Abstract: A fluid pump includes a drive shaft driven by power from an engine, a rotor adapted to be provided at a housing and rotating unitarily with the drive shaft, a driving wheel which is provided separately from the drive shaft and to which the power from the engine is always transmitted when the engine is running, a driven wheel transmitting the power from the engine to the drive shaft upon being in contact with the driving wheel, and a displacement mechanism causing the driving wheel and the driven wheel to be out of contact from each other by moving at least one of the driving wheel and the driven wheel.

Abstract: When an abutting member is in contact with a driving force transmission member that engages with a driving member, an biasing member biases the driving force transmission member in a direction where the driving force transmission member is disengaged from the driving member.

Abstract: Mechanisms and methods for clamping force generation are disclosed. In one embodiment, a clamping force generator includes a spring coupled to a traction ring and to a load cam roller cage. The traction ring can be provided with a recess to receive the spring. In some embodiments, a relatively short spring is provided. In other embodiments, a spring couples to a wire and the spring-wire combination couples to the traction ring and the load cam roller cage. In some embodiments, the load cam roller cage is provided with tabs adapted to engage the wire and/or the spring. In yet other embodiments, the traction ring is configured to receive a dowel pin for coupling to the spring. One or more of the tabs can include a tab notch that cooperates with a stop pin coupled to the traction ring to provide adjustment of the travel of the load cam roller cage.

Abstract: A continuously variable transmission may have a first set of rollers and a second set of rollers that act upon skewed driving and driven surfaces of discs. The input to output ratio of the continuously variable transmission may be changed by pushing either one of the first and second sets of rollers closer to a rotating shaft. To maintain symmetrical loading within the continuously variable transmission, an idler disc assembly may have a strain compensator that deflects to compensate for deflection of outer discs due to elasticity of the main shaft.

Abstract: A continuously variable transmission (CVT) having a main shaft configured to support and position various components of the CVT. Shift cam discs cooperate with ball-leg assemblies to shift the transmission ration of the CVT. Load cam discs, a torsion disc, rolling elements, and a hub cap shell are configured to generate axial force, transmit torque, and manage reaction forces. In one embodiment, a splined input shaft and a torsion disc having a splined bore cooperate to input torque into the variator of the CVT. Among other things, various ball axles, axle-ball combinations, and reaction force grounding configurations are disclosed. In one embodiment, a CVT having axial force generation means at both the input and output elements is disclosed.

Abstract: A traction-drive type driving-force transmission mechanism has a sun roller. Planetary roller units are orbitally movable along an outer surface of the sun roller. A pressing member presses the planetary roller units toward the outer surface of the sun roller and allows a driving force to be transmitted by a traction force between the sun roller and the planetary roller units. Each planetary roller unit includes a first planetary roller rotatably supported by a first shaft and adapted to move orbitally along the outer surface of the sun roller, and a second planetary roller rotatably supported by a second shaft while allowing an outer surface thereof to contact an outer surface of the first planetary roller and the pressing surface, and adapted to press the outer peripheral surface of the first planetary roller against the outer peripheral surface of the sun roller during orbital movement of the planetary roller unit.

Abstract: A frictional drive transmission basically comprises a transmission case, a drive roller unit, a driven roller unit, a gear shifting mechanism and an elastic member. Each of the roller units has a plurality of rollers with each of the driven rollers being associated with a corresponding one of the drive rollers to form roller pairs. The gear shifting mechanism is operatively coupled to one of the roller units to selectively contact one of the roller pairs together to form a contacting roller pair. A cam-shaped support member is provided with a mounting surface and a cam slanted surface such that contact surfaces thereof forms an angle smaller than forty-five degrees with respect to the mounting surface. The elastic member is arranged between the transmission case and the mounting surface of the cam-shaped support member to apply a pressing force in a contact direction of a contacting roller pair.

Abstract: Inventive embodiments are directed to components, subassemblies, systems, and/or methods for continuously variable transmissions (CVT). In one embodiment, a main axle is adapted to receive a shift rod that cooperates with a shift rod nut to actuate a ratio change in a CVT. In another embodiment, an axial force generating mechanism can include a torsion spring, a traction ring adapted to receive the torsion spring, and a roller cage retainer configured to cooperate with the traction ring to house the torsion spring. Various inventive idler-and-shift-cam assemblies can be used to facilitate shifting the ratio of a CVT. Embodiments of a hub shell and a hub cover are adapted to house components of a CVT and, in some embodiments, to cooperate with other components of the CVT to support operation and/or functionality of the CVT. Among other things, shift control interfaces and braking features for a CVT are disclosed.

