Electric continuously variable transmission

Abstract

To improve assemblability of an electric continuously variable transmission.SOLUTION: In an electric continuously variable transmission comprising an actuator that changes a groove width of a pulley to be controlled, a pulley drive arm 71 and a nut member 75 of a feed screw mechanism 73 are connected via a ball joint 76, a ball bearing 79 can be fitted into a ball housing 78 of the ball joint 76 through an opening 78d on the nut member 75 side, and when a connection pin 77 is inclined from an upright state relative to the ball housing 78, the outer peripheral part of a flange part 77b of the connection pin 77 can be in contact with the inner peripheral part of a seat bore part 78b of the ball housing 78.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an electric continuously variable transmission. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, research and development has been conducted into improving fuel efficiency, which contributes to energy efficiency, in order to ensure that more people have access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and advanced energy. In belt-type continuously variable transmissions used in saddle-ride vehicles such as motorcycles, the gear ratio is changed according to the rotation speed by using centrifugal weights. However, to further improve fuel efficiency, it is preferable to perform gear change control that takes into account more conditions than just the rotation speed. For example, Patent Document 1 describes an electric belt-type continuously variable transmission that includes a drive pulley supported on an input shaft, a driven pulley supported on an output shaft, a transmission belt wound around both pulleys, and an actuator that is driven by a control device and applies an axial force to one of the pulleys to change the groove width. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] International Publication No. 2017 / 135046 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the above conventional structure, the actuator includes a motor that generates rotational power and a feed screw mechanism that converts the rotational power of the motor into axial power of a controlled pulley. A pulley drive member is connected to the controlled pulley so as to be relatively rotatable. This pulley drive member faces an operating member of the feed screw mechanism in the radial direction, and the pulley drive member and operating member are connected via a ball joint. The ball joint comprises a connecting pin fixed to, for example, a pulley drive member, a ball housing provided on, for example, an actuating member, and a ball bearing housed in the ball housing and supported by the connecting pin. The ball housing is cylindrical and has a bottom, and is positioned with its bottom facing the pulley drive member. A through hole with a diameter smaller than that of the ball bearing is formed in the bottom of the ball housing, and the support shaft of the connecting pin is inserted into this through hole. A stopper surface is formed on the inner periphery of the through hole, against which the outer periphery of the support shaft abuts to regulate the rotation angle of the connecting pin. A ball bearing is fitted into the ball housing from the opening side, and the support shaft of the connecting pin is inserted through the through hole into the connecting hole of the ball bearing. This connects the pulley drive member and the operating member via the ball joint. However, in the above conventional configuration, the ball bearing is fitted alone into the ball housing, and the support shaft portion of the connecting pin that passes through the through hole is inserted into the connecting hole of this ball bearing, which poses the problem of difficulty in assembling the area around the ball joint.

[0005] The present invention aims to solve the above-mentioned problems by improving the assembly ease of an electric continuously variable transmission, which in turn contributes to energy efficiency. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] As a means for solving the above problems, a first aspect of the present invention includes a drive pulley (46) supported on an input shaft (12), a driven pulley (48) supported on an output shaft (47), a transmission belt (49) wound around the drive pulley (46) and the driven pulley (48), a transmission case (15a) accommodating the drive pulley (46), the driven pulley (48) and the transmission belt (49), and a control pulley (46) attached to the transmission case (15a) and driven by a control device, one of the drive pulley (46) and the driven pulley (48) being a controlled pulley (46), In an electric continuously variable transmission including an actuator (50) that applies an axial force to a movable sheave (52) of a pulley (46) to change the groove width, the actuator (50) includes a motor (56) that generates rotational power, and a feed screw mechanism (73) that converts the rotational power of the motor (56) into axial power of the drive pulley (46), and a pulley drive member (71) that can apply axial thrust to the movable sheave (52) is connected to the drive pulley (46) so as to be relatively rotatable, and an operating member (75) of the pulley drive member (71) and the feed screw mechanism (73) and are connected via a ball joint (76), and the ball joint (76) includes a connecting pin (77) fixed to one of the pulley drive member (71) and the operating member (75), a ball housing (78) provided on the other of the pulley drive member (71) and the operating member (75), and a ball bearing (79) supported by the connecting pin (77) while housed in the ball housing (78). The ball housing (78) is cylindrical with a bottom and has an opening (78d) on one side of the pulley drive member (71) and the operating member (75), and the opening (78 a ball bearing (79) can be fitted into the connecting pin (77) from the connecting pin (77) through the flange (77b), and the connecting pin (77) includes a support shaft portion (77a) fitted into the ball bearing (79) and a flange portion (77b) provided on the base end side of the support shaft portion (77a) and formed with a diameter larger than that of the ball bearing (79); the ball housing (78) includes a support wall portion (78a) having an inner diameter (D1) capable of supporting the ball bearing (79), and a seat bore portion (78b) connected to the opening (78d) side of the support wall portion (78a) and forming an opening (78d) with a diameter larger than that of the support wall portion (78a) and the flange portion (77b);When the connecting pin (77) is tilted from the upright position relative to the ball housing (78), the outer periphery (77b1) of the flange portion (77b) can come into contact with the inner periphery (78b1) of the seating portion (78b). With this configuration, when the connecting pin tilts, the outer periphery of the flange of the connecting pin abuts against the inner periphery of the counter bore on the opening side of the ball housing, thereby forming a stopper structure between the counter bore and the flange that limits the tilt (swing) of the connecting pin. Therefore, while allowing the connecting pin to swing and accommodating component tolerances and assembly tolerances, the swing angle of the connecting pin is limited, allowing the thrust of the feed screw mechanism to be accurately transmitted to the pulley drive member. By making the opening side of the ball housing larger in diameter than the ball bearing and flange, the connecting pin with the ball bearing fitted can be inserted into the ball housing from the opening side. This improves the ease of assembly around the ball joint.

[0007] In a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect, at least a portion of the flange portion (77b) is disposed within the recessed portion (78b). With this configuration, the flange portion fits into the seat cavity, thereby substantially closing the opening of the ball housing and preventing foreign matter from entering the ball housing. The flange portion also prevents the grease filled inside the ball housing from leaking out.

[0008] A third aspect of the present invention is the first or second aspect, wherein a flange end portion (77b1) extending radially of the connecting pin (77) is formed between the outer periphery (77a1) of the support shaft portion (77a) and the outer periphery (77b3) of the flange portion (77b), and an inner periphery step portion (78c) extending radially of the ball housing (78) is formed between the inner periphery (78a1) of the support wall portion (78a) and the inner periphery (78b1) of the seating portion (78b). When the connecting pin (77) is upright relative to the ball housing (78), the inner periphery step portion (78c) and the flange end portion (77b1) overlap each other when viewed from the axial direction and face each other with a gap (s1) in the axial direction. With this configuration, when the connecting pin is in an upright position, the inner peripheral step portion and the flange end overlap each other when viewed from the axial direction, and face each other with a gap in the axial direction. This prevents the flange portion from leaking out of the grease filled inside the ball housing, while also making it possible to absorb tolerances in the axial distance between the crankshaft and the shaft, thereby improving the operation of the ball joint.

