Transmission of the toroidal race rolling traction type
View Patent ↗A transmission of the toroidal race rolling traction type, including ratio varying components (“variators”) for such transmissions. A set of rollers transmitting traction between an input disc and an output disc is connected to a hydraulic mechanism by which it is positioned, the roller position determining the transmitted ratio.
1. A variator comprising:
a rotatably mounted input disc;
an output disc rotatably mounted coaxially with the input disc;
a plurality of rollers transmitting rotation between the input disc and the output disc;
a plurality of roller carriages, each roller being rotatably mounted on one of the roller carriages, and each roller carriage being supported only by a single pivoting joint whereby each roller carriage is capable of three degrees of rotational movement about the single pivoting joint;
a plurality of levers, each connected to the single pivoting joint of a corresponding roller carriage; and
a plurality of actuators, each connected to a corresponding lever for applying a reaction force to the corresponding roller carriages via the single pivoting joint, each of the plurality of actuators being mounted on the same side of a plane aligned with and passing through a rotational axis of the input and output discs.
2. A variator as claimed in claim 1 , wherein each roller and its associated actuator is connected to a respective lever.
3. A variator as claimed in claim 1 , comprising a plurality of levers pivotally mounted about a first axis.
4. A variator as claimed in claim 3 , comprising a lever pivotally mounted about a second axis.
5. A variator as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the plurality of actuators lie on one side of a plane including a variator axis.
6. A variator as claimed in claim 5 , wherein each of the actuators is mounted below a horizontal plane aligned with and passing through the rotational axis of the discs.
7. A variator as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the input and output discs are of different sizes and wherein each of the plurality of actuators is located radially outwardly of a common plane extending parallel to the rotational axis of the input and output discs and tangential to the periphery of the larger of the input disc and output disc.
8. A variator as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the common plane extends substantially horizontally.
9. A variator as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the common plane is tangential to the lowermost point of the larger of the input disc and the output disc.
10. A variator as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the directions of displacement of the plurality of actuators are substantially parallel.
11. A variator as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the directions of displacement of the plurality of actuators are perpendicular to the common plane.
12. A variator as claimed in claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of actuators comprises a piston reciprocably disposed within a cylinder.
13. A variator as claimed in claim 12 , wherein the longitudinal axes of the cylinders are substantially parallel.
14. A variator as claimed in claim 12 , wherein the pistons are displaceable by means of hydraulic pressure.
15. A variator as claimed in claim 12 , wherein the cylinders are disposed in a common cylinder block.
16. A variator as claimed in claim 12 , wherein each actuator in the plurality of actuators is double-acting.
17. The variator of claim 1 , features comprising traction fluid interposed between the discs and the rollers for transmitting drive hydraulically therebetween, so that the variator is a traction type of variator.
18. A variator comprising:
a rotatably mounted input disc;
an output disc rotatably mounted coaxially with the input disc;
a plurality of rollers for transmitting rotation between the input disc and the output disc;
a plurality of actuators, each acting upon a respective one of the rollers;
a plurality of levers, each connected to a respective one of the rollers and its associated actuator, the plurality of levers being pivotally mounted about a first axis; and
a lever pivotally mounted about a second axis wherein the second axis is inclined to the first axis.
19. A variator comprising:
a rotatably mounted input disc;
an output disc rotatably mounted coaxially with the input disc;
a plurality of rollers transmitting rotation between the input disc and the output disc;
a plurality of roller carriages, each roller being rotatably mounted on one of the roller carriages and each roller carriage being supported only by a single pivoting joint whereby each roller carriage is capable of three degrees of rotational movement about the single pivoting joint;
a plurality of actuators, each acting upon the single pivoting joint of the corresponding roller carriage, for applying a reaction force to the corresponding roller carriages;
wherein each of the actuators is located radially outwardly of a common plane extending parallel to the rotational axis of the input and output discs and tangential to the periphery of the larger of the input disc and output disc.
20. A variator as claimed in claim 19 , wherein the common plane extends substantially horizontally.
21. A variator as claimed in claim 20 , wherein the common plane is tangential to the lowermost point of the larger of the input disc and the output disc.
22. A variator as claimed in claim 19 , wherein the directions of displacement of the plurality of actuators are parallel.
23. A variator as claimed in claim 19 , wherein the directions of displacement of the plurality of actuators are parallel.
24. A variator as claimed in claim 19 , wherein each actuator in the plurality of actuators comprises a piston reciprocably disposed within a cylinder.
25. A variator as claimed in claim 24 , wherein the longitudinal axes of the cylinders are substantially parallel.
26. A variator as claimed in claim 24 , wherein the pistons are displaceable by means of hydraulic pressure.
27. A variator as claimed in claim 24 , wherein the cylinders are disposed in a common cylinder block.
28. A variator as claimed in claim 19 , wherein each of the plurality of actuators is double-acting.
29. A variator as claimed in claim 19 , further comprising a plurality of levers, each connected to a respective one of the plurality of rollers and its associated actuator.
30. A variator as claimed in claim 29 , wherein each roller and its associated actuator is connected to a respective lever.
31. A variator as claimed in claim 29 , comprising a plurality of levers pivotally mounted about a first axis.
32. A variator as claimed in claim 31 , comprising a lever pivotally mounted about a second axis.
33. A variator comprising:
a rotatably mounted input disc;
an output disc rotatably mounted coaxially with the input disc;
a plurality of rollers for transmitting rotation between the input disc and the output disc;
a plurality of actuators, each acting upon a respective one of the rollers;
wherein each of the actuators is located radially outwardly of a common plane extending parallel to the rotational axis of the input and output discs and tangential to the periphery of the larger of the input disc and output disc;
a plurality of levers, each connected to a respective one of the plurality of rollers and its associated actuator;
a plurality of levers pivotally mounted about a first axis;
a lever pivotally mounted about a second axis, wherein the second axis is inclined to the first axis.