Title of Invention

"A CONTINUOUSLY VARIABLE TRANSMISSION DEVICE"

Abstract

This invention concerns a continuously variable transmission device for a vehicle comprising: a main transmission (Tl), having a transmission main shaft (21) having an input shaft and an output shaft (22), for continuously variably transmitting a rotation of said input shaft (23) to said output shaft (22); and a sub-transmission (T2) for reducing the rotation of said output shaft (22); and a casing (1) containing said main transmission (Tl) and said sub transmission (T2) characterised in that: a final output member (71, 91) of said sub-transmission (T2) is supported on said casing (1) by a first bearing (70), and one end of said transmission main shaft (21) with the other end supported on said casing (1) is supported, by a second bearing (72, 73), in a supporting hole (711, 911) formed in said final output member (71,91) along an axial line (L) thereof.

Full Text

[Detailed Description of the Present Invention] [0001] [Technical Field of the Invention] The present invention relates to a continuously variable transmission including a main transmission having a transmission main shaft including an input shaft and an output shaft for continuously variably transmitting a rotation of the input shaft to the output shaft, a sub-transmission for further reducing the rotation of the output shaft, and a casing containing the main transmission and the sub-transmission. [0002] [Related Art] Continuously variable transmissions of this type have been known, for example, from Japanese Patent Publication No. Hei 2-39667. A continuously variable transmission disclosed in this document includes a belt type main transmission, a sub-transmission composed of a gear train including a plurality of gears, and a casing containing the main transmission and the sub-transmission. [0003] [Problem to be Solved by the Invention] The above-described continuously variable transmission, however, has a problem that since the sub- transmission includes three shafts having different axial lines (that is, output shaft of the main transmission, intermediate shaft, and axle), not only the entire structure of the transmission becomes larger but also the cost is high because of the increased number of parts. [0004] In view of the foregoing, the present invention has been made, and an object of the present invention is to provide a continuously variable transmission aimed at reduction in size by reasonable arrangement of a main transmission and a sub-transmission. [0005] [Means for Solving the Problem] To achieve the object, according to an invention described in claim 1, a final output member of a sub-transmission is supported on a casing by means of a first bearing, and one end portion of a transmission main shaft is supported, by means of a second bearing, in a supporting hole formed in the final output member along an axial line ' thereof, so that it becomes possible to reduce the number of parts and to make smaller the size of the continuously variable transmission in the radial direction. [0006] According to an invention described in claim 2, the first bearing and the second bearing are overlapped to each other at least in part along the axial direction, so that it is possible to make smaller the size of the continuously variable transmission along the axial line. [0007] According to an invention described in claim 3, an input shaft and an output shaft of a transmission main shaft are disposed coaxially with each other, so that it is possible to further make smaller the size of the continuously variable transmission in the radial direction, [0008] [Brief Description of the Drawings] [Fig. 1] A vertical sectional view of a power unit for a vehicle. [Fig. 2] An enlarged view of an essential portion of Fig. 1. [Fig. 3] A sectional view taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2. [Fig. 4] A sectional view taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 2. [Fig. 5] An enlarged view of an another essential portion of Fig. 1. [Fig. 6] A view, similar to Fig. 5. showing a second embodiment. [Fig. 7] A view, similar to Fig. 5, showing a third embodiment. [Embodiments of the Invention] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. [0009] Figs. 1 to 5 show a first embodiment of the present invention, wherein Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view of a power unit for a vehicle; Fig. 2 is an enlarged view of an essential portion of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 2; and Fig. 5 is an enlarged view of an another essential portion of Fig. 1. [0010] As shown in Fig. 1, a