Patent Publication Number: US-2022228651-A1

Title: Continuously variable transmission system

Description:
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention: 
     The invention relates generally to transmissions and more specifically to continuously variable transmissions. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     Currently, motors utilizing gear transmissions usually have to change gears while operating, which causes a rough ride. The rough ride is caused by the gears shifting within the transmission and leads to a jerking motion while in the vehicle. These motor and transmission combinations also have a large heat build-up because of the constant changing of gears, which can destroy the motor components over time. Additionally, current continuously variable transmissions (CVT) are controlled by centrifugal force and need high rotations per minute to function, thus cannot operate in numerous situations. Moreover, CVT motors usually cannot operate in manual (non-electric) mode. Motors utilizing a CVT transmission system also are known to cause battery life issues due to the increase of heat in the system. Similarly, current motors utilizing a CVT transmission systems cannot adapt to non-adjusting components, such as a pulley not adjusting to the correct diameter for the gear like setting. 
     Therefore, there is a need to solve the problems described above by proving a device and system for motor improvement. 
     The aspects or the problems and the associated solutions presented in this section could be or could have been pursued; they are not necessarily approaches that have been previously conceived or pursued. Therefore, unless otherwise indicated, it should not be assumed that any of the approaches presented in this section qualify as prior art merely by virtue of their presence in this section of the application. 
     BRIEF INVENTION SUMMARY 
     This Summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the Detailed Description. This Summary is not intended to identify key aspects or essential aspects of the claimed subject matter. Moreover, this Summary is not intended for use as an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter. 
     In an aspect, a continuously variable transmission system having a first adjustable pulley and a second adjustable pulley, a belt being around an outer surface of both the first adjustable pulley and the second adjustable pulley, and a CPU programed to signal a motor to adjust a first disk and a second disk, wherein both the first disk and the second disk rotate, thus adjusting the first adjustable pulley and second adjustable pulley is provided. The CPU having preset modes created by a user input is also provided. Thus, an advantage is an easily adjustable CVT system. Additionally, another advantage is easily correcting the pulley diameter by the CPU signals to the first and second disks. 
     In another aspect, a continuously variable transmission system having a first threaded rod, coupled to the first disk, adapted to adjust the first adjustable pulley and a second threaded rod, coupled to the second disk, adapted to adjust the second adjustable pulley is provided. Thus, an advantage is longevity of the CVT system components due to the CPU immediately adjusting the first and second disks, and in turn the rods, for the pulleys to be the proper diameter for the desired motion of the vehicle. Moreover, another advantage is a smoother ride due to pulleys efficiently adjusting to the proper diameter. 
     In another aspect, a continuously variable transmission system having various preset input modes for the CPU is provided. Thus, an advantage is more efficient travel depending on the type of terrain the vehicle is on, such as a high-speed preset, which allows the CPU to immediately send signals to adjust the pulleys to the appropriate diameter. Additionally, the presets allow for a smoother ride on the various terrains. 
     The above aspects or examples and advantages, as well as other aspects or examples and advantages, will become apparent from the ensuing description and accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       For exemplification purposes, and not for limitation purposes, aspects, embodiments or examples of the invention are illustrated in the figures of the accompanying drawings, in which: 
         FIG. 1  illustrates the perspective view of a continuously variable transmission (CVT) system, according to an aspect. 
         FIG. 2  illustrates the side perspective view of a continuously variable transmission (CVT) system, according to an aspect. 
         FIG. 3  illustrates the side perspective view of a continuously variable transmission (CVT) system, according to an aspect. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     What follows is a description of various aspects, embodiments and/or examples in which the invention may be practiced. Reference will be made to the attached drawings, and the information included in the drawings is part of this detailed description. The aspects, embodiments and/or examples described herein are presented for exemplification purposes, and not for limitation purposes. It should be understood that structural and/or logical modifications could be made by someone of ordinary skills in the art without departing from the scope of the invention. Therefore, the scope of the invention is defined by the accompanying claims and their equivalents. 
     It should be understood that, for clarity of the drawings and of the specification, some or all details about some structural components or steps that are known in the art are not shown or described if they are not necessary for the invention to be understood by one of ordinary skills in the art. 
     For the following description, it can be assumed that most correspondingly labeled elements across the figures (e.g.,  105  and  205 , etc.) possess the same characteristics and are subject to the same structure and function. If there is a difference between correspondingly labeled elements that is not pointed out, and this difference results in a non-corresponding structure or function of an element for a particular embodiment, example or aspect, then the conflicting description given for that particular embodiment, example or aspect shall govern. 