[0009] A fourth aspect of the present invention is any one of the first to third aspects, wherein the ball housing (78) includes a first outer peripheral portion (78f) formed radially outward from the support wall portion (78a), a second outer peripheral portion (78g) formed radially outward from the seating portion (78b) and having an outer diameter smaller than that of the first outer peripheral portion (78f), and an outer peripheral step portion (78h) formed between the first outer peripheral portion (78f) and the second outer peripheral portion (78g) and extending radially, and a sealing member (87) surrounding the outer periphery of the flange portion (77b) is attached to the connecting pin (77), and a tip portion (87c) of the sealing member (87) abuts against the outer peripheral step portion (78h). With this configuration, by providing a seal member that surrounds the outer periphery of the flange portion of the connecting pin, it is possible to prevent the grease filled inside the ball housing from leaking out and also to prevent foreign matter from entering the ball joint.When the connecting pin with the ball bearing fitted is inserted into the ball housing from the opening side, the insertion work can be performed with the seal member attached to the connecting pin.

[0010] A fifth aspect of the present invention is any one of the first to fourth aspects, wherein the connecting pin (77) extends axially from the flange portion (77b) to the opposite side of the support shaft portion (77a) and includes a fixed shaft portion (77c) having a smaller diameter than the flange portion (77b). According to this configuration, by providing the connecting pin with a fixed shaft portion having a smaller diameter than the flange portion, this fixed shaft portion can be inserted into the pin fixing portion of one of the pulley drive member and the operating member and fixed in place. By making the fixed shaft portion smaller in diameter, the pin fixing portion does not become larger, and by inserting the fixed shaft portion until it hits the flange portion, the axial height of the connecting pin can be determined.

[0011] A sixth aspect of the present invention is any one of the first to fifth aspects, wherein the connecting pin (77) is fixed to the pulley drive member (71), and the ball housing (78) is provided on the operating member (75). With this configuration, by fixing the connecting pin to the pulley drive member, the ball bearing can be pre-assembled together with the connecting pin on the pulley drive member side, and then the feed screw mechanism can be assembled to the controlled pulley. By providing the ball housing on the operating member, the center of rotation of the ball joint (the input point of the reaction force when the pulley is operated) approaches the central axis of the feed screw mechanism, and the bending moment acting on the feed screw mechanism can be suppressed.

[0012] A seventh aspect of the present invention is any one of the first to fifth aspects, wherein the connecting pin (77) is fixed to the operating member (75), and the ball housing (78) is provided on the pulley drive member (71). With this configuration, by fixing the connecting pin to the actuating member, it is possible to prevent the actuating member and, by extension, the feed screw mechanism from becoming larger than when a ball housing is provided on the actuating member. By providing the ball housing on the pulley drive member, the distance from the base of the pulley drive member to the rotation center of the ball joint (the input point of the reaction force when the pulley is operated) is shortened, and the bending moment acting on the pulley drive member can be reduced. [Effects of the Invention]

[0013] According to the present invention, the assembly of the electric continuously variable transmission can be improved. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0014] [Figure 1] 1 is a left side view of a motorcycle according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a left side view showing the periphery of a power unit of the motorcycle. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a plan view including an exploded cross section of the drive pulley and its surroundings of the transmission of the power unit. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing the developed cross section of FIG. 3. [Figure 5] 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing the periphery of the feed screw mechanism of FIG. 4. [Figure 6] 1 is an exploded perspective view of an electric continuously variable transmission according to an embodiment; [Figure 7] FIG. 6 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing the periphery of a ball joint in FIG. 5. [Figure 8] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an assembly including a drive pulley and a pulley drive arm. [Figure 9] 6 is a cross-sectional view corresponding to FIG. 5 showing the periphery of a ball joint according to a modified example of the embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0015] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, directions such as front, rear, left, and right are the same as directions in the vehicle described below unless otherwise specified. In addition, in the drawings used in the following description, an arrow FR indicating the front of the vehicle, an arrow LH indicating the left side of the vehicle, an arrow UP indicating the top of the vehicle, and a line CL indicating the center of the left and right sides of the vehicle body are shown in appropriate locations. The term "middle" used in this embodiment refers not only to the center between both ends of an object, but also to the range inside the both ends of the object.

[0016] <Entire vehicle> FIG. 1 is a left side view of a motorcycle 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Motorcycle 1 is an example of a saddle-ride type vehicle. Motorcycle 1 is a scooter-type vehicle having a floor-like step (footrest) and a straddle space K1 for getting on and off in front of seat 28, but it may also be a vehicle having a bar-type step or a knee-grip portion. Motorcycle 1 is a unit swing type vehicle in which engine (prime mover) 11 and transmission 15 are integrated and can swing up and down together with rear wheel (drive wheel) 4, but it may also be a vehicle in which at least one of engine 11 and transmission 15 is fixedly supported on body frame 20.

[0017] The motorcycle 1 has a front wheel 3 steered by a handlebar 2, and a rear wheel 4 driven by a power unit 10 including a power source. Steering system components including the handlebar 2 and the front wheel 3 are steerably supported on a head pipe 21 located at the front end of a body frame 20. The front part of the power unit 10 is supported via a suspension link or the like at the midpoint between the front and rear of the body frame 20 so as to be able to swing up and down. The rear end of the power unit 10 is supported at the rear of the body frame 20 via a rear cushion 9, which is a shock absorber.

[0018] The body frame 20 comprises a head pipe 21 that extends in the vertical direction at an angle so that the upper side is positioned further rearward in a side view, an upper down frame 22 that extends rearward from the middle part of the head pipe 21 in a downward direction from the upper to lower part, a lower down frame 23 that extends downward from the lower part of the head pipe 21 and then bends rearward and extends, seat rails 24 that extend rearward and upward from the middle part of the length of the upper down frame 22, and a center frame 25 that extends rearward and bends rearward from the rear end part of the lower down frame 23 and supports the middle part of the length of the seat rail 24 from below.

[0019] The periphery of the body frame 20 is covered with a body cover 30. A seat 28 for a passenger to sit on is provided above the rear of the body cover 30. The vehicle body cover 30 includes a pair of left and right step floors 31 on which a driver seated in the seat 28 places his or her feet, a center tunnel 32 extending in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle between the left and right step floors 31, a front body cover 33 continuing forward of the center tunnel 32 and the left and right step floors 31, and a rear body cover 34 continuing rearward of the center tunnel 32 and the left and right step floors 31. A straddle space K1 is formed above the center tunnel 32 between the seat 28 and the handlebars 2 to make it easier for the occupant to straddle the vehicle body.

[0020] A main stand 36 that supports the vehicle body in an upright, standing position is supported on the underside of the power unit 10. The main stand 36 in Figure 1 is shown in a stored position, flipped up toward the rear of the vehicle. A side stand 37 that supports the vehicle body in an upright position, tilted to the left, is supported on the lower left side of the lower down frame 23. Figure 1 shows the side stand 37 in an upright position, supporting the vehicle body in an upright position.