power unit P, which is to be mounted on a motorcycle, includes an engine E and a casing 1 containing a continuously variable transmission T. The casing 1 is divided into three parts, a center casing 2, a left casing 3 connected to the left face of the center casing 2, and a right casing 4 connected to the right face of the center casing 2. A crank shaft 6, which is supported on the center casing 2 and the left casing 3 by means of a pair of ball bearings 5, 5, is connected via a connecting rod 9 to a piston 8 slidably fitted in a cylinder block 7 supported on the center casing 2 and the left casing 3. [0011] A power generator 10, provided at the left end of the crank shaft 6, is covered with a power generator cover 11 connected to the left face of the left casing 3. A drive gear 12 is relatively rotatably supported around the outer periphery of the right end of the crank shaft 6 extending in the right casing 4. The drive gear 12 is connectable to the crank shaft 6 by means of an automatic • centrifugal clutch 13 provided at the right end of the crank shaft 6. [0012] The structure of a main transmission T1 of a continuously variable transmission T will be described with reference to Figs. 1 and 2. A transmission main shaft 21 of the main transmission T1 includes an inner side output shaft 22, and a sleeve-like input shaft 23 relatively rotatably fitted around the outer periphery of the output shaft 22 via a needle bearing 24. Both the ends of the output shaft 22 are hung between the left casing 3. and the right casing 4. A driven gear 25 meshing with the drive gear 12 is fixed on the input shaft 23. The driven gear 25 includes an inner gear half 26 spline-connected to the input shaft 23, and an outer gear half 27 slightly, relatively rotatably connected to the inner gear half 26 via a plurality of rubber dampers 28 and meshing with the drive gear 12. When an engine torque transmitted from the drive gear 12 to the input shaft 23 by way of the driven gear 25 varies, the rubber dampers 28 act to reduce shock due to variations in the engine torque by deformation thereof. [0013] A drive face 29 having an annular contact portion 291 directed radially outward is spline-connected around the outer periphery of the input shaft 23, and a driven face 30 having an annular contact portion 301 directed radially inward is relatively rotatably supported around the outer periphery of the output shaft 22. [0014] A first cone holder 31 formed in an approximately conical shape is supported around the outer periphery of a boss portion 302 of the driven face 30 via a needle bearing 32 in such a manner as to be relatively rotatable and to be axially slidable. As seen from Figs. 1 to 3, a torque cam mechanism 33 for stopping rotation of the first cone holder 31 with respect to the casing 1 includes a pin 34 radially planted in the outer periphery of the first cone holder 31, a roller 36 rotatably supported on the pin 34 via a ball bearing 35, and a guide groove 41 formed in the inner wall face of the right casing 4 for guiding the roller 36. The guide groove 41 is inclined by an angle a with respect to an axial line L of the transmission main shaft 21. [0015] A plurality of double cone supporting shafts 37 are provided in such a manner as to cross a plurality of a windows 311 formed in the first cone holder 31. A double cone 39 is rotatably supported on each double cone supporting shaft 37 via needle bearings 38. The double cone supporting shafts 37 are disposed along a cone generating line centered on the axial line L of the transmission main shaft 21, and pass through a gap between the contact portion 291 of the drive face 29 and the contact portion 30i of the driven face 30. Each double cone 39 includes a first cone 40 and a second cone 41 which have a common bottom face. The contact portion 291 of the drive face 29 is brought in contact with the first cone 40, while the contact portion 301 of the driven face 30 is brought in contact with the second cone 41. [0016] A window 312 is opened in the upper portion of the first cone holder 31 facing to the crank shaft 6. The tooth face of the driven gear 25 contained in the first cone holder 31 faces to the window 312, and the drive gear 12 meshes with the driven gear 25 through the window 312. [0017] A centrifugal mechanism 51 is provided on the right side of the driven gear 25 for changing the speed change ratio of the continuously variable transmission T by axially sliding the first cone holder 31 in accordance with the rotational speed of the input shaft 23. The centrifugal mechanism 51 includes a sleeve 52 fixed around the outer periphery of