       FIG. 1  illustrates the perspective view of a continuously variable transmission (CVT) system  110 , according to an aspect. The CVT system  110  having a first pulley (“first adjustable pulley,” “pulley”)  101 , a second pulley (“second adjustable pulley,” “pulley”)  102  and a motor  103 , is provided. The first and second pulley being adjustable, meaning the diameter for each pulley  101 , 102  may be variable. The first pulley  101  may be a primary pulley, which may be directly connected to a motor via a driveshaft  105 . For example, the motor connected to the driveshaft  105  may be a car motor, scooter motor, or other applicable motor. The second pulley  102  may be a driven pulley, which may be connected to wheels via a driveshaft  106 . For example, the wheels connected to the driveshaft  106  may any wheels for the corresponding motor. Additionally, the pulleys  101  and  102  change diameter to allow for a smooth gear transition. A belt  107  may be used to attach each of the pulleys  101 ,  102 , for example, the belt  107  may be around an outer surface of both the first and the second pulley  101 , 102 . The belt  107  allowing for the rotation in the pulleys  101  and  102  with changing diameters. Furthermore, the gear ratio is changed when the motor  103  rotates threaded rods  104 . The threaded rods  112  rotated by the outer disk  104   a  in pulley  101  and the inner disk  104   b  in pulley  102  may allow the diameter to change on both pulleys  101  and  102  simultaneously. Thus, allowing the belt  107  to rotate pulley  102  faster or slower depending on the CVT mode (“CVT preset”), such as a speed mode or torque mode (“high torque preset”). Moreover, the threaded rods  112  may have threading in opposite directions, which may allow each pulley to change diameter simultaneously. For example, the first pulley  101  may be adjusted to a larger diameter, while the second pulley  102  may be adjusted to a smaller diameter. 
     Additionally, the CVT system  110  has a central processing unit (CPU)  108 . The CPU  108  being programed to send a signal to the motor  103  to initiate the transmission. Moreover, the motor  103  rotates the disks  104   a ,  104   b  according to the CPU (“controller”)  108  input. Thus, the threaded rods  112  adjust the pulleys  101  and  102  accordingly. The system  110  also limits the heat build-up compared to other motor systems because of the variable diameter pulleys  101 ,  102 . The CPU  108  will be discussed in more detail when referring to  FIG. 3 . 
     Furthermore, the continuously variable transmission system  110  has a controller (“CPU”) programed to signal a motor  103  to adjust the first adjustable pulley  101  and second adjustable pulley  102  according to a user input. The continuously variable transmission system  110  may also have a plurality of sensors adapted to monitor the first adjustable pulley  101  and second adjustable pulley  102 . For example, the sensors may be placed at the driveshafts  105 ,  106  and the motor  103 . 
       FIG. 2  illustrates the side perspective view of a continuously variable transmission (CVT) system  210 , according to an aspect. As shown, the CVT system  210  is an assembly of two diameter changing pulleys  201  and  202 , where pulley  201  is the primary pulley and is directly connected to a motor (not shown) via a driveshaft  205 . The driveshaft  205  is monitored by an end coder and signals are sent to CPU, which is the primary signal. The pulley  202  is a driven pulley, and it is connected to wheels (not shown) via driveshaft  206 . The driveshaft  206  is also monitored by an end coder and signals are sent to the CPU. The gear ratio is changed when the motor  203  rotates threaded rods  212 . The threaded rods  212  push outer disk in pulley  201  and inner disk in pulley  202  causing them to rotate and change diameter accordingly. Once the disks  204   a  and  204   b  rotate the corresponding pulleys  201  and  202  adjust to the proper diameter due to the threaded rod  212  increasing and decreasing the space between pulley components. As shown, the pulleys  201  and  202  have two conical halves  201   a ,  202   a  and  201   b ,  202   b . The two pulleys  201  and  202 , as shown, have conical halves each having a top half  201   a ,  202   a  and a bottom half  201   b ,  202   b . As described herein, the conical halves  201   a ,  202   a  and  201   b ,  202   b  move towards and away from each other, respectively, allowing for a change in pulley diameter, depicted by arrow  211 . 
     While the diameter changes on each pulley  201  and  202  may occur simultaneously, the belt  207  rotates faster or slower with the pulleys  201  and  202  depending on the CVT system  210  mode. Thus, the motion in the motor (not shown) initiates motion in the wheels (not shown), by the CVT system  210 . For example, a mode may be a high-speed setting or may be a high torque setting based on the user&#39;s input into the CPU  208 . Thus, when the driveshafts  205  and  206  rotate the from the motor and cause the wheels to rotate, respectively, the system may travel forward. The CVT system may allow for more modes due to the varying pulley diameter sizes. Moreover, the CPU may have more modes to coincide with the variety of modes of the pulleys  201  and  202 . For example, the CPU may have a preset mode for high-speed travel. 
