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US 4,437,552 AGranted
Spring clutch device
AssigneeCanon Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorMasamichi Toyama
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A spring clutch which has two wrapped springs wound in different directions from each other and which is arranged to transmit the rotation of a drive source to two members to be driven by effecting change-over from one member to another. The transmission of the rotation is arranged to be immediately cut off at any desired point by operating a change-over member.
Claims2
A spring clutch device comprising:
- a driving shaft connected to a drive source and arranged to be rotatable;
- a first driven member rotatably supported around said driving shaft;
- a second driven member supported to be concentrically rotatable on the extension of said driving shaft;
- a first wrapped spring wound into a coil like shape around the outer circumference of said driving shaft, said spring having one end thereof connected to said first driven member and being arranged to transmit the rotation of said driving shaft to said first driven member, said spring being provided with a projection formed at the other end thereof;
- a second wrapped spring wound into a coil like shape around the outer circumference of said driving shaft, said spring having one end thereof connected to said second driven member and being arranged to transmit the rotation of said driving shaft to said second driven member, said spring being provided with a projection formed at the other end thereof;
- said first and second wrapped springs being wound in directions opposite to each other and being spaced at a predetermined distance with their projections arranged close to each other;
- a change-over member capable of entering into and retracting from the turning paths of said two springs, said change-over member being shiftable between a position in which it engages said projection of said first spring, a position in which it engages said projection of said second spring and another position in which it engages said projections of both springs, said change-over member being arranged to cut off transmission of rotation of said driving shaft to said driven members when the change-over member is in each of said engaging positions;
- a ring member connected to said projection of said first spring, said ring member being provided with a plurality of engaging parts for engagement with said change-over member, said engaging parts being arranged on the outer circumference of said ring member;
- spring means for urging said change-over member in the direction of engaging said second wrapped spring;
- and
- a retaining ring which is arranged to be coupled with said projection of said second wrapped spring to rotate together with said spring, said ring being provided with a slit which is arranged to engage said change-over member and with an end face for keeping said change-over member in a position engaging said projection of said first wrapped spring against said spring means until said change-over member comes to engage said slit.
8 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.