Positive clutch
AssigneeTsubakimoto Chain Co.
InventorYuji Kurematsu
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An object of the invention is to provide a positive clutch that has a high rigidity and simple structure, and offers potential to allow easy adjustment of torque limit load, suppress friction loss and noise generation, realize a size reduction, and extend the service life. This positive clutch is configured to prohibit relative rotation of an outer and inner races by circumferentially holding each of a plurality of rollers between an outer race slope portion and an inner race slope portion. The clutch includes a torque limiter mechanism, which includes a piston member having a flat portion that forms the outer or inner race slope portion, and a resilient member that applies a constant load on the piston member. The piston member is slidably accommodated in a piston member accommodating hole formed in the outer race or the inner race.
Claims9
A positive clutch comprising:
- an outer race and an inner race that are coaxial and rotatable relative to each other;
- a plurality of rollers disposed between the outer race and the inner race;
- and
- a biasing means radially biasing each of the plurality of rollers;
- and
- the outer race including a flat outer race slope portion extending at an angle to a circumferential direction, and the inner race including a flat inner race slope portion extending at an angle to the circumferential direction,
- each of the plurality of rollers prohibiting relative rotation of the outer race and the inner race by being held between the outer race slope portion and the inner race slope portion in the circumferential direction,
- the positive clutch further comprising a torque limiter mechanism that limits an amount of torque transmitted between the outer race and the inner race, wherein
- the torque limiter mechanism includes a piston member having an inclined surface that forms either one of the outer race slope portion or the inner race slope portion and that holds the roller between the inclined surface and the other one of the outer race slope portion or the inner race slope portion, and a resilient member that applies a constant load on the piston member, and
- the piston member is slidably accommodated in a piston member accommodating hole formed in the outer race or the inner race.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.