Clutch assembly for a power tool
AssigneeMilwaukee Electric Tool Corporation
InventorsBrian J. Yue, Hugh A. Dales
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A power tool includes a housing, a drive mechanism supported within the housing, a spindle operatively coupled to an output of the drive mechanism such that torque from the drive mechanism rotates the spindle about an axis, and a clutch assembly configured to selectively limit torque transfer from the drive mechanism to the spindle. The clutch assembly includes a plurality of rolling elements, a biasing member configured to bias the plurality of rolling elements into engagement with the output of the drive mechanism, and a sleeve movable along the axis to adjust a torque limit of the clutch assembly by varying a preload of the biasing member. The sleeve is made of a high-temperature, engineering thermoplastic.
Claims20
A power tool comprising:
- a housing;
- a drive mechanism supported within the housing;
- a spindle operatively coupled to an output of the drive mechanism such that torque from the drive mechanism rotates the spindle about an axis;
- and
- a clutch assembly configured to selectively limit torque transfer from the drive mechanism to the spindle, the clutch assembly including
- a plurality of rolling elements;
- a biasing member configured to bias the plurality of rolling elements into engagement with the output of the drive mechanism;
- and
- a sleeve movable along the axis to adjust a torque limit of the clutch assembly by varying a preload of the biasing member,
- wherein the sleeve is made of a high-temperature, engineering thermoplastic.
A power tool comprising:
- a housing;
- a drive mechanism supported within the housing;
- a spindle operatively coupled to an output of the drive mechanism such that torque from the drive mechanism rotates the spindle about an axis;
- and
- a clutch assembly configured to selectively limit torque transfer from the drive mechanism to the spindle, the clutch assembly including
- a plurality of rolling elements;
- a biasing member configured to bias the plurality of rolling elements into engagement with the output of the drive mechanism;
- and
- a sleeve movable along the axis to adjust a torque limit of the clutch assembly by varying a preload of the biasing member,
- wherein the sleeve is movable to a lockout position in which the biasing member is fully compressed to prevent axial displacement of the plurality of rolling elements, and
- wherein the biasing member includes a wave spring.
A power tool comprising:
- a housing including a gear case;
- a drive mechanism supported at least partially within the gear case;
- a spindle operatively coupled to an output of the drive mechanism such that torque from the drive mechanism rotates the spindle about an axis;
- and
- a clutch assembly configured to selectively limit torque transfer from the drive mechanism to the spindle, the clutch assembly including
- a plurality of rolling elements;
- a biasing member configured to bias the plurality of rolling elements into engagement with the output of the drive mechanism;
- and
- a sleeve movable along the axis to adjust a torque limit of the clutch assembly by varying a preload of the biasing member,
- wherein the sleeve includes an inner thread defining a first pitch width,
- wherein the gear case includes an outer thread defining a second pitch width and meshed with the inner thread such that rotation of the sleeve about the axis relative to the gear case causes the sleeve to move along the axis relative to the gear case, and
- wherein the first pitch width is greater than the second pitch width.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.