     Currently, motors utilizing gear transmissions usually have to change gears causing a rough ride. These motor and transmission combinations also have a large heat build-up, which can destroy the motor components over time. Additionally, current continuously variable transmissions (CVT) are controlled by centrifugal force and need high rotations per minute, thus cannot operate in numerous situations. Moreover, CVT motors usually cannot operate in manual (non-electric) mode. Motors utilizing a CVT transmission system also are known to cause battery life issues due to the increase of heat in the system. Also, current motors utilizing a CVT transmission systems cannot adapt to non-adjusting components, such as a pulley not adjusting to the correct diameter for the gear like setting. 
     As described herein, the continuously variable transmission system  210  having a first adjustable pulley and a second adjustable pulley; a belt being around an outer surface of both the first adjustable pulley and the second adjustable pulley allowing the belt  207  to rotate around the first and second pulleys  201 ,  202  is described herein. The CPU  208  may be programed to signal a motor to adjust the first disk  204   a  and second disk  204   b , wherein both the first disk  204   a  and the second disk  204   b  rotate, thus adjusting the first adjustable pulley  201  and second adjustable pulley  202 . Furthermore, the first threaded rod  212 , coupled to the first disk  204   a , adapted to adjust the first adjustable pulley  201  and a second threaded rod  212 , coupled to the second disk  204   b , adapted to adjust the second adjustable pulley  202 . Additionally, the first driveshaft (“input driveshaft”)  205  may be adapted to connect to a car motor. And the second driveshaft (“output driveshaft”)  206  may be adapted to connect to a car wheel set. 
       FIG. 3  illustrates the side perspective view of a continuously variable transmission (CVT) system  310 , according to an aspect. Additionally, the CVT system  310  connects to a CPU (“controller”)  308 . The CPU  308  being programed to send signals to the motor. For example, a signal travels from the shaft  305  to the CPU as depicted by the arrow  309   a . In another example, a signal travels from the shaft  306  to the CPU as depicted by the arrow  309   b . These signals  309   a  and  309   b  inform the CPU  308  of various functions. For example, the signals may relay information such as information from the input driveshaft  305 , which may be connected to a motor (not shown), to the CPU  308 . This information may be, for example, a speed increase in the motor, thus the CPU  308  may send a signal to the motor  303  to adjust the disks  304   a  and  304   b  accordingly to adjust the diameter of the pulleys  301  and  302  with the belt  307  around the pulleys outer surface. 
     Additionally, the controller  308  is programmed to receive inputs and send output signals. The controller  308  receives the signal from the motor (not shown) and wheels (not shown) through driveshafts  305  and  306 , respectively. The controller  308  also receives input signals from the user from, for example, user presets or the current motor (not shown) input. The controller then compares the current signal data from the motor (not shown) and wheels (not shown) to the desired input signal data from the user. The controller  308  may then calculate the difference between the signals to determine the adjustments that need to me made to the system. Furthermore, the controller  308  determines the ratio of the diameters of the two pulleys based on the speed or desired user input. Once the controller  308  determines the necessary adjustments, the controller  308  may send a signal to the motor  303  to adjust the disks  304   a  and  304   b  accordingly. For example, the controller  308  may determine how fast each element is currently moving and compare to the desired inputs. As another example, if the speed needs to be increased the controller  308  would send a signal to the motor  303  to rotate the motor  303  in a direction wherein the diameter of the first pulley  301  would increase. It should be understood that for example, when the speed needs to be increased, the first pulley would increase, and the second pulley diameter decrease. 
     The motor  303  rotates the disks  304   a  and  304   b  according to the CPU  308  input. Thus, the threaded rods  312  adjust the pulleys  301  and  302  accordingly. For example, input shaft  305  may have a monitoring signal and coder signal, which travels to CPU  308  for the speed adjustment. The output shaft may also have a monitoring signal and a coder signal, which travels to the CPU  308  to compare the central speed control motor (“motor”)  304 , gears, and threaded shafts. 
     Moreover, the motor  303  receives a signal from the control  308  to rotate the disks  304   a  and  304   b . The motor  303  may always be engaged with both disks  304   a  and  304   b , thus when the motor rotates the disks  304   a  and  304   b  rotate in their respective directions. For example, the disks  304   a  and  304   b  rotate outward from the motor  303 , thus the corresponding threaded rod  312  would also rotate, further allowing the pulleys  301 ,  302  to move closer or further apart. As an example, top half  301   a  and bottom half  301   b  would move closer together creating a larger diameter, while the top half  302   a  and a bottom half  302   b  move further apart creating a smaller diameter. Each pulley half  301   a ,  301   b ,  302   a ,  302   b  may move along the threaded rods  312  as determined by the controller and the corresponding motor  303  movement. Additionally, the motor  303  may rotate the disks  304   a  and  304   b , for example, in a forward direction and the disks  304   a  and  304   b  may rotate outward, or in a reverse direction and the disks  304   a  and  304   b  may rotate inward. 
