Patent ID: 6152844
Filing Date: 2000-11-28
Classification: F16H

Abstract:
An apparatus, comprising: a rotary power source and a continuously variable transmission coupled to said rotary power source, said continuously variable transmission including a first shaft, a first pulley coupled to rotate with said first shaft, a second shaft, a second pulley coupled to rotate with said second shaft, and an endless power transfer loop coupled about said first pulley and said second pulley, said first pulley being of a variable diameter type to adjust turning ratio relative to said second pulley, said first pulley including:a pulley cage including a number of bars radially spaced apart from one another about said first shaft, said bars each being inclined relative to a rotational axis of said first shaft to define a generally frustoconical shape;a pulley disk defining a number of slots each receiving a corresponding one of said bars therethrough, said pulley cage and said pulley disk being operable to selectively adjust a relative position of one to another;a number of carriers each coupled to said pulley disk to travel along a corresponding one of said slots and each engaging a corresponding one of said bars to travel therealong in response to a change in said relative position; anda band defining a surface in contact with said loop, said band being positioned about said bars on said carriers, said band travelling with said carriers to correspondingly change an effective diameter of said first pulley.