JPH0514815B2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Industrial Application Field] The present invention relates to a transmission device for a vehicle such as a bicycle, a two-wheeled vehicle, a three-wheeled vehicle, a four-wheeled vehicle, etc., a human-powered vehicle, or a small motorcycle. Accordingly, the present invention relates to a transmission device that can change the gear ratio steplessly, has a simple structure, and is lightweight.

[Prior Art] Generally, as a conventional bicycle transmission device, a device in which a plurality of sprockets of different diameters are provided on the rear wheel and the drive chain is selectively connected to these sprockets to change the speed is widely used. There is. However, with these types of gear, the gear ratio can only be changed in steps, and if you try to increase the range of change in the gear ratio, the number of sprockets increases, making the structure complex and large. There is a limit. For this reason, the limited power of human power cannot be used effectively, and it is not satisfactory as a bicycle transmission. On the other hand, a device that can change the gear ratio steplessly can effectively utilize human power, and is suitable as a transmission device for a bicycle or small vehicle.

Clark
There is a US Patent No. 3913945. This has a lever pivotally attached to the front of the frame, and this lever extends to both sides of the rear. Each pedal lever is also connected by a cable to a chain, which is connected to the rear wheel via a one-way clutch. The connection point between this cable and the lever is configured to be changeable, and the gear ratio can be adjusted by changing the arm length of this lever. but,
This product has many parts and has a complicated structure. Furthermore, especially when traveling at high speeds, there is a problem in that the lever and shaft unit used for shifting gears interfere with the action of the pedals. In general, conventional continuously variable transmissions for bicycles have complicated structures and have problems with reliable operation.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] The present invention has been made to solve the problems of conventional continuously variable transmission devices for bicycles. The present invention provides a continuously variable transmission device.

[Means for Solving the Problems] The device of the present invention includes a drive disk,
A plurality of grooves are formed in this disk substantially along the radial direction. A roller holding member is also provided, and this roller holding member has a circumferentially continuous annular groove formed therein, and this roller holding member faces the drive disk.
A plurality of roller assemblies are slidably held within this annular groove. Further, each of these roller assemblies is provided with a protruding roller, and these rollers are rotatably fitted into the radial groove of the drive disk. Further, a locking mechanism is provided, and when the roller holding member rotates, the locking mechanism locks the roller assemblies held therein only while the roller assemblies held therein pass through a predetermined circumferential range. is engaged with the roller holding member so as not to move in the circumferential direction. Also,
A speed change mechanism is provided, which, for example, makes the roller holding member eccentric with respect to the drive disk, and changes the position of contact between the roller of the locked roller assembly and the groove of the drive disk and the rotation of the drive disk. This changes the distance from the center and changes the gear ratio.

[Operation] In the device of the present invention, the drive disk is attached to the driven side, such as the hub of the rear wheel of a bicycle, and the roller holding member is attached to the drive side, such as the drive sprocket of the bicycle.

When the roller holding member and the drive disk rotate at a constant speed, since the roller holding member and the drive disk are eccentric, their circumferential speed and movement direction are different at each portion in the circumferential direction. However, since the drive disk described above is formed with a radial groove, and the roller of the roller assembly described above fits within this radial groove, the roller moves radially within the groove. By moving to , the difference in the direction of movement is absorbed.

On the other hand, although the circumferential speeds of these roller holding members and the drive disk are different, since the above-mentioned roller assembly is slidably fitted into the annular groove of the roller holding member, these rollers As the assembly slides circumferentially within this groove, these differences in circumferential speed are accommodated.

Therefore, both the roller holder and the drive disk can rotate at a constant speed, in which case the rollers of the roller assembly move radially within the radial grooves of the drive disk. The difference in the moving direction between the two is absorbed, and the roller assembly moves in the circumferential direction within the annular groove of the roller holding member, thereby absorbing the difference in the circumferential speed between the two.

When the roller holding member is rotationally driven, when the roller assembly held there passes through a predetermined circumferential range, the locking mechanism engages the roller holding member in the circumferential direction. be fixed immovably. Therefore, in this locked range, the rotational force of the roller holding member is transmitted to the driving disk side via the roller of the locked roller assembly and the groove of the driving disk. Of course, even within this range, there will be a periodic difference in the circumferential speed between the roller holding member and the drive disk, but this range is only a small range in the circumferential direction, so this difference in circumferential speed Also, in bicycles, etc., the power to be transmitted is small, and the inertial mass of the rotating parts to be transmitted is also small, so slight variations in circumferential speed, that is, slight variations in gear ratio during power transmission, are It's not a problem.

