VARIABLE SPEED VEHICLE POWERTRAINS

摘要

A power dividing device (21) for a vehicle transmission to provide two rotating outputs (27, 30) having variable relative speed of rotation from a single rotatable input (20). The device (21) includes a first rotational element (22) driven in rotation about a rotational axis and a first rotation al output (27). A second rotational element (28) is housed within the first element (22) and is rotatable about the same axis to drive a second rotation al output (30). A first fluid chamber (31) is associated with the first rotational element (22) and first regulating means (35) to varies the volume of the first chamber (31) in response to rotation of the first rotational element (22). A second fluid chamber (32) is associated with the second rotational element (28) and second regulating means (36) varies the volume o f the second chamber (32) in response to rotation of the second rotational element (28). A commutator (33) at least regularly establishes a closed flui d flow communication between the first and second chambers (31, 32) during rotation of the first and second rotational elements (22, 28). The relative timing of variation of the volumes of the first and second chambers (31, 32) determines the speed of rotation of the second rotational element (28) in response to rotation of said first rotational element (22).