US 2026/0309210 A1Published application

Infinite transmission ratio range extender for cvt's

OwnerArmin Sebastian Tayinventor

Life of this patent

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Abstract

A transmission ratio Extender (37) for CVT's that extends the Transmission Ratio Range of the Extender (1) of the prior art by allowing the entire Transmission Ratio Shifting Range of the Extender (1) of the prior art to be repeated at a higher transmission ratio indefinitely. The Transmission Ratio Range of the Extender (1) of the prior is extended in a cost and performance effective manner by methodically using a Gearbox (38), a Load Isolating Clutch (39), and Overlap Providing Clutches (56). Being able to extend the Transmission Ratio Range of a CVT indefinitely effectively is significant; since the Transmission Ratio Range of a CVT has always been a problem for CVT's, even with the extension provided by the Extender (1) of the prior art.

Claims5

Dependent claims

An Extender (37) for extending the transmission ratio shifting range of a CVT, of an extender of prior art by allowing the entire transmission ratio shifting range of an extender of prior art to be repeated at a higher transmission ratio;

said Extender (37) and said extender of prior art both comprise of the following:
a) an Input Shaft/Spline (2) to which an Input Shaft/Spline 1st Path Input Pulley (3) and an Input Shaft/Spline 2nd Path Input Pulley (4) are mounted so that they are axially fixed relative to said Input Shaft/Spline (2), but can freely rotate on relative to said Input Shaft/Spline (2);
b) an Input Shaft/Spline Clutch (5A), which can be used to alternately rotationally fix said Input Shaft/Spline 1st Path Input Pulley (3) or said Input Shaft/Spline 2nd Path Input Pulley (4) to said Input Shaft/Spline (2);
c) an Input Intermediate Shaft/Spline (8) to which an Input Shaft/Spline 1st Path Output Pulley (7), an Input Cone (9), and an Output Shaft/Spline 2nd Path Input Pulley (18) are mounted so that they rotatably fixed relative to Input Intermediate Shaft/Spline (8);
d) an Output Intermediate Shaft/Spline (12) to which an Input Shaft/Spline 2nd Path Output Pulley (17), and an Output Cone (11) are mounted so that they rotatably fixed relative to Output Intermediate Shaft/Spline (12);
e) an Output Shaft/Spline (13) to which an Output Shaft/Spline 2nd Path Output Pulley (14) is mounted so that it is axially fixed but can freely rotate relative to relative to said Output Shaft/Spline (13);
and
said Output Cone (11) is positioned so that it has a common axis of rotation with Output Shaft/Spline (13), but can freely rotate relative to Output Shaft/Spline 13;
f) an Output Shaft/Spline Clutch (15A), which can be used to alternately rotationally fix said Output Shaft/Spline 2nd Path Output Pulley (14) or said Output Cone (11) to said Output Shaft/Spline (13),
g) an Input Shaft/Spline 1st Path Transmission Belt (6) for coupling said Input Shaft/Spline 1st Path Input Pulley (3) to said Input Shaft/Spline 1st Path Output Pulley (7);
h) an Input Shaft/Spline 2nd Path Transmission Belt (16) for coupling said Input Shaft/Spline 2nd Path Input Pulley (4) to said Input Shaft/Spline 2nd Path Output Pulley (17);
i) a CVT Transmission Belt (10) for coupling said Input Cone (9) to said Output Cone (11);
j) an Output Shaft/Spline 2nd Path Transmission Belt (19) for coupling said Output Shaft/Spline 2nd Path Input Pulley (18) to said Output Shaft/Spline 2nd Path Output Pulley (14);
said Extender (37) has to two paths, Path 1 and Path 2;
for Path 1, said Input Shaft/Spline Clutch (5A) is engaged with said Input Shaft/Spline 1st Path Input Pulley (3), and said Output Shaft/Spline Clutch (15A) is engaged with said Output Cone (11);
