Thread: new type gearbox

My brother's wife in the US has a Ford Freestyle people mover, hardly a small car. It has an infinitely variable transmission, with the gearing controlled by speed and accelerator position and rate of change to give optimum fuel economy or power deduced from this. By all accounts it works effectively, and has been troublefree, although I think they have now replaced it in production with a conventional transmission, probably because of production problems.

John

This is not a CVT transmission. It's a set of planetaries which requires a completely seperate variable speed drive (i.e. electric motor) to provide speed changes.

It's basically a toyota prius drivetrain, they use the engine on one shaft, the electric motor on the other.

Unfortunately there's nothing new here, just a guy who thought there was and got all excited.

Originally Posted by Dougal

... ... .... ...

Unfortunately there's nothing new here, just a guy who thought there was and got all excited.

- and as I said here
very cool infinite drive
he is not the only one working on something like this.

Originally Posted by vnx205

- and as I said here
very cool infinite drive
he is not the only one working on something like this.

As well as that, CVT transmissions have been in production for over 10 years, they first appeared about 20 years ago.

Nissan HyperCVT
Subaru Justy CVT
Honda Jazz CVT
Audi 8 speed CV auto is actually a 4 speed auto with a CVT on the back.

Originally Posted by LR2Luver

I agree, HardChina, it does look like its been knocked back. In the Written International Search attached to the patent application they have identified 4 other 'parties' who have made submissioms to the PCT, Renault being the most recognisable, and their application was dated 2005. The oldest application of the four is 1992. If I'm not mistaken DAF were the first to use a variable ratio transmission in a production car application, albiet with a rubber belt, way back before Volvo bought DAF. And I think that Nissan - through their amalgamation with Renault - were the first in more recent times to use a steel chain for their CVT.

I would suggest that Mr Durnin's 'invention' is more a clever piece of engineering design rather than a fresh, new invention with novelty attached. My perception is that it is a good design, and well worth consideration by car makers. But I can't see that it is anything new; it still has gears, shafts, rotational movement etc like any other transmission. It just doesn't use a 'belt' to vary the ratios.

I was told by my long dead grand father (an honourable gent no less) who owned a Model T ford that the gear box is CVT like so even Henry Ford had a jump on this guy.

The Suzuki Kizashi has a cvt now as well, so won't be long till autos are gone.