Cone with torque transmitting members for continuous variable transmissions

A continuous variable transmission, comprising:

• a) two shafts,
• b) at least two means for coupling a torque transmitting member or a group of torque transmitting members of at least one cone assembly with at least two means for conveying rotational energy,
• c) at least two said means for conveying rotational energy, which have a fixed pitch diameter respectively, are placed on one of said shaft, so that torque is transmitted from said means for conveying rotational energy to said shaft,
• d) two said cone assemblies, where each said cone assembly comprises of a cone and one said torque transmitting member or one group of said torque transmitting members, which at an axial section of said cone partially wrap around the surface of said cone so as to form a torque transmitting arc,
• for each said cone assembly, sliding of said torque transmitting member(s) relative to said cone in an axial direction changes the pitch diameter of said torque transmitting member(s), which is the diameter of the surface of said cone that coincides with the diameter of said torque transmitting arc at each specific location along the surface of said cone,
• the arc length of said torque transmitting arc, formed by said torque transmitting member(s), remains constant as said pitch diameter changes,
• the arc length of said torque transmitting arcs, formed by said torque transmitting members, are limited such that for every axial position of said torque transmitting members relative to their said cones, the radial sections of said cones adjacent to said torque transmitting arcs, which are not covered by said torque transmitting member(s), are never completely covered by their said means for coupling for every rotational position of said cones,
• said cone assemblies are placed on the other of said shaft so that said torque transmitting arc, formed by said torque transmitting member(s), of one of said cone assembly is opposite from said torque transmitting arc of the other of said cone assembly, and the apexes of both said cone assemblies point in the same direction, said cone assemblies are placed on the other of said shaft such that torque from said cone assemblies is transmitted to said shaft on which said cone assemblies are placed,
• e) means for slideably attaching said means for conveying rotational energy or said cone assemblies to a respective one of said shaft, is attached to one said shaft, as to allow the axial position of said means for conveying rotational energy to be changed relative to the axial position of said cones,
• f) means for changing the transmission ratio, which changes the axial position of said torque transmitting members, said means for coupling, and said means for conveying rotational energy relative to the axial positions of said cones, when the axial position of said torque transmitting members, said means for coupling, and said means for conveying rotational energy can be changed relative to the axial positions of said cones without any significant circumferential sliding between said torque transmitting member(s) and said means for coupling, such that said torque transmitting members are always properly aligned with their said means for coupling and their said means for conveying rotational energy,
• g) means for maintaining tension in said means for coupling for every transmission ratio of said continuous variable transmission.

A cone assembly for a continuous variable transmission, comprising:

• a) a cone rotatably attached to a shaft along an axis of rotation,
• b) two torque transmitting members or two groups of said torque transmitting members, each forming a torque transmitting arc on the surface of said cone, said torque transmitting arcs, are attached opposite from each other on the surface of said cone, said transmitting members are used for torque transmission between one or several means for conveying rotational energy and said cone assembly,
• said torque transmitting members are rotatably fixed relative to said cone, but are allowed to slide axially relative to said cone, changing the axial position of said torque transmitting members relative to the axial position of said cone changes the pitch diameter of said torque transmitting members, which is the diameter of the surface of said cone that coincides with the diameter of said torque transmitting arcs at each specific location long the surface of said cone,
• the arc lengths of said torque transmitting arcs remain constant as said pitch diameter changes.

A continuous variable transmission, comprising:

• a) two shafts,
• b) two cone assemblies each attached to one of said shaft such that the apex of one of said cone assembly is opposite from the apex of the other said cone assembly,
• each said cone assembly comprises of a cone and two torque transmitting members or two groups of said torque transmitting members, each forming a torque transmitting arc at an axial position on the surface of said cone,
• said torque transmitting arcs, on the surface of a respective said cone, are placed spaced apart opposite from each other on the surface of said cone, the spaces between the ends of said torque transmitting arcs, which are not covered by said torque transmitting members, are considered as non-torque transmitting arcs,
• said torque transmitting members are rotatably fixed relative to their said cone, but are able to slide axially relative to their said cone, for each said cone assembly, changing the axial position of said torque transmitting members relative to the axial position of their said cone changes the pitch diameter of said torque transmitting members, which is the diameter of the surface of said cone that coincides with the diameter of said torque transmitting arcs at each specific location along the surface of said cone,
• the arc lengths of said torque transmitting arcs, formed by said torque transmitting members, remain constant as said pitch diameter changes, but the arc lengths of said non-torque transmitting arcs change as said pitch diameter changes,
• c) means for coupling said torque transmitting members of one of said cone assembly with said torque transmitting members of other the said cone assembly, said means for coupling is used for torque transmission between said cone assemblies,
• d) means for changing the transmission ratio of said continuous variable transmission, which changes the axial position of said torque transmitting members and said means for coupling relative to the axial position of said cones, if changing the axial position of said torque transmitting members and said means for coupling relative to the axial position of said cones will not cause significant circumferential sliding between said torque transmitting members and said means for coupling, such that said torque transmitting members and said means for coupling are always properly aligned,
• e) means for preventing said means for coupling from getting stuck in an unmovable position, which is a position for which for at least one said cone assembly, said means for coupling is in contact with an entire said non-torque transmitting arc.

A method for constructing a continuous variable transmission, comprising the steps of:

• a) attaching at least one cone assembly to a first shaft, where each said cone assembly comprises of a cone to which at least one torque transmitting member is attached as to form one or several torque transmitting arc(s) on the surface of said cone at an axial section of said cone,
• said torque transmitting member(s), which are used for torque transmission, are rotatably fixed relative to their said cone, but are able to slide axially relative to their said cone,
• for each said cone assembly, changing the axial position of said torque transmitting member(s) relative to the axial position of their said cone changes the pitch diameter of said torque transmitting member(s), which is the diameter of the surface of said cone that coincides with diameter of said torque transmitting arcs at each specific location along the surface of said cone,
• the arc lengths of said torque transmitting arc(s), formed by said torque transmitting member(s), remain constant as said pitch diameter changes,
• b) attaching one or several means for conveying rotational energy, of fixed or variable pitch diameter, on a second shaft, which include said cone assemblies, said means for conveying rotational energy have at least one means for transmitting torque, which is used for torque transmission,
• c) coupling said torque transmitting member(s) of each said cone assembly on said first shaft with said means for transmitting torque of at least one said means for conveying rotational energy on said second shaft, directly or by using a means for coupling, where,
• changing the axial position of said torque transmitting member(s), their said means for transmitting torque, and their said means for coupling relative to the axial position of their said cone(s), changes the transmission ratio of said continuous variable transmission.