Then, when the eccentricity of the roller holding member is changed by the variable speed mechanism, the position where the roller of the roller assembly transmitting power in the locked state is in contact with the groove of the drive disk; The distance from the center of rotation of the drive disk changes. Therefore, the gear ratio when driving this drive disk changes. This gear ratio can be changed steplessly.

[Example] Hereinafter, an example of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. 1 to 15 show a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 shows a bicycle equipped with the device of the invention. In the figure, 5 is a rear wheel, 33 is a drive chain, and 34 is a pedal. The rear wheel 5 is equipped with a transmission according to the present invention. Reference numeral 1 denotes its drive disk, which is attached to the hub of the rear wheel 5 via a one-way clutch. Reference numeral 2 denotes a roller holding member, to which a drive sprocket 3 is attached, and when a pedal 34 is depressed, the roller holding member 2 is rotationally driven. Furthermore, 35
is a roller that adjusts the tension of the chain. Also,
For example, on the handlebar of this bicycle, there are 4 gear shift levers.
7 is attached, and this gear shift lever is connected to the cable 46.
is connected to this transmission via.

Next, details of this transmission will be explained. FIG. 2 is a front view of the main parts of this transmission, and FIG. 3 is a side view. This device is equipped with the drive disk 1 described above. As shown in FIG. 4, this drive disk 1 has a substantially disk shape, and has a hole 11 formed in the center for attachment to a rear wheel hub (not shown), and a plurality of holes, for example, six diameter holes. A groove 12 in the direction is formed. As shown in FIG. 13, these grooves 12 are formed such that the front edge of the drive disk 1 in the rotational direction runs along the radial direction of the drive disk. The drive disk 1 of this embodiment is formed by press-forming a steel plate to form the grooves 12 as shown in FIG.

Further, a roller holding member 2 faces the side surface of the drive disk 1 with a slight gap therebetween. This roller holding member 2 has an annular shape, and a thread is formed on its outer periphery, and a thread 31 formed on the inner periphery of the drive sprocket 3 described above is screwed into this outer periphery as shown in FIG. The roller holding member 2 and sprocket 3 are assembled integrally. This drive sprocket 3 is formed with teeth 32 that mesh with a chain 33. As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, an annular outer groove 22 is formed on the side surface of the roller holding member 2, and an annular inner groove 22a is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the roller holding member 2. It is formed. Further, on the side of this roller holding member 2, a support plate 42 is provided close to and facing the roller holding member 2. A plurality of, for example, three, supporting rollers 421 are protruded from the supporting plate 42, and these supporting rollers 421 are fitted in the inner groove 22a of the inner circumferential surface of the roller holding member 2 so as to be freely rotatable. This roller holding member 2 is attached to this support plate 4.
2 is rotatably supported. The support plate 42 is supported by the shaft 51 of the rear wheel via the mounting plate 41.

A plurality of roller assemblies as shown in FIGS. 6 to 8 are arranged in the outer groove 22 on the side surface of the roller holding member 2. As shown in FIGS. The number of these roller assemblies corresponds to the groove 12 of said drive disk 1.
The number is the same as the number of . Each of the roller assemblies has a sliding block 23 that is slidably fitted within the outer groove 22. Each of these sliding blocks 23 is provided with a roller 24, which protrudes from the side surface of this roller holding member 2, and which rolls into the groove 12 of the corresponding drive disk 1. They are fitted together so that they can move freely. Further, a locking mechanism is provided for immovably locking these roller assemblies within the outer groove 22 of the roller holding member 2. That is, each of the above-mentioned sliding blocks 23 is formed with a wedge portion 25, and this wedge portion 25 is formed in such a shape that its width becomes smaller as it goes toward the rear side in the rotational direction of the roller holding member 2. There is. Stopper wall portions 251 and 252 are formed at both front and rear ends of the wedge portion 25, respectively. and,
Two locking rollers 26 are arranged on each side of these wedge portions 25. These locking rollers 26 are connected to the slope of the wedge portion 25 and the outer groove 22.
configured to fit between the peripheral surface 221 of the
The roller assembly is configured to be allowed to move forward in the rotational direction with respect to the roller holding member 2, but to be prevented from moving backward in the rotational direction.

Each of these roller assemblies is provided with a spring 27. As shown in FIG. 26, this spring 27 is shaped like a leaf spring, and an elastic part 28 bent in a dogleg shape is formed in the middle part thereof. Further, a mounting convex portion 271 is protruded from one end of this spring, and this mounting portion 271 is inserted into the outer groove 22 of the roller holder 2 and is attached to a part of the roller assembly, for example, a wedge portion. It is attached to the rear end of 25. Therefore, the intermediate portion 28 of this spring 27 is
It is arranged so as to protrude from the side surface of this roller holder 2 and to protrude radially inward.

