US 2008/0185242 A1Published application

Torque brake

AssigneeCurtiss-Wright Controls, Inc.

InventorsEdward A. Mayer, Arthur I. Degenholtz

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Abstract

A torque transfer limiting arrangement includes a housing, an input drive shaft, an output drive shaft, and an output cam plate having a plurality of ball ramps with a plurality of balls for transmitting input torque to the output cam plate. A stator assembly is rotatably fixed relative to the housing, and includes at least one stator friction disc. A rotor assembly includes at least one rotor friction disc rotatable relative to the stator friction disc. A sensing spring permits axial displacement of the output cam plate when the input torque exceeds a predetermined maximum limit, whereupon the plurality of balls in the ball ramps cause axial displacement of the output cam to thereby drive the clutch into an engaged state causing relative rotation between the rotor and stator friction discs for isolating and frictionally dissipating the input torque.

Claims27

Dependent claims

A torque transfer limiting arrangement for use with a rotating drive shaft, including:

a housing;
an input drive shaft supported for rotation relative to the housing for inputting an input torque;
an output drive shaft for outputting the input torque to a driven component;
an input cam plate operatively coupled to the input drive shaft and including a plurality of ball ramps;
an output cam plate including a plurality of ball ramps corresponding to the ball ramps of the input cam plate, the output cam plate being operatively coupled to the output drive shaft;
a plurality of balls adapted to fit within the ball ramps of the cam plates for transmitting the input torque from the input cam plate to the output cam plate, the balls being adapted to displace the output cam plate in an axial direction away from the input cam plate when relative rotation occurs between the input cam plate and the output cam plate;
a sensing spring biasing the output cam plate towards the input cam plate so as to locate the plurality of balls in the ball ramps of the cam plates, the sensing spring permitting axial displacement of the output cam plate relative to the input cam plate when the input torque exceeds a predetermined maximum limit;
a stator assembly rotatably fixed relative to the housing and including at least one stator friction disc;
a rotor assembly rotatable relative to the housing and including at least one rotor friction disc rotatable relative to the stator friction disc, the stator and rotor assemblies having a non-engaged state wherein the at least one rotor disc is generally rotationally stationary relative to the at least one stator disc, and an engaged state wherein the at least one rotor disc rotates relative to the at least one stator disc;
a member rotatable relative to the housing and axially moveable relative to the housing, the member being coupled to the rotor assembly to rotate therewith;
a load spring biasing the member towards the rotor assembly so as to bias the at least one stator friction disc towards frictional engagement with the at least one rotor friction disc;
and
a clutch including a first set of clutch teeth coupled to the output cam plate and a second set of clutch teeth coupled to the rotor assembly, the sensing spring biasing the first set of clutch teeth towards non-engagement with the second set of clutch teeth until the input torque exceeds the predetermined maximum limit, whereupon the sensing spring permits the plurality of balls in the ball ramps to cause axial displacement of the output cam away from the input cam to thereby drive the first set of clutch teeth into engagement with the second set of clutch teeth to change the stator and rotor assemblies to the engaged state for isolating and frictionally dissipating the input torque.

10 more elements

A torque transfer limiting arrangement for use with a rotating drive shaft, including:

a housing;
an input drive shaft supported for rotation relative to the housing for inputting an input torque, the input drive shaft including a flange having a plurality of ball ramps;
an output drive shaft for outputting the input torque to a driven component;
an output cam plate including a plurality of ball ramps corresponding to the ball ramps of the flange, the output cam plate being operatively coupled to the output drive shaft by way of a sliding spline;
a plurality of balls adapted to fit within the ball ramps of the flange and output cam plate for transmitting the input torque from the input drive shaft to the output drive shaft, the balls being adapted to displace the output cam plate in an axial direction away from the flange when relative rotation occurs between the flange and the output cam plate;
a sensing spring biasing the output cam plate towards the flange so as to locate the plurality of balls in the ball ramps, the sensing spring permitting axial displacement of the output cam plate relative to the flange when the input torque exceeds a predetermined maximum limit;
a stator assembly rotatably fixed relative to the housing and including a plurality of stator friction discs;
a rotor assembly rotatable relative to the housing and including a plurality of rotor friction discs rotatable relative to the stator friction discs;
a member rotatable relative to the housing and axially moveable relative to the housing, the member being coupled to the rotor assembly to rotate therewith;
a load spring biasing the member towards the rotor assembly so as to bias the at stator friction discs towards frictional engagement with the rotor friction discs;
a first set of teeth carried by the output cam plate;
and
a second set of teeth carried by the rotor assembly and coaxially aligned with the first set of teeth,
wherein the sensing spring biases the first set of teeth towards a disengaged state with the second set of teeth until the input torque exceeds the predetermined maximum limit, whereupon the plurality of balls in the ball ramps cause axial displacement of the output cam away from the flange to thereby drive the first set of teeth into engagement with the second set of teeth causing relative rotation between the rotor and stator friction discs for isolating and frictionally dissipating the input torque.