[0021] <Power Unit 10> Fig. 2 is a left side view showing the periphery of the power unit 10 of the motorcycle 1. Fig. 3 is a plan view including an exploded cross section of the periphery of the drive pulley 46 of the V-belt continuously variable transmission 16 of the power unit 10. Fig. 4 is an enlarged cross section showing the exploded cross section of Fig. 3. 2 to 4, the power unit 10 includes a water-cooled single-cylinder engine (internal combustion engine) 11, and a transmission device 15 connected to the engine 11 and the rear wheel 4 to transmit the output of the engine 11 to the rear wheel 4. A transmission case 15a of the transmission device 15 is integrally coupled (for example, formed integrally) with the body (crankcase 13) of the engine 11.

[0022] 1, the engine 11 includes a crankcase 13 that supports the crankshaft 12, and a cylinder 14 that is coupled to the front of the crankcase 13. An intake device 18A is connected to the top of the cylinder head of the cylinder 14, and an exhaust device 19A is connected to the bottom of the cylinder head. An air cleaner 18 that is connected to the intake device 18A is supported on the top of the transmission case 15a. An exhaust muffler 19 that is connected to the exhaust device 19A is supported on a rear arm (not shown) that is located on the right side of the rear wheel 4.

[0023] The crankcase 13 is divided into left and right case halves in the left-right direction (only the left case half 13a is shown in Figures 3 and 4). The left and right case halves are joined together to form a crank chamber inside. The crank chamber houses a crank web and a crank pin (neither of which are shown) of the crankshaft 12. A piston is connected to the crank pin via a connecting rod (neither of which are shown).

[0024] The left case half 13a rotatably supports the left journal 12a of the crankshaft 12 via a left main bearing 48b. Although not shown, the right case half rotatably supports the right journal 12a of the crankshaft 12 via a right main bearing. Line C1 in the drawing indicates the rotational center axis of the crankshaft 12 (the center axis of the journal).

[0025] <Electric continuously variable transmission> FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of the electric continuously variable transmission according to the embodiment. 2 to 4 and 6, the transmission device 15 is housed in a transmission case 15a and includes a V-belt type continuously variable transmission 16 that continuously changes the speed of the rotational power transmitted from the crankshaft 12, and a reduction gear mechanism 17 that is housed in the rear part of the transmission case 15a and reduces the output of the V-belt type continuously variable transmission 16 before transmitting it to the axle 4a of the rear wheel 4. In the drawings, line C4 indicates the central axis of the rear axle 4a.

[0026] The transmission case 15a includes a case main body 42 that extends continuously from the left side of the crankcase 13 (left case half 13a) toward the rear of the vehicle, a case cover 43 that is fastened to the outer side of the case main body 42 in the vehicle width direction and defines a transmission chamber 43a between it and the case main body 42, and a gear cover (not shown) that is fastened to the inner side of the rear part of the case main body 42 in the vehicle width direction and defines a gear chamber that houses the reduction gear mechanism 17 between it and the case main body 42. The V-belt type continuously variable transmission 16 is housed in the transmission chamber 43a. The case main body 42 and the case cover 43 form an integrated transmission case 41 that defines the transmission chamber 43a.

[0027] The V-belt type continuously variable transmission 16 is disposed within the transmission chamber 43a and includes a drive pulley 46 coaxially attached to the left side (small diameter shaft portion 12b) of the crankshaft 12 serving as a drive shaft, and a driven pulley 48 disposed within the transmission chamber 43a and attached to a driven shaft 47 that protrudes from the transmission chamber 43a into the gear chamber. The axial directions of the crankshaft 12, drive pulley 46, and driven pulley 48 are parallel to the left-right direction of the vehicle (vehicle width direction). Lines C2 and C3 in the figure indicate the central axes of the drive pulley 46 and driven pulley 48, respectively. The drive pulley 46 is disposed coaxially with the crankshaft 12.

[0028] An endless V-belt (power transmission belt) 49 is wound around the drive pulley 46 and the driven pulley 48. The belt winding diameter of the drive pulley 46 changes due to the action of the centrifugal weight 66 and the drive of the actuator unit 50. The belt winding diameter of the driven pulley 48 changes in response to the change in the belt winding diameter of the drive pulley 46. The actuator unit 50 is equipped with an electric motor (hereinafter simply referred to as the motor) 56 as a drive source. The V-belt type continuously variable transmission 16 is combined with the actuator unit 50 and a control device (not shown) and the like to constitute an electric continuously variable transmission. The actuator unit 50 controls the operation of the drive pulley 46 as a controlled pulley.

[0029] The drive pulley 46 includes a fixed sheave 51 fixed to the crankshaft 12, and a movable sheave 52 disposed inside the fixed sheave 51 in the vehicle width direction with its umbrella-shaped face facing the fixed sheave 51 and supported by the crankshaft 12 so as to be movable in the axial direction. The movable sheave 52 is disposed between the left case half 13a of the crankcase 13 and the fixed sheave 51. A V-groove around which the V-belt 49 is wound is formed between the fixed sheave 51 and the movable sheave 52. The movable sheave 52 includes a movable sheave boss 52a through which the crankshaft 12 is inserted. The movable sheave boss 52a protrudes from an umbrella-shaped sheave body that forms the face toward the left case half 13a.

[0030] The V-belt type continuously variable transmission 16 includes a first shift mechanism 53 operated by a centrifugal weight 66 and a second shift mechanism 54 operated by an actuator unit 50. In response to the operation of the first shift mechanism 53 and the second shift mechanism 54, the movable sheave 52 of the drive pulley 46 is moved in the axial direction, thereby changing the winding radius of the V-belt 49. The first shift mechanism 53 and the second shift mechanism 54 will be described in detail later.

[0031] The driven pulley 48 includes a fixed sheave 57 supported on the driven shaft 47 so as not to be movable in the axial direction, and a movable sheave 58 supported so as to be movable in the axial direction. A V-belt 49 is wound around a V-groove between the fixed sheave 57 and the movable sheave 58. The movable sheave 58 moves toward and away from the fixed sheave 57 in the axial direction. The movable sheave 58 is biased toward the fixed sheave 57 in the axial direction.

[0032] A centrifugal clutch 59 is coaxially supported on the outer side of the driven shaft 47 in the vehicle width direction. The centrifugal clutch 59 connects and disconnects the power transmission between the driven pulley 48 and the driven shaft 47. The centrifugal clutch 59 connects and disconnects the rotational power transmitted to the driven pulley 48. The rotation of the drive pulley 46 is transmitted to the driven pulley 48. When the drive pulley 46 increases the winding radius of the V-belt 49, the driven pulley 48 operates to move the movable sheave 58 away from the fixed sheave 57 against the biasing force, thereby reducing the winding radius of the V-belt 49. This allows speed changes to be performed between both pulleys 46, 48 of the V-belt type continuously variable transmission 16.

[0033] The centrifugal clutch 59 does not engage (does not transmit power) when the rotation speed of the driven pulley 48 is low, but when the driven pulley 48 rotates at a speed exceeding a specified rotation speed, the centrifugal clutch 59 engages to transmit the rotation of the driven pulley 48 to the driven shaft 47. When the rotation speed of the driven pulley 48, and therefore the engine 11, exceeds the specified rotation speed, the centrifugal clutch 59 establishes a power transmission state.