The other end of this spring 27 is bent approximately 180 degrees from the elastic portion 28, and its tip reaches the position of the locking roller 26, and the tip of this other end is bent into a substantially rectangular shape. holding part 272
is formed. Four holding claws 273 are protruded from this holding part 272, and these holding claws 273 are inserted into the outer groove 22 of the roller holding member 2 and are located before and after the locking roller 26. These locking rollers 26 are held between these holding claws 273 in the front-rear direction.

In the normal free state, the elastic portion 28 urges the other end of the spring 27 toward the rear side in the rotational direction of the roller holding member 2, and the above-mentioned locking member held at the other end 6 is biased toward the rear side of the roller. Therefore, in this free state,
Since these locking rollers 26 are displaced rearward, the locking rollers 26 are disengaged from the wedge portion 25, and the roller assembly rotates in the outer groove 22 in the rotational direction. It can be freely slid back and forth.

On the other hand, this elastic portion 28 is connected to a pressing member 42 which will be described later.
2, this elastic portion elastically deforms so that the curvature of the elastic portion decreases, that is, it becomes closer to a straight line. Therefore, this elastic portion 28
The length of the spring 27 becomes longer, and the other end of the spring 27 moves forward in the rotational direction of the roller holding member 2. Therefore, the locking roller 26 held by the holding claw portion 273 at the other end is also urged forward. Therefore, these locking rollers 26 are squeezed between the wedge portion 25 and the peripheral wall portion 221 of the outer groove 22, and the roller assembly slides into the outer groove 22 due to the wedge action. Impossibly locked.

The support plate 42 also has the above-mentioned pressing member 4.
22 is provided protrudingly. This pressing member 422 is
It has an arc shape and is arranged along the inner circumferential surface of the roller holding member 2. When this roller holding member 2 rotates and the roller assembly comes to the position of this pressing member 422, the spring 27
The elastic portion 28 of the roller assembly contacts the pressing member 422 and is deformed, the locking roller 26 of the roller assembly is moved forward in the rotational direction, and the roller assembly becomes immovable relative to the roller holding member 2. engaged. Therefore, the rotational force of this roller holding member 2 is applied to the roller 2 of the roller assembly in this engaged state.
4. It is transmitted to the drive disk 1 via the groove 12 of the drive disk 1. In addition, the above-mentioned pressing member 4
The length of 22 is set to approximately correspond to the arrangement pitch of these roller assemblies, and one roller assembly is configured to correspond to this pressing member 422 at all times. Therefore, the rotational force of the roller holding member 2 is transmitted to the drive disk 1 via one roller assembly corresponding to this pressing member 422,
The other roller assemblies are in a slidable state with respect to this roller holding member 2 and do not contribute to the transmission of rotational force. Also, since the rollers 24 of these roller assemblies are each fitted in the groove 12 of the drive disk 1, the other roller assemblies in this freely slidable state rotate together with the drive disk 1. At this time, the circumferential speeds of each part of the driving disk 1 and the roller holding member 2 in the circumferential direction differ periodically within the range of one rotation, but such a difference in circumferential speed is due to the difference between these roller assemblies. The solid body is absorbed by sliding back and forth within the groove 22 of the roller holding member 2. Furthermore, the directions of rotational movement at each part in the circumferential direction are also different;
This difference is accommodated by the rollers 24 of the roller assembly described above moving radially within the radial grooves 12 of the drive disk 1.

The speed change ratio of this transmission device is changed by making the roller holding member 2 and the support plate 42 eccentric with respect to the drive disk 1. That is, when these are made eccentric, the distance between the position where the roller 24 of the engaged roller assembly contacts the groove 12 of the drive disk 1 and the center of rotation of the drive disk 1 changes. On the other hand, the roller 24 of the roller assembly in this engaged state is always at a constant distance from the rotation center of the roller holding member 2. Therefore, the speed is changed based on the difference in these circumferential speeds. Such eccentricity of the roller holding member 2 is achieved by a speed change mechanism described below.

That is, as described above, this roller holding member 2 is rotatably supported by the support plate 42.
Further, the mounting plate 41 is mounted on the shaft 51 of the rear wheel. The rear end of this roller holding member 2 is connected to this mounting plate 41 by a pivot shaft 412.
It is rotatably supported at the rear end of the. Therefore, this roller holding member 2 moves in the vertical direction centering on this pivot shaft 412, that is, the above-mentioned pressing member 42.
2 is configured to rotate in the direction in which it is arranged. An arcuate guide groove 423 is formed in the center of the support plate 42, and the rear wheel shaft 51 is slidably inserted into this guide groove. A bracket portion 411 is formed at the front end of the mounting plate 41, and a guide rod 44 is inserted through the bracket portion 411.

