Patent ID: 8393990

Claim:
A continuously variable transmission which has a transmission input and a transmission output and is adapted to transfer drive between them at a continuously variable transmission ratio, the transmission further comprising a variator having at least two variator races between which drive is transferred at a continuously variable variator ratio, the variator races being mounted for rotation about an axis defined by a variator shaft; a layshaft laterally separated from the variator shaft, wherein coupling of the layshaft to the transmission output is made through a gear arrangement which provides a reversal of rotational direction; splitter epicyclic gearing having a splitter input member arranged to be driven from the transmission input and two splitter output members arranged to respectively drive the layshaft and the variator shaft; recirculater epicyclic gearing having first and second recirculater input members, arranged to be operatively coupled respectively to the variator shaft and the layshaft, and a recirculater output member; and a clutch arrangement for selectively engaging: (a) a regime in which the recirculater output member drives the transmission output; (b) a regime in which the layshaft drives the transmission output; and (c) a regime in which the variator shaft drives the transmission output; the variator shaft being co-axial with: the transmission output: the recirculater epicyclic; a first coupling, between the recirculater output member and the transmission output, which serves to drive the transmission output in regime (a); and a second coupling, between the variator shaft and the transmission output, which serves to drive the transmission output in regime (c).