Abstract: Inventive embodiments are directed to components, subassemblies, systems, and/or methods for continuously variable transmissions (CVT). In one embodiment, a main axle is adapted to receive a shift rod that cooperates with a shift rod nut to actuate a ratio change in a CVT. In another embodiment, an axial force generating mechanism can include a torsion spring, a traction ring adapted to receive the torsion spring, and a roller cage retainer configured to cooperate with the traction ring to house the torsion spring. Various inventive idler-and-shift-cam assemblies can be used to facilitate shifting the ratio of a CVT. Embodiments of a hub shell and a hub cover are adapted to house components of a CVT and, in some embodiments, to cooperate with other components of the CVT to support operation and/or functionality of the CVT. Among other things, shift control interfaces and braking features for a CVT are disclosed.

Abstract: A Device for Externally Rotary Drive of Offset Motor, comprising: external rotary assembly, offset Means, drive motor and transmission means; the external rotary assembly carries the hub to rotation by a central shaft immobilized in line with an offset means fixed internally to the hub, on the offset means is quipped a drive motor whereof the output shaft terminal incorporates a transmission means to drive the hub, whereby the drive motor carries the external rotary assembly.

Abstract: A rotation angle detector is provided with a spring to thrust a rotary body against protrusions formed on an inner wall of an opening via a detector body in a manner to keep the rotary body rotatable without any play in a linked motion with a steering shaft. As a result, the detector can detect rotation angles of the steering shaft with high accuracy.

Abstract: A self-actuating traction drive speed changer has a movable force input element having a planar drive surface, and a movable force output element having a planar drive surface which is connectable to an output load. One or more movable roller elements has a planar drive surface operatively connected for movement to the input element, and are in frictional engagement with the planar drive surface of the output element so that movement of the input element will cause the planar drive surface of the roller element to engage and frictionally move the output element.

Abstract: A friction drive including a drive shaft that is in rotational motion and in frictional contact with a follower at a contact area. The drive shaft transfers a thrust at the contact area. The follower receives the thrust and provides motion in response to the thrust. A flexure hinge couples the drive shaft to the follower with a constant force while restraining movement of the contact area in the direction of the thrust.

Abstract: A drive arrangement clamps an output disc such as a tire with two driving rollers so as to drive the output disc. The drive arrangement is compact, light-weight, low-noise and inexpensive, and can be used for a bicycle equipped with an electrical assist drive or various kinds of welfare-specific vehicles. The drive apparatus includes an input shaft and two output shafts extending in a single plane in parallel to each other. The input shaft has an input roller, and each of the output shafts has an output roller. A loading roller is located between the input roller and one of the output rollers, and an axis of the loading roller is slightly spaced from the plane of the two output shafts. An outer peripheral surface of each roller is a substantially cylindrical rolling surface. The loading roller is preloaded by a preload spring such that it squeezes between the input roller and one of the output rollers.

Abstract: A drive arrangement clamps an output disc such as a tire with two driving rollers so as to drive the output disc. The drive arrangement is compact, light-weight, low-noise and inexpensive, and can be used for a bicycle equipped with an electrical assist drive or various kinds of welfare-specific vehicles. The drive apparatus includes an input shaft and two output shafts extending in a single plane in parallel to each other. The input shaft has an input roller, and each of the output shafts has an output roller. A loading roller is located between the input roller and one of the output rollers, and an axis of the loading roller is slightly spaced from the plane of the two output shafts. An outer peripheral surface of each roller is a substantially cylindrical rolling surface. The loading roller is preloaded by a preload spring such that it squeezes between the input roller and one of the output rollers.

Abstract: A friction-roller speed changer has three intermediate rollers (12a, 12b, 12c). Two rollers (12a, 12b) of which act as a wedge roller and can be moved into the narrower area of an annular space (10) by the transmission of power, wherein during power transmission from the input side in the normal state to the output side. The other intermediate roller (12a or 12b), which does not act as the wedge roller, moves into the wider area of the annular space (10) against the elastic force of the spring (14) whereby transmission efficiency for bidirectional rotation is maintained while preventing backflow of power.

Abstract: A mechanism is provided to reciprocate an element with a motor rotating in one direction to produce forward and reverse motion by a drive wheel in contact with the obverse and reverse faces of the element. The element can take various forms such as a sliding door covering a vanity mirror in a vehicular sun visor, a sliding drawer or a pivoting door.