Planar over-running clutch and method
AssigneeEpx, L.P.
InventorsFrank A. Fitz, Wayne K. Higashi, Paul B. Pires
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A planar type of over-running clutch including first and second confronting plates is disclosed herein. The second plate itself includes movable struts and associated biasing mechanisms for cooperative engagement with cooperating shoulder members of the first plate under certain circumstances. An arrangement forming part of said second plate and cooperating with each strut and biasing mechanism of said second plate is provided for preventing the struts from moving to certain biased first positions when said second plate rotates in a particular way.
Claims14
In a planar type of over-running clutch having a first plate including at least one strut engaging shoulder member and a confronting second plate carrying at least one strut arrangement including (i) a strut movable in a direction towards and away from said first plate between a first position closer to the first plate and a second position further from the first plate and (ii) a mechanism for biasing the strut in its first position, said first and second plates being configured such that (i) when said second plate is caused to rotate in one direction with respect to said first plate, a strut of the second plate engages a shoulder member of the first plate in a way that causes the second plate to lock into movement with the first plate, at the same speed of the latter plate including the speed of zero if the first plate is stationary, and such that (ii) when the second plate is caused to rotate in the opposite direction with respect to the first plate, it does so without any such locked engagement with the first plate, whereby the second plate can overrun with respect to said first plate, the improvement comprising:
- an arrangement forming part of said second plate and cooperating with each strut and biasing mechanism of said second plate so as to prevent the strut from moving to its biased first position from its second position under certain predetermined conditions.
A planar type of over-running clutch, comprising
- (a) a first plate including at least one strut engaging shoulder member;
- (b) a second plate confronting said first plate and carrying at least one strut arrangement including (i) a strut movable in a direction towards and away from said first plate between a first position closer to the first plate and a second position further from the first plate and (ii) a mechanism for biasing the strut in its first position, said first and second plates being configured such that (i) when said second plate is caused to rotate in one direction with respect to said first plate, a strut of the second plate engages a shoulder member of the first plate in a way that causes the second plate to lock into movement with the first plate, at the same speed of the latter plate including the speed of zero if the first plate is stationary, and such that (ii) when the second plate is caused to rotate in the opposite direction with respect to the first plate, it does so without any such locked engagement with the first plate, whereby the second plate can overrun with respect to said first plate;
- and
- (c) an arrangement forming part of said second plate and cooperating with each strut and biasing mechanism of said second plate so as to prevent the strut from moving to its biased first position from its second position when said second plate rotates in said opposite direction at or above a given speed.
A planar type of over-running clutch, comprising
- (a) a first plate including at least one strut engaging shoulder member;
- (b) a second plate confronting said first plate and carrying at least one strut arrangement including (i) a strut movable in a direction towards and away from said first plate between a first position closer to the first plate and a second position further from the first plate and (ii) a mechanism for biasing the strut in its first position, said first and second plates being configured such that (i) when said second plate is caused to rotate in one direction with respect to said first plate, a strut of the second plate engages a shoulder member of the first plate in a way that causes the second plate to lock into movement with the first plate, at the same speed of the latter plate including the speed of zero if the first plate is stationary, and such that (ii) when the second plate is caused to rotate in the opposite direction with respect to the first plate, it does so without any such locked engagement with the first plate, whereby the second plate can overrun with respect to said first plate;
- and
- (c) means forming part of said second plate and cooperating with each strut and biasing mechanism of said second plate for preventing the strut from moving to its biased first position from its second position when said second plate rotates in said opposite direction at or above a given speed.
In a method of operating a planar type of over-running clutch having a first plate including at least one strut engaging shoulder member and a confronting second plate carrying at least one strut arrangement including (i) a strut movable in a direction towards and away from said first plate between a first position closer to the first plate and a second position further from the first plate and (ii) a mechanism for biasing the strut in its first position, said first and second plates being configured such that (i) when said second plate is caused to rotate in one direction with respect to said first plate, a strut of the second plate engages a shoulder member of the first plate in a way that causes the second plate to lock into movement with the first plate, at the same speed of the latter plate including the speed of zero if the first plate is stationary, and such that (ii) when the second plate is caused to rotate in the opposite direction with respect to the first plate, it does so without any such locked engagement with the first plate, whereby the second plate can overrun with respect to said first plate, the method comprising:
- automatically preventing the strut from moving to its biased first position from its second position when said second plate rotates in said opposite direction at or above a given speed.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.