A vehicle includes a drive axle, a multi-mode transmission, and a controller coupled to the multi-mode transmission. The multi-mode transmission includes a first gear set having a first planetary gear carrier and a second gear set having a second planetary gear carrier, a first motor/generator coupled to the first gear set, a second motor/generator coupled to the second gear set and selectively coupled to a connecting shaft, a brake positioned to selectively limit a rotational movement of a ring gear of the second gear set when engaged, a first clutch selectively rotationally coupling the first gear set and the second gear set to the drive axle when engaged, and a second clutch selectively rotationally coupling the second motor/generator to the connecting shaft when engaged. The controller is configured to engage the brake and the clutches to selectively reconfigure the multi-mode transmission to an intermediate shift mode of operation.

A method for controlling an electric drive motor of an electrically drivable bicycle includes determining a cadence of a rider of the bicycle, and operating the electric drive motor under specification of (i) a first predefined target speed for the electric drive motor, which is lower than the cadence of the rider, and (ii) a first predefined torque for the electric drive motor, when the determined cadence of the rider exceeds a predefined cadence threshold value. The method further includes operating the electric drive motor under specification of (i) a second predefined target speed for the electric drive motor, which is higher than the first target speed, and (ii) a second predefined torque for the drive motor, when a rider torque exerted by the rider on a drive train of the bicycle exceeds a first predefined rider torque threshold value.

The present invention relates to a transmission for a vehicle, and more particularly, to a compound transmission of combining a differential gear and a continuously variable transmission, which transmits power through the differential gear and a transmission gear at a low speed and transmits the power through the continuously variable transmission and the differential gear at a high speed.

According to the present invention, the shifting is performed through the differential gear unit at a low stage requiring large torque and low rpm and performs the shifting through the continuously variable transmission at a high stage requiring relatively small torque and high rpm to provide optimum shifting efficiency by collecting only advantageous of the respective units.

The present invention relates to a transmission for a vehicle, and more particularly, to a compound transmission of combining a differential gear and a continuously variable transmission, which transmits power through the differential gear and a transmission gear at a low speed and transmits the power through the continuously variable transmission and the differential gear at a high speed.

According to the present invention, the shifting is performed through the differential gear unit at a low stage requiring large torque and low rpm and performs the shifting through the continuously variable transmission at a high stage requiring relatively small torque and high rpm to provide optimum shifting efficiency by collecting only advantageous of the respective units.

A continuously variable transmission includes a first asymmetrical differential, having a transmission input shaft and a first output shaft, aligned along a transmission axis, a second asymmetrical differential, having a transmission output shaft and a first input shaft, aligned along the transmission axis, and a reduction gear unit, coupled between the first output shaft of the first asymmetrical differential and the first input shaft of the second asymmetrical differential. Rotation of the input shaft at a first input speed and torque is converted into rotation of the transmission output shaft at a second output speed and torque that varies independently of the first input speed and torque in response to a rotational resistance on the transmission output shaft.

A continuously variable transmission includes a first asymmetrical differential, having a transmission input shaft and a first output shaft, aligned along a transmission axis, a second asymmetrical differential, having a transmission output shaft and a first input shaft, aligned along the transmission axis, and a reduction gear unit, coupled between the first output shaft of the first asymmetrical differential and the first input shaft of the second asymmetrical differential. Rotation of the input shaft at a first input speed and torque is converted into rotation of the transmission output shaft at a second output speed and torque that varies independently of the first input speed and torque in response to a rotational resistance on the transmission output shaft.

An infinitely variable transmission includes an input differential and an output differential. The input differential and the output differential both include differentially associated forward path and reverse path gear members. The forward path gear members are meshed indirectly through an idler gear and the reverse path gear members mesh directly to cause counter-rotation of the output differential gear members. The input differential gear members are controlled by a variator so that the forward path gear members may be regulated to rotate faster than the reverse path gear members to cause forward rotation of the output shaft, or so that the forward path gear members may be regulated to rotate slower than the reverse path gear members to cause reverse rotation of the output shaft or so that the forward and reverse path gear members rotate at the same speed to make the output shaft stationary.

Devices and methods are provided herein for the transmission of power in motor vehicles. Power is transmitted in a smoother and more efficient manner by splitting torque into two or more torque paths. In some embodiments, a powertrain is configured to have a ball-type variator and two planetary gear sets. Clutches selectively engagement members of the variator to provide multiple modes of operation.

A method for controlling an electric drive motor of an electrically drivable bicycle includes determining a cadence of a rider of the bicycle, and operating the electric drive motor under specification of (i) a first predefined target speed for the electric drive motor, which is lower than the cadence of the rider, and (ii) a first predefined torque for the electric drive motor, when the determined cadence of the rider exceeds a predefined cadence threshold value. The method further includes operating the electric drive motor under specification of (i) a second predefined target speed for the electric drive motor, which is higher than the first target speed, and (ii) a second predefined torque for the drive motor, when a rider torque exerted by the rider on a drive train of the bicycle exceeds a first predefined rider torque threshold value.

The present invention provides an infinitely variable transmission for a powered vehicle which includes a power source. The transmission includes an input shaft and an output shaft, the output shaft being spaced from the input shaft. The transmission further includes a variator coupled between the input shaft and output shaft. In addition, at least two planetary gearsets are disposed adjacent to the variator and an input coupler is configured to selectively couple the variator to the power source.