Centrifugal force controlled transmission
OwnerDonald L. Mountinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The drive ratio of a planetary gear transmission is controlled by the centrifugal force associated with a rotor assembly having an imbalance that varies as a function of the speed of oppositely rotating eccentric rotor elements relative to a carrier frame mounting planetary gears drivingly connected to a spider on which the rotor assembly is mounted. Reaction gears fixed to the carrier frame control the rotational and phase relationships of the rotor elements on the rotor assembly.
Claims11
A variable drive ratio transmission, comprising input and output elements, a carrier frame connected to one of said elements for rotation about a fixed axis, a spindle, means mounting the spindle in the carrier frame for rotation about a first movable axis, eccentric rotor means of variable unbalance rotatably mounted on the spindle for rotation about a second movable axis intersecting the first movable axis on said fixed axis, planet gear means drivingly connecting the other of the elements to the spindle for rotation thereof relative to the carrier frame about said first movable axis, and reaction gear means drivingly connecting the carrier frame to the eccentric rotor means for varying the unbalance thereof in response to relative rotation between the carrier frame and said spindle.
A variable drive ratio transmission, comprising input and output elements, a carrier frame connected to one of said elements for rotation about a fixed axis, a spindle, means mounting the spindle in the carrier frame for rotation about a first movable axis, eccentric rotor means rotatably mounted on the spindle for rotation about a second movable axis intersecting the first movable axis on said fixed axis, planet gear means drivingly connecting the other of the elements to the spindle for rotation thereof relative to the carrier frame about said first movable axis, and reaction gear means drivingly connecting the carrier frame to the eccentric rotor means for rotation thereof about said second movable axis in response to relative rotation between the carrier frame and said spindle, said reaction gear means including a gear member fixed to the carrier frame, said eccentric rotor means including a pair of rotor elements rotatable on the spindle at the same speed in opposite directions about said second movable axis, said eccentric rotor means further including a second pair of rotor elements rotatable on the spindle in opposite directions about a third movable axis intersecting the first and second movable axes on said fixed axis, said two pair of rotor elements establishing eccentric mass centers that cyclically vary in magnitude and direction and are 90.degree. out of phase with each other.
A variable drive ratio transmission, comprising a carrier frame, a drive gear, means mounting said carrier frame and drive gear for rotation relative to each other about a fixed carrier axis, eccentric rotor means of varying imbalance mounted in the carrier frame for rotation relative thereto about at least one movable spider axis intersecting the fixed carrier axis, planetary gear means drivingly connecting the drive gear to the eccentric rotor means for rotation thereof about said movable spider axis, and reaction gear means fixed to the carrier frame for cyclically varying the imbalance of the eccentric rotor means relative to the carrier frame in response to rotation about said movable spider axis.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.