Continuously variable transmission for an internal combustion engine

A driven pulley for a continuously variable transmission, comprising:

• a shaft adapted for operative connection to an output shaft of the continuously variable transmission;
• an inner half rotatably disposed on the shaft, the inner half having a belt engagement surface associated therewith adapted to engage a first side of a belt;
• an outer half rotatably disposed on the shaft, the outer half having a belt engagement surface associated therewith adapted to engage a second side of the belt;
• a spring biasing the inner half and the outer half together with one another;
• and
• a connector rotatably coupling the inner half with the outer half,
• wherein the connector is disposed between the inner half and the outer half, wherein both of the inner half and the outer half can transmit torque to the shaft through one of the inner half and the outer half.

A continuously variable transmission, comprising:

• a drive pulley adapted to connect to a crankshaft of an engine, the drive pulley comprising
• a drive pulley inner half rotatably disposed on the shaft, the drive pulley inner half having a belt engagement surface associated therewith adapted to engage a first side of a belt,
• a drive pulley outer half rotatably disposed on the shaft, the drive pulley outer half having a belt engagement surface associated therewith adapted to engage a second side of the belt,
• a slide sleeve disposed on the shaft adapted to engage an inner side of the belt, wherein the slide sleeve has at least one groove disposed on an inner surface of the slide sleeve,
• at least one pin extending from the shaft, and
• a spring biasing the drive pulley inner half and the drive pulley outer half apart from one another,
• wherein the slide sleeve freely rotates with respect to the shaft when the belt is engaged thereby and the belt either is stationary or travels in a first direction, and
• wherein the slide sleeve is fixed with respect to the shaft when the belt travels in a second direction, opposite to the first direction, and
• wherein the at least one the pin being biased to engage the at least one groove when the belt travels in the second direction;
• and
• a driven pulley adapted to connect to an output shaft of the continuously variable transmission, the driven pulley comprising
• a driven pulley inner half disposed on the shaft, the driven pulley inner half having a belt engagement surface associated therewith adapted to engage a first side of a belt,
• a driven pulley outer half disposed on the shaft, the driven pulley outer half having a belt engagement surface associated therewith adapted to engage a second side of the belt,
• a spring biasing the driven pulley inner half and the driven pulley outer half together with one another, and
• a connector rotatably coupling the driven pulley inner half with the driven pulley outer half, wherein the connector is disposed between the driven pulley inner half and the driven pulley outer half.