the input shaft 23, a cam member 54 slidably fitted around the outer periphery of the sleeve 52 via a bush 53, and a plurality of centrifugal weights 55 disposed between a fixed cam face 261 formed on the right face of the inner gear half 26 of the driven gear 25 and a movable cam face 541 formed on the left face of the cam member 54. The outer periphery of the second cam holder 56 covering the centrifugal mechanism 51 is fixed by a clip 57 at the right end of the first cone holder 31, and the inner periphery of the second cone holder 56 is supported on the cam member 54 by means of a ball bearing 58. [0018] The first and second cone holders 31 and 56 co¬operate to define a space surrounding the transmission main shaft 21. The driven gear 25, drive face 29, and centrifugal mechanism 51 are contained in the space. The space is also communicated to the inner space of the casing 1 through the window 312 to which the tooth face of the driven gear 25 faces and through the windows 311 supporting the double cones 39. [0019] A stepped collar 59 fitted to the right end of the sleeve 52 is supported around the outer periphery of the right end of the output shaft 22 by means of a ball bearing 60, and the right face of the ball bearing 60 is fixed to the output shaft 22 by means of a cotter 61. The transmission main shaft 21 including the output shaft 22 and the input shaft 23 is supported on the right casing 4 by means of a ball bearing 62 fitted around the outer periphery of the input shaft 23. A spring 64 is provided in a contracted state between a spring retainer 63 supported by the ball bearing 62 and the second cone holder 56. The second cone holder 56 and the first cone holder 31 are biased in the left direction by an elastic force of the spring 64. [0020] When the rotational speed of the input shaft 23 is increased, the centrifugal weights 55 are moved radially outward by centrifugal forces applied to the centrifugal weights 55, and both the cam faces 261, 541 are pressed by the centrifugal weights 55. As a result, the cam member 54 is moved in the right direction against the elastic force of the spring 64, so that the second cone holder 56 connected to the cam member 54 by means of the ball bearing 58 and the first cone holder 31 are moved in the right direction. [0021] A pressure adjusting cam mechanism 67 is provided between the right end of an output gear 66 spline-connected to the left end of the output shaft 22 and fixed thereto by a cotter 65 and the left end of the driven face 30. As seen from Fig. 4, the pressure adjusting cam mechanism 67 is so configured that balls 68 are each held between a plurality of recessed portions 661 formed at the right end of the output gear 66 and a plurality of recessed portions 303 formed at the left end of the driven face 30, and a disc spring 69 for imparting a rightward biasing pre-load to the driven face 30 is interposed between the output gear 66 and the driven face 30. When the driven face 30 is applied with a toque and is rotated relative to the output gear 66, it is biased by the pressure adjusting cam mechanism 67 in the direction being separated from the output gear 66 (right direction, in the figure). [0022] As seen from Fig. 5, a third reduction gear 71 is rotatably supported on the left casing 3 by means of a ball bearing 70. A supporting hole 711 is formed in the right end surface of the third reduction gear 71 along the axial line L, and the left end of the output shaft 22 is coaxially supported on the third reduction gear 71 by means. of a needle bearing 72 and a ball bearing 73 provided in the supporting hole 711. A reduction gear 75 is supported on the left casing 3 and the center casing 2 by means of a pair of ball bearings 74, 74, and first and second reduction gears 76, 77 provided on the reduction shaft 75 mesh with the output gear 66 and the third reduction gear 71, respectively. A drive sprocket 79, around which an endless chain 78 is wound, is provided at the leading end of the shaft portion of the third reduction gear 71 projecting outward from the left casing 4. The rotation of the output shaft 22 is thus transmitted to a drive wheel via the output gear 66, first reduction gear 76, second reduction gear 77, third reduction gear 71, drive sprocket 79, and endless chain 78. The output gear 66, first reduction gear 76, second reduction gear 77, third reduction gear 71, and reduction shaft 75 constitute a sub-transmission T2. [0023] In this way, in addition to the coaxial arrangement of the output shaft 22 and the input shaft 23 of the main transmission T1, the third reduction gear 71 as the final output