured to cooperate with the at least one volute to direct air within the housing toward the driven clutch.
A continuously variable transmission (“CVT”) for a vehicle, comprising:
- a drive clutch including a moveable sheave and a stationary sheave;
- a driven clutch operably coupled to the drive clutch and including a moveable sheave and a stationary sheave;
- and
- a housing generally surrounding the drive and driven clutches and including an inner cover and an outer cover, and the outer cover includes a channel defined within a recess defined on an interior surface of the outer cover, the channel configured to direct air toward the drive clutch, wherein the inner cover includes a diverter member positioned adjacent the stationary sheave of the drive clutch and configured to direct air from the channel toward the stationary sheave and wherein a second channel is defined between the outer cover and the inner cover and between the diverter plate and the inner cover.
A continuously variable transmission (“CVT”) for a vehicle, comprising:
- a drive clutch including a moveable sheave and a stationary sheave;
- a driven clutch operably coupled to the drive clutch and including a moveable sheave and a stationary sheave;
- and
- a housing generally surrounding the drive and driven clutches and including an inner cover and an outer cover, and a distance between an outermost surface of the stationary sheave of the driven clutch and an innermost surface of the outer cover is approximately constant along a portion of the outer cover.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.