Continuously variable transmission drive system
AssigneeToka Technologies Limited
InventorsJohannes Jacobus Naude, Bruce James Thompson
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The invention provides a continuously variable transmission drive system (1) comprising a central friction drive disk (27); two rollers (159; 203) clamped against two opposite sides (30) of the drive disk (27) with their outer rims (169; 205) in friction-drive contact with drive disk (27) and being movable across the disk radius to alter the gear ratio; an input drive shaft (15) connected to the rollers (159; 203) for driving the rollers (159; 203); and a hinged clamping assembly (21; 23) which is associated with the drive shaft (15) and configured for forcibly clamping the two rollers (159; 203) around the drive disk (27) with a variable clamping force that is proportional to the input torque on drive shaft (15).
Claims21
An automatic continuously variable transmission (CVT) drive system for effecting automated gear ratio control, comprising—
- a central friction drive disk;
- two aligned, dual-driven rollers clamped against two opposite sides of the drive disk with their outer rims in friction-drive contact with drive disk, the rollers being axially and synchronously movable across the disk radius to alter the gear ratio;
- a single input drive shaft connected to the rollers for driving the rollers in opposite directions of rotation;
- and
- a hinged clamping assembly which is mechanically associated with the drive shaft and configured for forcibly clamping the two rollers around the drive disk with a variable clamping force that is proportional to the input torque on drive shaft.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.