Double orbital transmission

Planetary gear transmission systems or components – Planet periphery surrounds axis of interacting gear – Circumferentially spaced connector pins

Reexamination Certificate

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Details

C074S112000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06336887

ABSTRACT:

This invention relates to a double orbital transmission and, in particular to an improvement or modification to the transmission disclosed in our earlier International Patent Application No. PCT/AU94/00445 (publication No. WO-95/06829). The contents of the earlier application are incorporated into this specification by this reference.
As is disclosed in the above international application, infinitely variable transmissions which operate on a friction principle are well known. One such transmission comprises a vee-belt and pulley system. The pulleys are each split into two frusto-conical portions which are movable axially towards or away from each other so as to vary the effective pulley diameter at which the belt contacts the puller. The major problem with this and other friction transmissions is that they are unable to transmit high torques, at least without making a transmission of excessive size as to be impractical.
A requirement accordingly exists for a variable ratio transmission which is able to transmit high torques in a practical manner. Transmission systems capable of coping with large torque loads in relatively small units, are inevitably based on rigid body elements such as gears formed in metals. This poses great problems for infinitely variable transmissions.
There is disclosed in my patent application No. PCT/AU81/00146 an infinitely variable mechanical transmission. Basically, this mechanism comprises means for transforming a circular input motion into non-circular periodic motion of a plurality of elements, or iterated operations of a single element, utilising only a part of the periodic motion of each element and transforming this part back into a rotary output motion. These parts of the periodic motion of the plurality of elements are connected or “assembled” sequentially to provide the output motion. This process is what is termed “motion transformation” and results in so-called “torque conversion”.
In the transmission disclosed in International Patent Application No. PCT/AU81/00146, rotary motion of an input shaft is converted by an eccentric of variable eccentricity into a periodic motion of a plurality of racks. The periodic motion of each rack is converted into a rotary periodic motion of a pinion, and a selected part of the motion of the pinion is applied to a separate satellite gear of a planetary gear arrangement. The resultant output motion of a sun gear of the planetary gear arrangement is effected by the sequential action of each satellite gear. More specifically each rack operates in sequence to apply part of its motion to is associated satellite gear and thus to the output sun gear, a switching device being incorporated in the mechanism to switch on and off an operative connection between a pinion gear which is continually driven by the rack, and the associated satellite gear. While it may be theoretically possible to achieve either instantaneous switching or precise synchronism between the switching off of the operative connection between one rack and its associated satellite gear and the switching on of the operative connection between the next rack in the sequence and its associated satellite gear, it is not possible in practice to achieve this, and as a result the output will not be completely smooth; this may manifest itself as a slight jerkiness which can be felt it the output while under load. Whereas for some uses this lack of smoothness may be tolerated, for many uses it is necessary to obtain a flat or smooth and continuous output.
Thus, attempts to produce rigid body continuous variable transmissions have been based on the production of a plurality of partial intermediate circular or non-circular motions produced by a circular input and at some stage transformed back to a collated circular motion.
Pires U.S. Pat. No. 4,983,151 issued Jan. 8, 1991 discloses a mechanism which attempts to provide a smooth output by what Pires terms “averaging intermediate rotations”. The device disclosed in Pires requires considerable precision and whilst the output is smoother than the transmission referred to in PCT/AU81/00146, the output still is no sufficiently smooth for many applications.
Our earlier International Patent Application No. PCT/AU94/00445 discloses the use of load distributing means for differentially distributing the load taken by secondary members of the transmission so that the load is distributed between at least two such members at any one time. Because of this distribution of load, the output power provided by the secondary members is smoother and continuous rather than jerky and discontinuous and therefore the transmission of input power to output power is smoother than in prior art rigid body continuously variable transmissions. The load distributing means which differentially distributes the load, collapses the kinetic form of the overlapping partial circular or non-circular motions and serially links their associated load functions by differentially distributing the load between at least two of the secondary members.
The specific embodiments disclosed in International Patent Application No. PCT/AU94/00445 are directed to bicycle transmissions, winches and other generally slow moving mechanisms although the invention is applicable to any type of transmission which requires or could use continuous variation in the drive output between a minimum drive ratio and a maximum drive ratio.
The present invention stems from further development of the invention disclosed in International Patent Application No. PCT/AU94/00445 and which, whilst could be used in any application requiring or desiring continuously variable transmission from a minimum ratio to a maximum ratio, is more concerned with higher speed and higher power applications such as heavy duty winch applications and automotive applications.
The invention may be said to reside in a transmission including:
an input means;
an output means;
a plurality of secondary members for supplying output power for only part of each rotary cycle of the input means;
power transfer means for engagement with the plurality of secondary members;
the plurality of secondary members being coupled to one of the input means or the output means and the power transfer means being coupled to the other of the input means or the output means;
first orbital means for causing the plurality of secondary members to undergo orbital motion; and
second orbital means for causing the power transfer means to undergo orbital motion so the combined orbital motions cause power to be transmitted from the input power supply to the output power supply.
Preferably the transmission further includes load distributing means for differentially distributing the load taken by the secondary members between at least two of the secondary members at any one time.
Preferably the transmission includes phase changing means for changing the phase relationship of the orbital motions to, in turn, change the drive ratio of the transmissions.
Preferably the orbital motion is a stationary orbital motion but in other embodiments the orbital motion could be either a progressive or a regressive orbital motion.
Preferably the secondary members comprise a first set of pawls and a second set of pawls.
Preferably the first orbit means comprises a pawl carriage for carrying the first and second sets of pawls, the pawl carriage having an epicyclic plate, an orbital control plate adjacent the epicyclic plate and orbit control means between the orbital control plate and the epicyclic plate.
Preferably the orbit control means comprises a hole or recess on one of the orbital control plate or epicyclic plate and pins for engaging the hole or recess on the other of the orbital control plate or epicyclic plate.
In other embodiments, the orbit control means may comprise a gear recess on one of the epicyclic plate or orbit control plate and a gear member, for receipt in the gear recess, on the other of the epicyclic plate or orbit control plate; or a recessive or progressive orbital gear arrangement.
Preferably the power transfer means comprises a first assem

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