STEM Lab: Variator
Assemble it and discover how the Variator works.
The model kit comes with a QR-code to the study guide about the mechanism, its working principle, main characteristics, formulas, and interesting assignments. Dive into augmented reality and see how the Variator works. Interact with the model via a special AR application from Ugears.
Learn how the Variator works
The Variator is a device that transfers and adjusts engine torque by changing the ratio of gears. This is more commonly known as a Continuously Variable Transmission, or CVT. With the DIY wooden puzzle Variator from the STEM lab collection, you can learn and comprehend one of the most important parts of a car without getting your hands dirty!
Who invented it and when? The modern car CVT's roots go back to 1879 when American entrepreneur Milton Othello Reeves invented a device for use in sawmilling, which he then called a variable-speed transmission.
Use The CVT is used in mechanisms where a continuous range of gear ratios must be changed seamlessly: cars, motor scooters, snowmobiles, conveyors, etc.
How it works
The mechanical puzzle Variator is a fully functional wooden replica of a Belt-driven Friction Cone CVT. The Cone CVT varies the drive ratio by moving a belt up and down the axis of a conical roller. In the Ugears model kit Variator, the belt, powered manually, transfers the rotation to the driven cone pulleys. Use the transmission fork to change gears and observe how the speed of the driven cone pulley changes while the drive cone pulley’s speed remains the same.
The Ugears STEM puzzles are designed to be fun and educational, with everything you need included in the box. No glue or additional tools are required.
- Model size: 16.8 x 12.8 x 10.6 cm
- Package size: 20.5 x 18.8 x 6.3 cm
- Number of components: 104
- Estimated time of assembly: 4 hours
