The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jun. 20, 1995
Filed:
Jan. 06, 1994
Bret J Park, West Valley, UT (US);
Other;
Abstract
A continuous variable-ratio transmission includes a first rotatable member whose exterior surface of revolution about its axis of rotation is defined by a tractrix curve. A rotatable conical member is mounted upon a first shaft and frictionally engages with the tractrix surface. The second rotatable member is moveable along the tractrix surface and has a shape such that for any position along the tractrix surface, the ratio of any two contacting circumferences of the conical surface and the tractrix surface is substantially equivalent to the ratio of any other two contacting circumferences. A first gear of a gear assembly is operably connected to the first shaft. A rotatable splined shaft extends axially through a second gear of the gear assembly and engages with a splined interior surface thereof to thereby permit the gear assembly to move along the splined shaft with movement of the conical member along the tractrix surface. The axis of rotation of the splined shaft is maintained at a substantially consistent angle relative to a tangent line at a friction point on the tractrix surface for any position of the conical member along the tractrix surface to thereby maintain contact between the conical surface and the tractrix surface along substantially an entire length of the conical surface at any position.