Patent Application
20090127053
This application is related to the following commonly owned U.S. patent application filed on the same date as this application: “Coupling Assembly Including One or More Springs Received Within A Coupling Pack” (Attorney Docket No. MEII 0259 PUS).
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to coupling assemblies which can be utilized as a clutch or brake, etc. and, in particular, to such coupling assemblies including retainers for holding coupling components within a housing.
2. Background Art
Mechanically applied coupling assemblies that can be used as a clutch or brake are disclosed by U.S. Pat. No. 4,630,720 Boni and U.S. Pat. No. 6,332,514 Chen. Such coupling assemblies have previously included a clutch pack of alternating discs coupled to an outer housing and an inner member such that compression of the clutch pack provides rotational coupling between the housing and the inner member. The compression of the clutch pack has previously been performed with a ring of frustoconical-shaped actuating levers. Such actuating levers should be accurately positioned with respect to each other and the housing in order to provide effective operation of the coupling.
Other prior art related to the present invention includes the following U.S. patent documents: U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,150,347; 5,416,966; 2007/0084694; 2005/0263366 and 2005/0067250.
An object of the present invention is to provide an improved coupling assembly.
In carrying out the above object and other objects of the present invention, a coupling assembly including an annular housing having a central axis, an inner member received within the housing and a plurality of coupling components received within the housing are provided. The components include a coupling pack having discs spaced along the central axis in first and second sets that alternate with each other and respectively have connections to the annular housing and the inner member. The components also include an actuator having connections to the inner member for compressing the coupling pack to rotationally couple the annular housing and the inner member to each other about the central axis. The assembly further includes a set of retainers received within the housing and which are spaced angularly about the central axis and have outer ends supported by the housing. The retainers have inner ends that are located toward the central axis from their outer ends. The retainers hold the coupling components within the housing.
The components may further include at least one spring between the actuator and the inner member for decompressing the coupling pack to rotationally decouple the annular housing and the inner member from each other about the central axis.
The inner member may include a first portion and an annular second portion extending axially from the first portion wherein the retainers hold the inner member within the housing.
Each of the retainers may include a retaining tab wherein the outer ends of the retaining tabs are integrally formed with the housing at an inner surface of the housing.
The annular housing may have an opening through which the coupling components are received within the housing wherein the inner ends of the retainers are positioned within the opening to engage an outer axial face of the actuator to hold the coupling components within the housing.
The retainers may be bendable so that the inner ends of the retainers have a plurality of retaining positions within the opening.
The actuator may comprise an actuator ring having an inner axial face that engages the coupling pack and the at least one spring.
The assembly may include a spring pack which engages the inner axial face of the actuator ring.
Further in carrying out the above object and other object of the present invention, a coupling assembly including an annular housing having a central axis, an inner member received within the housing and a plurality of coupling components received within the housing is provided. The components include a coupling pack having discs spaced along the central axis in first and second sets that alternate with each other and respectively have connections to the annular housing and the inner member. The components also include an actuator having connections to the inner member for compressing the coupling pack to rotationally couple the annular housing and the inner member to each other about the central axis. The assembly also includes a set of retaining tabs received within the housing and which are spaced angularly about the central axis. The tabs have outer ends integrally formed with the housing at inwardly facing splines of the housing. The retaining tabs also have inner ends that are located toward the central axis from their outer ends. The retainers hold the coupling components within the housing.
The components may further include at least one spring between the actuator and the inner member for decompressing the coupling pack to rotationally decouple the annular housing and the inner member from each other about the central axis.
The inner member may include a first portion and an annular second portion extending axially from the first portion wherein the retaining tabs hold the inner member within the housing.
The annular housing may have an opening through which the coupling components are received within the housing wherein the inner ends of the retaining tabs are positioned within the opening to engage an outer axial face of the actuator to hold the coupling components within the housing.
The objects, features and advantages of the present invention are readily apparent from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.
a is an exploded perspective view of a coupling assembly constructed in accordance with at least one embodiment of the present invention;
b is a top plan view of an alternative reaction plate that may be used instead of the reaction plates of
With reference to
A set of coupling components including a coupling pack 116 of the coupling assembly 110 is also received within the annular housing 112. The pack 116 includes annular discs 118 and 120 (friction plates and reaction or separator plates, respectively) spaced along the central axis A in first and second sets that alternate with each other and have respective connections 122, 124 to the annular housing 112 and the inner member 114, respectively, as is hereinafter more fully described.
The assembly 110 includes a sprocket 125 which is coupled to the housing 112 by an external snap ring 127 to rotate therewith. A bushing 129 of the assembly 110 supports the sprocket 125 on the hub 114 to rotate relative thereto.
With continuing reference to.
Coupling components of the assembly 110 also includes a conventional spring pack 132 having a plurality of circumferentially spaced compression springs 133 disposed between two stamped plates at opposite ends of spring pack 132. Each spring 133 is received and retained with its respective chamber 134 formed by inner surfaces 136 of the reaction plates 120 when assembled and aligned between the first axial face 131 of the actuator 130 and a portion 138 of the hub 114. The springs 133 of the spring pack 130 decompress the coupling pack 116 to rotationally decouple the annular housing 112 and the inner member 114 from each other about the central axis A.
With reference to
Post, pocket or a combination of post and pocket features can be added to the hub 114 and/or actuator 130 inner surfaces to eliminate the need for the stamped plates of the spring pack 132. The post and pocket features would retain the springs 133 within their respective chambers 134, removing the need for the two stamped plates at the ends of the conventional spring pack 132.
With reference to
As shown in
The advantages accruing to at least one embodiment of the present invention are numerous. For example, placing the springs 133 through the plates or discs 120 (or discs 120′) allows the hub and actuator plate design to be greatly simplified compared to the prior art of
As another example, the preferred retaining tabs 140 provide a simple and low cost way of holding the coupling components together and provide tamper resistance and evidence of tampering when compared to the retainer rings of the prior art.
While the preferred embodiment for carrying out the invention has been described in detail, those familiar with the art to which this invention relates will recognize alternative designs and embodiments for practicing the invention as defined by the following claims.
