Infinitely variable direction control
Infinitely variable motion control (IVMC) provides motion control without any requirement for changing gears or use of a clutch. A spur gear transgear, defined as a system having an input, an output and a control, a variable pitch cam having an eccentric inner and outer cam assembly and a driver may be used to form a speed converter. The speed converter is used in various forms to provide an infinitely variable transmission, a differential, embodiments of wind and river turbines and pumps/compressors. In one embodiment, the speed converter drives a direction control assembly (forward, reverse and neutral) and first and second directional control assemblies to provide a vehicle with zero turn radius. A variable torque converter may be used in various embodiments to control torque from a minimum to a maximum by controlling movement of a rotor along a shaft in relation to a stator.
1. An infinitely variable, forward and reverse, direction control assembly for use with a speed converter, the infinitely variable direction control assembly comprising
an input shaft having first and second left sun gears attached to or integral with the input shaft, the second left sun gear being dispersed longitudinally along the input shaft to have a predetermined distance from the first left sun gear,
first and second right sun gears, the first right sun gear being of a first spur gear transgear assembly and being attached to or integral with a first sleeve surrounding the input shaft, the first sleeve in turn being attached to or integral with an output gear, the second right sun gear being of a second spur gear transgear assembly and being located adjacent to the second left sun gear of the input shaft,
the first left sun gear being associated with a first brake and a first carrier bracket, the first right sun gear being coupled to the output gear such that the first right sun gear and output gear have the opposite rotational direction as the input shaft, responsive to the first brake being actuated, and
the second right sun gear being associated with a second brake and a second carrier bracket, the second right sun gear being fixed, third and fourth carrier brackets and the output gear having the same rotational direction as the input shaft, responsive to the second brake being actuated.
2. The direction control assembly of claim 1 , the first brake actuating a brake disc coupled to the output gear, the first and second left sun gears comprising gears of a first and second spur gear transgear assembly respectively.
3. The direction control assembly of claim 1 , the first spur gear transgear assembly further comprising the first carrier bracket and the first brake, the first carrier bracket being actuated by the first brake of the first spur gear transgear assembly, and the second spur gear transgear assembly further comprising the second carrier bracket, the second carrier bracket being actuated by the second brake of the second spur gear transgear assembly.
4. The direction control assembly of claim 1 , the first spur gear transgear assembly further comprising the first carrier bracket, the second spur gear transgear assembly further comprising the second carrier bracket, the second carrier bracket being attached to or integral with the second right sun gear and a second sleeve surrounding the input shaft.
5. The direction control assembly of claim 2 , the first spur gear transgear assembly comprising a fifth carrier bracket and the second spur gear assembly comprising the third carrier bracket, the fifth and third carrier brackets being meshed to the output gear at longitudinally spaced locations.
6. The direction control assembly of claim 5 , the output gear having an opposite rotational direction as the input shaft when the first brake for actuating the opposite rotational direction as the input shaft is applied to the first spur gear transgear assembly, the output gear having a same rotational direction when the second brake for actuating the same rotational direction as the input shaft is applied to the second spur gear transgear assembly, and the output gear having a neutral or free-wheeling direction when neither the first brake nor the second brake are applied.
7. The direction control assembly of claim 1 , the output gear having an opposite rotational direction as the input gear when the first brake for actuating the opposite rotational direction is applied to the first spur gear transgear assembly, the output gear having a same rotational direction when the second brake for actuating the same rotational direction is applied to the second spur gear transgear assembly, and the output gear having a neutral or free-wheeling direction when neither the first brake nor the second brake are applied.
8. The direction control assembly of claim 5 comprising first and second direction control assemblies, the input shaft being connected to a common output shaft of a speed converter on each of two sides of the common output shaft of the speed converter to comprise the first and second direction control assemblies, the first direction control assembly connected to a first side and the second direction control assembly connected to a second opposite side of the common output shaft of the speed converter, each of the first and second direction control assemblies having an associated output shaft and first and second brakes of the first and second direction control assemblies such that when the first brake of the first direction control assembly is actuated and the second brake of the second direction control assembly is actuated, the first and second associated output shafts cooperate to obtain a zero turning radius in one direction and when the second brake of the first direction control assembly is actuated and the first brake of the second direction control assembly is actuated, the first and second output shafts cooperate to obtain a zero turning radius in the other direction, one output shaft being in a contrary rotational direction to the rotational direction of the other output shaft.
9. The direction control assembly of claim 1 , the first left sun gear integral to or attached to the input shaft having associated first and second planetary gears meshed to the first left sun gear and the first right sun gear integral to or attached to a first sleeve surrounding the input shaft having third and fourth planetary gears meshed to the first left sun gear, the first, second, third and fourth planetary gears being components of the first spur gear transgear assembly.
10. The direction control assembly of claim 1 , the second right sun gear being attached to or integral with a second sleeve surrounding the input shaft, the second right sun gear and second sleeve having the second carrier bracket attached to or integral with the second sleeve, the second right sun gear, the second sleeve and second carrier bracket being components of the second spur gear transgear assembly.
11. The direction control assembly of claim 9 , the first right sun gear being attached to or integral with a first sleeve surrounding the input shaft, the first right sun gear having associated fifth and sixth planetary gears meshed to the first left sun gear, the fifth and sixth planetary gears being components of the first spur gear transgear assembly.
12. The direction control assembly of claim 3 , the second spur gear transgear assembly comprising a second sleeve surrounding the input shaft, the second sleeve being attached to or integral with the second carrier bracket, the second carrier bracket being actuated by the second brake of the second spur gear transgear assembly.
13. The direction control assembly of claim 3 , the first spur gear transgear assembly further comprising a fifth carrier bracket, the first and fifth carrier brackets being attached together by a first pin.
14. The direction control assembly of claim 13 , the first and fifth carrier brackets being attached together by the first pin and a second pin.
15. The direction control assembly of claim 1 , the second spur gear transgear assembly further comprising the third and fourth carrier brackets, the third and fourth carrier brackets being attached together by a pin.