WO2010010341A1

WO2010010341A1 - Continuously variable torque converter

Info

Publication number: WO2010010341A1
Application number: PCT/GB2009/001809
Authority: WO
Inventors: Ronald Herbert Dufty
Original assignee: Ronald Herbert Dufty
Priority date: 2008-07-24
Filing date: 2009-07-21
Publication date: 2010-01-28
Also published as: GB2462111A; GB0813596D0

Abstract

A torque converter comprising drive means (1) which can rotate about an input axis two or more support shafts (2a) spaced apart around said input axis and the axes of which are parallel with said input axis means for causing said support shafts (2a) to rotate about said input axis and each support shaft (2a) having a freely rotatable weight carrier (3) on which is located a movable weight (5) which can move to and fro in a plane radial to the axis of rotation of its support shaft (2a) means (6) for actuating the weights (5) to make one complete to and fro motion for each complete rotation of the weight carrier (3) on its support shaft (2a) and means to transmit rotational movement of the weight carrier (3) to output means (21) to cause it to rotate about an output axis.

Description

CONTINUOUSLYVARIABLE TORQUE CONVERTER

This invention relates to a continuously variable torque converter for use to transmit power, for example, from an internal combustion engine to a transmission in a motor vehicle, a boat or an engine driving a stationary device or equipment.

Since their appearance over 100 years ago the transmission of almost all motor vehicles has been out of a clutch and gearbox system of limited ratios, a system expensive to make automatic and when not is even a driver distraction. There have been in-numeral attempts to develop alternative methods of transmission but none have been successful owing to their dependence on frictional or ratchet devices or pumps.

The present invention relies upon basic engineering and is intended to be efficient in slow stop/start traffic when conventional transmissions are not so effective.

According to the present invention a torque converter comprises

drive means which can rotate about an input axis

two or more support shafts spaced apart around said input axis and the axes of which are parallel with said input axis

means for causing said support shafts to rotate about said input axis and each support shaft having a freely rotatable weight carrier on which is located a movable weight which can move to and from in a plane radial to the axis of rotation of its support shaft, means for actuating the weight to make one complete to and fro motion for each complete rotation of the weight carrier on its support shaft

and means to transmit rotational movement of the weight carrier to output means to cause it to rotate about an output axis.

Each of said weights can be carried on a swing arm which is pivoted to said weight carrier about a swing axis at a point spaced away from the axis of the support shaft, the means for actuating the weight being positioned on the swing arm between the swing axis and the weight.

The said means for actuating the weight can be located on or adjacent the support shaft and the swing arms can be activated by a cam or eccentric on the support shaft.

If desired, each weight carrier can be provided with two or more weights carried on two or more swing arms.

In one preferred construction the weight carriers are provided as cranks which extend radially outwardly from said support shaft and to the outer ends of which the swing arms are pivoted.

Thus, the support shafts can form the sides of a rotary frame secured to the drive means.

The output means can include epicyclic gearing, the sun gear of which is connected to a toothed gear ring, the planet gears of which are free to rotate and are connected to the output means and the outer ring of which is fixed. The output means preferably include intermediate gearing connected to final output gearing connected to an output shaft.

With this arrangement the intermediate gearing can include a first epicyclic gear, the outer toothed ring of which is fixed, the sun gear of which is driven from the weight carriers and the planet gears of which are free to rotate.

Said intermediate gear could also include a second epicyclic gear, the outer toothed ring of which is fixed, the planet gears of which are connected to and free to rotate with the planet gears of the first epicyclic gear and the sun gear is connected to a final output gearing. Alternatively the planet gears of the second epicyclic gear could be connected to the first epicyclic gear and be of different diameter, and no outer toothed ring.

With this arrangement the final gearing can include a sun gear connected to the sun gear of the second epicyclic gear, first planet gears which mesh with said sun gear and are carried on a spider connected to the final drive shaft, said spider also carrying a second set of planet gears connected to said first planet gears and coaxial therewith and which mesh with a second sun gear connected to said output shaft.