This guide rod 44 is prevented from coming off by a pin 411. The guide rod 44 extends rearward and is connected to the lower part of the rear end of the support plate 42 via a stopper mechanism. This stopper mechanism is constructed as follows.
That is, a pin 425 is provided protruding from the lower part of the rear end of the support plate 42, and a pair of stopper claws 431 are pivotally attached to the pin 425. and,
Holes are formed at the tips of these stopper claws 431, and the guide rod 44 passes through these holes. A coil spring 433 is interposed between these stopper claws 431, and urges these stopper claws 431 in a direction away from each other. These stopper pawls 431 have holes in their tips engaged with the guide rod 44 in a state where their tips are inclined so as to separate from each other. Therefore, in this state, the stopper pawl 431 and pin 425 are connected to the guide rod 44.
It is immovable against. Further, reference numeral 45 denotes a moving member, and this moving member 45 has a substantially U-shape, and holes are formed in each of its legs, and the guide rod 44 is slidably passed through these holes.
The stopper claw 431 is housed between these legs. Therefore, when the movable member 45 moves, the leg portion of the movable member 45 comes into contact with one of the stopper claws 431 and tilts it in the moving direction, thereby preventing the engagement between the stopper claw 431 and the guide rod 44. comes off, and these stopper claws 4
31 and pin 425 move along guide rod 44 with this moving member 45. Therefore, the support plate 42 and the roller holding member 2 rotate about the pivot shaft 412 and become eccentric in the vertical direction with respect to the drive disk 1. A compression coil spring 442 is interposed between the moving member 45 and the bracket portion 411 of the mounting plate 41, and this spring urges the moving member 45 to move rearward. A cable 46 is connected to the above-mentioned moving member 45, and this cable 46 is connected to the above-mentioned speed change lever 47. Therefore, when the speed change lever 47 is operated and the cable 46 is pulled, the support plate 42 and the roller holding member 2 are eccentrically moved upward, and when the cable is loosened, the support plate 42 and the roller holding member 2 are eccentrically moved downwardly. Further, when the speed change lever 47 is not operated, the pair of stopper pawls 431 engage in both the front and rear directions, and the roller holding member 2 and the support plate 42 are held in that position.

Further, the drive disk 1 described above is attached to the rear wheel 5 via a one-way clutch mechanism as shown in FIGS. 13 and 14. That is, a large number of holes 483 are formed in the hub 481 of the rear wheel 5 along the circumferential direction. One or more clutch keys 482 are provided on the drive member so as to be protrusive and retractable in correspondence with these holes 483, and these clutch keys 482 are supported by springs 48.
4 in the protruding direction. and,
The tip of the clutch key 482 is formed into an inclined surface, and when the drive disk 1 rotates the rear wheel 5 in the forward direction, the clutch key 482
engages with a hole 483 in the hub 481 to transmit rotational force, and in the case of rotation in the opposite direction, these clutch keys 482 are disengaged, allowing the rear wheel 5 to rotate freely. .

Next, the operation of this transmission will be explained. first,
When the rider steps on the pedal 34 of this bicycle, the roller holding member 2 is rotated via the chain 33 and drive sprocket 3. When the roller assembly held by the roller holding member 2 reaches the position of the pressing member 422, the spring 2
The elastic portion 28 of No. 7 comes into contact with the pressing member 422 and is elastically deformed, the locking roller 26 moves forward in the rotational direction, and the roller assembly is immovably engaged with the roller holding member 2. be done. Therefore, roller 2 of the roller assembly in this engaged state
4 and the groove 12 of the drive disk 1, the rotational force of the roller holding member 2 is transmitted to the drive disk 1, the rear wheel 5 is rotated, and the bicycle runs.

If the rotation center of the roller holding member 2 is coincident with the rotation center of the drive disk 1,
That is, if this roller holding member 2 is not eccentric as shown in FIGS. 2 and 9, the distance between the roller 24 of this roller assembly and the rotation center of this roller holding member 2, and this roller The distance between the abutting position of 24 and groove 12 and the center of rotation of drive disk 1 is equal. Therefore, the gear ratio is 1 in this case. Also, when the above-mentioned gear shift lever 47 is operated and the cable 46 is pulled, the first
As shown in FIG. 1, the roller holding member 2 is eccentric upward, that is, in the direction in which the pressing member 422 is arranged. In this case, the distance from the roller 24 to the rotation center of this roller holding member 2 does not change, but the distance from the contact position of this roller 24 and the groove 12 of the drive disk 1 to the rotation center of this drive disk 1 increases. Become. Since the circumferential speed of the roller 24 does not change, in this case, the speed is changed in accordance with the ratio of the distances to the rotation centers. Note that the gear ratio in this case is 1 or less, that is, deceleration, and the driving torque of the rear wheels 5 becomes large. On the other hand, when the cable 46 is loosened, the roller holding member 2 is eccentrically downwardly moved as shown in FIG. 12. Therefore, the distance between the abutment position of the roller 24 and the groove 12 and the rotation center of the drive disk 1 becomes small, and in this case, the gear ratio becomes 1 or less, that is, the speed increases. In this manner, by operating the speed change lever 47, an arbitrary speed ratio can be selected, and the change of this speed ratio can be performed steplessly.

