Transmission for outdoor power equipment
AssigneeBriggs & Stratton Corporation
InventorJason J. Raasch
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An engine includes a throttle, a drive shaft, a driven shaft, a continuously variable transmission coupling the drive and driven shafts and providing a mechanical advantage therebetween, and a governor that operates the throttle as a function of rotational speed of the driven shaft. The transmission includes a first wheel coupled to the drive shaft, a second wheel coupled to the driven shaft, and a belt coupling the first and second wheels, wherein a working diameter of the second wheel changes as a function of torque acting on the driven shaft, thereby automatically changing the mechanical advantage in response to torque experienced by the driven shaft, and wherein a working diameter of the first wheel changes a function of tension in the belt.
Claims20
An engine, comprising:
- a throttle;
- a drive shaft;
- a driven shaft;
- a continuously variable transmission coupling the drive and driven shafts and providing a mechanical advantage therebetween, wherein the transmission comprises:
- a first wheel coupled to the drive shaft;
- a second wheel coupled to the driven shaft;
- and
- a belt coupling the first and second wheels;
- wherein a working diameter of the second wheel changes as a function of torque acting on the driven shaft, thereby automatically changing the mechanical advantage in response to torque experienced by the driven shaft;
- and
- wherein a working diameter of the first wheel changes a function of tension in the belt;
- and
- a governor that operates the throttle as a function of rotational speed of the driven shaft.
An engine, comprising:
- an engine block;
- a piston configured to translate in the engine block in response to combustion processes of the engine;
- a crankshaft supported by the engine block and coupled to the piston;
- an output shaft supported by the engine block and coupled to the crankshaft;
- a continuously variable transmission coupling the crankshaft and the output shaft and providing a mechanical advantage therebetween wherein the transmission comprises:
- a first wheel coupled to the crankshaft;
- a second wheel coupled to the output shaft;
- and
- a belt coupling the first and second wheels;
- wherein a working diameter of the second wheel changes as a function of torque acting on the output shaft, thereby automatically changing the mechanical advantage in response to torque experienced by the output shaft;
- and
- wherein a working diameter of the first wheel changes a function of tension in the belt;
- a throttle;
- and
- a governor that operates the throttle as a function of rotational speed of the output shaft.
A transmission assembly, comprising:
- a continuously variable transmission for coupling a drive shaft and a driven shaft and providing a mechanical advantage therebetween, comprising:
- a first wheel configured to be coupled to the drive shaft;
- a second wheel configured to be coupled to the driven shaft;
- and
- a belt coupling the first and second wheels, wherein a working diameter of the second wheel changes as a function of torque acting on the driven shaft, thereby automatically changing the mechanical advantage in response to torque experienced by the driven shaft, and wherein a working diameter of the first wheel changes a function of tension in the belt;
- and
- a governor configured to operate an engine throttle as a function of rotational speed of the driven shaft.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.