The intermediate gearing and final drive gearing can be arranged so that when the drive means are rotating and the weights are not moving to and fro, the connection to the output shaft is rotating at the same rate as the drive means.

In an alternative construction the intermediate gearing and final drive gearing are arranged so that when the drive means are rotating and the weights are not moving to and fro to the output shaft is rotating at a different rate to the drive means. -A-

With this arrangement the intermediate gearing acts to reduce or increase the drive ratio between the final drive gearing and the drive means.

In a preferred construction the weight carriers are connected to the output means through gearing which causes them to rotate about the support shaft at a rate the same as, faster, or slower than that of the drive means.

In an alternative construction each of the rotatable weight carriers located on a support shaft is connected to or provided as a planet gear on which the movable weight and means for actuating the weight are carried, said planet gear meshing with an outer toothed gearing connected to the input means.

When the rotation of the weight carrier is clockwise then the actuating means to the weights, for example eccentrics, are positioned to the right of a radius from the input drive means which bisects their motion and to the left if the motion is anticlockwise.

The greater the rate of rotation of the frame and the slower that of the weight carriers the more the torque created by the centrifugal force created in the weights. In one arrangement the torque acts on epicyclic gearing, one gear of which is fixed and does not rotate, and the planet gearing connects to further epicyclic gearing which is arranged so that when the input shaft is rotated and the weight carriers are not rotating on their shafts so the weights do not move to and fro. The output is rotating at the same rate as the input or arranged so that it rotates at a different rate. Additionally there could be epicyclic gearing one gear of which is attached to the input drive means and planetary gears mounted on an attachment to the output shaft. Such gearing can be arranged so that when the input shaft is rotated at a faster rate than the output the rate of the to and fro motion of the weight is increased or diminished. The invention can be performed in various ways and two embodiments will now be described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:-

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic plan view of a first embodiment of a variable torque converter embodying the invention;

Figure 2 is a diagrammatic illustration showing the movement of one of the weights during one rotation of the weight carrier;

Figure 3 is a diagrammatic end view showing the construction of the swing arms and weights;

Figure 4 is a diagrammatic end elevation showing a cross-sectional plan view taken on the line IV-IV on Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a diagrammatic plan view of an alternative construction of torque converter embodying the invention;

Figure 6 is a diagrammatic view of the planet gear assembly used in the second embodiment and taken on the line Vl-Vl on Figure 5; and,

Figure 7 is a diagrammatic plan view of another alternative construction of a torque converter embodying the invention and part of which is shown in cross- section.

A first embodiment of the invention is shown in Figures 1 to 4 and comprises drive means which rotate about an input axis and are provided in the form of a drive input shaft 1 which is attached to a frame 2 the sides of which can provide two or more support shafts 2a spaced around the input axis and the axes of which are parallel with said input axis. In the present construction two support shafts 2a are shown. As the frame 2 is connected to the input shaft 1 this provides means for causing the support shafts 2a to rotate about said input axis.

Each support shaft 2a has a weight carrier 3 in the form of a crank on which is located a movable weight 5 which can move to and fro in a plane radial to the actuating axis of rotation of its support shaft 2a. The weight 5 is carried on a swing arm 4 which is caused to make one complete to and fro motion for each complete rotation of the weight carrier 3 on its support shaft 2a. The means for actuating the weight 5 are located on or adjacent the support shaft 2a and are provided by an eccentric 6 carried on the support shaft 2a itself.