[0034] The reduction gear mechanism 17 includes a drive gear fixed to or formed on the driven shaft 47 within a gear chamber, a final gear fixed to the axle 4a of the rear wheel 4, and an intermediate gear shaft disposed between the drive gear and the final gear (none of which are shown). The rotation of the driven shaft 47 is reduced in multiple stages by the reduction gear mechanism 17 and then transmitted to the axle 4a of the rear wheel 4.

[0035] The first shift mechanism 53 includes a cam member 65 disposed between the fixed sheave 51 of the drive pulley 46 and the left case half 13a of the crankcase 13. The cam member 65 is disk-shaped and coaxial with the crankshaft 12. The cam member 65, a sleeve 67, and the fixed sheave 51 are mounted, in this order from the left case half 13a, on the small diameter shaft portion 12b, which is the left side of the crankshaft 12. A nut 68 is threadedly attached to the left end of the small diameter shaft portion 12b, and fastens the components mounted on the small diameter shaft portion 12b via a washer 68a. This secures the components to the crankshaft 12. The movable sheave 52 is supported on the outer periphery of the sleeve 67 so as to be axially movable.

[0036] A centrifugal weight 66 is sandwiched between a cam surface 65a of the cam member 65 and the back surface of the movable sheave 52. The cam surface 65a is inclined so as to approach the movable sheave 52 as it moves radially outward from the rotational axis C1 of the crankshaft 12. The back surface of the movable sheave 52 is inclined so as to approach the cam member 65 as it moves radially outward from the rotational axis C1 of the crankshaft 12.

[0037] When centrifugal force acts on the centrifugal weight 66 as the crankshaft 12 rotates, the centrifugal weight 66 tries to move radially outward. This causes the movable sheave 52 to move axially toward the fixed sheave 51, following the inclination of the cam surface 65a and the back surface. By driving the actuator unit 50 in response to this action, it is possible to achieve speed change control using the actuator unit 50 with little energy.

[0038] The second shift mechanism 54 includes the actuator unit 50 and a pulley drive arm 71 attached to the rear side (inner side in the vehicle width direction) of the movable sheave 52 of the drive pulley 46. A cylindrical intermediate wall portion 52b is formed on the rear side of the movable sheave boss 52a, standing axially from a radially intermediate portion of the rear side toward the left case half 13a (inner side in the vehicle width direction). A ball bearing 72 is attached to the intermediate wall portion 52b. The inner ring of the ball bearing 72 is fitted to the outer periphery of the intermediate wall portion 52b, and the inner periphery of the pulley drive arm 71 is fitted to the outer ring. The movable sheave 52 and the pulley drive arm 71 are connected to each other so as to be rotatable relative to each other but not movable relative to each other in the axial direction.

[0039] The actuator unit 50 includes a motor 56 having a drive shaft 56a whose axial direction is parallel to both pulleys 46, 48 and which generates rotational power, a feed screw mechanism 73 which converts the rotational power of the motor 56 into axial power of the controlled pulley, and a gear mechanism 91 as a transmission mechanism which is disposed between the motor 56 and the feed screw mechanism 73. In the drawing, line C5 indicates the central axis of the motor 56, and line C6 indicates the central axis of the feed screw mechanism 73.

[0040] The motor 56 of the actuator unit 50 is electrically driven and controlled by a control device (not shown). The actuator unit 50 sets the drive pulley 46 of the two pulleys 46, 48 as a controlled pulley, and applies an axial force to the movable sheave 52 of the drive pulley 46, thereby moving the movable sheave 52 in the axial direction in cooperation with the centrifugal weight 66. The axial movement of the movable sheave 52 changes the groove width of the drive pulley 46, which changes the winding radius of the V-belt 49, thereby changing the speed of the V-belt type continuously variable transmission 16.

[0041] The actuator unit 50 includes a unit casing 55 attached to the case cover 43 from the outside in the vehicle width direction. A gear mechanism 91 is housed in a mechanism chamber defined between the unit casing 55 and the case cover 43. The gear mechanism 91 includes a drive gear 56b fixed to or formed on a drive shaft 56a of the motor 56 inside the mechanism chamber, a final gear 74a fixed to a shaft 74 of the feed screw mechanism 73, and a pair of intermediate gear shafts 92, 93 disposed between the drive gear 56b and the final gear 74a. Of the pair of intermediate gear shafts 92, 93, the one on the motor 56 side will be referred to as a first intermediate gear shaft 92, and the one on the shaft 74 side will be referred to as a second intermediate gear shaft 93. A pair of intermediate gears 92a, 92b are fixed to or formed on the first intermediate gear shaft 92. A pair of intermediate gears 93a, 93b are fixed to or formed on the second intermediate gear shaft 93.

[0042] One intermediate gear 92a of the first intermediate gear shaft 92 has a larger diameter than the drive gear 56b, and when the drive gear 56b meshes with this intermediate gear 92a, the rotation of the drive gear 56b is reduced and transmitted to the first intermediate gear shaft 92. The other intermediate gear 92b has a smaller diameter than one intermediate gear 93a of the second intermediate gear shaft 93, and when the one intermediate gear 93a of the second intermediate gear shaft 93 meshes with this intermediate gear 92b, the rotation of the first intermediate gear shaft 92 is reduced and transmitted to the second intermediate gear shaft 93. The pair of intermediate gears 93a, 93b of the second intermediate gear shaft 93 have, for example, the same diameter. The other intermediate gear 93b of the second intermediate gear shaft 93 has a smaller diameter than the final gear 74a of the shaft 74, and when the final gear 74a meshes with this intermediate gear 93b, the rotation of the second intermediate gear shaft 93 is reduced and transmitted to the shaft 74. In this way, the rotation of the drive shaft 56 a of the motor 56 is decelerated in multiple stages and transmitted to the shaft 74 of the feed screw mechanism 73 .

[0043] The first intermediate gear shaft 92 has an end portion that protrudes inward in the vehicle width direction from the one intermediate gear 92a located on the inner side in the vehicle width direction, and this inner end portion in the vehicle width direction is supported via a bearing 92c on the outer wall portion 43b of the case cover 43. The first intermediate gear shaft 92 is provided with the other intermediate gear 92b on its outer end portion in the vehicle width direction. An intermediate portion of the first intermediate gear shaft 92 located between the pair of intermediate gears 92a, 92b in the vehicle width direction is supported by the casing main body 55a of the unit casing 55 via a bearing 92d.

[0044] The second intermediate gear shaft 93 has an end that protrudes inward in the vehicle width direction of one intermediate gear 93a that is located on the inner side in the vehicle width direction, and this inner end in the vehicle width direction is supported via a bearing 93c on the casing body 55a of the unit casing 55. The second intermediate gear shaft 93 has an end that protrudes outward in the vehicle width direction of the other intermediate gear 93b that is located on the outer side in the vehicle width direction, and this outer end in the vehicle width direction is supported by the casing cover 55b of the unit casing 55 via a bearing 93d. A recess 43e that opens outward in the vehicle width direction is formed around an opening 43d that supports the feed screw mechanism 73 in the outer wall portion 43b of the case cover 43. The open portion of the recess 43e is closed by the unit casing 55, thereby forming a mechanism chamber that houses the gear mechanism 91.

