JPH06249267A - Roller clutch unit - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To avoid generation of dispersion of clearance accompanying unitization between the cam face of a clutch outer ring and needle rollers. CONSTITUTION:The outer diameter flange part 2a2 of a clutch outer ring 2a is fitted to the inside of the inner diameter flange part 5a2 of a bearing housing 5, the recessed part 2a3 and the claw part 5a3 are adapted to each other capably of being engaged with each other through clearances S4, S5 in the rotational direction, and hence the clutch outer ring 2a and the bearing housing 5 are engaged in one body with each other. The assembly of the rollers 2b received in the clutch outer ring 2a and the retainer 2c is regulated so as not to slip out to both sides in the axial direction, by means of the inner diameter flange part 2a4 of the clutch outer ring 2a and the claw part 5a3 of the bearing housing 5. Further this unit is provided with the clearance S1 in the axial direction between the outer diameter flange part 2a2 and the inner diameter flange part 5a2, the clearance S2 in the axial direction between the outer diameter flange part 2a2 and the rolling bearing 3, and the radial clearance S3 between the inner diameter flange part 5a2 and the outer diameter of the clutch outer ring 2a.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a roller clutch unit in which a roller clutch and a rolling bearing are integrated into a unit, and can be used as a device for controlling the rotation of a washing / dehydrating tub in a fully automatic washing machine, for example.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art For example, in a fully automatic washing machine, washing, rinsing and dehydration of laundry are performed in one washing / dehydrating tub, so that the washing / dehydrating tub is stopped during washing / rinsing and is rotated only during dewatering. Has become. The rotation control of the washing / dehydrating tub is performed by controlling the rotation of the tubular tub shaft extending downward from the center of the bottom surface. In other words, a fan shaft that is connected to the rotation source so that it can rotate forward / reversely is inserted into the cylindrical tank shaft, and when washing / rinsing, the forward / reverse rotation of the cylindrical tank shaft is locked with a one-way clutch and brake belt. On the other hand, only the fan shaft is rotated forward / reversely, at the time of dehydration, the brake belt is unlocked, and the fan shaft is rotated in the free direction of the one-way clutch to rotate the tank shaft together with the fan shaft. Then, when the dehydration is completed, the brake belt is operated to stop the rotation of the tubular tank shaft.

By the way, in general, a roller clutch is often used as the one-way clutch.
The roller clutch has, for example, a plurality of cam surfaces on its inner peripheral surface, and a clutch outer ring that forms a wedge space in the forward rotation direction between each cam surface and the outer peripheral surface of the rotating shaft to be controlled, and this wedge space. A plurality of needle rollers arranged to be engageable with and disengageable from, a retainer having a plurality of pockets for accommodating the needle rollers, and spring means for pressing the needle rollers toward the wedge space side. With respect to the reverse rotation of the rotary shaft, the needle roller receives a frictional force between the rotary shaft and the rotary shaft, moves in the reverse rotary direction, and separates from the wedge space to interrupt the torque transmission. On the contrary, with respect to the forward rotation of the rotary shaft, the needle roller moves in the forward rotation direction and engages with the wedge space to transmit torque. The spring means promptly shifts the needle roller from the disengaged state to the engaged state to enhance the responsiveness of the clutch.

[0004]

The roller clutch originally transmits and blocks torque, and does not itself have a function of rotatably supporting the rotary shaft. For this reason, conventionally, a support structure has been adopted in which a roller clutch and a rolling bearing are used together, the supporting function of the rotating shaft is borne by the rolling bearing, and the roller clutch performs only the original torque transmission / interruption function. It was In particular,
A so-called separate type in which a separate roller clutch and rolling bearing are respectively supported by the mating frame, and a roller clutch and rolling bearing integrally fitted and fixed in a tubular housing made of press are supported by the mating frame. The unit type is known. The latter unit type has the advantages that it is easier to assemble than the separation type and that the coaxiality (parallelism) between the roller clutch and the rolling bearing can be easily secured.

By the way, variations in dimensional tolerances are unavoidable in the press-molded tubular housing, and due to variations in the tightening margin with the clutch outer ring fitted therein, the cam surface and the rollers are There is a slight variation in the clearance between the rollers, which may prevent smooth engagement / disengagement of the rollers with respect to the wedge space, which may affect the clutch function.

Further, in a fully automatic washing machine or the like, the rotary shaft may be tilted due to a mounting error or the like. If the rotary shaft is largely tilted, an unbalanced load acts on the outer ring of the clutch during torque transmission. It is expected that the torque is not evenly transmitted to each cam surface and the durability of the cam surface is affected.

