A cone based CVT (Continuously variable transmission)

This is my continuation of the comment thread started here: https://www.robotshop.com/letsmakerobots/node/763#comment-2036

The goal is to come up with a gearbox transimission that will let us change the gear ratio on the fly as it's turning. This will let you start at a high ratio to get the robot moving and as it gains momentum change the ratio until you're 1:1 or higher. The result of this would provide great speed and torque when you need it.

I've never done something like this before, but here's my angle on it. Connect a cone-shaped gear to the output shaft and have the pinion gear (the one attached to the motor) move up and down the length of the cone to change the ratios. Ideally the width of the pinion would be the same as the mid point of the cone. This way the 1:1 ratio is in the center and then it can move either way for more torque or speed.

The diagram is a little rough since I'm not very skilled with drafting programs. The box is the motor and the shaft coming out fits inside the shaft which has the pinion gear. The shafts should be able to "slip" so the gear can move up and down the length -- this allows it to move up and down the gear while still being driven by the motor. A simple approach would be to use square shafts.

Somewhere a servo will be needed to move the pinion up and down the cone gear. This could be done by attaching a regular bearing to the shaft and having the servo attached to the outside of it.

To get more advanced we could add a wheel watcher (http://www.solarbotics.com/products/gmww02/) to automatically monitor the rotation and speed of the wheel and adjust the ratio accordingly. At that point it would become a fully automatic transmission and the microcontroller would just tell the setup how fast we want it to go.

So overall this is a pretty big project. Anybody have thoughts or other implementation ideas? Where do you think I could aquire the gears and slip shafts?


This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at https://community.robotshop.com/robots/show/a-cone-based-cvt-continuously-variable-transmission

It is cool. Why is 3D print

It is cool.

Why is 3D print still so far away?

Uuuh… THERE is a thing we could all chip in on; Ordering a thing made in 3D to be cast in plastic!

?
Indeed there is. Isn’t is a 3D print? Not so far away, then. Just far our of the reach of our pocket money.

Plagerize
If at first a task seems difficult, PLAGERIZE! Anyone know how a CVT works in a car or truck?

Wikipedia has some good
Wikipedia has some good information: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Continuously_variable_transmission

The Saturn Vue has this…

Great idea -And a thought…

I think in the automotive world the VST is done with two cones (opposite directions) and a belt sliding up and down.

www.rocketbrandcustom.com baby!!

Possibly a flywheel

clever idea, but i think you could get around constent monitoring by using a flywheel, (if people are not familer with a flywheel its basicly a little metal arm with a spring and a wieght, as something turns the waight pulls away from rotatoin) , so as one axis turns faster the flywheel opens up more which in turns pushes the axis futher along the cone.this will constantly be against a spring. Also you might want to look at elevator motors with gearbox’s. you cant tell when one of those changes gear

k

Here’s a relatable concept

Here’s a relatable concept robot to your project

 

video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uaT7M3Nwj7c

 

article

http://tech.slashdot.org/story/11/07/09/0236254/Novel-Drive-Wheel-System-Based-On-Spinning-Sphere