Note that this transmission transmits rotational force only by the roller assembly that corresponds to the pressing member 422, so the roller assembly that corresponds to this pressing member 422 separates from this pressing member, and the next Some impact occurs when the roller assembly responds to this pressing member. In addition, when power is being transmitted by this locked roller assembly, from the time this roller assembly is locked and starts transmitting power until the lock is released and power transmission ends. Even within this section, the relationship between the rotational speeds of the roller pressing member 2 and the drive disk 1, that is, the gear ratio, is not exactly constant and varies somewhat. By these,
When transmitting power with this transmission, some shock is involved.

However, this transmission is intended for transmitting relatively small amounts of power, and the various parts will not be damaged by this impact. In order to reduce such impact, the number of roller assemblies may be increased. For example, in the case of a bicycle, if the number of roller assemblies is four, the rider will feel a slight shock when stepping on the pedals, but if the number of roller assemblies is six, You will hardly feel the shock. Therefore, when applying this transmission to a bicycle,
The number of roller assemblies is 4 or more, preferably 6.
1 or more is better. In addition, this roller 2 is shown in FIG.
4 and the groove 12 are schematically shown.

In the case of this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 15, the front edge of the groove 12 in the rotational direction of the drive disk 1 is arranged at a slight inclination along the radial direction of the drive disk 1. There is. With this arrangement, when the drive disk 1 is rotationally driven via the rollers 24, the rollers 24
This prevents a radial component force from being generated.

Furthermore, since the drive disc 1 is attached to the hub of the rear wheel 5 via a one-way clutch mechanism, there is no need to rotate the pedals when coasting or when applying sudden braking. It is as easy to drive as a bicycle.

Note that the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. For example, FIGS. 16-18 show a second embodiment of the present invention. This second embodiment differs from the first embodiment in the engagement mechanism of the roller assembly. That is, in this embodiment, a large number of sawtooth locking teeth 221a are formed on the outer peripheral surface of the outer groove 22 of the roller holding member 2. Each roller assembly is provided with a locking pawl 26a, and these locking pawls 26a are urged by a spring 290 so as to disengage from the locking tooth 221a. Further, a contact portion 29 is formed on this spring 290,
This contact portion protrudes from the inner peripheral surface of this roller holding member 2. When this contact portion 29 comes into contact with the pressing member 422, the locking claw 26a
engages with the locking teeth 221a, and the roller assembly is configured to be fixed to the roller holding member 2 so as not to be movable. It should be noted that this second embodiment has the same structure as the first embodiment except for the above-mentioned points, and also has the same operation.

Further, FIGS. 19 and 20 show a third embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, the roller holding member 2 is eccentric with respect to the drive disk 1 from the beginning. And this roller holding member 2
A pressing member 47 is rotatably mounted at the center of the support plate 42a.
is provided. An arcuate surface 471 is formed at the tip of the pressing member 47. This pressing member 47 is a spring 47
4 to rotate counterclockwise. Further, a pulley 473 is attached to the shaft 472 of this pressing member 47, and the groove 46 of this pulley
A cable 46 is wound around. Then, by operating the gear shift lever 47, this cable 46
When pulled, this pressing member 47 is configured to rotate from the position indicated by the broken line in FIG. 19 to the position indicated by the two-dot chain line. This pressing member 47
A roller assembly corresponding to the arcuate surface 471 is immovably locked to the roller holding member 2. This roller holding member 2 is eccentric with respect to the drive disk 1 from the beginning, and this pressing member 47
By rotating the roller assembly, the locked position of the roller assembly changes, and the contact position between the roller 24 of the locked roller assembly and the groove of the drive disk 1 and the rotation of the drive disk 1 change. The distance from the center of motion is continuously changed. Therefore, rotating this pressing member 47 is the same as making this roller holding member 2 eccentric as described above, and the gear ratio can be changed steplessly as in the above embodiment. .