An object of the present invention is to avoid the above-mentioned problems in the unit type, to stabilize the function of the clutch, and to improve the durability.

[0008]

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a roller clutch unit having a plurality of cam surfaces on an inner peripheral surface thereof, each cam surface forming a wedge space between the cam surface and an outer peripheral surface of a rotating member to be controlled. A clutch outer ring, a roller clutch having a roller arranged to be engageable with and disengageable from the wedge space, and a retainer for accommodating the roller, and the roller clutch are arranged with their axes aligned, and rotatably support the rotating member. Rolling bearings,
A cylindrical bearing housing that accommodates a rolling bearing, wherein a recess is provided at least at one end of the clutch outer ring, and an inner diameter flange portion that extends toward the inner diameter is provided at the end of the bearing housing. , Providing a claw portion protruding toward the inner diameter side from at least one location of the inner diameter flange portion,
By fitting the concave portion and the claw portion so that they can be engaged with each other, the clutch outer ring and the bearing housing are integrally engaged.

According to another aspect of the roller clutch unit of the present invention, an outer diameter flange portion extending to the outer diameter side is provided at an end portion of the clutch outer ring.
At least one location of this end portion is provided with a notch-shaped recess cut out from the outer diameter flange portion side, the outer diameter flange portion is incorporated inside the inner diameter flange portion, and the recess portion and the claw portion can be engaged. By adapting, the clutch outer ring and the bearing housing are engaged and integrated.

In the roller clutch unit according to the third aspect of the present invention, the retainer of the roller clutch is restricted by the claw portion of the bearing housing so as not to come off in the axial direction.

In the roller clutch unit according to a fourth aspect of the present invention, the retainer of the roller clutch is restricted in the axial direction by the ring body interposed between the retainer of the roller clutch and the claw portion of the bearing housing.

According to another aspect of the roller clutch unit of the present invention, a centering clearance is provided between the outer ring of the clutch and the bearing housing to allow the roller clutch to move in accordance with the inclination of the rotating member.

[0013]

The roller clutch and the rolling bearing are integrated into a unit through the engagement structure of the clutch outer ring and the bearing housing. Since such an engagement structure is adopted when unitized, the clearance variation due to unitization hardly occurs between the cam surface of the clutch outer ring and the roller.

[0014]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

As shown in FIG. 1, the roller clutch unit of this embodiment is arranged with a roller clutch 2 for controlling the rotation of a rotary shaft 1 and a roller clutch 2 with their axes aligned. A rolling bearing 3 (for example, a sealed deep groove ball bearing) for rotatably supporting the rolling bearing 3 and a tubular bearing housing 5 that houses and holds the rolling bearing 3 are mainly configured.

The roller clutch 2 is provided with a plurality of cam surfaces 2a1 on its inner peripheral surface, and each cam surface 2a1 forms a wedge-shaped clutch with the outer peripheral surface of the rotary shaft 1 in the forward rotation direction, for example. An outer ring 2a, a plurality of needle rollers 2b arranged to be engageable with and disengageable from the wedge space, a plurality of pockets for accommodating and holding the needle rollers 2b, for example, a cage 2c made of resin, and a pocket of the cage 2c. And a spring means (not shown) which is interposed between the side wall and the outer peripheral surface of the needle roller 2b and presses the needle roller 2b toward the wedge space side. Since the function of the roller clutch 2 is no different from that of the conventional one, the description thereof is omitted here.

As shown in FIG. 2, the clutch outer ring 2a has an outer diameter flange portion 2a2 having an outer diameter dimension D2 extending from one end portion to the outer diameter side, and one end portion equidistantly arranged around the circumference. At three locations, three notch-shaped recesses 2a3 cut out from the outer diameter flange portion 2a2 side by the axial dimension X2,
An inner diameter flange portion 2a4 extending from the other end to the inner diameter side is provided. The clutch outer ring 2a is, for example,
It can be formed by drawing the material with an inner die and an outer die to form the cam surface 2a1 and the outer diameter, and then bending the outer diameter flange portion 2a2. In this case, the dimensional accuracy of the cam surface 2a1 may vary due to bending stress when the outer diameter flange portion 2a2 is bent, but in the present embodiment, the flange dimension h2 of the outer diameter flange portion 2a2 is relatively small. The thickness t2 is made smaller than that of the other portions, and the hollow groove 2a5 is provided on the outer circumference of the end portion that serves as the bending base portion in order to avoid this.

