Planetary-roller transmission with elastic roller or ring

Abstract

In a planetary-roller transmission for transmitting power from one rotating shaft to another by a plurality of planet rollers pivotally supported, in contact with the outer periphery of a sun roller connected to the first rotating shaft and also with the inner periphery of an internal contact ring secured to a stationary member, by a carrier connected to the second shaft, all or any of the rollers and ring is an elastic one, which consists of a plurality of thick-walled cylindrical parts spaced apart axially of the associated shaft, a cylindrical part thinner than the thick-walled parts, with its inner or outer periphery serving as a surface to contact the mating roller or ring, and disk-shaped parts thinner than the thick-walled parts and connecting the both sides of the thin-walled cylindrical part separately to the thick-walled parts, so that, when the thick-walled cylindrical parts are pressed toward each other at the both outermost sides, the diameter of the thin-walled cylindrical part is changed, and then the elastic roller or ring is compressed axially of the associated shaft to change its total width so as to change the contact pressure to be exerted between all the rollers and ring. Where the internal contact ring is made elastic, a torque cam mechanism for producing a compressive force proportional to the load on the rotating shafts, axially of the shafts, and imparting the same to the internal contact ring is disposed between the ring and the stationary member.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.