member of the sub-transmission T2 is thus disposed coaxially with the output shaft 22 of the main transmission T1,it becomes possible to make smaller the size of the continuously variable transmission T in the radial direction. Also, since the needle bearing 72 supporting the left end of the output shaft 22 in the supporting hole 711 and the ball bearing 70 supporting the third reduction gear 71 onto the left casing 3 are disposed so as to be overlapped to each other along the axial direction L, it becomes possible to make smaller the size of the continuously variable transmission T along the axial line L. [0024] An oil passage 42 formed in the right casing 4 is communicated to an oil passage 221 axially passing through the output shaft 22, and each portion of the continuously variable transmission T is lubricated by an oil supplied from the oil passage 221 to the inner space surrounded by the first and second cone holders 31, 56. [0025] Next, the function of this embodiment of the present invention having the above-described configuration will be described. [0026] As shown in Fig. 2, a distance A between the contact portion 291 of the drive face 29 and the axial line L of the transmission main shaft 21 is constant, while a distance B between the contact portion 291 of the drive face 29 and the double cone supporting shaft 37 is variable (BL, BT). A distance C between the contact portion 301 of the driven face 30 and the double cone supporting shaft 37 is variable (CL, CT), while a distance D between the contact portion 301 of the driven face 30 and the axial line L of the transmission main shaft 21 is constant. [0027] A speed change ratio R is given by R = NDR/NDN = (B/A)X(D/C) where NDR is a rotational speed of the drive face 29 and NDN is a rotational speed of the driven face 30. [0028] When the engine E is rotated at a low speed, the rotational speed of the driven gear 25 driven by the driven gear 12 is low. At this time, as shown on the upper half in Fig. 2, since centrifugal forces applied to the centrifugal weights 55 of the centrifugal mechanism 51 are low, the second cone holder 56 and the first cone holder 31 are moved in the left direction by the elastic force of the spring 64. As the first cone holder 31 is moved in the left direction, the contact portion 291 of the driven face 29 is moved on the bottom face side of the first cone 40 of the double cone 39 and thereby the distance B is increased to the maximum value BL, while the contact portion 301 of the driven face 30 is moved on the vertex side of the second cone 41 of the double cone 39 and thereby the distance C is decreased to the minimum value CL. [0029] When the distance B is increased to the maximum value BL and the distance C is decreased to the minimum value CL as described above (the distances A, D are constant), the speed change ratio R is increased into a LOW ratio. [0030] On the other hand, when the engine E is Rotated at a high speed, the rotational speed of the driven .gear 25 driven by the drive gear 12 is high. At this time, as shown on the lower half in Fig. 2, since centrifugal forces applied to the centrifugal weights 55 of the centrifugal mechanism 51 are high, the second cone holder 56 and the first cone holder 31 are moved in the right direction against the elastic force of the spring 64 by the action of the centrifugal weights 55 moved radially outward by the centrifugal forces. As the first cone holder 31 is moved in the right direction, the contact portion 291 of the drive face 29 is moved on the vertex side of the first cone. 40 of the double cone 39 and thereby the distance B is decreased to the minimum value BT, while the contact portion 301 of the driven face 30 is moved on the bottom face side of the second cone 41 of the double cone 39 and thereby the distance C is increased to the maximum value CT. [0031] When the distance B is decreased to the minimum value BT and the distance C is increased to the maximum value CT as described above (the distances A, D are constant), the speed change ratio R is decreased into a TOP ratio. [0032] In this way, the speed change ratio of the continuously variable transmission T can be continuously changed between the LOW and TOP sides in accordance with the rotational speed of the engine E. Furthermore, since the speed change ratio is automatically controlled by the centrifugal mechanism 51, it becomes possible to reduce the cost due to simplification of the structure and to make smaller the size of the continuously variable transmission T, as compared with the case of provision of a speed change controller for manually controlling speed