As will be seen from Figure 1 two weight carriers 3 are carried on each support shaft 2a so that there are four weights 5 in all. The two weight carriers 3 on each support shaft 2a are attached to gears 7 which mesh with an internally toothed gear 8 which is connected to the sun gear 9 of intermediate epicyclic gearing the outer toothed ring 10 of which is fixed and does not rotate and in which planet gears 11 rotate. These are mounted on a frame or spider 12 which connects to gears 13 of identical epicyclic gearing in which the outer toothed ring 14 of which is fixed and the sun gear 15 is connected to gear 16 which meshes with gears 17 which are connected to output gears 18 through frame or spider 20 and is attached to an output shaft 21, and gear 18 meshing with gear 19 attached to the input shaft.

The sun gears 9, 15 and 16 rotate on the input shaft 1 which acts as a spindle.

The to and fro motions of the weights 5 are timed so that one half motion from mid-position and back to mid-position takes place when the mean position of the motion is either adjacent or diametrically opposite with the meshing location of the gear to which the weight carrier is attached, and when opposite the initial motion of the weight is reversed to that of the gear attached to its mounting.

The motions of the weights 5 are therefore timed to succeed each other.

The ratios of gears 15, 16, 17, 18 and 19 can be such that gear 8 rotates faster than the frame 2 in the same direction.

Figure 2 is a diagrammatic explanation of the movement of each weight for one rotation of its weight carrier. As shown at 2a, the swing arm 4 which carries the weight 5 has a swing axis 30 on its weight carrier 3. The eccentric 6, carried on the support shaft 2a acts at a moving position on the swing arm 4 as the carrier rotates in a clockwise direction indicated by arrow 31 around the support shaft. Thus, as will be seen from Figure 2a, the weight 5 will swing to the right as the arm is rotated. In Figure 2b the rotation has continued so that the weight is now at 90° to the starting position, in Figure 2c the weight has swung back and at 2d has returned to the start position. This movement creates the to and fro movement referred to.

Figure 3 shows how the weight 5 is carried on a swing arm 4 which is pivoted on a swing axis 35 to the weight carrier 3. The swing arm has a movable drive slide 36 which can move backwards and forwards in a guide 37. The slide 36 is located on an eccentric 6 carried on the support shaft 2a.

The direction of rotation of the weight carrier 3a is indicated by arrow 38 and the weight swings to and fro in the manner shown in Figure 2.

According to the present invention, the input shaft connects to a frame to which are fixed shafts parallel to the input so they can rotate round it. On the shafts are mountings which can rotate round them to which weights are attached which through connection to the shafts are caused to move to and fro pendulum fashion at right angle to the shafts, each complete to and fro motion per rotation of their mountings. The input shaft can connect directly to the frame and the mountings connect to the output through gearing, alternatively the input shaft can connect through gearing to the mountings and the frame connect through gearing to the output. The pendulum motions are produced through connection to eccentrics fixed to the shafts of the mountings, the positioning of which arranges their timing. If the rotation of the mountings is clockwise then the eccentrics are positioned to the right of a radius from the input shaft which bisects their motion, and to the left if the motion is anticlockwise. The greater the rate of rotation of the frame and the slower that of the mountings the more the torque created by centrifugal force. The torque acts on epicyclic gearing one gear of which is fixed and does not rotate and the planetary gearing connects to further epicyclic gearing which arranges that when the input shaft is rotating and the mountings of the weights not rotating on their shafts so the weights not moving to and fro, the output shaft is rotating at the same or a preferred different rate as the input. Additionally there can be epicyclic gearing one gear of which is attached to the input driving shaft and planetary gears mounted on an attachment to the output shaft, such gearing can arrange that when the input shaft is rotating at a faster rate than the output the rate of the to and fro motion of the weights is increased or diminished.

