A compliant overrunning ratchet and pawl clutch mechanism with centrifugal throwout comprising a ratchet wheel and a one-piece pawl wheel. The ratchet wheel has plurality of angled teeth disposed about its perimeter. The pawl wheel comprises a one-piece circular hub concentrically surrounding the ratchet wheel, and has a plurality of elongate compliant biasing members extending from its inside surface toward the ratchet wheel. The biasing members each terminate in a pawl configured for engaging the teeth of the ratchet wheel when the pawl wheel rotates in a first engaging direction, and for sliding over the teeth of the ratchet wheel when the pawl wheel rotates in a second overrun direction. The biasing members and clutch pawls are integrally formed as a single piece from the material of the pawl hub, and the pawls may comprise either compression or tension members. The biasing members may advantageously allow the pawls to "throw-out" or compliantly rotate away from the teeth of the ratchet due to centrifugal force when the pawl wheel rotates in the overrun direction. In one illustrative embodiment the clutch mechanism is formed as a micromechanical device by photolithography.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/073,173, filed Jan. 20, 1998, and U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/098,632, filed Aug. 31, 1998.
An electromagnetical radial lamella clutch is for an electromechanical actuator, in particular for a valve. The clutch includes a rotor element having an axis of rotation and a circumferential outer surface area with at least one recess. The rotor element is surrounded by a cylindrical element, whereby at least one lamella element is fastened to the cylindrical element. The lamella element includes an insertion portion being placed in the recess, whereby an electrical coil holds the lamella element in the recess. An electromechanical actuator may further include the electromagnetical radial lamella clutch. Further, a turbine including a valve, may be operated by the electromechanical actuator.
The present invention relates to clutches for selectively transmitting torque, and more particularly, to compliant centrifugal clutches. A compliant clutch (10) may have a plurality of engagement members (42 and 44), preferably at least three, and more preferably at least six. Each engagement member has an outer edge that is movable toward an interior surface of a receiving member (28), such as a drum. Flexible segments (70 and 72) may connect the engagement members to each other. In embodiment, the engagement members are arrayed around a hub, but detached from the hub to form an expandable engagement portion. Both aggressive and non-aggressive engagement members are provided. In another embodiment, the engagement members are affixed by flexible segments to the hub to form an extensible engagement portion. In yet another embodiment, a first and a second arm, each of which contains multiple engagement members connected by flexible segments, extend from the hub to provide non-aggressive torque transfer to the drum.
A one-way clutch assembly comprises a clutch casing including a first plate coupled to a second plate, such as clutch inner and clutch outer plates. The first and second plates have a common central axis, the first and second plates are spaced apart along the common axis to define an interior. The assembly also includes a ratchet plate disposed in the interior between the first and second plates, the ratchet plate has the same common axis and is displaceable along the axis within the interior. A first torque transfer mechanism, such as a set of mating splines is used to rotationally couple the ratchet plate to the first plate. A second one-way torque transfer mechanism is used for releasably coupling the ratchet plate to the second plate, the second transfer mechanism including a set of fixed flat and angled portions formed on a ratchet plate surface opposite the second plate and a complimentary set of fixed flat and angled portions formed on a second plate surface opposite the ratchet surface. The assembly also has a biasing mechanism for monitoring the relative axial displacement between the ratchet plate with respect to the second plate, the biasing mechanism for providing an axial force for engaging the ratchet surface with the second plate surface. Accordingly, engagement of the complimentary flat and angled portions effects the one-way torque transfer between the ratchet plate and the second plate. The biasing mechanism can include mechanical and hydraulic actuation.
Hardware that improves the safety of operating sectional doors that use torsional coil springs to facilitate door movement. A rotor assembly with centrifugally activated throw-out latches is affixed to the rotating shaft that bears the torsional coil springs. When a spring breaks, the shaft rotates rapidly as cables supporting the door unwind. Rapid rotation causes centrifugal force to bias the latches to an outer position in which they strike a trigger plate, allowing a pawl to move into a position in which the pawl blocks further rotation of the rotor, thus halting the descent of the sectional door. Raising the sectional door manually moves the latches, trigger plate, and pawl to their original position, disengaging the present invention and permitting the door to be lowered slowly without danger of injury.
A clutch race is formed from multiple layers of stampings which are joined together. Each of the stampings has a plurality of semi-perfs which include a protrusion on one side and pocket on the opposing side. The protrusions of one layer are interconnected with the pockets of an adjacent layer. The stampings forming the individual layers may either define a complete circle or an arcuate segment of a circle, which arcuate segments, when assembled, form a circular layer to be joined with adjacent layers.
