Overrunning planar clutch assembly

A planar overrunning coupling having a driving coupling plate and a driven coupling plate on a common axis, said plates being connected, respectively, to a rotary torque input member and to a rotary torque output member, each plate having a coupling face, said coupling face being in close juxtaposed relationship, one with respect to the other, each coupling face being in a plane that is perpendicular to the common axis;

• strut recesses in said coupling faces at locations spaced angularly about said axis generally at equidistant radial locations relative to said axis;
• force transmitting planar struts, a first edge of each strut being received in and pivotally engageable with a strut recess in one coupling plate and a second edge of each strut being engageable with a recess in the other coupling plate;
• said struts being formed with rounded edges at their second edges;
• and
• the edges of said recesses in said other coupling plate being formed with strut engaging shoulders, said strut engaging shoulders being rounded with a radius of curvature substantially equal to the radius of curvature of the second rounded edges on said struts.

A planar overrunning coupling having a driving plate and a driven plate on a common axis, said plates being connected, respectively, to a rotary torque input member and to a rotary torque output member, each plate having a coupling face;

• strut recesses in said coupling faces at locations spaced angularly about said axis at equidistant radial locations relative to said axis;
• force transmitting struts, one edge of each strut pivotally engaging one edge of a strut recess in one coupling plate and another edge engageable with the other coupling plate;
• a retainer clip at said one edge of each strut, said clip having one portion thereof secured to said one coupling plate;
• said struts having apertures at said one edge thereof, said apertures receiving another portion of said clips whereby said struts pivot about said one edge thereof while said clips retain said struts in place in their respective recesses.