Patent ID: 6878091

Claim:
A Continuously variable friction gear comprising: a housing; a input shaft; a torque shaft positioned coaxially relative to the input shaft; a pair of input discs having toroidal inner surfaces, and the pair of input discs being disposed coaxially relative to the input shaft; a pair of output discs having toroidal surfaces, and the pair of output discs being disposed coaxially relative to the input shaft; the pair of output discs being disposed side by side and in mirror symmetry with one another, and each of the pair of input discs forming a drive pair with one of the pair of output discs; a plurality of friction wheels rotatably disposed between the inner surfaces of the drive pairs of input and output discs for transmitting torque from the input disc to the appertaining output disc; a carrier for each of the plurality of friction wheels; a pivoting device for the carriers of the plurality of friction wheels; a pressure arrangement for energizing one of the input discs to bias the one input disc toward the output discs to facilitate transmission of torque; an output shaft; and a gear wheel arrangement located between the pair of output discs; wherein each of the plurality of friction wheels ( 1 ) is rotatably supported by a combined axial radial bearing ( 2 ) which comprises of a split bearing ( 3 ) inserted in one of the carriers ( 4 ) and rotated relative to a Y axis about a present pivot angle (α), the carriers ( 4 ) of each gear unit face one another and are interconnected by an upper coupling rod ( 6 ) and a lower coupling beam ( 7 ), and the lower coupling beam ( 7 ) is axially supported ( 10 ) by a housing for the hydraulic pistons ( 5 ).