[0045] FIG. 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing the feed screw mechanism 73 and its periphery in FIG. 4 and 5, a feed screw mechanism 73, which is an output mechanism of the actuator unit 50, is supported by the unit casing 55 and the case cover 43. The feed screw mechanism 73 is arranged with its axial direction parallel to both pulleys 46, 48, and includes a shaft 74 that rotates around its axis due to the output of the actuator unit 50, and a nut member (actuating member) 75 that is separate from the unit casing 55 and the case cover 43, is arranged coaxially with the shaft 74, passes through the shaft 74, and strokes in the axial direction due to the rotational movement of the shaft 74.

[0046] The shaft 74 extends about the central axis C6. An end 74b of the shaft 74 on the inner side in the vehicle width direction is rotatably supported by a bearing portion of the case main body 42 via a bearing 94 and a thrust bearing 95. An end 74c of the shaft 74 on the outer side in the vehicle width direction is rotatably supported by a bearing portion of the unit casing 55 via a bearing 96 and a thrust bearing 97. The unit casing 55 includes a casing cover 55b that is detachable from the casing main body 55a. The bearing portion of the unit casing 55 is provided in the casing cover 55b.

[0047] The outer ring of a bearing 94 is press-fitted into the bearing portion of the case body 42. The outer periphery of a cup-shaped thrust receiver 95 that opens outward in the vehicle width direction is press-fitted into the inner ring of the bearing 94. The end 74b of the shaft 74 on the inner side in the vehicle width direction is removably fitted into a bottomed recess 95a of the thrust receiver 95 until it bottoms out. A flange portion 95b that abuts against the inner ring of the bearing 94 from the outside in the axial direction is formed on the outer periphery of the thrust receiver 95.

[0048] The outer ring of a bearing 96 is press-fitted into the bearing portion of the unit casing 55. The outer periphery of a cup-shaped thrust receiver 97 that opens inward in the vehicle width direction is press-fitted into the inner ring of the bearing 96. An end 74c of the final gear 74a of the shaft 74 that protrudes outward in the vehicle width direction is removably fitted into a bottomed recess 97a of the thrust receiver 97 until it bottoms out. A flange portion 97b that abuts against the inner ring of the bearing 96 from the axially inner side is formed on the outer periphery of the thrust receiver 97.

[0049] The nut member 75 is cylindrical and inserts the shaft 74, and includes a nut body (member body) 81 having a female thread 81a formed on its inner circumference within a specified range from the outer end in the vehicle width direction, a ball screw nut 82 that holds a plurality of steel balls arranged in a spiral and is inserted into the nut body 81 from the outer end in the vehicle width direction of the nut body 81, and a fixing member 83 that is threaded onto the female thread 81a in the nut body 81 on the outer side of the ball screw nut 82 in the vehicle width direction and that tightens and fixes the ball screw nut 82 that bottoms out on a stepped portion 81b within the nut body 81. The nut member 75 is handled as a sub-assembly in which the nut body 81, ball screw nut 82, and fixing member 83 are assembled together.

[0050] The nut member 75 is separate from the unit casing 55, and the outer periphery of its vehicle width direction outer portion is supported axially slidably on the inner periphery of an opening 43d formed in the outer wall portion 43b of the case cover 43. An annular seal member 84 that contacts the outer periphery of the nut member 75 is held on the vehicle width direction outer side of the opening 43d in the outer wall portion 43b. The vehicle width direction outer portion of the nut member 75 forms an outer periphery surface that is parallel to the axial direction up to the vehicle width direction outer end, and is axially insertable and removable with respect to the opening 43d. The vehicle width direction inner portion of the nut member 75 is slidably supported on the outer periphery of the shaft 74 at the inner circumferential end of an inner flange 85 formed on the inner periphery. An annular seal member 86 that contacts the outer periphery of the shaft 74 is held on the vehicle width direction inner side of the inner flange 85.

[0051] <Ball Joint 76> 4 and 5, a nut member 75, which is an output member of the feed screw mechanism 73, is connected to the pulley drive arm 71 via a ball joint . Ball joint 76 includes a connecting pin 77 fixed to one of the pulley drive member and nut member 75, a ball housing 78 formed on the other of the pulley drive member and nut member 75, and a ball bearing (spherical body) 79 housed in ball housing 78 and supported by connecting pin 77. In the drawing, line C7 indicates the central axis of connecting pin 77, line C8 indicates the central axis of ball housing 78, and point CP indicates the center of ball bearing 79 (center of rotation of ball joint 76).

[0052] 4 and 5 show ball joint 76 in a state where connecting pin 77 and ball housing 78 are aligned with their axes C7 and C8 (a state where connecting pin 77 is not inclined relative to ball housing 78; hereinafter, this state will be referred to as the upright state of connecting pin 77). In this embodiment, connecting pin 77 is fixed to nut member 75, and ball housing 78 is provided on a pulley drive member.

[0053] The connecting pin 77 includes a support shaft portion 77a that fits into a connecting hole 79a of the ball bearing 79, and a flange portion 77b that is provided on the base end side of the support shaft portion 77a and has a diameter larger than that of the ball bearing 79 but smaller than that of the seat bore portion 78b. A clip 77e can be attached to a groove portion 77d that extends along the circumferential direction on the tip side of the support shaft portion 77a. The clip 77e prevents the ball bearing 79, which is supported by the support shaft portion 77a, from coming off.

[0054] The ball housing 78 is provided at the end of the pulley drive arm 71 opposite the movable sheave 52 in the radial direction of the movable sheave 52, and is cup-shaped and open to the radially outer side of the movable sheave 52 (toward the nut member 75). A recess that is recessed radially inward of the nut member 75 is formed on the outer periphery on the inner side in the vehicle width direction, and a fixed shaft portion 77c of the connecting pin 77 is press-fitted into this recess and fixed. A ball bearing 79 supported by the support shaft portion 77a of the connecting pin 77 is removably fitted and held in the ball housing 78 of the pulley drive arm 71 together with the support shaft portion 77a.

[0055] FIG. 7 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing the periphery of the ball joint 76 in FIG. 7, the ball housing 78 includes a cylindrical support wall portion 78a that circumscribes the ball bearing 79 directly or via an intermediate member, and a seat bore portion 78b that is formed closer to the opening 78d than the support wall portion 78a and has an inner diameter D3 that is larger than the inner diameter D1 of the support wall portion 78a and the outer diameter D2 of the flange portion 77b. The ball housing 78 is cylindrical and has a bottom, with an opening 78d on the radial side of the nut member 75. The ball bearing 79 and the connecting pin 77 are inserted into the ball housing 78 through the opening 78d of the ball housing 78. The support wall portion 78a in this embodiment directly circumscribes the ball bearing 79 and supports it. The inner diameter D1 of the support wall portion 78a is substantially the same as the outer diameter D4 of the ball bearing 79.

[0056] Between an inner periphery 78a1 of the support wall portion 78a and an inner periphery 78b1 of the seating portion 78b, an inner periphery step portion 78c is formed, which is displaced in the radial direction of the ball housing 78. The inner periphery step portion 78c includes, for example, a flat portion perpendicular to the axial direction, but may also be formed into a curved surface, such as a continuous arc shape in an S-shape, when viewed in cross section along the axial direction (see FIG. 7).

