Toroidal continuously variable transmission and drive mechanism-integrated electricity generation apparatus for aircraft

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12000474-B2
Application number	US-202017597723-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 25, 2020
Priority date	Jul 22, 2019
Publication date	Jun 4, 2024
Grant date	Jun 4, 2024

Abstract

Provided is a toroidal continuously variable transmission that can achieve suitable oil feed both for lubrication at contact interfaces between a power roller and discs and for cooling of the power roller; and a drive mechanism-integrated electricity generation apparatus for an aircraft, the electricity generation apparatus including the toroidal continuously variable transmission. The toroidal continuously variable transmission includes at least one lubrication outlet that discharges an oil toward at least one contact interface between an input or output disc and the power roller; and at least one cooling outlet that discharges the oil toward the power roller. The cooling outlet and the lubrication outlet are arranged such that a distance between the cooling outlet and a point at which the oil discharged from the cooling outlet contacts the power roller is smaller than a distance between the lubrication outlet and the contact interface.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A toroidal continuously variable transmission comprising:
input and output discs opposed to each other;
a power roller tiltably held between the input and output discs to transmit rotational drive power of the input disc to the output disc at a speed ratio determined by a tilt angle of the power roller;
at least one lubrication outlet that discharges an oil toward at least one contact interface between the input or output disc and the power roller; and
at least one cooling outlet that discharges the oil toward the power roller, wherein
the cooling outlet and the lubrication outlet are arranged such that when the power roller is viewed along a rotational axis of the power roller, an imaginary extension of an axis of the cooling outlet is directed toward a point closer to the rotational axis of the power roller than a point toward which an imaginary extension of an axis of the lubrication outlet is directed and that a distance between the cooling outlet and a point at which the oil discharged from the cooling outlet contacts the power roller is smaller than a distance between the lubrication outlet and the contact interface.

2. The toroidal continuously variable transmission according to claim 1 , wherein a distance between the cooling outlet and the power roller is greater than 0.7 times a diameter or a hydraulic diameter of the cooling outlet.

3. The toroidal continuously variable transmission according to claim 1 , further comprising a holder rotatably supporting the power roller, wherein
the lubrication outlet and the cooling outlet are included in the holder.

4. The toroidal continuously variable transmission according to claim 3 , wherein
the holder includes a trunnion tiltably holding the power roller and a beam mounted on the trunnion,
the trunnion includes a base on which the power roller is rotatably mounted and a pair of side walls rising from the base, the side walls being opposed across the power roller in an axial direction of a tilt shaft of the power roller and facing a circumferential surface of the power roller,
the beam is located across the power roller from the base, extends in the axial direction of the tilt shaft, and is mounted on the pair of side walls, and
the lubrication outlet and the cooling outlet are included in the beam.

5. The toroidal continuously variable transmission according to claim 1 , wherein the cooling outlet is located upstream of the lubrication outlet in a rotational direction of the power roller.

6. The toroidal continuously variable transmission according to claim 1 , wherein an opening area of the cooling outlet is larger than an opening area of the lubrication outlet.

7. A drive mechanism-integrated electricity generation apparatus for an aircraft, comprising:
the toroidal continuously variable transmission according to claim 1 ;
an input mechanism that inputs rotational drive power from a rotational shaft of an engine of the aircraft to the toroidal continuously variable transmission; and
an electricity generator driven by output of the toroidal continuously variable transmission.

8. A toroidal continuously variable transmission comprising:
input and output discs opposed to each other;
a power roller tiltably held between the input and output discs to transmit rotational drive power of the input disc to the output disc at a speed ratio determined by a tilt angle of the power roller;
at least one lubrication outlet that discharges an oil toward at least one contact interface between the input or output disc and the power roller;
at least one cooling outlet that discharges the oil toward the power roller; and
a holder rotatably supporting the power roller, wherein
the cooling outlet and the lubrication outlet are arranged such that a distance between the cooling outlet and a point at which the oil discharged from the cooling outlet contacts the power roller is smaller than a distance between the lubrication outlet and the contact interface,
the lubrication outlet and the cooling outlet are included in the holder,
the holder includes a trunnion tiltably holding the power roller and a beam mounted on the trunnion,
the trunnion includes a base on which the power roller is rotatably mounted and a pair of side walls rising from the base, the side walls being opposed across the power roller in an axial direction of a tilt shaft of the power roller and facing a circumferential surface of the power roller,
the beam is located across the power roller from the base, extends in the axial direction of the tilt shaft, and is mounted on the pair of side walls,
the lubrication outlet and the cooling outlet are included in the beam,
the at least one contact interface includes a first contact interface between the input disc and the power roller and a second contact interface between the output disc and the power roller,
the at least one lubrication outlet includes a first lubrication outlet that feeds the oil toward the first contact interface and a second lubrication outlet that feeds the oil toward the second contact interface,
the at least one cooling outlet includes a first cooling outlet and a second cooling outlet,
the first lubrication outlet and the first cooling outlet are located closer to one end of the beam than a rotational axis of the power roller, and
the second lubrication outlet and the second cooling outlet are located closer to the other end of the beam than the rotational axis of the power roller.

Assignees

• Kawasaki Heavy Ind Ltd

Inventors

• Noguchi Yoshiyuki
• Shinoda Yuji
• Komatsu Kenji
• Imai Hideyuki

Classifications

• F16H57/0421 Primary

  on or within the casing, e.g. shields or baffles for collecting lubricant, tubes, pipes, grooves, channels or the like · CPC title

• B64D41/00

  Power installations for auxiliary purposes · CPC title

• F16H3/34

  with gears shiftable otherwise than only axially · CPC title

• H02K7/10

  Structural association with clutches, brakes, gears, pulleys or mechanical starters · CPC title

• H02K7/1807 Primary

  Rotary generators (H02K7/006 takes precedence) · CPC title