so that power flows as follows:
said Input Shaft/Spline (2) to said Input Shaft/Spline 1st Path Input Pulley (3) to said Input Shaft/Spline 1st Path Transmission Belt (6) to said Input Shaft/Spline 1st Path Output Pulley (7) to said Input Intermediate Shaft/Spline (8) to said Input Cone (9) to said CVT Transmission Belt (10) to said Output Cone (11) to said Output Intermediate Shaft/Spline (12) to said Output Shaft/Spline (13);
for Path 2, said Input Shaft/Spline Clutch (5A) is engaged with said Input Shaft/Spline 2nd Path Input Pulley (4), and said Output Shaft/Spline Clutch (15A) is engaged with said Output Shaft/Spline 2nd Path Output Pulley (14);
so that power flows as follows:
said Input Shaft/Spline (2) to said Input Shaft/Spline 2nd Path Input Pulley (4) to said Input Shaft/Spline 2nd Path Transmission Belt (16) to said Input Shaft/Spline 2nd Path Output Pulley (17) to said Output Intermediate Shaft/Spline (12) to said Output Cone (11) to said CVT Transmission Belt (10) to said Input Cone (9) to said Input Intermediate Shaft/Spline (8) to said Output Shaft/Spline 2nd Path Input Pulley (18) to said Output Shaft/Spline 2nd Path Transmission Belt (19) to said Output Shaft/Spline 2nd Path Output Pulley (14) to said Output Shaft/Spline (13);
a transmission ratio of Path 1 is changed from an Initial Transmission Ratio to a Final Transmission Ratio by relatively moving said CVT Transmission Belt (10) from the initial ends of said Input Cone (9) and said Output Cone (11) to the final ends of said Input Cone (9) and said Output Cone (11) for Path 1;
and a transmission ratio of Path 2 is changed from an Initial Transmission Ratio to a Final Transmission Ratio by relatively moving said CVT Transmission Belt (10) from the initial ends of said Input Cone (9) and said Output Cone (11) to the final ends of said Input Cone (9) and said Output Cone (11) for Path 2;
said CVT Transmission Belt (10) should be located at the same ends of said Input Cone (9) and said Output Cone (11) for the Final Transmission Ratio of Path 1 and the Initial Transmission Ratio of Path 2;
the speed change ratios of said Extender (37), which are the speed change ratio of said Input Shaft/Spline 1st Path Output Pulley (7) compared to said Input Shaft/Spline 1st Path Input Pulley (3);
the speed change ratio of said Input Shaft/Spline 2nd Path Output Pulley (17) compared to said Input Shaft/Spline 2nd Path Input Pulley (4);
the speed change ratio of said Output Shaft/Spline 2nd Path Output Pulley (14) compared to said Output Shaft/Spline 2nd Path Input Pulley (18);
and the speed change ratio of said CVT, which depends the axial position of said CVT Transmission Belt (10) relative said Input Cone (9) and said Output Cone (11);
should be selected so that at the Final Transmission Ratio of Path 1, the rotational speed of said Input Shaft/Spline 1st Path Input Pulley (3) is identical to the rotational speed of said Input Shaft/Spline 2nd Path Input Pulley (4), and the rotational speed of said Output Cone (11) is identical to the rotational speed of said Output Shaft/Spline 2nd Path Output Pulley (14);
this will also ensure that the transmission ratio of said Extender (37) when Path 1 is at its Final Transmission Ratio is identical to the transmission ratio of said Extender (37) when Path 2 is at its Initial Transmission Ratio;
like said extender of the prior art, said Extender (37) extends the transmission ratio range of said CVT as follows;
like a regular CVT, the transmission ratio of Path 1 can be changed from its Initial Transmission Ratio to its Final Transmission Ratio;
