High performance synchronous transmission

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11433971-B2
Application number	US-201716465322-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 30, 2017
Priority date	Dec 1, 2016
Publication date	Sep 6, 2022
Grant date	Sep 6, 2022

Abstract

A high performance synchronous transmission to be used aboard a motorcycle for transmitting the motion generated by an engine to a driving wheel, between a crankshaft and a hub shaft parallel therebetween and perpendicular to the median plane of the motorcycle, comprising on the crankshaft a centrifugal clutch, for the automatic engagement of the first speed above a predetermined rotation regime, and a driving pulley apt to transmit the motion through a subsequent kinematic chain, is provided with a coupling between crankshaft and driving pulley which connects them directly, by determining with its own engagement the exclusion of said centrifugal clutch, said coupling being controlled in disengagement when a control lever is in active position.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A high-performance synchronous transmission for transmitting motion generated by an engine from a crankshaft to a hub shaft of a driving wheel of a motorcycle, the crankshaft and the hub shaft being arranged parallel therebetween and perpendicular to a median plane of the motorcycle, the synchronous transmission comprising:
a centrifugal clutch mounted on the crankshaft for providing automatic engagement of a first speed above a predetermined rotation rate of the crankshaft,
a driving pulley arranged to transmit the motion to the hub shall of the driving wheel through a subsequent kinematic chain, which includes:
a coupling positioned between the crankshaft and the driving pulley and which, when said coupling is disengaged during a first speed, said coupling the crankshaft to the driving pulley via the centrifugal clutch, and when said coupling is engaged at a higher speed said coupling directly connects the crankshaft to the driving pulley and disengages said centrifugal clutch from the driving pulley, said coupling being disengaged when a control lever is in an active position, and wherein said control lever is arranged to move from the active position which corresponds to the first speed to an inactive position which corresponds to the higher speed, and vice-versa.

2. The synchronous transmission according to claim 1 , wherein a first actuation button is slidingly mounted on a distal end of the crankshaft and abuts a distal end of a mobile coupling element of said coupling, wherein the control lever includes an activation end that applies a pressure on said first actuation button in the active position of the control lever to translate the mobile coupling element and disengage the coupling.

3. The synchronous transmission according to claim 1 , wherein said coupling is formed between said driving, pulley and a corresponding distal end of the crankshaft.

4. The synchronous transmission according to claim 3 , wherein said coupling is positioned between said distal end and the driving pulley and includes a mobile coupling element, shaped like a crown and inserted inside the driving pulley, the mobile coupling element being configured to slide with respect to the distal end of the shaft, so as to rotate freely in opposition to a preloaded spring arranged between the driving pulley and the distal end of the mobile coupling element; and a fixed coupling element mounted on the crankshaft with respect thereto, said mobile coupling element being slidably engaged with the crankshaft daring the engagement and to disengage the centrifugal clutch from the driving pulley.

5. The synchronous transmission according to claim 4 , wherein the fixed coupling element has a first toothing projecting outwardly and radially; and the mobile coupling element has both a second toothing projecting inside thereof and configured to slidably couple with said first toothing, and a third toothing projecting outside to engage with said driving pulley.

6. The synchronous transmission according to claim 5 , wherein a first actuation button, shaped like a dome, is provided, rested on a peripheral edge thereof of the mobile coupling element and projects outside the driving pulley, and when pressed against the mobile coupling element the mobile coupling element translates away from the fixed coupling element, such that the first actuation button acts as actuation button to prevent disengagement of the centrifugal clutch with the driving pulley.

7. The synchronous transmission according to claim 4 , wherein a first actuation button, shaped like a dome, is positioned on a peripheral edge of the mobile coupling element and projects outside of the driving pulley, wherein pressing the first actuation button against the mobile coupling element forces the mobile coupling element to translate away from the fixed coupling element, such that when the first actuation button is aenvated the mobile coupling element prevents disengagement of the centriftigal clutch with the driving pulley.

8. The synchronous transmission according to claim 7 , wherein deactivation of the first actuation enables the mobile coupling element to translates with respect to the crankshaft, wherein the mobile coupling element is foreably pushed by the preloaded to a position along the length of the crankshaft in which mobile coupling element engages with the fixed coupling element.

9. The synchronous transmission according to claim 4 , wherein the mobile coupling element and the driving pulley are constrained by a prismatic coupling allowing the mutual translation thereof.

10. The synchronous transmission according to claim 1 , wherein the lever has a pressing end for engaging with the coupling and an opposing activation end, and a fulcrum is positioned between the pressing end and opposing activation end, the lever being mounted to a fixed portion of the transmission via the fulcrum, wherein the pressing end oscillates with respect to the fulcrum due to an effect of a cam acting on the activation end of the lever.

11. The synchronous transmission according to claim 1 , comprising;
a wheel, keyed on an actuator shaft, equipped with a plurality of magnets with different polarity; and
a detection board facing said wheel, equipped with a pair of sensors arranged to detect the polarity of the magnets of said wheel which are in a corresponding position, each speed corresponding to an angular position of said wheel and to the polarities detected by both sensors.

12. The synchronous transmission according to claim 11 , wherein said pair of sensors is a. pair of Hall sensors.

13. The synchronous transmission according to claim 11 , wherein said wheel comprises four magnets, two per each polarity, arranged alternated and spaced apart on a single circumference of an arc of 90°.

14. The synchronous transmission according to claim 13 , wherein said detection board comprises said pair of sensors, said sensors being arranged on a circumference corresponding to that of the magnets, and separated by an arc of 90°.

15. A motorcycle comprising a transmission according to claim 1 .

Assignees

• Piaggio & C Spa

Inventors

• Mariotti Walter
• Nuti Luca

Classifications

• F16H61/702

  using electric or electrohydraulic control means · CPC title

• F16H37/04

  Combinations of toothed gearings only (F16H37/06 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B62J45/41

  characterised by the type of sensor · CPC title

• B62M7/06

  directly under the saddle or seat · CPC title

• F16D43/18

  with friction clutching members · CPC title