Further, FIG. 21 shows a fourth embodiment of the present invention. In this case, instead of forming a groove in the drive disk 1, a groove hole 12a is formed in the drive disk 1, and a roller 24 is fitted into the groove hole 12a so as to be able to freely roll. In this case, the drive disk 1 is easy to manufacture. Note that the configuration other than this is the same as that of the previous embodiment.

Furthermore, FIG. 22 shows a locking mechanism according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention. In this device, a pair of wedge portions 25a are formed in a sliding block 23a of the roller assembly, and locking rollers 26a are housed on the outside and inside of these wedge portions 25a, respectively, and these locking rollers 26a hold the rollers. The member 2 is urged forward in the rotational direction by a spring 27a. Therefore, this roller assembly freely moves in the forward direction of the rotational direction with respect to the roller holding member 2, but does not move in the rearward direction of the rotational direction. In this embodiment, the pressing member 422 described above is not provided. In this embodiment, when the roller holding member 2 is eccentric with respect to the drive disk 1, the circumferential speed of the drive disk 1 is the slowest relative to the circumferential speed of the outer groove 22 of the roller holding member, for example, as shown in FIG. The roller assembly is engaged with the roller holding member 2 only in the upper portion, and rotational force is transmitted to the drive disk 1 through the roller assembly only in this portion. In other parts, the circumferential speed of the drive disk 1 is relatively slower than the circumferential speed of the outer groove 22 of the roller holding member 2, so the roller assembly at these positions is lower than the circumferential speed of the outer groove 22 of the roller holding member 2. The inner part moves forward in the direction of rotation, and rotational force is not transmitted. This embodiment uses the pressing member 4 as described above.
Since there is no need to provide 22, the structure becomes simple. Further, the outer locking roller 26a and the inner locking roller 26a are aligned in the radial direction R of the circular outer groove 22, so that sliding and locking of this roller assembly are performed smoothly and reliably. It is configured as follows.

Further, FIG. 23 shows a sixth embodiment of the present invention. In this case, the front edge of the groove 12b of the drive disk 1 is inclined by an angle θ with respect to the radial direction 1a of the drive disk 1. In this embodiment, the roller holding member 2 is urged by a spring (not shown) or the like so as to move downward in FIG. 23. This produces a radially outward, ie upward component force on the roller 24 when the drive disk 1 is driven by the roller 24. When the torque of the rear wheel 5 increases, for example when the bicycle climbs a slope, etc., this component force increases, and as a result, this component force and the force applied to the spring that urges the roller holding member 2 downward. The roller holding member 2 is eccentrically upward until the forces are balanced. Therefore, when the torque applied to the rear wheels 5 increases, the reduction ratio automatically increases.
Furthermore, when the rear wheel torque decreases, the reduction ratio automatically decreases. Therefore, this device can automatically change gears without operating the gear shift lever. Note that the characteristics of this automatic shifting are as follows:
By setting the relationship between the inclination θ and the spring characteristics of the spring that biases the roller holding member 2, arbitrary characteristics can be obtained. Furthermore, by making the groove 12b curved, the component force generated on the roller 24 changes in accordance with the amount of eccentricity of the roller holding member 2, so the characteristics of this automatic speed change can be set over a wider range. be able to.

In addition, FIG. 24 also includes the above-mentioned FIG.
4 shows another example of a one-way clutch mechanism as shown in FIG. This one has a disk-shaped intermediate drive member 485 between the drive disk 1 and the hub 481 of the rear wheel 5.
is mediated. The hub 481 is provided with a plurality of buffer members 486. These buffer members 486 are made of an elastic material such as synthetic rubber, have a substantially disk shape, and are integrally embedded in the hub 481.

Further, a plurality of pins 4851 are provided protruding from the intermediate drive member 485, and these pins are integrally embedded in the center of the buffer portion 486. The intermediate drive member 485 also includes the first
Similar to the one-way clutch mechanism shown in FIG. 3, a large number of holes 483 are formed along the circumferential direction. Then, the clutch key 482 provided on the drive disk 1 closes these holes 4 by the biasing force of the spring 484.
83 and is configured to act as a one-way clutch.

Since such a one-way clutch mechanism transmits torque through the buffer member 486, it absorbs torque fluctuations and other vibrations, reduces the load on the transmission of the present invention, and provides smoother transmission. Provides good running performance.