A second embodiment is shown in Figures 5 and 6. In this construction input shaft 101 attaches to the ring gear 102, the planet gears 103 are mounted on support shafts 104 attached to frame 105 which is free to rotate on the drive shaft, weights 106 are attached to swing arm 107 whose swing axis 108 is attached to gears 103, the swing arms are caused to swing to and from through connection to eccentrics 109, frame 105 is attached to gear 110 which meshes with gear 111 which is attached to gear 112 both gears rotating on fixed lay shaft 113 gear 112 meshes with gear 114 which is attached to ring gear 115 the sun gear of which 116 is fixed at point 117, the planet gears 118 rotate on attachments to frame 119 its shafts 120 carrying gears 121 which mesh with gear 122 which is fixed to the input shaft, the gears 121 are attached to gears 123 which mesh with gear 124 which is attached to the output shaft.

The weights 106 are positioned so that the centre of gravity of each is at the same radius from its support shaft the meshing location of the gear on which it is pivoted and its motion timed the same as those in Example 1.

The ratios of the gears 110, 111, 112, 114 are such that when the input and output shafts are rotating at the same rate the frame 119 is also rotating at the same rate, the ratios of the gears 121, 122, 123 and 124 are arranged so that when the output shaft is rotating at a slower rate than the input the frame 115 is rotating in reverse direction to ring gear 102.

Figure 6 shows how the planet gears 103 are located within the ring gear 102 and the drawing shows the relative directions of rotation.

The construction of the swing arms 107 can be basically similar to that shown in Figure 3 with the pivot point of the swing axis being as close to the outer edge of the planet gear as possible

Figure 7 shows another alternative construction of a torque converter according to the invention. The same reference numerals are used to indicate similar parts as those in Figure 1.

In this construction, however, the support shafts 2a are connected through gearing to the drive means 1 so that the support shafts 2a are rotated at a different rate to the drive means. With this arrangement a secondary sun wheel 201 and planet gears 202 are located between the sun wheel 16 of the gearing and the sun wheel 19 of a final gearing and said secondary sun wheel 201 is connected via a quill shaft 203 which surrounds the drive shaft 1 and is connected to the support shafts 2a which are not otherwise connected to the drive shaft 1 through the rotary frame 2. The sun wheels 9, 15, 16 and 19 are free to rotate on the quill shaft 203 and use it as a spindle. Thus, it will be seen from the drawing that the drive to the support shafts 2a first proceeds through the drive shaft 1 to the sun wheel 201 and then through the quill shaft 203 to the rotary frame 2. Thus the speed of rotation of the frame 2 is set by the speed of rotation of the sun wheel 201 which is in turn affected by the other gearing and which can be arranged so that the frame 2 is rotated at a greater speed than the input shaft 1.

Claims

1. A torque converter comprising

drive means (1) which can rotate about an input axis

two or more support shafts (2a) spaced apart around said input axis and the axes of which are parallel with said input axis

means for causing said support shafts (2a) to rotate about said input axis and each support shaft (2a) having a freely rotatable weight carrier (3) on which is located a movable weight (5) which can move to and fro in a plane radial to the axis of rotation of its support shaft (2a)

means (6) for actuating the weights (5) to make one complete to and fro motion for each complete rotation of the weight carrier (3) on its support shaft (2a)

and means to transmit rotational movement of the weight carrier (3) to output means (21) to cause it to rotate about an output axis.

2. A torque converter as claimed in claim 1 in which each of said weights (5) is carried on a swing arm (4) which is pivoted to said weight carrier (3) about a swing axis at a point spaced away from the axis of the support shaft (2a), the means (6) for actuating the weight (5) being positioned on the swing arm (4) between the swing axis and the weight (5).

3. A torque converter as claimed in claim 2 in which said means (6) for actuating the weight (5) are located on or adjacent the support shaft (2a).

4. A torque converter as claimed in claim 3 in which the means for actuating the weight (5) are provided by a cam or eccentric (6) on the support shaft (2a).

5. A torque converter as claimed in claims 2 to 4 in which each weight carrier (3) is provided with two or more weights (5) carried on two or more swing arms (4).

6. A torque converter as claimed in claim 5 in which said weight carriers (5) are provided as cranks which extend radially outwardly from said support shafts (2a) and to the outer ends of which the swing arms (4) are pivoted.

