Patent ID: 9506545
Filing Date: 2016-11-29
CPC Classification: F16H,Y10T

Claim Text:
1. A continuously variable transmission comprising: a rotary cam member having an input axis of rotation and defining a cam surface operably engaged with at least one cam follower assembly, each cam follower assembly for generating a displacement waveform with a constant velocity portion; a rotatable ratio control assembly selectively controlling an angular orientation of the at least one cam follower assembly with respect to the cam surface, the rotatable ratio control assembly including at least one ratio plate extending generally perpendicular with respect to the input axis of the rotary cam member restraining the at least one cam follower assembly for reciprocal linear movement and for scaling a reciprocal linear output movement of the reciprocal linear movement between 0% and 100% inclusive in response to an angular orientation of the at least one ratio plate of the ratio control assembly with respect to the input axis of rotation of the rotary cam member, wherein the ratio control assembly includes the at least one ratio plate adjustable angularly through at least a 90° arc about an axis of rotation, the ratio plate including a slot guiding the reciprocal linear movement of the cam follower assembly, at least one slide block configured to extract a Cartesian coordinate component of the reciprocal linear movement of the corresponding cam follower assembly, each slide block having a corresponding ratio plate and operably connected to a cam follower assembly; an output assembly for converting the scaled reciprocal linear output movement into at least intermittent, continuously variable, constant velocity, rotary output about an output axis of rotation; and an actuator operable to rotate the at least one ratio plate with respect to the input axis of rotation of the rotary cam member, wherein an angular orientation of the at least one ratio plate adjusts the reciprocal linear movement of the cam follower assembly acting on the output assembly, the actuator operable to rotate the at least one ratio plate, wherein an angular orientation of the at least one ratio plate adjusts the Cartesian coordinate component of the reciprocal linear movement of the cam follower assembly acting on the slide block.