Resettable mechanical disconnect

A method of operating a resettable mechanical disconnect, comprising:

• receiving an electrical control signal at a control mechanism;
• causing, based on the electrical control signal received at the control mechanism, a movable pin to retract, allowing a spring to cause a pawl to rotate about a first axis to come into contact with a radial surface of a ramp section of a first shaft portion of a resettable mechanical disconnect;
• and
• allowing the spring to cause the pawl to apply pressure against an axial surface of the ramp section of the first shaft portion as the ramp section of the first shaft portion rotates about a second axis, the pressure of the pawl against an increase in height, substantially parallel to the first axis, of the axial surface of the ramp section of the first shaft portion about the second axis cause the first shaft portion to move away from a second shaft portion axially along the second axis such that first coupling features of the first shaft portion disengage from second coupling features of the second shaft portion to cause the first shaft portion and the second shaft portion to no longer rotate together, thereby mechanically disconnecting the first shaft portion from the second shaft portion.

A resettable mechanical disconnect, comprising:

• a first shaft portion positioned about a first axis and having first coupling features positioned at a first end of the first shaft portion;
• a second shaft portion positioned about the first axis and adjacent to the first shaft portion, the second shaft portion having:
• second coupling features positioned at a second end of the second shaft portion and configured to engage with the first coupling features of the first shaft portion to cause the first shaft portion and the second shaft portion to rotate together radially about the first axis;
• and
• a ramp section positioned around an outer surface of the second shaft portion, an axial surface of the ramp section increasing in height, substantially parallel to the first axis, around the outer surface of the second shaft portion about the first axis, wherein the height, substantially parallel to the first axis, of the axial surface of the ramp section increases around the outer surface of the second shaft portion as a first width, substantially parallel to the first axis, of a radial surface of the ramp section of the outer surface of the second shaft portion decreases around the second shaft portion;
• a controllable spring loaded rotatable pawl apparatus having:
• a pawl configured to rotate about a second axis toward the radial surface of the ramp section of the second shaft portion;
• a spring configured to cause the pawl to rotate about the second axis toward the radial surface of the ramp section of the second shaft portion;
• a movable pin configured to retain the pawl in place away from the ramp section when extended;
• and
• a control mechanism configured to retract the movable pin based on an electrical control signal;
• when the control mechanism causes the movable pin to retract, the spring causes the pawl to rotate about the second axis to initially come into radial contact with the radial surface of the ramp section of the outer surface of the second shaft portion in a first section of the ramp section of the outer surface without being in axial contact with the axial surface of the ramp section, wherein the first width, substantially parallel to the first axis, of the radial surface of the ramp section of the outer surface of the second shaft portion is wider than a second width, substantially parallel to the second axis, of the pawl in the first section of the outer surface, wherein the pawl subsequently comes into the axial contact with the ramp section as the second shaft portion rotates causing the pawl to apply pressure against the ramp section of the second shaft portion;
• and
• as the pawl applies the pressure against the ramp section of the second shaft portion as the ramp section of the second shaft portion rotates about the first axis, the pressure of the pawl against an increase in the height, substantially parallel to the first axis, of the ramp section of the second shaft portion about the first axis causes the second shaft portion to move away from the first shaft portion axially along the first axis such that the second coupling features of the second shaft portion disengage from the first coupling features of the first shaft portion to cause the first shaft portion and the second shaft portion to no longer rotate together, thereby mechanically disconnecting the second shaft portion from the first shaft portion.