Automatically actuated disconnect couplings
AssigneeHamilton Sundstrand Corporation
InventorsCraig R. Legros, David S. Behling
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An automatic disconnect coupling includes a retainer and a biasing member. The biasing member is coupled to the retainer and is arranged to communicate excitation from a generator input member to the retainer. The retainer and the biasing member have a fundamental frequency tuned to the rotational speed of the generator input member to automatically disconnect the input member from a drive member when rotating unbalance of the input member exceeds a predetermined level.
Claims17
An automatic disconnect coupling, comprising:
- a retainer;
- and
- a biasing member coupled to the retainer and arranged to communicate excitation from a generator input member to the retainer,
- wherein the retainer and biasing member have a fundamental frequency tuned to rotational speed of the generator input member to automatically disconnect the input member from a drive member when rotating unbalance of the input member exceeds a predetermined level.
A method of automatically disconnecting a generator input member from a drive member, comprising:
- exciting a retainer with rotational unbalance of a generator input member;
- retaining connection of the input member with a drive member when the rotational unbalance at a fundamental frequency of a retainer is below a predetermined level;
- and
- disconnecting the input member from the drive member when the rotational unbalance exceeds the predetermined level.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.