Flyweight system

An improved flyweight for use in a CVT,

• the flyweight having
• a head symmetrically surrounding a pivot with a rotational axis passing through center of said pivot,
• an arm extending away from said pivot, having a cam surface, and having a center-of-mass (COM), and
• a plumb line dropped from said center of said pivot of said flyweight when said flyweight is statically suspended by said pivot, where angles measured from said plumb line start at zero degrees for directions along said plumb line in the direction of said arm and increase in the direction of said cam surface;
• and
• four quadrants, in a plane normal to said pivot axis, numbered from one to four increasing counterclockwise from a line segment normal to said plumb line and that extends from said pivot center on the side of said flyweight having said cam surface, with counterclockwise rotating from said line segment towards said head;
• and
• said flyweight being rotatably attached to the CVT by said pivot such that rotationally induced forces cause rotation of said cam surface so as to effect changes in the shift ratio of the CVT, where the improvement comprises:
• one or more mass concentrations supplementing said flyweight and having their COM more than 10 millimeters distant from said plumb line in said third quadrant.

An improved flyweight for use in a CVT,

• the flyweight having
• a head surrounding a pivot with a rotational axis passing through center of said pivot,
• an arm extending away from said pivot, having a cam surface, and having a center-of-mass (COM), and
• a plumb line dropped from said center of said pivot of said flyweight when said flyweight is statically suspended by said pivot, where angles measured from said plumb line start at zero degrees for directions along said plumb line in the direction of said arm and increase in the direction of said cam surface;
• and
• four quadrants, in a plane normal to said pivot axis, numbered from one to four increasing counterclockwise from a line segment normal to said plumb line and that extends from said pivot center on the side of said flyweight having said cam surface, with counterclockwise rotating from said line segment towards said head;
• and
• said flyweight being rotatably attached to the CVT by said pivot such that rotationally induced forces cause rotation of said cam surface so as to effect changes in the shift ratio of the CVT, where the improvement comprises:
• one or more mass concentrations supplementing said flyweight and having their COM more than 10 millimeters distant from said head and said arm.

An improved flyweight for use in a CVT,

• the flyweight having
• a pivot with a center,
• an arm extending away from said pivot, said arm having a cam surface, and
• a plumb line dropped from said center of said pivot of said flyweight when said flyweight is statically suspended by said pivot where angles measured from said plumb line start at zero degrees for directions along said plumb line in the direction of said arm and increase in the direction of said cam surface;
• said flyweight being rotatably attached to the CVT by said pivot such that rotationally induced forces cause rotation of said cam surface so as to effect changes in the shift ratio of the CVT, where the improvement comprises:
• a massive shoulder attached to said flyweight, where said shoulder has a COM that is positioned within a 60 degree wide sector centered at said pivot's center and extending from 60 degrees from said plumb line to 120 degrees from said plumb line.

An improved flyweight for use in a CVT,

• the flyweight having
• a head symmetrically surrounding a pivot with a rotational axis passing through center of said pivot,
• an arm extending away from said pivot, having a cam surface, and having a center-of-mass (COM), and
• a plumb line dropped from said center of said pivot of said flyweight when said flyweight is statically suspended by said pivot where angles measured from said plumb line start at zero degrees for directions along said plumb line in the direction of said arm and increase in the direction of said cam surface;
• and
• four quadrants, in a plane normal to said pivot axis, numbered from one to four increasing counterclockwise from a line segment normal to said plumb line and that extends from said pivot center on the side of said flyweight having said cam surface, with counterclockwise rotating from'said line segment towards said head;
• and
• said flyweight being rotatably attached to the CVT by said pivot such that rotationally induced forces cause rotation of said cam surface so as to effect changes in the shift ratio of the CVT, where the improvement comprises:
• one or more mass concentrations, each having a COM, supplementing said flyweight wherein at least one of said supplementing mass concentrations has its COM within said fourth quadrant positioned such that said COM rotates into said first quadrant during operational rotation of said flyweight.

An improved flyweight for use in a CVT,

• the CVT having a fixed cam surface;
• and
• the flyweight having
• a pivot with a center,
• an arm extending away from said pivot, said arm having a roller at its distal end engaging said cam surface, and
• a plumb line dropped from said center of said pivot of said flyweight when said flyweight is statically suspended by said pivot where angles measured from said plumb line start at zero degrees for directions along said plumb line in the direction of said arm and increase in the direction of said cam surface;
• said flyweight being rotatably attached to the CVT by said pivot such that rotationally induced forces cause rotation of said arm and said cam-surface-engaging roller so as to effect changes in the shift ratio of the CVT, where the improvement comprises:
• a massive shoulder attached to said flyweight, where said shoulder has a COM that is positioned within a 60 degree wide sector centered at said pivot's center and extending from 60 degrees from said plumb line to 120 degrees from said plumb line.

A method of improving CVTs that use conventional flyweights where said flyweights have

• a pivot with a rotational axis passing through center of said pivot,
• an arm extending away from said pivot, said arm having a cam surface,
• a plumb line dropped from said center of said pivot of said flyweight when said flyweight is statically suspended by said pivot where angles measured from said plumb line start at zero degrees for directions along said plumb line in the direction of said arm and increase in the direction of said cam surface;
• and where
• said flyweight is rotatably attached to the CVT by said pivot such that rotationally induced forces cause rotation of said cam surface so as to effect changes in the shift ratio of the CVT, comprising the step of:
• attaching a massive shoulder to at least one of said flyweights, where said shoulder has a COM that is positioned within a 60 degree wide sector centered at said pivot's center and extending from 60 degrees from said plumb line to 120 degrees from said plumb line.