Furthermore, FIG. 25 shows another example of the transmission mechanism. That is, 42' in the figure is a support plate,
The roller holding member is rotatably held on this support plate via a support roller 421', and a pressing member 422' is also protruded in the same manner as described above.
This support plate 42' is rotatably supported by a mounting plate 41' by a pivot shaft 412', and this mounting plate 41' is attached to the shaft of the rear wheel 5, etc. in the same manner as described above. . Further, a speed change cam body 43' is rotatably attached to this mounting plate 41'.
This speed change cam body 43' is formed by punching a plate material, and has a cam groove 431' of a predetermined shape formed therein. Further, a pin 42 is attached to the support plate 42'.
A slider 426' is attached through the cam groove 5', and the slider 426' is slidably fitted into the cam groove 431'. In addition, the above-mentioned speed change cam body 4
A pulley 45' is attached to 3', and a cable 46' is wound around this pulley.This cable is connected to the aforementioned gear shift lever 47, etc., and when this gear shift lever is operated and this cable 46' is pulled, , this speed change cam body 43' is configured to rotate clockwise in the figure. In addition, this speed change cam body 4
3' is biased by a spring 44' to rotate counterclockwise, and the cable 4
When 6' is loosened, the biasing force of this spring causes the speed change cam body 43' to rotate counterclockwise.

In this case, as the speed change cam body 43' rotates, the slider 426' slides in the cam groove 431', and the support plate 42' rotates, so that the slider 426' slides against the drive disk described above. The gear ratio changes due to eccentricity. In addition, this thing connects the support plate 4 through the cam groove 431'.
2' is moved, so if the shape of this cam groove is set appropriately, the relationship between the amount of eccentricity of this support plate 42' and the amount of operation of the shift lever can be arbitrarily set, and the shift characteristics can be changed to various types. Can be set to . Also, if the slope of this cam groove is made gentle,
This eccentric cam body does not rotate due to the load from the support plate 42'. Therefore, there is no need to provide a special stopper mechanism as in the embodiments described above.

Furthermore, it is clear that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and that various modifications can be made.

[Effects of the Invention] As described above, the present invention provides a roller holding member with a plurality of roller assemblies movable in the circumferential direction, and rolls the rollers of the roller assemblies into the radial groove formed by the drive disk. A locking mechanism is provided that is movably fitted and locks these roller assemblies immovably to the roller holding member only at a portion in the circumferential direction of the roller holding member, and the roller assembly is in this locked state. A transmission mechanism is configured to transmit rotational force from the roller holding member to the drive disk via the roller holding member, and changes the distance between the contact position of the roller and the groove in the locked state and the rotation center of the drive disk. It was established.

The roller assembly described above is immovably locked to the roller holding member only in a partial range in the circumferential direction and transmits power to the drive disk.
When transmitting this power, there is no need to rely on frictional force, etc., the power can be reliably transmitted, and there is little loss during power transmission.

In addition, as mentioned above, this device transmits power without being affected by friction, etc., so the device can be made small and lightweight, and its operation is reliable and reliable, so it has great effects. It is.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

