Patent TW-402673-B (TW)
Title: Infinitely & continuously variable transmission system
Inventor: PAPANICOLAOU JOHN PAUL
IPC: F16H29/04
Filed: 1999-02-05
Granted: 2000-08-21
Abstract: The invention relates to a mechanical device that provides for an infinitely and continuously variable transmission system that is capable of gradually and smoothly multiplying TORQUE while decreasing RPM and vice-versa. For a given input shaft TORQUE and RPM, the system will deliver to the output shaft, through an infinite and continuous process, such increases or reductions in TORQUE with inversely corresponding increases or reductions in RPM as may be desired across a predetermined and very wide range of transmission ratios. The range can include zero RPM for the output shaft while the input shaft continues to rotate at any RPM, thus eliminating the need for an input shaft disengaging clutch. The invention includes a main assembly consisting of one, two, three or more pairs of co-axial diametrically opposed one-way clutches 'freewheels"" having gear teeth on their outer perimeter together with their corresponding pairs of diametrically opposed freewheel carrying shafts which are interconnected through a central hub assembly. The axes of the freewheel carrying shafts share the same plane with each other and with the central hub's multi-directional center around which they are radially and symmetrically mounted. The freewheels are engaged in one rotational direction and disengaged in the opposite rotational direction of their carrying shafts and are in turn continuously and unidirectionally meshed to a common rotatable output gear. The infinitely and continuously variable TORQUE and RPM ratios are produced by causing the freewheel carrying shafts to rotatably oscillate at gradually variable oscillation arcs thereby causing their respective freewheels to smoothly rotate the common output gear at correspondingly variable rotation speeds through a simultaneous combination of the oscillation arc magnitude of their carrying shaft rotatable oscillations and their corresponding engagement/disengagement action. The freewheel carrying shafts are caused to rotatably oscillate at gradually variable oscillation arcs through the following procedures: (a) swash plate embodiment: through gradually pivoting while at the same time rotating a swash plate co-axially mounted to and pressing through a thrust bearing or other device against a non-rotatable central hub assembly which is pivotably mounted through diametrically opposed perimetrical stub shafts to a first concentric outer ring which is in turn pivotably mounted through diametrically opposed perimetrical mounting shafts to a frame either directly or through the intervention of one or more further similarly pivotably mounted outer rings wherein the freewheel carrying shafts are radially and symmetrically mounted in opposed pairs (the first pair of which is mounted on the diametrically opposed perimetrical mounting shafts of the largest (outside) concentric ring, the intervening pairs being mounted on the outside legs of cross shaped ""spyders"" whose inside legs are pivotably mounted to the intervening outer rings by way of diametrically opposed perimetrical stub shafts and the last pair of which is mounted on the outside legs of the innermost ""spyder"" whose inside legs are pivotably mounted to the non-rotatable central hub assembly by way of diametrically opposed perimetrical stub shafts) and are all caused to oscillate by the motion imposed on the non-rotatable central hub assembly by the gradual pivoting of the rotating swash plate, or (b) double yoke embodiment: through gradually pivoting while at the same time rotatably displacing the free end of a main shaft connected to a second pivotable and rotatably displaceable yoke with respect to a first non-rotatable fixed and opposing yoke where the fork ends of the said yokes are interconnected (fork to fork) through a central cross assembly consisting of a hub having a pair of opposed shorter and a pair of opposed longer vertically intersecting shafts radially fixed on its outer perimeter, opposed sections of the longer shafts being pivotably mounted through the first fixed yoke's fork their ends being rotatably mounted to a main frame and the opposed ends of the shorter shafts being pivotably mounted through the second pivotable yoke's fork, the second pivotable yoke's main shaft being also slidably and rotatably mounted through a longitudinal slot in the center section of one or more further pivotable assemblies each consisting of a circular or semi-circular central ring section having two diametrically opposed shafts radially fixed on its outer perimeter and rotatably mounted to a main frame symmetrically with respect to the central cross assembly's longer shafts wherein the freewheels are mounted equidistantly from the hub's center at opposed sections of the central cross assembly's longer shafts and each of the pivotable assemblies' diametrically opposed shafts and are all caused to oscillate by the simultaneous pivotable and rotatably displaceable action imposed on the second pivotable yoke shaft by a rotating grooved disc which contains on its inner face a diametrically positioned arc shaped groove whose arc radius is equal to the length of the pivotable yoke shaft within which groove the pivotable yoke shft's free end is slidably fitted thus allowing it to be gradually shifted out of alignment with respect to the axis of rotation of the grooved disc by way of a shifting mechanism, or (c) T-joint embodiment: through gradually pivoting while at the same time rotatably displacing the free end of a second pivotable and rotatably displaceable main shaft with respect to a first main shaft rotatably mounted to a main frame where the second main shaft is pivotably connected to the center of the first main shaft through a central cross assembly and is also slidably, and in some embodiments also rotatably, mounted through a longitudinal slot in the center section of one or more further pivotable assemblies each consisting of a circular or semi-circular central ring section having two diametrically opposed shafts radially fixed on its outer perimeter and rotatably mounted to a main frame symmetrically with respect to the first main shaft wherein the freewheels are mounted equidistantly from the central cross assembly's center at opposed sections of the first shaft and the opposed shafts of each of the pivotable assemblies and are all caused to oscillate by the simultaneous pivotable and rotatably displaceable action imposed on the second main shaft by a rotating grooved disc which contains on its inner face a diametrically positioned arc shaped groove whose arc radius is equal to the length of the pivotable yoke shaft within which groove the pivotable yoke shaft's free end is slidably fitted thus allowing it to be gradually shifted out of alignment with respect to the axis of rotation of the grooved disc by way of a shifting mechanism.