Patent ID: 7309067

Claim:
A continuously variable transmission comprising: a power source; an input shaft rotatably driven by said power source; a stepless speed change unit which includes a pair of pulleys, including a primary pulley driven by said input shaft and a secondary pulley driven by a belt that runs around said pair of pulleys and that is squeezed by said pulleys, said stepless speed change unit changing a speed ratio of said pair of pulleys by controlling the pulley widths of the primary pulley and the secondary pulley and thus changing the speed of the rotation of said input shaft, switching the rotation between forward and reverse rotation, and transmitting the rotation at the changed speed to an output shaft; and a forward-reverse switching mechanism that switches direction of rotation of said output shaft between forward output rotation and reverse output rotation; wherein power from the power source is transmitted, in order, through said input shaft, said stepless speed change unit, said forward-reverse switching mechanism, and said output shaft; and wherein said forward-reverse switching mechanism includes i) a gear mechanism including a first rotary element which rotates in the same direction as said secondary pulley, a fixed element which is always fixed so as not to rotate, and a second rotary element which rotates in a direction which is opposite that of said secondary pulley, ii) a first clutch disposed between said first rotary element and said output shaft, and iii) a second clutch disposed between said second rotary element and said output shaft.