Continuously variable transmission
AssigneePolaris Industries Inc.
InventorsStephen L. Nelson, Amery D. Kuhl, Narender Bejawada, Bruce E. Herrala, David J. Hicke, Ryan A. Tholen
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.
Claims17
A continuously variable transmission (“CVT”) for a vehicle, comprising:
- a drive clutch;
- a driven clutch operably coupled to the drive clutch;
- and
- a housing generally surrounding the drive and driven clutches, the housing including an inner cover and an outer cover removably coupled to the inner cover, the housing defining an inlet and an outlet, the outlet being positioned at a first position relative to the driven clutch, the housing defining a volute positioned adjacent the driven clutch at a second position relative to the driven clutch, the first position of the outlet being positioned ahead of (prior to) the second position of the volute in a direction of rotation of the driven clutch, the volute being configured to distribute air toward the drive clutch, the volute including a radial distance between a peripheral surface of the inner cover and a radially-outermost surface of the driven clutch increases in a direction of air flow.
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 a first air inlet, a second air inlet, and a single air outlet, and the housing being configured to flow air from a position adjacent the stationary sheave of the driven clutch to a position adjacent the stationary sheave of the drive clutch, the first air inlet and the single air outlet being positioned on a driven clutch side of the housing, the first air inlet configured to allow airflow axially toward the driven clutch, the second air inlet being positioned on a drive clutch side of the housing and configured to provide airflow to the drive clutch, and the airflow to the drive clutch flows axially toward a portion of the drive clutch.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.