Torque limiting starter drive clutch assembly
AssigneeUnited Technologies Motor Systems, Inc.
InventorsEarly C. McKnight, III, Bobby E. McMillen
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An electric starter having an electric motor with a rotatable shaft, a pinion gear for driving a flywheel, and a friction clutch for transmitting torque which includes a drive plate connected to the shaft and a friction coupling for frictionally transmitting torque between the drive plate and pinion gear wherein the coupling is compressible and a stop limits compression to a predetermined maximum compression so as to set a predetermined slip torque or limit torque transfer to a predetermined maximum torque.
Claims22
An electric starter for an internal combustion engine comprising:
- an electric motor having a rotatable shaft,
- a pinion gear mounted for driving a flywheel of an engine, and
- a clutch assembly for transmitting torque between the shaft and the pinion gear, said clutch assembly comprising
- a driving member connected to said shaft for rotational movement, and
- a coupling for frictionally transmitting torque between the driving member and the pinion gear, said coupling having a longitudinal axis and being compressible longitudinally,
- said clutch assembly and said pinion gear being configured to allow a predetermined maximum compression of said coupling during torque transmission so as to set a predetermined coupling slip torque.
A friction clutch subassembly for limiting torque transfer to a predetermined maximum torque comprising
- a driving member,
- a driven member, and
- a coupling for frictionally transmitting torque between the driving member and the driven member, said coupling having a longitudinal axis and being compressible longitudinally,
- said driving member, said driven member and said coupling being configured for a predetermined maximum compression of said coupling during torque transmission so as to limit torque transfer to a predetermined maximum torque.
A method of limiting torque transfer between a driving member and a driven member comprising:
- transmitting torque between a driving member and a driven member through a compressible friction coupling so that friction varies with compression of the coupling, and
- limiting compression of the coupling to selectively control torque transmission by said coupling member.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.