Metal working – Method of mechanical manufacture – Process for making bearing or component thereof
Reexamination Certificate
2000-10-27
2002-06-25
Herrmann, Allan D. (Department: 3682)
Metal working
Method of mechanical manufacture
Process for making bearing or component thereof
C029S407090, C476S040000, C476S042000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06408518
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to method and apparatus for assembling balls forming a ball spline of a toroidal-type continuously variable transmission, and such method and apparatus are used to facilitate the assembling operation of a toroidal-type continuously variable transmission as a transmission unit for a transmission for a car or a transmission for various kinds of industrial machines.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, as a transmission unit for a transmission for a car, it has been studied to use such a toroidal-type continuously variable transmission as schematically shown in
FIGS. 12 and 13
. In this toroidal-type continuously variable transmission, for example, as disclosed in JP-A-62-71465U, an input side disk
2
(a power transmission disk) is supported concentrically with an input shaft
1
(a rotary shaft), while an output side disk
4
(a power transmission disk) is fixed to the end portion of an output shaft
3
(a rotary shaft) which is disposed concentrically with the input shaft
1
. In the interior portion of a casing in which the toroidal-type continuously variable transmission is stored, there are disposed trunnions
6
,
6
which can be respectively swung about their associated pivot shafts
5
,
5
arranged at positions along an imaginary plane that is perpendicular to an imaginary line connecting the respective axes of the input and output shafts
1
and
3
, and distanced from the intersection of the imaginary plane and imaginary line, as shown in FIG.
12
. This physical relation is hereinafter referred to as “torsional relation (torsional position)”.
That is, these trunnions
6
,
6
are structured such that the pivot shafts
5
,
5
are disposed on the outer surfaces of their respective two end portions. Also, in the middle portions of the respective trunnions
6
,
6
, there are supported the base end portions of displacement shafts
7
,
7
in such a manner that the inclination angles of the displacement shafts
7
,
7
can be freely adjusted by swinging the trunnions
6
,
6
about the pivot shafts
5
,
5
. In the peripheries of the respective displacement shafts
7
,
7
, there are rotatably supported power rollers
8
,
8
, respectively. And, these power rollers
8
,
8
are held by and between the mutually opposing inner surfaces
2
a,
4
a
of the input side and output side disks
2
,
4
. Each of the inner surfaces
2
a,
4
a
is formed such that its cross section is formed as a concave surface which can be obtained by rotating an arc about its associated pivot shaft
5
. Also, the power rollers
8
,
8
respectively include peripheral surfaces
8
a,
8
a
each of which is formed as a spherical-shaped convex surface, while the peripheral surfaces
8
a,
8
a
are respectively contacted with the inner surfaces
2
a,
4
a.
Between the input shaft
1
and input side disk
2
, there is interposed a pressing device
9
of a loading cam type, while the input side disk
2
can be elastically pressed toward the output side disk
4
by the pressing device
9
. The pressing device
9
is composed of a cam plate
10
rotatable together with the input shaft
1
and a plurality of (for example, four) rollers
12
,
12
which are rollably held by a retainer
11
. On one side surface (in
FIGS. 12 and 13
, on the left side surface) of the cam plate
10
, there is formed a cam surface
13
which is a curved surface extending in the circumferential direction of the cam plate
10
; and, on the outer side surface (in
FIGS. 12 and 13
, on the right side surface) of the input side disk
2
as well, there is formed a similar cam surface
14
. And, the plurality of rollers
12
,
12
are respectively supported in such a manner that they can be rotated about axes respectively extending radially with respect to the input shaft
1
.
When the above-structured toroidal-type continuously variable transmission is in use, in case where the cam plate
10
is rotated in response to the rotation of the input shaft
1
, the cam surface
13
presses the plurality of rollers
12
,
12
against the cam surface
14
formed on the outer side surface of the input side disk
2
. As a result of this, the input side disk
2
is pressed by the plurality of power rollers
8
,
8
and, at the same time, in accordance with the mutually pressing actions between the pair of cam surfaces
13
,
14
and the plurality of rollers
12
,
12
, the input side disk
2
is rotated. And, the rotational movement of the input side disk
2
is transmitted through the plurality of power rollers
8
,
8
to the output side disk
4
, so that the output shaft
3
fixed to the output side disk
4
is rotated.
Referring here to cases where a rotation speed ratio (a transmission ratio) between the input shaft
1
and output shaft
3
is changed, at first, in case where the rotation speed ratio is decreased between the input shaft
1
and output shaft
3
, the trunnions
6
,
6
may be respectively swung in a given direction about their associated pivot shafts
5
,
5
. And, the displacement shafts
7
,
7
may be respectively inclined so that the peripheral surfaces
8
a,
8
a
of the power rollers
8
,
8
, as shown in
FIG. 12
, can be respectively contacted with the near-to-center portion of the inner surface
2
a
of the input side disk
2
and the near-to-outer-periphery portion of the inner surface
4
a
of the output side disk
4
. On the other hand, in case where the rotation speed ratio is increased between the input shaft
1
and output shaft
3
, the trunnions
6
,
6
may be respectively swung in the opposite direction about their associated pivot shafts
5
,
5
. And, the displacement shafts
7
,
7
may be respectively inclined so that the peripheral surfaces
8
a,
8
a
of the power rollers
8
,
8
, as shown in
FIG. 13
, can be respectively contacted with the near-to-outer-periphery portion of the inner surface
2
a
of the input side disk
2
and the near-to-center portion of the inner surface
4
a
of the output side disk
4
. Also, in case where the inclination angles of the displacement shafts
7
,
7
are set at the intermediate angles between the angles shown in
FIGS. 12 and 13
, there can be obtained an intermediate rotation speed ratio between the input shaft
1
and output shaft
3
.
Also,
FIGS. 14 and 15
show a more specified example of a conventional toroidal-type continuously variable transmission which is disclosed in JP-A-1-173552U. In the present conventional toroidal-type continuously variable transmission, an input side disk
2
and an output side disk
4
are respectively supported on the periphery of a circularpipe-shaped input shaft
15
in such a manner that they can be rotated and shifted in the axial direction of the input shaft
15
through needle roller bearings
16
,
16
. Also, a cam plate
10
is spline engaged with the outer peripheral surface of the end portion (in
FIG. 14
, the left end portion) of the input shaft
15
, so that a collar portion
17
can prevent the cam plate
10
from moving in a direction to part away from the input side disk
2
. And, the cam plate
10
and rollers
12
,
12
cooperate together in forming a pressing device
9
of a loading cam type which, based on the rotational movement of the input shaft
15
, can press and rotate the input side disk
2
toward the output side disk
4
. An output gear
18
is connected to the output side disk
4
through keys
19
,
19
, so that the output side disk
4
and output gear
18
can be rotated in synchronization with each other.
The respective two end portions of a pair of trunnions
6
,
6
are supported on a pair of support plates
20
,
20
in such a manner that they can be swung and shifted in the axial direction thereof (in
FIG. 14
, in the front and back direction; and, in
FIG. 15
, in the right and left direction). And, displacement shafts
7
,
7
are respectively supported on circular holes
23
,
23
portions which are formed in the middle portions of the respective trunnions
6
,
6
. These displacement sh
Iwahashi Ryota
Kumagae Mitsuo
Herrmann Allan D.
NSK Ltd.
Sughrue & Mion, PLLC
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