Claims
- 1. A clutch assembly comprising:
an inner race, an outer race, and an engagement mechanism supported therebetween; said engagement mechanism including a plurality of pockets and a corresponding plurality of pawls, each pocket defining a leading end, a trailing end, and a ledge formed proximate said trailing end and projecting toward said leading end of said pocket; each of said pawls moveably supported in a corresponding pocket between an engaged position so as to provide torque translation between said inner and outer races in one rotational direction and a disengaged position so as to interrupt torque translation between said inner and outer races in the one rotational direction; said ledge of said pocket acting to support said pawl so as to inhibit skewing as it is moved between said engaged and disengaged positions.
- 2. A clutch assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein each of said plurality of pockets further defines a ramp surface adjacent to said ledge, each of said plurality of pawls including a cam surface that corresponds to said ledge on said pocket and that is supported by said ledge when said pawl is in its disengaged position, said cam surface on each pawl adapted to slidingly move relative to said ledge and said ramp surface as said pawl is moved from said disengaged position to said engaged position.
- 3. A clutch assembly as set forth in claim 2 wherein each of said plurality of pockets further defines a back portion adjacent to said ledge and a cradle portion defined between said back portion and said leading end of said pocket, each of said plurality of pawls including a top portion that corresponds to said back portion and that is in contacting relationship with said back portion when said pawl is moved to its engaged position.
- 4. A clutch assembly as set forth in claim 3 wherein said engagement mechanism further includes a plurality of teeth, each of said pawls includes a leading edge and a trailing edge formed on opposite sides of each pawl, said leading edge of said pawls engaging said teeth to translate torque between said inner and outer races in one rotational direction when said pawls are in said engaged position, and said leading edge of said pawls disposed in non-contacting relationship with said teeth so as to interrupt torque translation between said inner and outer races when said pawls are in said disengaged position.
- 5. A clutch assembly as set forth in claim 4 wherein each of said plurality of pawls includes a biased surface defined proximate said leading edge and a ridge portion defined between said biased surface and said top portion of said pawl, said ridge portion adapted to be generally received in said cradle portion of said pocket for facilitating pivotal movement of said pawl between said engaged and disengaged positions.
- 6. A clutch assembly as set forth in claim 5 wherein each of said plurality of pockets further includes an inner recess formed between said leading end and said cradle portion, a biasing member supported within said inner recess and acting on said biased surface to bias said pawl toward said engaged position.
- 7. A clutch assembly as set forth in claim 6 wherein each of said plurality of pawls includes a bottom surface extending between said leading edge and said trailing edge opposite said top portion and said biased surface of said pawl.
- 8. A clutch assembly as set forth in claim 7 wherein said bottom surface extends between said leading edge and said cam surface of each of said pawls.
- 9. A clutch assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said engagement mechanism includes a plurality of teeth formed on the outer circumference of said inner race and said plurality of pockets are formed on the inner circumference of said outer race.
- 10. A clutch assembly as set forth in claim 9 wherein said plurality of pockets includes first and second sets of pockets where each pocket in said first set is located adjacent to a pocket from the said second set and each pocket in said first set is oriented in an opposite direction relative to an adjacent pocket of said second set about the inner circumference of the outer race.
- 11. A clutch assembly as set forth in claim 10 wherein said plurality of pawls includes first and second sets of pawls corresponding to said first and second sets of pockets, each of said pawls being moveably supported in a corresponding set of pockets such that each pawl from said first set is adjacent to a pawl from said second set and such that each pawl in said first set is oriented in an opposite direction relative to an adjacent pawl from said second set and wherein said first set of pawls acts to translate torque between said inner and outer races in one rotational direction when said first set of pawls are disposed in their engaged position and the said second set of pawls acts to translate torque between said inner and outer races in the opposite rotational direction when said second set of pawls are disposed in their engaged position.
- 12. A clutch assembly as set forth in claim 11 wherein said ledge is further defined by having an outward slope with a positive tangential angle (θ) measured from the inner diameter of said outer race.
- 13. A clutch assembly as set forth in claim 12 wherein said tangential angle (θ) of said ledge has a range of 20 to 50 degrees.
- 14. A clutch assembly as set forth in claim 13 wherein said cam surface is further defined by having an outward slope with a positive tangential angle (θ′) measured from the inner diameter of said outer race.
- 15. A clutch assembly as set forth in claim 14 wherein said tangential angle of said ledge (θ) and said tangential angle of said cam surface (θ′) have an angular difference in a range of 5 to 10 degrees as measured when said pawl in said retracted position.
- 16. A clutch assembly as set forth in claim 15 wherein said clutch assembly further includes an actuator associated with each set of pawls for selectively moving said first and second set of pawls between said engaged and disengaged positions.
- 17. A clutch assembly as set forth in claim 16 wherein said actuator includes a flat disk operatively supported for coaxial incremental movement with respect to said inner race and having an irregular outer circumference that defines a plurality of cam surfaces, each cam surface adapted to engage an associated pawl in a corresponding set of pawls to move said pawl from said engaged position to said disengaged position.
- 18. A clutch assembly as set forth in claim 16 wherein said actuator includes a pair of actuators, each one of said pair of actuators associated with a set of pawls and operable to move said pawls in each set between said engaged and disengaged positions.
- 19. A clutch assembly as set forth in claim 18 wherein said pair of actuators are supported for incremented coaxial movement on opposite sides of said inner and outer races of said clutch assembly.
- 20. A bi-directional overrunning clutch assembly comprising:
an inner race, an outer race, and an engagement mechanism supported therebetween; said engagement mechanism including a plurality of teeth formed on the outer circumference of said inner race, first and second sets of pockets formed on the inner circumference of said outer race and first and second sets of pawls corresponding to said first and second sets of pockets; each pocket in both sets of pockets defining a leading end, a trailing end, and a ledge formed proximate said trailing end and projecting toward said leading end of said pocket, each pocket in said first set is located adjacent to a pocket from said second set and each pocket in said first set is oriented in an opposite direction relative to an adjacent pocket of said second set about the inner circumference of said outer race; each of said pawls including a leading edge and a trailing edge formed on opposite sides of each pawl, each of said pawls in said first and second sets of pawls being moveably supported in a corresponding set of pockets such that each pawl from said first set is adjacent to a pawl from said second set and such that each pawl is oriented in an opposite direction relative to an adjacent pawl and wherein said first set of pawls acts to translate torque between said inner and outer races in one rotational direction when said first set of pawls are disposed in their engaged position such that said leading edge of said first set of pawls engages said teeth formed on the outer circumference of said inner race and said second set of pawls acts to translate torque between said inner and outer races in the opposite rotational direction when said second set of pawls are disposed in their engaged position such that said leading edge of said second set of pawls engages said teeth formed on the outer circumference of said inner race, said leading edge of each pawl in said first and second set of pawls disposed in non-contacting relationship with said teeth so as to interrupt torque translation between said inner and outer races when said first and second set of pawls are in said disengaged positions; and an actuator associated with each set of said pawls for selectively moving the pawls in each set between said engaged and disengaged positions, said ledge of said pocket acting to support said pawls proximate said trailing edge so as to inhibit skewing as said pawls are moved between said engaged and disengaged positions.
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. provisional patent application entitled “Bi-Directional Four-Mode Clutch,” having Serial No. 60/397,993, and filed on Jul. 23, 2002.
Provisional Applications (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
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60397993 |
Jul 2002 |
US |