[0057] The inner peripheral step portion 78c faces a flange end portion 77b1 of the flange portion 77b of the connecting pin 77 in the axial direction, the flange end portion 77b1 facing the ball housing 78. The flange end portion 77b1 is formed between the outer peripheral portion 77a1 of the support shaft portion 77a and the outer peripheral portion 77b3 of the flange portion 77b. The flange end portion 77b1 has, for example, a flat shape perpendicular to the axial direction of the connecting pin 77. The flange end portion 77b1 may have, for example, a tapered shape inclined relative to the plane perpendicular to the axial direction. The flange end portion 77b1 may include approximately half the circumferential length of a chamfered portion r1 (see FIG. 7) that has an arc-shaped cross section and is formed on the outer periphery.

[0058] When the connecting pin 77 is in an upright position, the inner circumferential step portion 78c and the flange end portion 77b1 overlap each other when viewed in the axial direction and face each other with a gap s1 in the axial direction. The gap s1 between the inner circumferential step portion 78c and the flange end portion 77b1 allows adjustment (tolerance absorption) so that the ball joint 76 can function even if the axial distance between the crankshaft 12 and the shaft 74 varies due to tolerances or the like. The opening 78d of the ball housing 78 faces in the axial direction a portion of the nut member 75 into which the fixed shaft portion 77c of the connecting pin 77 is press-fitted and fixed (hereinafter referred to as the pin fixing portion 75a). The fixed shaft portion 77c extends coaxially from the flange portion 77b toward the opposite side to the support shaft portion 77a. The fixed shaft portion 77c has, for example, the same diameter as the support shaft portion 77a, and both of these shaft portions 77a and 77c have a smaller diameter than the flange portion 77b. The connecting pin 77 fixed to the pin fixing portion 75a is inserted and accommodated in a bottomed accommodation portion that forms the support wall portion 78a of the ball housing 78, with the ball bearing 79 fitted onto the support shaft portion 77a.

[0059] When the connecting pin 77 tilts from the upright state, the outer circumferential portion 77b1 of the flange portion 77b abuts against the inner circumferential portion 78b1 of the seating portion 78b. In Fig. 7, a part of the flange portion 77b in a state in which the connecting pin 77 tilts from the upright state and abuts against the inner circumferential portion 78b1 of the seating portion 78b is shown by a chain line. The outer circumferential portion 77b1 may include a cylindrical outer circumferential surface, as well as about half the circumferential length of a chamfered portion r1 between the outer circumferential surface and the flange end portion 77b1. The inner peripheral portion 78b1 may include, in addition to the cylindrical inner peripheral surface, approximately half the circumferential length of a chamfered portion r2 (see FIG. 7) that has an arcuate cross section and is formed on the tip edge of the inner peripheral surface.

[0060] When the connecting pin 77 is in an upright position, a radial gap s2 is formed between the outer circumferential portion 77b1 of the flange portion 77b and the inner circumferential portion 78b1 of the counterbore portion 78b. The connecting pin 77 can tilt a specified angle in either direction from the upright position relative to the ball housing 78. When the connecting pin 77 tilts from the upright position relative to the ball housing 78, the outer circumferential portion 77b1 of the flange portion 77b and the inner circumferential portion 78b1 of the counterbore portion 78b come close to each other and abut on the side to which the connecting pin 77 is tilted. The flange portion 77b and the counterbore portion 78b abut against each other in the radial direction, limiting the inclination of the connecting pin 77 to the specified angle.

[0061] When connecting pin 77 is in the upright position and when it is tilted from the upright position until the tilt is limited by flange portion 77b, at least a portion of flange portion 77b (approximately half the axial thickness) is inserted into seating portion 78b. As a result, opening 78d of ball housing 78 is mostly closed by flange portion 77b, preventing foreign matter from entering ball housing 78 and preventing grease from leaking out of ball housing 78.

[0062] The connecting pin 77 is held in the ball housing 78, thereby restricting rotation of the nut member 75 about the axis C6. This restricts the nut member 75 from rotating together with the rotation of the shaft 74, allowing the rotational power of the shaft 74 (and therefore the rotational power of the motor 56) to be accurately converted into thrust for the nut member 75, thereby moving the movable sheave 52 in the axial direction.

[0063] The connecting pin 77 is able to swing within a range where the flange portion 77b does not come into contact with the inside of the ball housing 78. This makes it possible to accommodate component tolerances, assembly tolerances, and the like of the actuator unit 50. It also absorbs vibrations of the pulley drive member caused by pulley vibrations, etc., preventing the generation of vibration noise and improving the durability of the actuator 50. The maximum swing angle of the connecting pin 77 is determined by the contact between the flange portion 77b and the inside of the ball housing 78, so while the connecting pin 77 is able to swing, the axial driving force of the feed screw mechanism 73 can be transmitted from the connecting pin 77 to the ball housing 78 with little loss.

[0064] The ball housing 78 includes a first outer peripheral portion 78f formed radially outside the support wall portion 78a, a second outer peripheral portion 78g formed radially outside the seat bore portion 78b and having an outer diameter smaller than that of the first outer peripheral portion 78f, and an outer peripheral step portion 78h formed between the first outer peripheral portion 78f and the second outer peripheral portion 78g and extending radially. The first outer circumferential portion 78f and the second outer circumferential portion 78g form a cylindrical outer circumferential surface. The outer peripheral step portion 78h forms, for example, a flat portion perpendicular to the axial direction, but may also form, for example, a tapered surface inclined relative to the plane perpendicular to the axial direction.

[0065] A cup-shaped seal member 87 is attached to the connecting pin 77 and surrounds the outer periphery of the flange portion 77b. The seal member 87 is formed of a soft resin, such as synthetic rubber. The seal member 87 includes an annular base portion 87a sandwiched between the pin fixing portion 75a and a second flange end portion 77b2 of the flange portion 77b facing the pin fixing portion 75a. A cup portion 87b extends around the outer periphery of the base portion 87a and curves to bulge outward in cross-sectional view in FIG. 7 toward the ball housing 78. A tip portion 87c is formed on the cup portion 87b opposite the base portion 87a. When the cup portion 87b is bent to generate an elastic reaction force, the tip portion 87c of the seal member 87 abuts (closely fits) against the outer periphery step portion 78h in the axial direction. This allows the connecting pin 77 to swing while sealing the periphery of the opening 78d of the ball housing 78 with the seal member 87. A stepped notch 77f is formed on the outer periphery of the second flange end portion 77b2 so that the base portion 87a of the seal member 87 can be fitted therein.

[0066] <Pulley drive arm 71> FIG. 8 is a perspective view of an assembly including drive pulley 46 and pulley drive arm 71. 4 and 8, the pulley drive arm 71 includes an annular body 71a that is attached via a ball bearing 72 to the outer periphery of the intermediate wall portion 52b on the rear side (inner side in the vehicle width direction) of the movable sheave 52 of the drive pulley 46, and an arm body 71b that is fastened and fixed to a predetermined portion in the circumferential direction of the annular body 71a by a pair of bolts B1. By making the arm body 71b extending in the radial direction of the movable sheave 52 a separate body, a sub-assembly in which the annular body 71a is assembled to the movable sheave 52 can be formed compactly, and maintenance around the ball joint 76 can be easily performed.