change from the outside of the casing 1 or of provision of an electronic speed change controller. [0033] The rotation of the drive face 29 is thus transmitted at a specified speed change ratio R to the driven face 30 via the double cones 39 and the rotation of the driven face 30 is transmitted to the output gear 66 via the pressure adjusting cam mechanism 67. At this time, when a relative rotation is generated between the driven face 30 and the output gear 66 by a torque applied to the driven face 30, the driven face 30 is biased in the direction where it is separated from the output gear 66 by the pressure adjusting cam mechanism 67. The biasing force generates, in co-operation with the biasing force by the disc spring 69, a face pressure for pressing the contact portion 291 of the drive face 29 to the first cone 40 of the double cone 39 and a face pressure for pressing the contact portion 301 of the driven face 30 to the second cone 41 of the double cone 39. [0034] Incidentally, while the biasing force by the pressure adjusting cam mechanism 67 presses the output gear 66 in the left direction, the leftward pressing force is transmitted to the output gear 22 because the left end of the output gear 66 is fixed to the left end of the output shaft 22 by the cotter 65. Furthermore, while the biasing force by the pressure adjusting cam mechanism 67 presses the driven face 30 in the right direction, the rightward pressing force is transmitted from the driven face 30 to the right end of the output shaft 33 by way of the double cones 39, drive face 29, inner gear half 26, sleeve 52, ball bearing 62, collar 59, ball bearing 60, the cotter 61. [0035] Accordingly, the load applied from the pressure adjusting cam mechanism 67 to the output gear 66 and the driven face 30 for respectively pressing them in the left and right directions, acts as a tensile load for the output shaft 22, and the tensile load is canceled by an internal stress of the output shaft 22. As a result, the pr-essing load of the pressure adjusting cam mechanism 67 is not transmitted to the casing 1. This eliminates the need of reinforcing the strength of the casing 1 to such an extent as to withstand the pressing load, thereby reducing the weight of the continuously variable transmission T. Also, since the drive face 29 and the driven face 30 are biased only by one pressure adjusting cam mechanism 67, it is possible to reduce the number of parts and the cost, as compared with the case where they are biased by individual pressure cam mechanisms 67. [0036] Although the first cone holder 31 is intended to be rotated around the transmission main shaft 21 by a reaction force to the transmission torque of the drive face 29 upon speed change operation by the continuously variable transmission T, the reaction force to the transmission torque is received by engagement between the roller 36 of the torque cam mechanism 33 supported by the first cone holder 31 and the guide groove 41 formed in the right casing 4, and consequently the first cone holder 31 can be slid in the axial direction without any rotation. [0037] When an engine torque is rapidly increased for rapid acceleration during running of a vehicle, a reaction force to a transmission torque, which is applied to the first cone holder 31, is increased along with the rapid increase in the engine torque. Consequently, as shown in Fig. 3, the roller 36 is brought in press-contact with the wall face of the inclined guide groove 41 by a load F, and the first cone holder 31 is biased on the left side (on the LOW ratio side) in Fig. 2 by a component F1 of the load F applied in the direction of the guide groove 41. Namely, the speed change ratio is automatically changed on the LOW ratio side by the action of the torque cam mechanism 33, so that the so-called kick-down effect is exhibited and the vehicle can be effectively accelerated. [0038] Furthermore, the speed change ratio control upon kick-down can be automatically performed by the torque cam mechanism 33 in accordance with a change in engine torque without the need of provision of any special speed change controller, so that it is possible to reduce the cost due to simplification of the structure and to make smaller the size of the continuously variable transmission T. In addition, the change characteristic of the speed change ratio can be easily adjusted only by changing the shape of the guide groove 41 of the torque cam mechanism 33. [0039] Although the lower portions of the first and second cone holders 31, 56 of the continuously variable transmission T are immersed in oil stored in the bottom portion of the