Centrifugal advance mechanism
AssigneeHonda Motor Co., Ltd.
InventorIan M. Ruscak
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A centrifugal advance mechanism has drive and driven members connected with one another to rotate about a common axis as they move toward and away from each other along the common axis. A resilient element biases the members toward each other. A ramp on one of the members has an inner end portion and an outer end portion. The inner end portion is closer to the common axis than the outer end portion, the ramp rising as it moves from the inner end portion toward the outer end portion. A ba1l contacts the ramp and the other member. The resilient element biases the ball down the ramp, the ball traveling radially outward and up the ramp as the members rotate at increasing angular velocity thereby causing the members to separate from each other against the bias of the resilient element and to rotate with respect to each other.
Claims19
A centrifugal advance mechanism comprising:
- a drive member and a driven member, the members being connected with one another to rotate about a common axis as they move toward and away from each other along the common axis;
- a resilient element mounted to bias the drive and driven members toward each other;
- one of the drive and driven members comprising a ramp, the ramp having an inner end portion and an outer end portion, the inner end portion being closer to the common axis than the outer end portion, the ramp rising axially toward the other of the drive and driven members as the ramp moves from the inner end portion toward the outer end portion;
- and
- a ball in contact with the ramp and the other of the drive and driven members,
- the resilient element biasing the ball down the ramp, the ball traveling radially outward and up the ramp as the drive and driven members rotate about the common axis at increasing angular velocity thereby causing the drive and driven members to separate from each other against the bias of the resilient element and to rotate with respect to each other.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.