Patents Examined by Katherine Matcki
  • Patent number: 4589859
    Abstract: A continuously variable transmission for a vehicle (FIG. 1) has a drive pulley (4), a driven pulley (11), and a tension pulley (19) each having a pair of axially spaced rotors. The opposed inner faces of the rotors of each pulley are formed with slopes which have gradients with respect to the respective axis of rotation increasing continuously in proportion to the radii of the faces. A plurality of belts made up of thin bands (22a, 22b, 22c) run on the three pulleys (4, 11, 19) such that the respective band edges are in contact with the respective slopes of the three pulleys. The distances between the respective slopes of the drive and driven pulleys are variable, so that the rotating speed ratio between the drive and driven pulleys can be varied by varying the contacting radii of the belts with the drive and driven pulleys, while uniform tension is imparted to the belts by the tension pulley.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 1984
    Date of Patent: May 20, 1986
    Assignees: Usui Kokusai Sangyo Kabushiki Kaisha, Kabushiki Kaisha Kanesaka Gijutsu Kenkyusho
    Inventor: Hiroshi Kanesaka