Patent ID: 6923743

Claim:
A toroidal continuously variable transmission comprising: input and output disks coaxially arranged and having respective torus surfaces opposing each other; at least one power roller interposed between the opposing torus surfaces of the input and output disks under a preload; a trunnion that supports the power roller to permit a tilting motion of the power roller about a trunnion axis perpendicular to a rotation axis of the power roller and to permit a parallel translation of the power roller relative to the trunnion in a direction of a common rotation axis of the input and output disks; a loading cam device that produces the preload acting on the power roller through the input and output disks; the power roller comprising: (i) an inner race kept in contact with the input and output disks under the preload to transmit input torque from the input disk via the inner race to the output disk; (ii) an outer race supported by the trunnion; and (iii) a power-roller bearing that rotatably supports the inner race while permitting relative rotation of the inner race to the outer race; the power-roller bearing comprising at least an inner raceway surface formed on the inner race, an outer raceway surface formed on the outer race, and a plurality of rolling elements sandwiched between the inner and outer raceway surfaces; and the outer race having a low rigidity structure that promotes a deformation of the outer race so that the deformation of the outer race follows a deformation of the inner race, occurring due to the preload acting on the inner race of the power roller through the input and output disks.