then the transmission ratio range can be extended by changing Path 1, which is at its Final Transmission Ratio, to Path 2, which is at its Initial Transmission Ratio;
the speed change ratios of said Extender (36) are selected so that the transmission ratio of said Extender (37) at the Initial Transmission Ratio of Path 2 matches the transmission ratio of said Extender (37) at Final Transmission Ratio of Path 1;
and the transmission ratios from above the Initial Transmission Ratio of Path 2 to the Final Transmission Ratio of Path 2 is the transmission ratio range extension over a regular CVT;
the entire Transmission Ratio Shifting Range of said extender of the prior art is referred to as a 1st Run for Extender (37);
and Extender (37) repeats the entire Transmission Ratio Shifting Range of the 1st Run at the higher transmission ratio, which is referred to as its 2nd Run;
so as to provide additional transmission ratio;
the 1st Run of said Extender (37) comprises of the following ranges, the Initial Transmission Ratio to the Final Transmission Ratio of Path 1;
and the Initial Transmission Ratio to the Final Transmission Ratio of Path 2;
in order to allow for the 2nd Run, Extender 37 allows the following over the prior art, once Path 2 has reached its Final Transmission Ratio, it can be changed to back to Path 1 which is at its Initial Transmission Ratio;
said Extender (37) is characterized as follows compared to the prior art:
a) said Extender (37) uses a Gearbox (38);
said Gearbox (38) is positioned directly or indirectly after Output Shaft/Spline (13);
a gear ratio of said Gearbox (38) should be changed from a First Gear Ratio to a Second Gear Ratio before Path 2 is changed to Path 1 at the Final Transmission Ratio of Path 2;
and the gear ratio of said Gearbox (38) should be changed from said Second Gear Ratio to said First Gear Ratio before Path 1 is changed to Path 2 at the Initial Transmission Ratio of Path 1;
said First Gear Ratio and said Second Gear Ratio of said Gearbox (38) should be selected so that when Path 2 is changed to Path 1 at Final Transmission Ratio of Path 2, the transmission ratio of Extender 37 before Path 2 is changed to Path 1 is identical to the transmission ratio of Extender 37 after Path 2 has been changed to Path 1;
and so that when Path 1 is changed to Path 2 at Initial Transmission Ratio of Path 1, the transmission ratio of Extender 37 before Path 1 is changed to Path 2 is identical to the transmission ratio of Extender 37 after Path 1 has been changed to Path 2;
b) said Extender (37) uses a Load Isolating Clutch (39);
said Load Isolating Clutch (39) is preferably positioned anywhere before said Input Shaft/Spline (2) or anywhere after said Output Shaft/Spline (13);
so that no load is applied to said Extender (37) once said Load Isolating Clutch (39) is disengaged;
since if positioned as such, said Load Isolating Clutch (39) will either disengage said Extender (37) with the engine/motor that drives it, or disengage said Extender (37) with the load that is driven by said Extender (37);
said Load Isolating Clutch (39) should be disengaged when Path 2 is changed to Path 1 at the Final Transmission Ratio of Path 2, and when Path 1 is changed to Path 2 at the Initial Transmission Ratio of Path 1;
for all other operations of said Extender (37), except when it is being used as a Neutral Transmission, said Load Isolating Clutch (39) should be engaged;
c) said Input Shaft/Spline Clutch (5A) and said Output Shaft/Spline Clutch (15) are each an Overlap Providing Clutch (56), which is clutch for which an overlap during shifting can be provided or not provided as required.

