A continuously variable automatic transmission having a direction selection mechanism with both friction and binary torque transmitting devices. The transmission includes a torque converter which drives a ring gear of a planetary gear assembly. The sun gear of the planetary assembly drives the input of a variable ratio device. In one embodiment, the friction brake is disposed between a planetary gear carrier and a stationary housing or ground and is engaged to provide reverse direction of travel. The binary clutch is disposed between the ring gear and the planet carrier and, when engaged, locks the planetary gear assembly and provides forward direction of travel. In other embodiments, a binary brake is disposed between the planetary gear carrier and the housing and is engaged to provide reverse travel and a friction clutch is disposed between the ring gear and the planet carrier and, when engaged, locks the planetary assembly and provides forward travel.

A hub planetary belt transmission (2) has a platform body (50) supporting a motor drive (8) having a motor drive shaft (6) coupled to a distributing and a collecting pulley (4, 18) attached to a first output shaft (22) coupled to a first propulsion element (40, 44). A housing (30) coupled to peripheral shafts (24) attached to tension arms (26) is concentrically rotatable about a common axis of the distributing and collecting pulleys and is coupled to a second propulsion element (42, 45). Transmitting pulleys (12, 14) are driven by distributing belts (10) and collecting belts (20) for rotating together with the peripheral shafts and tension arms about a common axis of the distributing and collecting pulleys so as to create a centripetal force which stretches the distributing belts and the collecting belts, thus regulating the coupling force between the belts and pulleys based on the rotation velocity.

A belt wave drive transmission system and method are shown involving a first rotor (10) having a first drum configured to rotate about its axis of rotation and a second rotor (20) having a second drum configured to rotate about its axis of rotation, where the first rotor (10) is constrained to orbit concentrically about the axis of rotation of the second drum. A belt (30) encircles the first and second drums to couple the first (10) and second (20) rotors such that the first rotor (10) moves concentrically around the second rotor (20) as the belt (30) advances about a circumference of the second drum. In further refinements, the system and method involve electrically controllably coupling at least one of the first and second rotors to the belt.

A planetary gear device (1) includes a sun gear (5), a carrier (6), a plurality of planetary units (7) provided on the carrier (6), and a ring gear (9). Each of the planetary units (7) includes a first planetary gear (71) meshing with the sun gear (5), a second planetary gear (72) meshing with the ring gear (9), a first rotating body (73) disposed coaxially with the first planetary gear (71), a second rotating body (74) disposed coaxially with the second planetary gear (72), and a winding transmission body (75) wound around the first rotating body (73) and the second rotating body (74). Each of the winding transmission bodies (75) of the plurality of planetary units (7) is arranged such that at least a part thereof overlaps with another winding transmission body in an axial direction when viewed from a direction orthogonal to the axial direction.

A variety of transmission mechanisms are provided that include radially inverted pulleys that are nested within each other or otherwise overlap in order to exert inward forces onto a compressive belt that transmits power between the pulleys. By exerted forces inward onto the belt, the belt can be subjected to net compression everywhere along its length. This allows the belt to be less complex and to have a lower cost than belts of transmissions that exert forces outward from pulleys onto a belt, thus requiring expensive and technically challenging belt packs or other elements to sustain the longitudinal tensions experienced by such belts, even when such belts are operated as push belts. Transmissions that include such radially inverted pulleys can exhibit reduced size and cost and increased power capacity compared to transmissions that employ non-radially inverted pulleys.

The invention relates to a flow-through centrifuge which is used, for example, for biotechnical applications, in particular as a blood centrifuge. A driving arrangement and/or transmission arrangement of the flow-through centrifuge comprises a planetary gearset. In the planetary gearset, at least one planetary belt pulley is rotatably supported on a rotating planet carrier. A torque of the planetary belt pulley is transmitted via a belt. The planet carrier and the planetary belt pulley are driven at different rotational speeds. According to the invention, the planet carrier is held by a belt tensioning unit rotating with the planet carrier. A distance of the planet carrier from a rotor axis can be changed via the belt tensioning unit in order to adjust the belt tension of the belt.

An electric drive unit includes a motor that rotates a rotor shaft about an axis and first and second planetary gearsets. The first gearset includes a sun gear, planet gears, a ring gear, and a carrier structure. The second gearset is coupled with the first gearset. During rotation of the shaft in a first direction in a high gear state, the sun gear rotates about the axis, planet gears rotate about planet gear axes and revolve about the axis, carrier structure rotates about the axis, and ring gear is substantially stationary relative to the axis. During rotation of the shaft in the first direction in a low gear state, the sun gear rotates about the axis, planet gears rotate about planet gear axes and revolve about the axis, carrier structure rotates about the axis, and ring gear rotates about the axis in a second direction opposite the first direction.

An electric drive unit includes a motor that rotates a rotor shaft about an axis and first and second planetary gearsets. The first gearset includes a sun gear, planet gears, a ring gear, and a carrier structure. The second gearset is coupled with the first gearset. During rotation of the shaft in a first direction in a high gear state, the sun gear rotates about the axis, planet gears rotate about planet gear axes and revolve about the axis, carrier structure rotates about the axis, and ring gear is substantially stationary relative to the axis. During rotation of the shaft in the first direction in a low gear state, the sun gear rotates about the axis, planet gears rotate about planet gear axes and revolve about the axis, carrier structure rotates about the axis, and ring gear rotates about the axis in a second direction opposite the first direction.