Aichi Kikai Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha

Ntn Corporation

Tsutomu Yasue

Kenichiro Ito

Hiromi Nojiri

Atsushi Asano

Kozo Yamauchi

Mitsunao Takayama

Akiyoshi Morishita

Munehisa Imai

In the V belt type continuously variable transmission, after the output power from the prime mover has been transmitted to the input pulley shaft, two paths are operable to transmit the output power from the input pulley shaft to the output pulley shaft, two paths which are a main power transmitting path through a V belt engaged between the input pulley and the output pulley and a sub power transmitting path through the 2-way differential clutch. The drive ratio of the sub power transmitting path is set in a slightly smaller value than the maximum drive ratio of the main power transmitting path. When the movable input half pulley of the input pulley has been moved near the position of the maximum drive ratio in the main power transmitting path, the rotational speed of the output gear in the 2-way differential clutch become slower than that of the input gear, and as a result a rotational force is given to the output gear so that the output pulley shaft is rotated through the sub power transmitting path in addition to the main power transmitting path so that it becomes possible to increase driving power and accelerating force and also to decrease load to be added to the V belt.

Continuously variable transmission

The bidirectional differential clutch enables to transmit or cutoff both clockwise and counterwise rotation at the input side. The clutch comprises an input gear having a first cylindrical surface, an output gear having a second cylindrical surface disposed with a space to the first cylindrical surface so as to be relatively rotatable, a plurality of engaging members interposed in the space, a holding member inserted into the space, the holding member having a pocket storing the engaging members, the engaging members being for operation from a neutral position in which both cylindrical surfaces are not engaged with each other to an operational position in which both cylindrical surfaces are engaged with each other, a sub-gear producing differential velocity in correspondence to the rotation of the input gear, and the holding member being linked with the sub-gear to slide in a peripheral direction by the differential velocity to operate the engaging members to the operational position. The engaging members may be rollers or sprags.

Bidirectional differential clutch

Growing community of inventors

Nagoya, Japan

Tsutomu Yasue