US 10,816,044 B2Granted

Electromagnetic selectable wedge clutch

AssigneeSchaeffler Technologies AG & Co. KG

InventorNicholas Hrusch

Life of this patent

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Abstract

A wedge clutch selectively locks an outer race to an inner race to transfer torque therebetween. The inner race includes a first plurality of tapered surfaces, tapered in a first direction about an axis. The inner race includes a second plurality of tapered surfaces, tapered in an opposite second direction about the axis. At least two wedge plates are provided, each having a plurality of segments with a tapered inner surface disposed on a respective one of the first or second plurality of tapered surfaces of the inner race. The tapered inner surfaces of the wedge plates are tapered in opposite directions. An electromagnetic actuator is provided for each of the wedge plates. Electrically energizing one of the actuators constricts that respective wedge plate, unwedging the wedge plate from between the inner race and outer race and to no longer inhibit relative rotation therebetween.

Claims16

Dependent claims

A wedge clutch comprising:

an inner race having a first plurality of tapered outer surfaces tapered in a first circumferential direction, and a second plurality of tapered outer surfaces tapered in a second circumferential direction;
an outer race;
a first wedge plate located radially between the first plurality of tapered outer surfaces and the outer race, the first wedge plate having a plurality of wedge segments each having an inner surface tapered to correspond with the first plurality of tapered outer surfaces, wherein the first wedge plate defines a gap extending radially therethrough;
a second wedge plate radially between the second plurality of tapered outer surfaces and the outer race, the second wedge plate having a plurality of wedge segments each having an inner surface tapered to correspond with the second plurality of tapered outer surfaces;
a first actuator configured to radially expand or contract the first wedge plate by enlarging or reducing a size of the gap to selectively lock rotation among the inner race and the outer race in one rotational direction, wherein the first actuator includes coils that, when electrically energized, attract end portions of the first wedge plate to reduce the size of the gap and constrict the first wedge plat;
and
a second actuator configured to radially expand or contract the second wedge plate to selectively lock rotation among the inner race and the outer race in a second rotational direction.

4 more elements

A wedge clutch comprising:

a first race;
a second race;
a first wedge plate disposed radially between the first race and the second race, the first wedge plate configured to selectively expand and contract to selectively lock rotation between the first race and the second race in a first rotational direction while allowing rotation between the first race and the second race in a second rotational direction, wherein the first wedge plate defines a first gap extending radially therethrough such that the first wedge plate is not continuous in a circumferential direction, and wherein the first wedge plate defines a first flange adjacent to the first gap;
a second wedge plate disposed radially between the first race and the second race, the second wedge plate configured to selectively expand and contract to selectively lock rotation between the first race and the second race in the second rotational direction while allowing rotation between the first race and the second race in the first rotational direction;
wherein the second wedge plate defines a second gap extending radially therethrough such that the second wedge plate is not continuous in the circumferential direction, and wherein the second wedge plate defines a second flange adjacent to the second gap;
a first set of coils provided on the first flange and configured to, when energized, shrink the first gap to constrict the first wedge plate;
a second set of coils provided on the second flange and configured to, when energized, shrink the second gap to constrict the second wedge plate.

4 more elements

A clutch comprising:

an inner race extending about an axis and having an inner surface and an outer surface, the outer surface having a plurality of tapered regions such that a first portion of each tapered region is radially outward of a second portion of each tapered region;
an outer race having an inner surface defining an annular groove;
a wedge plate located radially between the outer surface of the inner race and the groove of the outer race, the wedge plate having a plurality of wedge segments each having a tapered inner surface engaging one of the tapered regions of the inner race, the wedge plate further defining an air gap between two end portions of the wedge plate such that the wedge plate is not continuous circumferentially about the axis;
and
an electromagnetic actuator configured to, when energized, pull the two end portions of the wedge plate together to constrict the wedge plate;
wherein the energizing of the electromagnetic actuator slides the tapered inner surfaces of the wedge plate along the tapered regions of the inner race to move the wedge plate from
a first position in which the wedge plate inhibits the inner race from rotating relative to the outer race in a first direction, to
a second position in which the wedge plate enables the inner race to rotate relative to the outer race in the first direction.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 15/916,960Filed 9 Mar 2018
Published: US 2019/0277351 A112 Sep 2019
Granted: 27 Oct 2020
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification8 codes

F16D 15/00
Clutches with wedging balls or rollers or with other wedgeable separate clutching
F16D 13/18
With outwardly-movable clutching members co-operating with the inner surface of a drum or the like: shaped as linked or separately-pivoted segments
F16D 27/02
Magnetically- or electrically- actuated clutches; Control or electric circuits therefor: with electromagnets incorporated in the clutch, i.e. with…
F16D 27/102
With an electromagnet not rotating with a clutching member, i.e. without collecting rings: with radially movable clutching members