# US 2014/0194236 A1 · Power transmission device

> Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt

- Number: US 2014/0194236 A1
- Document ID: US20140194236A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 14/135,802
- Filed: 2013-12-20
- Published: 2014-07-10
- Earliest claimed: 2013-01-09
- Assignees: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
- Applicants: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
- Inventors: Atsuo Orita
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140194236A1

## CPC

- F16H 7/12: of an idle pulley
- B25J 9/1045: {comprising tensioning means}
- B25J 19/068: {Actuating means with variable stiffness}
- F16H 7/1281: {where the axis of the pulley moves along a substantially circular path}
- F16H 2007/0806: {Compression coil springs}
- F16H 2007/0823: {Electric actuators}
- F16H 2007/0874: {Two or more finally actuated members}
- F16H: GEARING
- B25J: MANIPULATORS; CHAMBERS PROVIDED WITH MANIPULATION DEVICES ({manipulators specially adapted for use in surgery A61B34/70; manipulators used in cleaning hollow articles B08B9/04}; manipulators associated with rolling mills B21B39/20; manipulators associated with forging machines B21J13/10; {manipulators associated with picking-up and placing mechanisms B23P19/007}; means for holding wheels or parts thereof B60B30/00; {vehicles with ground-engaging propulsion means, e.g. walking members B62D57/02, B62D57/032; devices for picking-up and depositing articles or materials between conveyors B65G47/90, B65G47/91; manipulators with gripping or holding means for transferring packages B65H67/065}; cranes B66C; {manipulators used in the protection or supervision of pipe-line installations F17D5/00; walking equipment adapted for nuclear steam-generators F22B37/006}; manipulators specially adapted for, or associated with, nuclear reactors G21C; {apparatus used for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor H10P72/50})

## Abstract

A power transmission device has two roller members which are rotatable on their own axes and the outer peripheral portions of which are pressed against a wire member tightly stretched between two pulley members, a rotary gear which is rotatable around a revolution axial center of the roller members integrally with a supporting member which supports the roller members, a spring worm meshed with the rotary gear, and an actuator which controls the rotation amount of the spring worm.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A power transmission device adapted to transmit power between a first pulley member and a second pulley member which has a rotational axial center parallel to a rotational axial center of the first pulley member and which is disposed laterally relative to the first pulley member, the power transmission device comprising:
a wire member which is wound around an outer peripheral portion of each of the first pulley member and the second pulley member so as to be tightly stretched between the two pulley members;
a roller member, an outer peripheral portion of which is pressed against the wire member such that the wire member is curved between the two pulley members and which is provided rotatably around a rotational axial center thereof parallel to the rotational axial centers of the two pulley members as the wire member runs;
a supporting member which rotatably supports the roller member and which is provided rotatably around a revolution axial center eccentric from the rotational axial center of the roller member by a predetermined interval;
a rotary gear connected to the supporting member such that the rotary gear is rotatable around the revolution axial center integrally with the supporting member;
a spring worm engaged with the rotary gear; and
a first actuator connected to the spring worm so as to allow the amount of rotation of the spring worm to be controlled.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The power transmission device according to claim 1, further comprising:
a second actuator which selectively imparts a rotational driving force in a forward rotation direction or a rotational driving force in a reverse rotation direction to the first pulley member,
wherein the wire member is tightly stretched on both sides of the two pulley members in a direction orthogonal to a direction of an interval between the two pulley members,
a first roller member having an outer peripheral portion thereof pressed against the wire member at one side of both sides of the two pulley members and a second roller member having an outer peripheral portion thereof pressed against the wire member at the other side of both sides of the two pulley members are supported as the roller members by the supporting member,
the first roller member and the second roller member are disposed such that the wire member on both sides of the two pulley members is held between the first roller member and the second roller member or the first roller member and the second roller member are held between wire member portions on both sides of the two pulley members, and
the revolution axial center is disposed such that the revolution axial center intersects with a segment that connects the centers of rotation of the first roller member and the second roller member in the case where the first roller member and the second roller member are observed in the direction of the revolution axial center.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The power transmission device according to claim 1, further comprising:
a cylinder structure having a cylindrical section, a piston slidably provided in the cylindrical section in the axial direction of the cylindrical section, a pair of liquid chambers which are defined by the piston in the cylindrical section and which are in communication with each other through an orifice, and a viscous liquid sealed in the pair of liquid chambers,
wherein the cylinder structure is disposed such that the axial direction of the cylindrical section is in the same direction in which the spring worm extends or contracts, and
one end and the other end of the spring worm are connected to the piston and the cylindrical section, respectively.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The power transmission device according to claim 3,
wherein the orifice is configured such that the area of an opening of the orifice is variably controllable.

### Claim 5

A power transmission device adapted to transmit power between a first pulley member and a second pulley member which has a rotational axial center parallel to a rotational axial center of the first pulley member and which is disposed laterally relative to the first pulley member, the power transmission device comprising:
a wire member which is wound around an outer peripheral portion of each of the first pulley member and the second pulley member so as to be tightly stretched between the two pulley members;
a roller member, an outer peripheral portion of which is pressed against the wire member such that the wire member is curved between the two pulley members and which is provided rotatably on a rotational axial center thereof parallel to the rotational axial centers of the two pulley members as the wire member runs;
a supporting member which rotatably supports the roller member and which is provided rotatably around a revolution axial center eccentric from the rotational axial center of the roller member by a predetermined interval;
a rotary gear connected to the supporting member such that the rotary gear is rotatable around the revolution axial center integrally with the supporting member;
a spring worm engaged with the rotary gear; and
a cylinder structure having a cylindrical section, a piston slidably provided in the cylindrical section in the axial direction of the cylindrical section, a pair of liquid chambers which are defined by the piston in the cylindrical section and which are in communication with each other through an orifice, the area of the opening of which is variably controllable, and a viscous liquid sealed in the pair of liquid chambers,
wherein the spring worm is provided such that the spring worm does not rotate around an axial center thereof, and one end and the other end of the spring worm are connected to the piston and the cylindrical section, respectively.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The power transmission device according to claim 5, comprising:
a second actuator which selectively imparts a rotational driving force in a forward rotation direction or a rotational driving force in a reverse rotation direction to the first pulley member,
wherein the wire member is tightly stretched on both sides of the two pulley members in a direction orthogonal to a direction of an interval between the two pulley members,
a first roller member having an outer peripheral portion thereof pressed against the wire member at one side of both sides of the two pulley members and a second roller member having an outer peripheral portion thereof pressed against the wire member at the other side of both sides of the two pulley members are supported as the roller members by the supporting member,
the first roller member and the second roller member are disposed such that the wire member on both sides of the two pulley members is held between the first roller member and the second roller member or the first roller member and the second roller member are held between wire member portions on both sides of the two pulley members, and
the revolution axial center is disposed such that the revolution axial center intersects with a segment that connects the centers of rotation of the first roller member and the second roller member in the case where the first roller member and the second roller member are observed in the direction of the revolution axial center.