11 more elements

A torque transfer limiting arrangement for use with a rotating drive shaft, including:

a housing;
an input drive shaft supported for rotation relative to the housing for inputting an input torque, the input drive shaft including a flange having a plurality of ball ramps;
an output drive shaft for outputting the input torque to a driven component;
an output cam plate including a plurality of ball ramps corresponding in location and geometry to the ball ramps of the flange, the output cam plate being operatively coupled to the output drive shaft;
a plurality of balls adapted to fit within the ball ramps of the flange and output cam plate for transmitting the input torque from the input drive shaft to the output drive shaft, the balls being adapted to displace the output cam plate in an axial direction away from the flange when relative rotation occurs between the flange and the output cam plate;
a sensing spring biasing the output cam plate towards the flange so as to locate the plurality of balls in the ball ramps, the sensing spring permitting axial displacement of the output cam plate relative to the flange when the input torque exceeds a predetermined maximum limit;
a stator assembly rotatably fixed relative to the housing and including a plurality of stator friction discs;
a rotor assembly rotatable relative to the housing and including a plurality of rotor friction discs rotatable relative to the stator friction discs;
a first set of teeth carried by the output cam plate;
a second set of teeth carried by the rotor assembly and coaxially aligned with the first set of teeth,
wherein the sensing spring maintains the first set of teeth in a disengaged state with the second set of teeth until the input torque exceeds the predetermined maximum limit, whereupon the plurality of balls in the ball ramps cause axial displacement of the output cam away from the flange to thereby drive the first set of teeth into engagement with the second set of teeth causing relative rotation between the rotor and stator friction discs for isolating and frictionally dissipating the input torque;
and
a first trip indicator including a plunger moveable between non-trip and trip positions and biased towards the non-trip position, the axial displacement of the output cam plate away from the flange causing the plunger to move to the trip position.

10 more elements

A torque transfer limiting arrangement for use with a rotating drive shaft, including:

a housing;
input means for inputting an input torque;
output means for outputting the input torque to a driven component;
an input cam plate operationally coupled to the input means and including a plurality of ball ramps;
an output cam plate operatively coupled to the output means and including a plurality of ball ramps corresponding to the ball ramps of the input cam plate;
a plurality of balls adapted to fit within the ball ramps of the input and output cam plates for transmitting the input torque from the input means to the output means, the balls being adapted to displace the output cam plate in an axial direction away from the input cam plate when relative rotation occurs between the input and the output cam plates;
a friction disc assembly including a plurality of non-rotating discs and a plurality of rotating discs adapted to frictionally dissipate rotational energy;
means for engaging the output cam plate with the friction disc assembly;
and
means for resiliently biasing the output cam plate towards the input cam plate and away from the friction disc assembly, so as to locate the plurality of balls in the ball ramps and separate the output cam plate a distance from the friction disc assembly,
wherein the means for resiliently biasing permits axial displacement of the output cam plate relative to the input cam plate only when the input torque exceeds a predetermined maximum limit, whereupon the output cam plate engages the friction disc assembly via the means for engaging such that the rotating discs will be rotated relative to the non-rotating discs for frictionally dissipating the input torque, and the input torque will remain isolated from the output means until the input torque is reduced to a level below the predetermined maximum limit, whereupon the torque transfer limiting arrangement will automatically reset.

8 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.