[0067] As described above, the electric continuously variable transmission device in the above embodiment includes the drive pulley 46 supported on the input shaft (crankshaft 12), the driven pulley 48 supported on the output shaft (driven shaft 47), the transmission belt 49 wound around the drive pulley 46 and the driven pulley 48, the transmission case 15a accommodating the drive pulley 46, the driven pulley 48 and the transmission belt 49, and a controlled drive unit attached to the transmission case 15a and driven by a control device, which controls one of the drive pulley 46 and the driven pulley 48 (the drive pulley 46). In the electric continuously variable transmission, the actuator 50 is a pulley, and the actuator 50 applies an axial force to a movable sheave 52 of the drive pulley 46 to change the groove width. The actuator 50 is equipped with a motor 56 that generates rotational power, and a feed screw mechanism 73 that converts the rotational power of the motor 56 into axial power of the drive pulley 46. A pulley drive member (pulley drive arm 71) that can apply axial thrust to the movable sheave 52 is connected to the drive pulley 46 so as to be relatively rotatable. The pulley drive arm 71 and the feed screw mechanism 73 The pulley drive arm 71 is connected to the nut member 75 via a ball joint 76, and the ball joint 76 includes a connecting pin 77 fixed to the nut member 75, a ball housing 78 provided on the pulley drive arm 71, and a ball bearing 79 supported by the connecting pin 77 while housed in the ball housing 78. The ball housing 78 is cylindrical with a bottom and has an opening 78d on the nut member 75 side, and the ball bearing 79 can be fitted through the opening 78d. The connecting pin 77 has a support shaft portion 77a fitted into the ball bearing 79. and a flange portion 77b provided on the base end side of the support shaft portion 77a and formed with a diameter larger than that of the ball bearing 79. The ball housing 78 comprises a support wall portion 78a having an inner diameter capable of supporting the ball bearing 79, and a seat bore portion 78b connected to the opening 78d side of the support wall portion 78a and forming an opening 78d with a diameter larger than that of the support wall portion 78a and the flange portion 77b. When the connecting pin 77 is tilted from its upright state relative to the ball housing 78, the outer periphery 77b1 of the flange portion 77b can abut against the inner periphery 78b1 of the seat bore portion 78b.

[0068] According to this configuration, when the connecting pin 77 tilts, the outer peripheral portion 77b1 of the flange portion 77b of the connecting pin 77 abuts against the inner peripheral portion 78b1 of the counter bore portion 78b on the opening 78d side of the ball housing 78, thereby forming a stopper structure that limits the tilt (swing) of the connecting pin 77 by the counter bore portion 78b and the flange portion 77b. Therefore, while allowing the connecting pin 77 to swing and accommodating component tolerances and assembly tolerances, the swing angle of the connecting pin 77 is limited, and the thrust of the feed screw mechanism 73 can be accurately transmitted to the pulley drive arm 71. By making the opening 78d side of the ball housing 78 larger in diameter than the ball bearing 79 and the flange portion 77b, the connecting pin 77 with the ball bearing 79 fitted therein can be inserted into the ball housing 78 from the opening 78d side. This improves the ease of assembly of the area around the ball joint 76.

[0069] In the electric continuously variable transmission, at least a portion of the flange portion 77b is disposed within the seat cavity portion 78b. According to this configuration, flange portion 77b fits into seat cavity portion 78b, thereby substantially closing opening 78d of ball housing 78 and preventing foreign matter from entering ball housing 78. Flange portion 77b prevents grease filled inside ball housing 78 from leaking out.

[0070] In the above-described electric continuously variable transmission device, a flange end portion 77b1 extending radially of the connecting pin 77 is formed between the outer periphery 77a1 of the support shaft portion 77a and the outer periphery 77b3 of the flange portion 77b, and an inner periphery step portion 78c extending radially of the ball housing 78 is formed between the inner periphery 78a1 of the support wall portion 78a and the inner periphery 78b1 of the seat cavity portion 78b. When the connecting pin 77 is upright relative to the ball housing 78, the inner periphery step portion 78c and the flange end portion 77b1 overlap each other when viewed in the axial direction and face each other with a gap s1 in the axial direction. According to this configuration, when connecting pin 77 is in an upright position, inner circumferential step portion 78c and flange end portion 77b1 overlap each other when viewed in the axial direction and face each other with a gap s1 in the axial direction. This makes it possible to absorb tolerances in the axial distance between crankshaft 12 and shaft 74 while preventing grease filled inside ball housing 78 from leaking out by flange portion 77b, thereby improving the operation of ball joint 76.

[0071] In the above-described electric continuously variable transmission, the ball housing 78 includes a first outer peripheral portion 78f formed radially outside the support wall portion 78a, a second outer peripheral portion 78g formed radially outside the seat bore portion 78b and having an outer diameter smaller than that of the first outer peripheral portion 78f, and an outer peripheral step portion 78h formed between the first outer peripheral portion 78f and the second outer peripheral portion 78g and extending radially, and a sealing member 87 surrounding the outer periphery of the flange portion 77b is attached to the connecting pin 77, and a tip portion 87c of the sealing member 87 abuts against the outer peripheral step portion 78h. According to this configuration, by providing the seal member 87 that surrounds the outer periphery of the flange portion 77b of the connecting pin 77, it is possible to prevent the grease filled inside the ball housing 78 from leaking out and also to prevent foreign matter from entering the ball joint 76. When the connecting pin 77 with the ball bearing 79 fitted therein is inserted into the ball housing 78 from the opening 78d side, the insertion operation can be performed with the seal member 87 attached to the connecting pin 77.

[0072] In the electric continuously variable transmission, the connecting pin 77 extends axially from the flange portion 77b to the opposite side to the support shaft portion 77a, and includes a fixed shaft portion 77c having a smaller diameter than the flange portion 77b. According to this configuration, by providing the connecting pin 77 with a fixed shaft portion 77c having a smaller diameter than the flange portion 77b, this fixed shaft portion 77c can be inserted into and fixed to the pulley drive arm 71 and one of the pin fixing portions 75a of the nut member 75. By making the fixed shaft portion 77c have a small diameter, it is possible to prevent the pin fixing portion 75a from becoming larger, and by inserting the fixed shaft portion 77c until it hits the flange portion 77b, it is possible to determine the axial height of the connecting pin 77.

[0073] In the electric continuously variable transmission, the connecting pin 77 is fixed to the nut member 75 , and the ball housing 78 is provided on the pulley drive arm 71 . According to this configuration, by fixing the connecting pin 77 to the nut member 75, it is possible to prevent the nut member 75 and, in turn, the feed screw mechanism 73 from becoming larger than when the ball housing 78 is provided on the nut member 75. By providing the ball housing 78 on the pulley drive arm 71, the distance from the base of the pulley drive arm 71 to the rotation center of the ball joint 76 (the input point of the reaction force when the pulley is operated) is shortened, and the bending moment acting on the pulley drive arm 71 can be reduced.

