Experimental Study on the Input Coupled type CVT combined a Differential Gear and V-Belt type CVU

A continuously variable transmission(CVT) mechanism composed of one differential gear unit and one continuously variable unit(CVU) can be classified according to the coupling of CVU and the direction of power flows. The mechanism has many advantages which are the decrease of CVT size, the increase of overall efficiency, the extension of speed ratio range and generation of geared neutral. The CVT mechanism considered here is the input coupled type which combines the functions of a 2K-H I type differential gear unit and a V-belt type CVU. One shaft of the CVU is connected directly to the input shaft and another shaft of it is linked to the differential gear unit. It is shown that some fundamental relations(speed ratios, power flows and efficiencies) for twelve mechanisms previously described are valid by various experimental studies, six of them produce a power circulation and the others produce a power split. Some useful comparisons between theoretical analysis and experimental results are presented. General properties also are discussed, which connect following power flow modes : (a) power circulation mode; (b) power split mode.