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:
Aug. 12, 1997
Filed:
Jun. 07, 1995
Lawrence R Folsom, Pittsfield, MA (US);
Clive Tucker, Pittsfield, MA (US);
Folsom Technologies, Inc., Pittsfield, MA (US);
Abstract
A continuously variable transmission, which allows recovering braking energy from a vehicle for later use in accelerating the vehicle and/or engine starting, includes a vane type pump and stator in a case, each with flexible cam rings. The pump cam ring and the stator cam ring can both be flexed to change the displacement of the pump and the stator. A first connection establishes fluid communication between a tapering volume sector of the pump swept volume and a tapering volume sector of the stator unit working volume, and a second connection establishes fluid communication between a flaring volume sector of the pump swept volume and a flaring volume sector of the stator unit working volume. A valve is connected to the first and second connections and a hydraulic accumulator. The valve can establish communication between the hydraulic accumulator and the second connection to pressurize the hydraulic accumulator with fluid pressurized in the flaring volume sector of the stator working volume and the pump swept volume by the pump cam ring overdriving the pump rotor, thereby storing energy from the vehicle in the accumulator. Or the valve can establish communication between the hydraulic accumulator and the first connection to pressurize the tapering volume sector of the stator working volume and the pump swept volume so that the pressurized fluid in the accumulator drives the cam ring and the output shaft to recover and use the stored energy in the accumulator.