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US 9,151,340 B1Granted
Clutch with auto-stop
AssigneeKit Masters
InventorsJake Braukmann, Daniel Huwe, Thomas Jagger
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A clutch device for a clutch system has a nose cap and a piston that is movable in an axial direction with respect to the nose cap. A seal disposed in the axial direction between the nose cap and the piston automatically locks the clutch device when a threshold amount of wear has accrued in a friction interface of the clutch device. If the seal is not compressed in the axial direction, then a pressurized fluid can flow past the seal and the piston is displaced in the axial direction away from the nose cap. If the seal is compressed in the axial direction, then the pressurized fluid does not flow past the seal and the piston is not displaced in the axial direction away from the nose cap.
Claims19
A clutch device comprising:
- a central shaft oriented along an axis, the central shaft including a coupling end that receives a pressurized fluid, opposite the coupling end, a forward end that includes a fluid passage, and a fluid channel that provides fluid communication between the coupling end and the fluid passage;
- a nose cap attached to the forward end of the central shaft;
- a piston slidingly mounted on the central shaft to translate in the axial direction relative to the nose cap;
- a spring that urges the piston in the axial direction toward the nose cap;
- an output member that receives an output instrument;
- a forward bearing that couples the piston with the output member so that the output member is constrained to translate in the axial direction with the piston relative to the central shaft and the output member is substantially free to rotate about the axis relative to the piston;
- a rear bearing that rotatingly couples an input member to the central shaft;
- a friction ring fixed to rotate about the axis with the output member and to reciprocate with the output member in the axial direction relative to the input member between an engaged position in which the friction ring frictionally engages with an opposing surface of the input member and a disengaged position in which the friction ring is spaced apart from the opposing surface of the input member;
- and
- a seal disposed in the axial direction between a rear face of the nose cap and a front face of the piston and in the radial direction with respect to the axis surrounding the fluid passage of the central shaft, the seal including a sealing ridge that protrudes in the axial direction from a body of the seal and engages at least one of the rear face of the nose cap or the front face of the piston when the friction ring is worn down below a threshold thickness, the seal thereby preventing the pressurized fluid from flowing out the fluid passage, past the sealing ridge, and into a space between the rear face of the nose cap and the front face of the piston, and thereby preventing the friction ring from moving between the engaged position and the disengaged position,
- wherein the seal is axially clamped between the nose cap and a shoulder portion of the central shaft.
8 more elements
A clutch device comprising:
- a central shaft oriented along an axis, the central shaft including a coupling end that receives a pressurized fluid, opposite the coupling end, a forward end that includes a fluid passage, and a fluid channel that provides fluid communication between the coupling end and the fluid passage;
- a nose cap attached to the forward end of the central shaft;
- a piston slidingly mounted on the central shaft to translate in the axial direction relative to the nose cap;
- a spring that urges the piston in the axial direction toward the nose cap;
- an output member that receives an output instrument;
- a forward bearing that couples the piston with the output member so that the output member is constrained to translate in the axial direction with the piston relative to the central shaft and the output member is substantially free to rotate about the axis relative to the piston;
- a rear bearing that rotatingly couples an input member to the central shaft;
- a friction ring fixed to rotate about the axis with the output member and to reciprocate with the output member in the axial direction relative to the input member between an engaged position in which the friction ring frictionally engages with an opposing surface of the input member and a disengaged position in which the friction ring is spaced apart from the opposing surface of the input member;
- and
- a seal disposed in the axial direction between a rear face of the nose cap and a front face of the piston and in the radial direction with respect to the axis surrounding the fluid passage of the central shaft, the seal including a sealing ridge that protrudes in the axial direction from a body of the seal and engages at least one of the rear face of the nose cap or the front face of the piston when the friction ring is worn down below a threshold thickness, the seal thereby preventing the pressurized fluid from flowing out the fluid passage, past the sealing ridge, and into a space between the rear face of the nose cap and the front face of the piston, and thereby preventing the friction ring from moving between the engaged position and the disengaged position,
- wherein the body including the sealing ridge of the seal has a substantially toroidal shape defined by a cross-sectional area revolved about an axis of revolution, the cross-sectional area including
- a generally rectangular region having
- a radially inward end located toward the axis of revolution,
- a radially outward end located away from the axis of revolution, and
- front and rear edges that connect the radially inward and radially outward ends;
- and
- a rear ridge profile that extends from the rear edge on a portion of the rear edge located toward the radially outward end.
14 more elements
A clutch device comprising:
- a central shaft oriented along an axis, the central shaft including a coupling end that receives a pressurized fluid, opposite the coupling end, a forward end that includes a fluid passage, and a fluid channel that provides fluid communication between the coupling end and the fluid passage;
- a nose cap attached to the forward end of the central shaft;
- a piston slidingly mounted on the central shaft to translate in the axial direction relative to the nose cap;
- a spring that urges the piston in the axial direction toward the nose cap;
- an output member that receives an output instrument;
- a forward bearing that couples the piston with the output member so that the output member is constrained to translate in the axial direction with the piston relative to the central shaft and the output member is substantially free to rotate about the axis relative to the piston;
- a rear bearing that rotatingly couples an input member to the central shaft;
- a friction ring fixed to rotate about the axis with the output member and to reciprocate with the output member in the axial direction relative to the input member between an engaged position in which the friction ring frictionally engages with an opposing surface of the input member and a disengaged position in which the friction ring is spaced apart from the opposing surface of the input member;
- and
- a seal disposed in the axial direction between a rear face of the nose cap and a front face of the piston and in the radial direction with respect to the axis surrounding the fluid passage of the central shaft, the seal including a sealing ridge that protrudes in the axial direction from a body of the seal and engages at least one of the rear face of the nose cap or the front face of the piston when the friction ring is worn down below a threshold thickness, the seal thereby preventing the pressurized fluid from flowing out the fluid passage, past the sealing ridge, and into a space between the rear face of the nose cap and the front face of the piston, and thereby preventing the friction ring from moving between the engaged position and the disengaged position,
- wherein the body including the sealing ridge of the seal has a substantially toroidal shape defined by a cross-sectional area revolved about an axis of revolution, the cross-sectional area including
- a generally trapezoidal region having
- a radially inward lateral edge located toward the axis of revolution,
- a radially outward lateral edge located away from the axis of revolution, and
- substantially parallel front and rear bases that connect the radially inward and radially outward lateral edges;
- and
- a front ridge profile that extends from the front base.
14 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.