Patent ID: 6676560
Filing Date: 2004-01-13
Classification: F16H

Abstract:
A continuously variable transmission producing a variable drive ratio between an input and an output, comprising:a main shaft rotating about a longitudinal axis and having an input disk and an output disk fixed to the shaft with each disk having a driving surface inclined at a substantially same angle with respect to a plane orthogonal to the rotational axis and which faces the driving surface on the other disk; an idler disk having a central hole through which the shaft extends, the idler disk being interposed between the two end disks, the idler disk not being connected so as to rotate with the shaft, and the hole and shaft being sized to allow the disk to translate along a portion of an axial length of the shaft, the idler disk having two opposed driving surfaces inclined toward each other at substantially the same angle as the driving surfaces on the end disks; and a plurality of input rollers having conical driving surfaces each rotating about an input roller axis that extends radially outward from the rotational axis of the shaft in a first plane orthogonal to the rotational axis of the shaft, the conical driving surfaces drivingly engaging driving surfaces on the input disk and on the idler disk, the disks and rollers arranged so that moving the rollers along the input roller axes varies the drive ratio.