Flexible Flywheel Coupling

A flywheel coupling assembly for transmitting torque between a shaft and a flywheel approximately aligned on an assembly axis, the flywheel coupling assembly comprising:

• a clamp ring assembly defining a clamp ring axis and including
• a first clamp ring,
• a second clamp ring disposed spaced apart from and substantially parallel to the first clamp ring along the clamp ring axis, and
• a center element formed of an elastomer material, the center element extending axially and circumferentially between the first and second clamp rings,
• the clamp ring assembly including a first axial end and a second axial end, the first clamp ring being disposed substantially adjacent the first axial end and the second clamp ring being disposed substantially adjacent the second axial end, the first axial end of the clamp ring being adapted to be coupled to the shaft, and
• a flywheel attachment flange assembly, the flywheel attachment flange assembly including a coupling hub and a planer plate element, the planer plate element including a plurality of through holes and being adapted to be disposed adjacent the flywheel, the coupling hub defining a flywheel attachment axis, the coupling hub being coupled with the second axial end of the clamp ring assembly, the flywheel attachment axis and the clamp ring being substantially coincident, the flywheel attachment axis and the clamp ring axis being adapted to be substantially aligned with the assembly axis.

A method of forming a flywheel coupling assembly for coupling a flywheel to a shaft along an assembly axis, the method comprising:

• providing a clamp ring assembly defining a clamp ring axis and including
• a plurality of first arcuate coupling segments, each first arcuate coupling segment including a first arcuate portion extending between first segment ends, the first arcuate coupling segments being arranged to form a first clamp ring with adjacent first arcuate coupling segments having proximally disposed first segment ends, the first clamp ring being disposed substantially adjacent a first axial end of the clamp ring assembly,
• a plurality of second arcuate coupling segments, each second arcuate coupling segment including a second arcuate portion extending between second segment ends, the second arcuate coupling segments being arranged to form a second clamp ring with adjacent second arcuate coupling segments having proximally disposed second segment ends, the first and second clamp rings being substantially parallelly disposed and spaced apart along the clamp ring axis, the second clamp ring being disposed substantially adjacent a second axial end of the clamp ring assembly, and
• a center element formed of an elastomer material, the center element extending axially and circumferentially between the first and second clamp rings, and
• coupling the second clamp ring to a coupling hub of a flywheel attachment flange assembly including the coupling hub and a planer plate element.