casing 1, a large amount of oil does not permeate from the bottom portion of the casing 1 into the inner space surrounded by the first and second cone holders 31, 56 because the windows 311 supporting the double cone 39 and the windows 322 to which the gear tooth of the driven gear 25 faces are positioned higher than an oil level OL of the oil (see Fig. 2). Even if a lubricating oil is supplied from the oil passage 221 passing through the output shaft 22 into the inner space surrounded by the first and second cone holders 31, 56, the oil is scattered outward by the centrifugal force generated by rotation of the driven gear 25. As a result, the minimum oil required for lubrication is held in the inner space surrounded by the first and second cone holders 31, 56. [0040] Since the driven gear 25 stirs only a small amount of oil as described above, it is possible to suppress a loss in power due to the stirring of unnecessary oil at minimum. Furthermore, since the oil permeation is prevented by the first and second cone holders 31, 56, it is possible to eliminate the need of provision of any special oil preventive member and hence to reduce the number of parts. [0041] As described above, the arrangement of the driven gear 25 in the space defined by the first and second cone holders 31, 56 makes it possible to reduce the oil stirring resistance as compared with the case of arrangement of the driven gear 25 outside the space. Furthermore, the arrangement of the drive face 29 and the centrifugal mechanism 51 on the right and left sides of the driven gear 25 makes it possible to make use of the capacity of the above space and hence to make compact the continuously variable transmission T. [0042] A second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Fig. 6. [0043] The second embodiment is so configured that the sub-transmission T2 of the continuously variable transmission T in the first embodiment is added with a shift mechanism for switching the shift position between the drive position and the neutral position. The output gear 66 does not directly mesh with the first reduction gear 76, but it indirectly meshes therewith via shift gear 81. Specifically, the shift gear 81 includes an external tooth portion 811 capable of meshing with the output gear 66 and an internal tooth portion 812 capable of meshing with the first reduction gear 76, the shift gear 81 being slidable on the reduction shaft 75 by a fork arm 82. A columnar shift drum 84 having in the outer periphery thereof a cam groove 841 is fixed on a shift shaft 83 rotatably supported on the left casing 3 and the center casing 2. A pin 85 engaged with the cam groove 841 is planted at the base end of the fork arm 82 fitted around the shift drum 84. The shift shaft 83 can be stably stopped at two positions corresponding to the drive position and the neutral position by a detent mechanism 88 including a spring 86 and a ball 87. [0044] When the shift shaft 83 is rotated in one direction by operation of a shift lever (not shown), the shift fork arm is moved to the left position shown in the figure with the pin 85 guided in the cam groove 84l of the shift drum 84 so that the output gear 66 meshes with the first reduction gear 76 via the shift gear 81. The shift position is thus switched to the drive position. On the contrary, when the shift shaft 83 is rotated in the reversed direction, the shift fork arm is moved in the right direction with the pin 85 guided in the cam groove 841 of the shift drum 84 so that the shift gear 81 is separated from the first reduction gear 76. The shift position is thus switched to the neutral position. [0045] Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Fig. 7. [0046] In the third embodiment, a planetary gear mechanism is used as the sub-transmission T2. A planetary carrier 91 as the final output member of the planetary gear mechanism is supported on the left casing 3 by means of the ball bearing 70, and the left end of the output shaft 22 is coaxially supported by means of the needle bearing 72 and the ball bearing 73 provided in a supporting hole 911 formed in the planetary carrier 91 along the axial line L. A ring gear 92 is fixed on the inner surface of the left casing 3 by means of bolts 93, and a sun gear 94 is fixed on the output shaft 22. A plurality of pinions 95 provided on the planetary carrier 91 mesh with the ring gear 92 and the sun gear 94. Thus, the rotation of the output shaft 22 is reduced and transmitted to the planetary carrier 91 as the final output member. [0047] In the third embodiment, since the planetary carrier 91 of the sub-transmission T2 is disposed coaxially