1 to 14 show a first embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 1 is a diagram schematically showing the entire bicycle equipped with the transmission of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a diagram of the transmission of the present invention. 3 is a side view of the transmission shown in FIG. 2 seen from the rear, FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the drive disk, FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the drive sprocket, and FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the drive sprocket.
The figures are a front view showing the relationship between the roller holding member and the roller assembly, Fig. 7 is a side view thereof, Fig. 8 is a view showing the roller assembly in detail, Fig. 9 is a front view showing the transmission mechanism, and Fig. The figures are top views, Figures 11 and 1.
Figure 2 is a front view showing the eccentric state of the support plate, Figure 13 is a side view of the one-way clutch mechanism, and Figure 14 is the 1-way clutch mechanism.
FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line 14-14 in FIG. 3; Also,
FIG. 15 is a schematic diagram illustrating the operation. 16th
18 to 18 are views showing a second embodiment of the present invention, in which FIG. 16 is a front view of the roller holding member and the roller assembly, FIG. 17 is a side view, and FIG. 18 is the roller assembly. FIG. 19 and 20 show a third embodiment of the present invention, with FIG. 19 being a front view of the main part and FIG. 20 being a side view thereof. FIG. 21 is a front view of the drive disk of the fourth embodiment. FIG. 22 is a front view showing details of the roller assembly of the fifth embodiment. FIG. 23 is a front view of the drive disk of the sixth embodiment. Second
FIG. 4 is a partially sectional side view showing another example of the one-way clutch mechanism. FIG. 25 is a side view showing another example of the transmission mechanism. FIG. 26 is a perspective view showing the structure of the spring and locking roller of the locking mechanism. 1... Drive disk, 2... Roller holding member,
12...Groove, 22...Outer groove, 23...Sliding block, 24...Roller, 25...Wedge portion, 26
... Locking roller, 27 ... Spring, 42 ...
Support plate, 422...spring.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A drive disk connected to the driven side,
This drive disk is formed with a plurality of grooves extending approximately in the radial direction, and is provided with a roller holding member that faces the drive disk and is connected to the drive side, and this roller holding member has an annular groove. A plurality of roller assemblies are slidably fitted in the grooves of the roller holding member, and these roller assemblies are provided with rollers, and these rollers are connected to the drive disk. These roller assemblies are fitted in a radial groove so as to be able to roll freely, and these roller assemblies are immovable relative to the roller holding member only within a predetermined range in the circumferential direction of the roller holding member. It is equipped with a locking mechanism that locks the roller assembly, and a speed change mechanism that changes the distance from the contact position between the roller of the roller assembly in this locked state and the groove of the drive disk to the rotation center of the drive disk. A vehicle transmission device characterized by: 2. The locking mechanism includes: a wedge portion formed on the roller assembly; a locking roller disposed between the wedge portion and a wall of the groove of the roller holding member; and a predetermined portion of the roller holding member. A pressing member disposed close to the roller holding member over a circumferential range, and a leaf spring-like spring provided on the roller assembly, the spring having one end attached to the roller assembly. The other end of the spring holds the locking roller, and the intermediate portion of the spring is formed with a curved elastic portion that allows the roller assembly to move into the predetermined position as described above. The spring is arranged so as to protrude from the roller holding member so that when the spring is moved in the circumferential direction, it comes into contact with the pressing member and is elastically deformed, thereby reducing the curvature of the curvature. When the locking roller is not in contact with the pressing member, the locking roller is urged backward in the rotational direction of the roller holding member with respect to the wedge portion, and the locking action by the locking roller and the wedge portion is activated. When the elastic part of this spring comes into contact with the pressing member, the elastic part is elastically deformed and the other end of the spring moves forward in the rotational direction of the roller holding member. The locking roller held at the other end is urged forward, and the locking roller and the wedge portion make this roller assembly immovable relative to the roller holding member. The vehicle transmission device according to claim 1, characterized in that the transmission device is configured to be locked. 3. The locking mechanism includes a large number of locking teeth formed on the wall of the groove of the roller holder, and a locking mechanism that removably engages with the locking teeth provided on each of the roller assemblies. a pawl, a pressing member disposed close to the roller holding member over a predetermined range in the circumferential direction of the roller holding member, and a spring that urges the locking pawl to a disengaged state, the spring When a part of the roller assembly comes into contact with the pressing member, the locking pawl engages with the locking tooth, and the roller assembly is immovably locked with respect to the roller holding member. A vehicle transmission device according to claim 1. 4. The locking mechanism includes: a wedge portion formed in the roller assembly; a locking roller disposed between the wedge portion and a wall of the groove of the roller holding member; a spring biasing the wedge member forward in the rotational direction of the roller holding member, allowing the roller assembly to move forward in the rotational direction with respect to the roller holding member; The vehicle transmission device according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle transmission device is configured to prevent movement toward the rear side in the rotational direction. 5. The locking mechanism includes outer and inner locking rollers provided between the outer and inner surfaces of the wedge portion and the groove wall of the roller holding member, respectively, and these outer and inner locking rollers 5. The vehicle transmission device according to claim 4, wherein the rollers are aligned in the radial direction of the groove. 6. The speed change mechanism eccentrically moves the roller holding member with respect to the drive disk, thereby moving the drive disk from the position where the roller of the roller assembly in the locked state contacts the groove of the drive disk. The vehicle transmission device according to claim 1, characterized in that the transmission device changes the distance to the center of rotation. 7. The vehicle transmission device according to claim 6, wherein the roller holding member is moved via a cam body. 8. The roller holding member is arranged eccentrically by a certain amount with respect to the drive disk, and the speed change mechanism moves the pressing member in a circumferential direction of the roller holding member, thereby causing the locking to occur. Claims 1 to 10 are characterized in that the distance from the contact position of the roller of the roller assembly in the state of contact with the groove of the drive disk to the center of rotation of the drive disk is changed. The vehicle transmission device according to any one of Item 3. 9. The groove of the drive disk is arranged to be inclined with respect to the radial direction of the drive disk, and is configured to apply a radial component force to the roller of the roller assembly that fits in the groove, and The first aspect of the present invention is characterized in that the transmission mechanism includes a spring that biases the roller holding member eccentrically, and balances the biasing force of the spring with the component force described above.
The vehicle transmission device according to any one of items 1 to 4. 10. Claim 1, characterized in that the drive disk is connected to the wheels of the vehicle via a one-way clutch mechanism that transmits only forward torque and a buffer member that absorbs fluctuations in torque. Transmission device for the vehicle described in Section 1.