Arrangements for driving and steering of motor vehicles

摘要

A transmission arrangement for an engine driven vehicle having two continuously variable transmissions serving to drive left and right hand vehicle wheels at separately variable drive ratios. Each transmission incorporates a variator of the type in which a net torque applied to the variator through its input and output is referred to a ratio control part, which may be formed as a control lever, whose position governs the transmission's drive ratio. The control parts of the variators are each operatively coupled to a driver's speed control, such that the speed control determines a mean position of the two control parts. However they are both also able to move relative to the mean position, under the influence of the torque they react. Additionally the control parts are coupled to each other such that any displacement of one control part from the mean position is accompanied by an opposite displacement of the other control part. In this way the transmissions are enabled to the relative speeds of the driven vehicle wheels automatically to reduce or even eliminate wheel slip, whilst still providing the driver with control over overall vehicle speed.

主权项

1. A transmission arrangement for a motor vehicle, the arrangement comprising:
a speed control actuable by a driver of the vehicle; a first variator defining a continuously variable ratio device coupled between the engine and a right hand vehicle wheel and serving to determine a first drive ratio at which the right hand vehicle wheel is driven by the engine; and a second variator defining a continuously variable ratio device coupled between the engine and a left hand vehicle wheel and serving to determine a second drive ratio at which the left hand vehicle wheel is driven from the engine, wherein each variator being configured such that a reaction torque from each variator is reacted through a respective movable ratio control part whose position governs the respective first or second drive ratio, the control parts of the first and second variators are each operatively coupled to the speed control, such that the speed control determines a mean position of the two control parts, each of the control parts is able to move relative to the mean position under the influence of the reaction torque to which that control part reacts, and the control parts are coupled to each other such that any displacement of one control part from the mean position is accompanied by an opposite displacement of the other control part, so that through the speed control the driver has control over overall vehicle speed, but a difference between the first and second drive ratios is able to vary to accommodate differences in speed of the left and right driven vehicle wheels.