Continuously variable transmission with elastomeric meshing interface
OwnerMark Albert Overbay, Thomas Christopher Widnerinventors
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A system for transmitting power from a driving, or input, shaft to a driven, or output, shaft by way of an elastomeric belt nipped between opposing surfaces associated with the driving and driven shafts utilizes opposing surfaces which define a plurality of indentations disposed thereacross. Each indentation of the surfaces includes a cavity for accepting a portion of the elastomeric belt as the belt passes between the opposing surfaces and as edge which borders the cavity at the corresponding surface. As power is transmitted from the driving shaft to the driven shaft, significant shear and normal forces are applied between the edges of the indentations and the portions of the belt accepted by the indentations.
Claims19
A system for transmitting driving forces from a driving shaft to a driven shaft by way of an elastomeric belt nipped between opposing surfaces associated with the driving and driven shafts, the improvement characterized in that:
- each of the opposing surfaces defines a plurality of indentations disposed thereacross wherein each indentation includes a cavity for accepting a portion of the elastomeric belt as the belt passes between the opposing surfaces and an edge which borders the cavity at the corresponding surface so that as the driving shaft is driven, forces are transmitted between the edges of the indentations and the portions of the belt accepted by the indentations.
A system for transmitting forces from a rotatable driving member to a rotatable driven member comprising:
- a rotatable driving member having a surface;
- a rotatable driven member having a surface which is disposed so as to oppose the surface of the driving member;
- an elastomeric belt which encircles one of the driving and driven members and has a section which is nipped between the surfaces of the driving and driven members for transmitting forces between the driving and driven members as the driving member is rotated;
- and
- the surfaces of each of the driving and driven members includes a plurality of indentations disposed thereacross and wherein each of the indentations includes a cavity and an edge which borders the cavity at the surface;
- and
- the section of the elastomeric belt which is nipped between the surfaces of the driving and driven members is compressed therebetween so that portions of the belt are accepted by the cavities of the surface indentations and so that as the driving shaft is rotated, the edges of the surfaces cooperate with the portions of the belt accepted by the surface indentations for transferring forces therebetween.
In a transmission including a rotatable driving member and a rotatable driven member and an elastomeric belt which is nipped between the surfaces of the driving and driven members, the improvement characterized in that:
- each of the surfaces of the driving and driven member defines a plurality of indentations disposed thereacross wherein each indentation includes a cavity and an edge which borders the cavity at the corresponding surface;
- and
- the elastomeric belt is compressed between the surfaces of the driving and driven members so that the surface indentations of the driving and driven members accept portions of the belt which are positioned in registry with the surface indentations and so that as the driving member is rotated for the purpose of transmitting torque from the driving member to the driven member, substantial shear and normal forces are applied between the edges of the indentations and the portions of the belt accepted by the indentations.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.