Selectable clutch
AssigneeTsubakimoto Chain Co.
InventorYuji Kurematsu
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A selectable clutch with a selector is provided, in which support grooves are formed to one of an inner race and an outer race, while pocket parts are formed to the other. A resilient member is provided to bias rollers disposed between the inner race and outer race toward the pocket parts. A roller-holding surface of the support groove and a roller-holding surface of the pocket part are formed with an inclination angle such that, when the rollers are held therebetween, a force acts on the rollers in a direction to move the rollers toward the pocket parts. In the lock mode, the rollers are each held by the support groove, pocket part, and selector.
Claims9
A selectable clutch comprising:
- a cylindrical inner race and a cylindrical outer race that are coaxial and rotatable relative to each other;
- a plurality of rollers disposed between the inner race and the outer race;
- and a resilient member radially biasing the rollers,
- one of an outer circumferential surface of the inner race and an inner circumferential surface of the outer race being formed with pocket parts configured to accommodate the rollers and each having a roller-holding surface inclined relative to a circumferential direction, and another of the outer circumferential surface of the inner race and the inner circumferential surface of the outer race being formed with support grooves each having a roller-holding surface inclined relative to the circumferential direction,
- the resilient member being provided to bias the rollers toward the pocket parts,
- the selectable clutch further comprising a selector axially adjacent one of the inner race and the outer race that is provided with the pocket parts, the selector being disposed so as to be rotatable independently of the inner race and the outer race, the selector including a roller-holding surface that makes contact with the rollers in a state in which the rollers are supported by the support grooves, the selector being configured to allow switching between a free mode that allows relative rotation between the inner race and the outer race, and a lock mode that prohibits relative rotation between the inner race and the outer race, by moving the rollers radially,
- the roller-holding surface of each pocket part and the roller-holding surface of each support groove being formed with an inclination angle such that, when a roller is held therebetween, a force acts on the roller in a direction to cause the roller to move toward a corresponding pocket part,
- the selectable clutch being configured such that the rollers are held between roller-holding surfaces of the support grooves, roller-holding surfaces of the pocket parts, and the roller-holding surface of the selector in the lock mode.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.