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Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

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Abstract

said Extender (37) and said extender of prior art both comprise of the following:
a) an Input Shaft/Spline (2) to which an Input Shaft/Spline 1st Path Input Pulley (3) and an Input Shaft/Spline 2nd Path Input Pulley (4) are mounted so that they are axially fixed relative to said Input Shaft/Spline (2), but can freely rotate on relative to said Input Shaft/Spline (2);
b) an Input Shaft/Spline Clutch (5A), which can be used to alternately rotationally fix said Input Shaft/Spline 1st Path Input Pulley (3) or said Input Shaft/Spline 2nd Path Input Pulley (4) to said Input Shaft/Spline (2);
c) an Input Intermediate Shaft/Spline (8) to which an Input Shaft/Spline 1st Path Output Pulley (7), an Input Cone (9), and an Output Shaft/Spline 2nd Path Input Pulley (18) are mounted so that they rotatably fixed relative to Input Intermediate Shaft/Spline (8);
d) an Output Intermediate Shaft/Spline (12) to which an Input Shaft/Spline 2nd Path Output Pulley (17), and an Output Cone (11) are mounted so that they rotatably fixed relative to Output Intermediate Shaft/Spline (12);
e) an Output Shaft/Spline (13) to which an Output Shaft/Spline 2nd Path Output Pulley (14) is mounted so that it is axially fixed but can freely rotate relative to relative to said Output Shaft/Spline (13);
and
said Output Cone (11) is positioned so that it has a common axis of rotation with Output Shaft/Spline (13), but can freely rotate relative to Output Shaft/Spline 13;
f) an Output Shaft/Spline Clutch (15A), which can be used to alternately rotationally fix said Output Shaft/Spline 2nd Path Output Pulley (14) or said Output Cone (11) to said Output Shaft/Spline (13),
g) an Input Shaft/Spline 1st Path Transmission Belt (6) for coupling said Input Shaft/Spline 1st Path Input Pulley (3) to said Input Shaft/Spline 1st Path Output Pulley (7);
h) an Input Shaft/Spline 2nd Path Transmission Belt (16) for coupling said Input Shaft/Spline 2nd Path Input Pulley (4) to said Input Shaft/Spline 2nd Path Output Pulley (17);
i) a CVT Transmission Belt (10) for coupling said Input Cone (9) to said Output Cone (11);
j) an Output Shaft/Spline 2nd Path Transmission Belt (19) for coupling said Output Shaft/Spline 2nd Path Input Pulley (18) to said Output Shaft/Spline 2nd Path Output Pulley (14);
said Extender (37) has to two paths, Path 1 and Path 2;
for Path 1, said Input Shaft/Spline Clutch (5A) is engaged with said Input Shaft/Spline 1st Path Input Pulley (3), and said Output Shaft/Spline Clutch (15A) is engaged with said Output Cone (11);
so that power flows as follows:
said Input Shaft/Spline (2) to said Input Shaft/Spline 1st Path Input Pulley (3) to said Input Shaft/Spline 1st Path Transmission Belt (6) to said Input Shaft/Spline 1st Path Output Pulley (7) to said Input Intermediate Shaft/Spline (8) to said Input Cone (9) to said CVT Transmission Belt (10) to said Output Cone (11) to said Output Intermediate Shaft/Spline (12) to said Output Shaft/Spline (13);
for Path 2, said Input Shaft/Spline Clutch (5A) is engaged with said Input Shaft/Spline 2nd Path Input Pulley (4), and said Output Shaft/Spline Clutch (15A) is engaged with said Output Shaft/Spline 2nd Path Output Pulley (14);
so that power flows as follows:
said Input Shaft/Spline (2) to said Input Shaft/Spline 2nd Path Input Pulley (4) to said Input Shaft/Spline 2nd Path Transmission Belt (16) to said Input Shaft/Spline 2nd Path Output Pulley (17) to said Output Intermediate Shaft/Spline (12) to said Output Cone (11) to said CVT Transmission Belt (10) to said Input Cone (9) to said Input Intermediate Shaft/Spline (8) to said Output Shaft/Spline 2nd Path Input Pulley (18) to said Output Shaft/Spline 2nd Path Transmission Belt (19) to said Output Shaft/Spline 2nd Path Output Pulley (14) to said Output Shaft/Spline (13);
a transmission ratio of Path 1 is changed from an Initial Transmission Ratio to a Final Transmission Ratio by relatively moving said CVT Transmission Belt (10) from the initial ends of said Input Cone (9) and said Output Cone (11) to the final ends of said Input Cone (9) and said Output Cone (11) for Path 1;
and a transmission ratio of Path 2 is changed from an Initial Transmission Ratio to a Final Transmission Ratio by relatively moving said CVT Transmission Belt (10) from the initial ends of said Input Cone (9) and said Output Cone (11) to the final ends of said Input Cone (9) and said Output Cone (11) for Path 2;
said CVT Transmission Belt (10) should be located at the same ends of said Input Cone (9) and said Output Cone (11) for the Final Transmission Ratio of Path 1 and the Initial Transmission Ratio of Path 2;
the speed change ratios of said Extender (37), which are the speed change ratio of said Input Shaft/Spline 1st Path Output Pulley (7) compared to said Input Shaft/Spline 1st Path Input Pulley (3);
