Compact Clutch Assembly Method and Apparatus
OwnerSimon ORMEinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The invention provides a clutch assembly including a drive shaft; a torque transmission member co-axially mounted to the drive shaft; a clutch member operably connected to or integral with the torque transmission member, the clutch member having a first friction face; a disc spring mounted around the drive shaft and having a second friction face engaging the first friction face; a resilient retainer retaining the spring in a compressed condition in which the first and second friction faces are compressed together to allow torque transmission, wherein the retainer includes a fractured ring having first and second ends resulting from the fracture, the ends adjacent and biased towards each other.
Claims7
A method of assembling a clutch assembly including the steps of:
- providing a clutch member mounted to a drive shaft, the shaft having a shoulder or shoulders, the clutch member having a first friction face;
- mounting a disc spring having a second friction face around the shaft so that the second friction face is engagable with the first friction face;
- forcing an annular retainer in an axial direction against the shoulder(s) and the spring so as to create sufficient hoop stress to create a fracture through the retainer, the fracture allowing the retainer to expand and pass over the shoulder(s),
- whereby the fractured retainer seats between the shoulder(s) and the spring, thereby retaining the spring.
A clutch assembly including:
- a drive shaft;
- a torque transmission member co-axially mounted to the drive shaft;
- a clutch member operably connected to or integral with the torque transmission member, the clutch member having a first friction face;
- a disc spring mounted around the drive shaft and having a second friction face engaging the first friction face;
- a resilient retainer retaining the spring in a compressed condition in which the first and second friction faces are compressed together to allow torque transmission,
- characterized in that the retainer includes a fractured ring having first and second ends resulting from the fracture, the ends adjacent and biased towards each other.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.