     As another example, the CVT system may be continuously monitored by the CPU and, for example, if one signal input requires an adjustment to the pulleys  301 ,  302  and the other fails to adjust, the motor  303  rotates threaded rods  312  via disks (“gears”)  304   a  and  304   b  to adjust pulleys  301  and  302  to move in or out with the speed maintained. The CPU  308  may allow for the continuous smooth transitions that are seamless, while typical motors have to change gears and the ride is rough. Additionally, the CPU  308  may allow minimal heat build-up, thus not destroying component parts as typical motors do. 
     The controller  308  may be programed to receive an input signal and send an output signal to the motor  303  to adjust a first disk  304   a  and a second disk  304   b . While the input signal being adapted to travel from both the first and second driveshaft  305  and  306  to the CPU  308 , and the output signal adapted to travel from the controller  308  to the motor. Thus, to change the diameter of the pulleys  301 ,  302 , the first disk  304   a  rotates, therefore adjusting both the first top half  301   a  and the first bottom half  301   b  of the first pulley  301  along the first threaded rod  312 . And the second disk  304   b  rotates, therefore adjusting both the second top half  302   a  and the second bottom half  302   b  of the second pulley  302  along the second threaded rod  312 . 
     It may be advantageous to set forth definitions of certain words and phrases used in this patent document. The term “couple” and its derivatives refer to any direct or indirect communication between two or more elements, whether or not those elements are in physical contact with one another. The term “or” is inclusive, meaning and/or. The phrases “associated with” and “associated therewith,” as well as derivatives thereof, may mean to include, be included within, interconnect with, contain, be contained within, connect to or with, couple to or with, be communicable with, cooperate with, interleave, juxtapose, be proximate to, be bound to or with, have, have a property of, or the like. 
     Further, as used in this application, “plurality” means two or more. A “set” of items may include one or more of such items. Whether in the written description or the claims, the terms “comprising,” “including,” “carrying,” “having,” “containing,” “involving,” and the like are to be understood to be open-ended, i.e., to mean including but not limited to. Only the transitional phrases “consisting of” and “consisting essentially of,” respectively, are closed or semi-closed transitional phrases with respect to claims. 
     If present, use of ordinal terms such as “first,” “second,” “third,” etc., in the claims to modify a claim element does not by itself connote any priority, precedence or order of one claim element over another or the temporal order in which acts of a method are performed. These terms are used merely as labels to distinguish one claim element having a certain name from another element having a same name (but for use of the ordinal term) to distinguish the claim elements. As used in this application, “and/or” means that the listed items are alternatives, but the alternatives also include any combination of the listed items. 
     Throughout this description, the aspects, embodiments or examples shown should be considered as exemplars, rather than limitations on the apparatus or procedures disclosed or claimed. Although some of the examples may involve specific combinations of method acts or system elements, it should be understood that those acts and those elements may be combined in other ways to accomplish the same objectives. 
     Acts, elements and features discussed only in connection with one aspect, embodiment or example are not intended to be excluded from a similar role(s) in other aspects, embodiments or examples. 
     Aspects, embodiments or examples of the invention may be described as processes, which are usually depicted using a flowchart, a flow diagram, a structure diagram, or a block diagram. Although a flowchart may depict the operations as a sequential process, many of the operations can be performed in parallel or concurrently. In addition, the order of the operations may be re-arranged. With regard to flowcharts, it should be understood that additional and fewer steps may be taken, and the steps as shown may be combined or further refined to achieve the described methods. 
     If means-plus-function limitations are recited in the claims, the means are not intended to be limited to the means disclosed in this application for performing the recited function, but are intended to cover in scope any equivalent means, known now or later developed, for performing the recited function. 
     Claim limitations should be construed as means-plus-function limitations only if the claim recites the term “means” in association with a recited function. 
     If any presented, the claims directed to a method and/or process should not be limited to the performance of their steps in the order written, and one skilled in the art can readily appreciate that the sequences may be varied and still remain within the spirit and scope of the present invention. 
     Although aspects, embodiments and/or examples have been illustrated and described herein, someone of ordinary skills in the art will easily detect alternate of the same and/or equivalent variations, which may be capable of achieving the same results, and which may be substituted for the aspects, embodiments and/or examples illustrated and described herein, without departing from the scope of the invention. Therefore, the scope of this application is intended to cover such alternate aspects, embodiments and/or examples. Hence, the scope of the invention is defined by the accompanying claims and their equivalents. Further, each and every claim is incorporated as further disclosure into the specification.