High-speed roller one-way clutch
AssigneeBorg-Warner Automotive Transmission & Engine Components Corporation
InventorGregory J. Malecha
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A roller clutch (20) having a cage (32) having a plurality of barbed posts 40) installed between substantially coaxial clutch races (24,26) for aligning and mounting bearing blocks (42) around the cage (32) for fixed rotational movement and including a contoured pocket (44) on one side for nesting a roller (22) and a spring (48) mounted on the other side that circumferentially urges a roller (22) nested in an adjacent bearing block (42) to permit stable performance under high speed operating conditions.
Claims18
A roller clutch (20) in which a plurality of cylindrical rollers (22) is located between first and second substantially coaxial clutch races (24,26), coaxial about a single axis extending in an axial direction, and in which each of said rollers (22) is selectively engageable between a cylindrical pathway (28) on the first race (24) and a respective confronting sloped cam ramp (30) formed on the second race (26), and in which said rollers (22) must move in a circumferential direction between said races (24,26) during clutch operation, said roller clutch comprising:
- a cage (32) installable between said races (24,26) so as to maintain a substantially fixed orientation relative to the axis of said races;
- said cage (32) being defined by a ring (34) having inner and outer peripheral edges (26,38);
- said inner edge (36) being generally circular and said outer edge (38) having a shape generally corresponding to the shape of the confronting sloped cam ramp (30) formed outer race surface of said second race (26);
- said cage (32) including a plurality of barbed posts (40) extending from said ring (34) and being generally parallel to the axis of said races (24,26);
- a plurality of bearing blocks (42) mounted over said barbed posts (40);
- each one of said plurality of bearing blocks (42) including a contoured pocket (44) on one side for nesting a respective roller (22) thereon;
- each one of said plurality of bearing blocks (42) including an attachment portion (46) on a side opposite of said pocket (44);
- and
- a plurality of springs (48), one for each said roller (22), each spring (48) having one end (50) mounted in said attachment portion (46) of one bearing block (42) and a second end (52) in engagement with a roller (22) nested in an adjacent bearing block (42) whereby to permit stable performance under high speed operating conditions.
An improved roller clutch (20) in which a plurality of cylindrical rollers (22) is located between first and second substantially coaxial clutch races (24,26), coaxial about a single axis, and in which each of said rollers (22) is selectively engageable between a cylindrical pathway (28) on a first race (24) and a respective confronting sloped cam ramp (30) formed on the second race (26), and in which said rollers (22) must move in circumferential direction between said races (24,26) during clutch operation and including a cage (32) installable between said races (24,26) so as to maintain a substantially fixed orientation relative to the axis of said races (24,26), and a plurality of springs (48), one for each of said rollers (22), wherein the improvement is that each spring (48) has one end (50) mounted in said attachment portion (46) of one bearing block (42) and a second end (52) in engagement with a roller (22) nested in an adjacent bearing block (42) thereby permitting stable performance under high speed operating conditions;
- said cage (32) being defined by a ring (34) having inner and outer peripheral edges (36,38);
- said inner edge (36) being generally circular and said outer edge (38) having a shape generally corresponding to the shape of the confronting sloped cam ramp (30) formed in the second race (26);
- said cage (32) including a plurality of barbed posts (40) extending from said ring (34) and being generally parallel to the axes of said races (24,26);
- and a plurality of bearing blocks (42) mounted over said barbed posts (40);
- each of said bearing blocks (42) including a contoured pocket (44) on one side for nesting a respective roller (22) thereon;
- each of said bearing blocks (42) including an attachment portion (46) on a side thereof opposite said pocket (44) thereby providing stability under high speed operating conditions.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.