Professor David Rockwood from the School of Architecture, and Associate Professor David Garmire from the UHM Department of Electrical Engineering have been awarded U.S. patent 9855993 from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Their invention, “Variable Diameter Pulley Assembly and Continuously Variable Transmission Using the Same,” may be used in a variety of vehicles, but is especially suited to use in bicycles. The invention promises to increase the use of bicycles as one component of sustainable urban transportation by making bicycles more efficient, safer, easier to use, and by supplying riding data to the user. The invention was filed and prosecuted without the assistance of a patent attorney, and the inventors thank recent School of Architecture D.Arch. graduate David Cook for his invaluable assistance in editing the patent specification and writing the claims. Another recent D.Arch. graduate, Newton Parks, provided help with physical prototyping.

Exploded View of CVT
Drawing by: David Rockwood