the speed change ratio of said Input Shaft/Spline 2nd Path Output Pulley (17) compared to said Input Shaft/Spline 2nd Path Input Pulley (4);
the speed change ratio of said Output Shaft/Spline 2nd Path Output Pulley (14) compared to said Output Shaft/Spline 2nd Path Input Pulley (18);
and the speed change ratio of said CVT, which depends the axial position of said CVT Transmission Belt (10) relative said Input Cone (9) and said Output Cone (11);
should be selected so that at the Final Transmission Ratio of Path 1, the rotational speed of said Input Shaft/Spline 1st Path Input Pulley (3) is identical to the rotational speed of said Input Shaft/Spline 2nd Path Input Pulley (4), and the rotational speed of said Output Cone (11) is identical to the rotational speed of said Output Shaft/Spline 2nd Path Output Pulley (14);
this will also ensure that the transmission ratio of said Extender (37) when Path 1 is at its Final Transmission Ratio is identical to the transmission ratio of said Extender (37) when Path 2 is at its Initial Transmission Ratio;
like said extender of the prior art, said Extender (37) extends the transmission ratio range of said CVT as follows;
like a regular CVT, the transmission ratio of Path 1 can be changed from its Initial Transmission Ratio to its Final Transmission Ratio;
then the transmission ratio range can be extended by changing Path 1, which is at its Final Transmission Ratio, to Path 2, which is at its Initial Transmission Ratio;
the speed change ratios of said Extender (36) are selected so that the transmission ratio of said Extender (37) at the Initial Transmission Ratio of Path 2 matches the transmission ratio of said Extender (37) at Final Transmission Ratio of Path 1;
and the transmission ratios from above the Initial Transmission Ratio of Path 2 to the Final Transmission Ratio of Path 2 is the transmission ratio range extension over a regular CVT;
the entire Transmission Ratio Shifting Range of said extender of the prior art is referred to as a 1st Run for Extender (37);
and Extender (37) repeats the entire Transmission Ratio Shifting Range of the 1st Run at the higher transmission ratio, which is referred to as its 2nd Run;
so as to provide additional transmission ratio;
the 1st Run of said Extender (37) comprises of the following ranges, the Initial Transmission Ratio to the Final Transmission Ratio of Path 1;
and the Initial Transmission Ratio to the Final Transmission Ratio of Path 2;
in order to allow for the 2nd Run, Extender 37 allows the following over the prior art, once Path 2 has reached its Final Transmission Ratio, it can be changed to back to Path 1 which is at its Initial Transmission Ratio;
said Extender (37) is characterized as follows compared to the prior art:
a) said Extender (37) uses a Gearbox (38);
said Gearbox (38) is positioned directly or indirectly after Output Shaft/Spline (13);
a gear ratio of said Gearbox (38) should be changed from a First Gear Ratio to a Second Gear Ratio before Path 2 is changed to Path 1 at the Final Transmission Ratio of Path 2;
and the gear ratio of said Gearbox (38) should be changed from said Second Gear Ratio to said First Gear Ratio before Path 1 is changed to Path 2 at the Initial Transmission Ratio of Path 1;
said First Gear Ratio and said Second Gear Ratio of said Gearbox (38) should be selected so that when Path 2 is changed to Path 1 at Final Transmission Ratio of Path 2, the transmission ratio of Extender 37 before Path 2 is changed to Path 1 is identical to the transmission ratio of Extender 37 after Path 2 has been changed to Path 1;
and so that when Path 1 is changed to Path 2 at Initial Transmission Ratio of Path 1, the transmission ratio of Extender 37 before Path 1 is changed to Path 2 is identical to the transmission ratio of Extender 37 after Path 1 has been changed to Path 2;
b) said Extender (37) uses a Load Isolating Clutch (39);
said Load Isolating Clutch (39) is preferably positioned anywhere before said Input Shaft/Spline (2) or anywhere after said Output Shaft/Spline (13);
so that no load is applied to said Extender (37) once said Load Isolating Clutch (39) is disengaged;
since if positioned as such, said Load Isolating Clutch (39) will either disengage said Extender (37) with the engine/motor that drives it, or disengage said Extender (37) with the load that is driven by said Extender (37);
said Load Isolating Clutch (39) should be disengaged when Path 2 is changed to Path 1 at the Final Transmission Ratio of Path 2, and when Path 1 is changed to Path 2 at the Initial Transmission Ratio of Path 1;
for all other operations of said Extender (37), except when it is being used as a Neutral Transmission, said Load Isolating Clutch (39) should be engaged;
c) said Input Shaft/Spline Clutch (5A) and said Output Shaft/Spline Clutch (15) are each an Overlap Providing Clutch (56), which is clutch for which an overlap during shifting can be provided or not provided as required.

51 more elements