with the output shaft 22 of the main transmission TI, it is possible to make smaller the size of the continuously variable transmission T in the radial direction, and since the ball bearing 70 supporting the planetary carrier 91 onto the left casing 3 and the needle bearing 72 supporting the output shaft 22 in the supporting hole 911 of the planetary carrier 91 are disposed so as to be overlapped to each other, it is possible to make smaller the size of the continuously variable transmission T in the axial direction. [0048] While the embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail, such description is for illustrative purposes only, and it is to be understood that changes and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. [0049] For example, although the cone type continuously variable transmission T has been exemplified in the embodiments, the present invention can be applied to other continuously variable transmissions such as a belt type continuously variable transmission. [0050] [Effect of the Invention] As described above, according to the invention described in claim 1, a final output member of a sub-transmission is supported on a casing by means of a first bearing, and one end of a transmission main shaft with the other end supported on the casing is supported, by means of a second bearing, in a supporting hole formed in the final output member along an axial line thereof. Namely, in this configuration, the final output member of the sub-transmission is disposed on the same axial line as that of the transmission main shaft of the main transmission, and consequently, it becomes possible to make smaller the size of the continuously variable transmission in the radial direction. [0051] According to the invention described in claim 2, the first bearing and the second bearing are overlapped to each other at least in part along the axial direction, so that it is possible to make smaller the size of the continuously variable transmission along the axial line. [0052] According to the invention described in claim 3, an input shaft and an output shaft of the transmission main shaft are disposed coaxially with each other, so that it is possible to further make smaller the size of the continuously variable transmission in the radial direction. [Explanation of Characters] 1: casing, 21: transmission main shaft, 22: output shaft, 23: input shaft, 70: ball bearing {first bearing), 71: third reduction gear (final output shaft), 71a: supporting hole, 72: needle bearing (second bearing), 73: ball bearing (second bearing), 91: planetary carrier (final output member), 911: supporting hole, L: axial line, T1: main transmission, T2: sub-transmission [Claim 1] A continuously variable transmission comprising: a main transmission (T1), having a transmission main shaft (21) including an input shaft (23) and an output shaft (22), for continuously variably transmitting a rotation of said input shaft (23) to said output shaft (22); and a sub-transmission (T2) for further reducing the rotation of said output shaft (22); and a casing (1) containing said main transmission (T1) and said sub-transmission (T2); " wherein a final output member (71, 91) of said sub-transmission (T2) is supported on said casing (1) by means of a first bearing (70), and one end of said transmission main shaft (21) with the other end supported on said casing (1) is supported, by means of a second bearing (72, 73), in a supporting hole (71l, 911) formed in said final output member (71, 91) along an axial line (L) thereof. [Claim 2] A continuously variable transmission according to claim 1, wherein said first bearing (70) and said second bearing (72, 73) are overlapped to each other at least in part in the direction of said axial line (L). [Claim 3] A continuously variable transmission according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said input shaft (23) and said output shaft (22) of said transmission main shaft (21) are disposed coaxially with each other. 4. A continuously variable transmission substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

Documents:

1416-del-1997-abstract.pdf

1416-del-1997-claims.pdf

1416-del-1997-correspondence-others.pdf

1416-del-1997-correspondence-po.pdf

1416-del-1997-description (complete).pdf

1416-del-1997-drawings.pdf

1416-del-1997-form-1.pdf

1416-del-1997-form-13.pdf

1416-del-1997-form-19.pdf

1416-del-1997-form-2.pdf

1416-del-1997-form-3.pdf

1416-del-1997-form-4.pdf

1416-del-1997-form-6.pdf

1416-del-1997-gpa.pdf

1416-del-1997-petition-137.pdf

1416-del-1997-petition-138.pdf

1461-del-1997-complete specification (granted).pdf