7. A torque converter as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the support shafts (2a) form the sides of a rotary frame (2) secured to the drive means (1).

8. A torque converter as claimed in any of preceding claims 6 or 7 which includes epicyclic gearing the sun gear (9) of which is connected to a toothed gear ring (8), the planet gears (11) of which are free to rotate and are connected to the output means and the outer ring (10) of which is fixed.

9. A torque converter as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the output means include intermediate gearing (9), (10), (13), (15) connected to final output gearing connected to an output shaft (21).

10. A torque converter as claimed in claim 9 in which the intermediate gearing includes a first epicyclic gear the outer toothed ring (10) of which is fixed, the sun gear (9) of which is driven from the weight carriers and the planet gears (11) of which are free to rotate.

11. A torque converter as claim in claim 10 in which the intermediate gearing also includes a second epicyclic gear, the planet gears (13) of which are connected to the planet gears (11) of the first epicyclic gear and of different diameter, the sun gear is connected to the final drive gearing, and there is no outer ring gear.

12. A torque converter as claimed in claim 10 in which the intermediate gear also includes a second epicyclic gear, the outer toothed ring (14) of which is fixed, the planet gears (13) of which are connected to and free to rotate with the planet gears (11) of the first epicyclic gear (16) and the sun gear is connected to final output gearing.

13. A torque converter as claimed in claim 10, claim 11 or claim 12 in which the final gearing includes a sun gear (19) connected to the sun gear (15) of the second epicyclic gear, first planet gears (17) which mesh with said sun gear (16) and are carried on a drive spider (20) connected to the final drive shaft (21), said spider also carrying a second set of planet gears (18) connected to said first planet gears (17) and co-axial therewith and which mesh with a second sun gear (19) and connected to the input shaft (1).

14. A torque converter as claims in claims 9 to 13 in which the intermediate gearing and final drive gearing are arranged so that when the drive means (1) are rotating, and the weights (5) are not moving to and fro, the connection to the output shaft (21) is rotating at the same rate as the drive means (1).

15. A torque converter as claimed in claims 9 to 13 in which the intermediate gearing and final drive gearing are arranged so that when the drive means (1) are rotating, and the weights (5) are not moving to and fro, the output shaft (21) is rotating at a different rate to the drive means (1).

16. A torque converter as claimed in claim 15 when dependent on claims 1 to 4 or claim 10 in which the intermediate gearing (10), (11), (12), (13), (14) acts to reduce or increase the drive ratio between the toothed gear ring (8) and the drive means (1).

17. A torque converter as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the weight carriers (3) are connected to the output means (21) through gearing which causes them to rotate about the support shafts (2a) at a rate the same as, faster, or slower than that of the drive means (1).

18. A torque converter as claimed in any one of preceding claims 8 to 17 in which each of the rotatable weight carriers (3) located on a support shaft (2a) is provided as a planetary gear (2) on which the movable weight (5) and means (6) for actuating the weight (5) are carried, said planet gear (7) meshing with an outer toothed gear ring (8) connected to the input means

(1).

19. A torque converter as claimed in any one of the preceding claims 8 to 17 in which the means for actuating the weight carriers (3) located on support shafts (2a) is their connection to planetary gears (7), said planet gears (7) meshing with an outer toothed gear ring (8) connected to the input shaft.

20. A torque converter as claimed in claims 1 to 13 in which the support shafts (2a) are connected through gearing to the drive means (1) so that the support shafts (2a) are rotated at a different rate to the drive means (1).

21. A torque converter as claimed in claim 20 when dependent on claim 13 in which a secondary sun wheel (201) and planet gears (202) are located between the sun wheel (16) of the gearing and the sun wheel (19) of the final gearing and said secondary sun wheel (201) is connected via a quill shaft (203) to the support shafts (2a) which are not otherwise connected to the drive shaft (1).