Open belt clutch
AssigneeAdicep Technologies, Inc.
InventorsJohn Rokosz, Philip Carvey, Matthew Carvey, Peter Costa, Chris Holmes
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The present application for patent provides a belt clutch having a drum with a drum-side friction surface, an open ended belt with a belt-side friction surface, and an externally controlled actuator on one end of the belt. The belt is configured to be coupled to a source of torque on the other end of the belt. The belt-side and drum-side friction surfaces engage frictionally when in use, such that the effective coefficient of friction between the drum-side friction surface and the belt-side friction surface varies across the width or length of the belt.
Claims19
A clutch comprising:
- a. a drum having an axis, a radius, a drum-side friction surface, and a first cross section bounded by the drum-side friction surface;
- b. an open-ended belt, having an end coupled to at least one source of torque, a free end, a length, a width, a belt-side friction surface, and a second cross section bounded by the belt-side friction surface, configured to form a wrap partially, fully or a plurality of times around the drum;
- and
- c. an externally controllable actuator, configured to apply a force to the free end of the open ended belt, whereby the belt-side friction surface engages frictionally with the drum-side friction surface,
- wherein the first cross section and the second cross section are configured generally to mate with each other, resulting in an effective coefficient of friction between the belt-side friction surface and the drum-side friction surface that
- d. varies along the length of the belt by varying the friction materials used for frictional engagement;
- or
- e. varies along the width of the belt by varying the geometry of the frictional engagement along with width of the belt.
A clutch comprising:
- a. a drum having a radius, m outer engagement regions, and n inner engagement regions, wherein each of the m outer engagement regions and each of the n inner engagement regions has a drum-side cross section bounded by a drum-side friction surface, and wherein m and n may be the same or different and m=0 to 6, and n=0 to 6, subject to the condition that m+n=1 to 12;
- b. p open-ended belts, each open ended belt configured to form a wrap partially, fully or a plurality of times around its corresponding outer engagement region or its corresponding inner engagement region, wherein each of the p open ended belts has an end coupled to a source of torque, a free end, a length, and a belt-side cross section bounded by a belt-side friction surface, and wherein the belt-side cross section of each of the one or more open ended belts is configured generally to mate with the drum-side cross section of its corresponding inner or outer engagement region;
- and wherein p=1 to m+n;
- c. means for applying a force to each open-ended belt, whereby said each open ended belt is engaged frictionally with its corresponding inner or outer engagement region;
- wherein each drum-side cross section and its corresponding belt-side cross section are configured generally to mate with each other, resulting in an effective coefficient of friction between the belt-side friction surface and the drum-side friction surface that
- d. varies along the length of the belt by varying the friction materials used for frictional engagement;
- or
- e. varies along the width of the belt by varying the geometry of the frictional engagement along the width of the belt.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.