Speed responsive rotary coupling
AssigneeBorg-Warner Corporation
InventorRussel E. Siliberschlag
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A speed responsive coupling especially adapted for use as a lock-up clutch with a torque converter includes a centrifugal follower, load limit spring and stop in combination with a centrifugally engageable friction shoe, providing for low speed lock-up while limiting the torque capacity of the lock-up clutch at higher speeds.
Claims9
A speed responsive rotary coupling including a first rotatable member having a circumferentially extending drive surface defined therein, a second rotatable member, said second rotatable member including guide means, and a centrifugally actuated friction shoe movably mounted in said guide means for radial movement toward and from engagement with said drive surface, wherein the improvement comprises auxiliary loading means operatively connected to said friction shoe, said auxiliary loading means including a follower member movably mounted on said second rotatable member, said follower member being movable in a radially outward direction under the influence of centrifugal force responsive to rotation of said second rotatable member, a yieldable load spring engaged between said friction shoe and said follower member, said load spring being subjected to flexure in accordance with radially outward movement of said follower member, whereby said load spring imposes a force on said shoe proportional to flexure of said spring by said follower member, and further including stop means operative to limit outward movement of said follower member whereby after initial shoe contact with said drive surface, the engaging force of said shoe will have a first relationship to rotational speed of said second rotatable member, and after the follower member contacts the stop means, a second relationship between the shoe engaging force and rotational speed of said second rotatable member is developed.
A speed responsive rotary coupling including a first rotatable member having a circumferentially extending drive surface defined therein, a second rotatable member, said second rotatable member including guide means, and a centrifugally actuated friction shoe movably mounted in said guide means for movement toward and from engagement with said drive surface, wherein the improvement comprises auxiliary loading means operatively connected to said friction shoe, said auxiliary loading means including a follower member movably mounted on said second rotatable member, said follower member being movable in a radially outward direction under the influence of centrifugal force responsive to rotation of said second rotatable member, a yieldable load spring engaged between said friction shoe and said follower member, said friction shoe including a pair of spaced channel portions, said follower member having end portions received in said channel portions, said load spring being a leaf spring having a mid portion engaging said follower member and end portions engaging said friction shoe and being subjected to flexure in accordance with radially outward movement of said follower member, whereby said load spring imposes a force on said shoe proportional to flexure of said spring by said follower member, and further including stop means operative to limit outward movement of said follower member.
A rotary coupling including a first rotatable member having a circumferentially extending surface defined therein, a second rotatable member, said second rotatable member including guide means, and a friction shoe assembly slidably mounted in said guide means for radial movement toward and from engagement with said surface, said shoe assembly including a friction shoe and loading means operatively connected to said friction shoe, said loading means being movable radially outwardly under the influence of centrifugal force responsive to rotation of said second rotatable member, a load spring engaged between said friction shoe and said loading means, said load spring being subjected to flexure in accordance with radially outward movement of said loading means whereby said load spring imposes a force on said shoe proportional to the force imposed thereon by said loading means, and further including stop means operative to limit outward radial movement of said loading means, whereby after initial shoe contact with said surface, the engaging force of said shoe will have a first relationship to rotational speed of said second rotatable member, and after the loading means contacts the stop means, a second relationship between the shoe engaging force and rotational speed of said second rotatable member is developed.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.