[0074] <Modification of the ball joint 76> FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view corresponding to FIG. 5, showing a ball joint 76' according to a modified embodiment. In ball joint 76 of the embodiment, connecting pin 77 is fixed to the nut member, and ball housing 78 is provided on pulley drive arm 71. In contrast, ball joint 76' of the modified example has connecting pin 77 fixed to pulley drive arm 71, and ball housing 78 is provided on nut member 75. Other components that are the same as those in the embodiment are given the same reference numerals. According to this configuration, by fixing the connecting pin 77 to the pulley drive arm 71, the ball bearing 79 can be pre-assembled together with the connecting pin 77 on the pulley drive arm 71 side, and then the feed screw mechanism 73 can be assembled to the controlled pulley. By providing the ball housing 78 on the nut member 75, the rotation center of the ball joint 76' (the input point of the reaction force when the pulley is operated) approaches the central axis of the feed screw mechanism 73, and the bending moment acting on the feed screw mechanism 73 can be suppressed.

[0075] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and the electric continuously variable transmission of the present embodiment may be applied to saddle-ride type vehicles other than motorcycles, for example. The saddle-ride type vehicle includes all vehicles on which a driver straddles the body, and includes not only motorcycles (including motorized bicycles and scooter-type vehicles), but also three-wheeled vehicles (including vehicles with one front wheel and two rear wheels, as well as vehicles with two front wheels and one rear wheel) or four-wheeled vehicles (such as four-wheeled buggies). It also includes not only scooter-type vehicles with a straddle space, but also vehicles with a straddle section. It may also be applied to vehicles that include an electric motor as a prime mover.

[0076] In the electric continuously variable transmission, the operation of the driven pulley may be controlled by an actuator. Alternatively, the controlled pulley may be operated only by an actuator without using a centrifugal weight. The actuator may have a motor whose axial direction is perpendicular to the vehicle width direction. A connecting pin may be fixed to a pulley drive member, and a ball housing may be provided on a nut member. The shaft of a feed screw mechanism may be the operating member. The configurations in the above-described embodiments are merely examples of the present invention, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the gist of the present invention, such as replacing the components of the embodiments with well-known components. [Explanation of symbols]

[0077] 1. Motorcycles (saddle-type vehicles) 12 Crankshaft (input shaft) 15a Transmission case 46 Drive pulley (controlled pulley) 47 Driven shaft (output shaft) 48 Driven pulley 49 V-belt (power transmission belt) 50 Actuator unit (actuator) 52 Movable sheave 56 Motor 71 Pulley drive arm (pulley drive member) 73 Lead screw mechanism 75 Nut member (operating member) 76 Ball Joint 77 Connecting pin 77a Support shaft part 77a1 outer periphery 77b Flange D2 outer diameter 77b1 Flange end 77b3 Outer periphery 77c Fixed shaft part 78 Ball housing D1 Inner diameter 78a Support wall section 78a1 Inner circumference 78b Seat cavity D3 inner diameter 78b1 Inner circumference 78c Inner step 78d aperture 78f First outer circumference D5 outer diameter 78g Second outer periphery D6 outer diameter 78h Outer periphery step 79 Ball Bearings D4 outer diameter 87 Sealing material 87c Tip s1 gap

Claims

1. an electric continuously variable transmission comprising: a drive pulley (46) supported on an input shaft (12); a driven pulley (48) supported on an output shaft (47); a transmission belt (49) wound around the drive pulley (46) and the driven pulley (48); a transmission case (15a) accommodating the drive pulley (46), the driven pulley (48), and the transmission belt (49); and an actuator (50) attached to the transmission case (15a) and driven by a control device, the actuator (50) defining one of the drive pulley (46) and the driven pulley (48) as a controlled pulley (46), and applying an axial force to a movable sheave (52) of the controlled pulley (46) to change a groove width, The actuator (50) includes a motor (56) that generates rotational power, and a feed screw mechanism (73) that converts the rotational power of the motor (56) into axial power of the drive pulley (46), A pulley drive member (71) capable of applying axial thrust to the movable sheave (52) is connected to the drive pulley (46) so as to be relatively rotatable, The pulley drive member (71) and the operating member (75) of the feed screw mechanism (73) are connected via a ball joint (76), The ball joint (76) comprises a connecting pin (77) fixed to one of the pulley drive member (71) and the operating member (75), a ball housing (78) provided on the other of the pulley drive member (71) and the operating member (75), and a ball bearing (79) supported by the connecting pin (77) while being housed in the ball housing (78); The ball housing (78) is cylindrical and has a bottom and an opening (78d) on one side of the pulley drive member (71) and the operating member (75), and the ball bearing (79) can be fitted into the opening (78d). The connecting pin (77) includes a support shaft portion (77a) fitted into the ball bearing (79), and a flange portion (77b) provided on the base end side of the support shaft portion (77a) and formed with a diameter larger than that of the ball bearing (79), The ball housing (78) includes a support wall portion (78a) having an inner diameter (D1) capable of supporting the ball bearing (79), and a counterbore portion (78b) that is continuous with the support wall portion (78a) on the opening (78d) side and forms the opening (78d) with a diameter larger than that of the support wall portion (78a) and the flange portion (77b), When the connecting pin (77) is tilted from an upright position relative to the ball housing (78), the outer periphery (77b1) of the flange portion (77b) can abut against the inner periphery (78b1) of the seat cavity portion (78b).

2. 2. The electric continuously variable transmission according to claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the flange portion (77b) is disposed within the recessed portion (78b).

3. a flange end portion (77b1) extending in the radial direction of the connecting pin (77) is formed between an outer circumferential portion (77a1) of the support shaft portion (77a) and an outer circumferential portion (77b3) of the flange portion (77b); an inner peripheral step portion (78c) extending in the radial direction of the ball housing (78) is formed between an inner peripheral portion (78a1) of the support wall portion (78a) and an inner peripheral portion (78b1) of the seat cavity portion (78b); When the connecting pin (77) is upright with respect to the ball housing (78), 2. The electric continuously variable transmission according to claim 1, wherein the inner peripheral step portion (78c) and the flange end portion (77b1) overlap each other when viewed in the axial direction and face each other with a gap (s1) in the axial direction.

4. The ball housing (78) comprises a first outer peripheral portion (78f) formed radially outward of the support wall portion (78a), a second outer peripheral portion (78g) formed radially outward of the seat cavity portion (78b) and having an outer diameter smaller than that of the first outer peripheral portion (78f), and an outer peripheral step portion (78h) formed between the first outer peripheral portion (78f) and the second outer peripheral portion (78g) and extending radially, A seal member (87) surrounding the outer periphery of the flange portion (77b) is attached to the connecting pin (77), 2. The electric continuously variable transmission according to claim 1, wherein a tip end portion (87c) of the sealing member (87) abuts against the outer circumferential step portion (78h).

5. 2. The electric continuously variable transmission device according to claim 1, wherein the connecting pin (77) extends axially from the flange portion (77b) to a side opposite the support shaft portion (77a) and includes a fixed shaft portion (77c) having a smaller diameter than the flange portion (77b).

6. The connecting pin (77) is fixed to the pulley drive member (71), 6. The electric continuously variable transmission according to claim 1, wherein the ball housing (78) is provided on the operating member (75).

7. The connecting pin (77) is fixed to the operating member (75), 6. The electric continuously variable transmission according to claim 1, wherein the ball housing (78) is provided on the pulley drive member (71).

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