The bearing outer ring 3 a of the rolling bearing 3 is fitted in the inner diameter of the bearing housing 5. As shown in FIG. 3, the bearing housing 5 includes an inner diameter flange portion 5a2 having an inner diameter dimension D5 extending from the other end portion to the inner diameter side, and three inner diameter side portions from the inner diameter flange portion 5a2 at equal circumferential positions. Three claw portions 5a3 protruding from the center are provided. still,
The wall thickness t5 of the inner diameter flange portion 5a2 is smaller than the axial dimension X2 of the recess 2a3, and the inner diameter dimension D5 is smaller than the outer diameter dimension D2 of the outer diameter flange portion 2a2.

Then, as shown in FIG. 1, the outer diameter flange portion 2a2 of the clutch outer ring 2a is incorporated into the inner diameter flange portion 5a2 of the bearing housing 5, and the recess 2a is formed.
The clutch outer ring 2a and the bearing housing 5 are engaged and integrated by adapting the clutch 3 and the claw portion 5a3 with the clearances S4 and S5 in the rotational direction. The assembly of the roller 2b housed in the clutch outer ring 2a and the cage 2c is restricted by the inner diameter flange portion 2a4 of the clutch outer ring 2a and the claw portion 5a3 of the bearing housing 5 so as not to slip off on both sides in the axial direction. When the space in the axial direction is allowed, a ring-shaped stopper member is interposed between the end surface of the retainer 2c and the end surface of the claw portion 5a3 (for example, fitted in the inner diameter of the clutch outer ring 2a). The stopper may prevent the assembly from coming off.
Further, an axial clearance S1 is provided between the outer diameter flange portion 2a2 and the inner diameter flange portion 5a2, an axial clearance S2 is provided between the outer diameter flange portion 2a2 and the rolling bearing 3, and an inner diameter flange portion 5 is provided.
Radius clearance S3 between a2 and the outer diameter of the clutch outer ring 2a
Is provided. The axial clearance S1 is the axial clearance S2
Smaller than. The axial clearance S1 is determined by the axial dimension X2 of the recess 2a3, the wall thickness t2 of the outer diameter flange portion 2a2, and the wall thickness t5 of the inner diameter flange portion 5a2.
Incidentally, these clearances are as small as about 0.5 mm.

The roller clutch unit of this embodiment is
When unitizing, the clutch outer ring 2 of the roller clutch 2
Since a is directly engaged with and integrated with the bearing housing 5, a variation in clearance due to unitization is unlikely to occur between the cam surface 2a1 of the clutch outer ring 2a and the needle roller 2b, and stable. Demonstrate the clutch function. In addition, the outer diameter flange portion 2a2 and the concave portion 2
Since a3 is engaged with the inner diameter flange portion 5a2 and the claw portion 5a3 in the axial direction and the rotation direction,
The engagement structure can be simplified, and at the same time, the flange dimension h2 of the outer diameter flange portion 2a2 can be made relatively short, which is advantageous in manufacturing the clutch outer ring 2a2.
Further, by restricting the retainer 2c with the claw portions 5a3 to prevent the retainer 2c from coming off, the structure can be simplified. Further, the existence of the axial clearances S1 and S2, the radial clearance S3, and the rotational clearances S4 and S5 enables the roller clutch 2 to swing with respect to the rolling bearing 3 in the axial direction and the radial direction. Therefore, when the rotary shaft 1 is tilted due to, for example, a mounting error, the roller clutch 2 swings in these clearances (alignment clearances) in accordance with the tilt of the rotary shaft 1, and the roller clutch 2 and the rotary shaft 1 are separated from each other. Aligns the misalignment of the axis of automatically.

Although illustration is omitted, in the structure of the embodiment described above, when an elastic member made of resin or rubber is interposed in the clearances S1 to S5 (in this case, too,
Make sure to secure the clearance. ), Clutch ON, O
It is possible to absorb shocks and vibrations during FF, which is especially effective as a countermeasure against rattling noise.

The present invention is not limited to what has been exemplified above, and for example, a two-way type roller clutch is used as the roller clutch, an inner ring is provided in the roller clutch, and an angular ball bearing is used as the rolling bearing. Can be modified.

[0023]

As described above, in the roller clutch unit of the present invention, when the roller clutch and the rolling bearing are unitized, the clutch outer ring and the bearing housing are engaged and integrated with each other. Between the cam surface of the outer ring and the roller, variation in clearance due to unitization hardly occurs, and a stable clutch function is exhibited.

Further, the engagement structure is simplified by the engagement structure of the outer diameter flange portion and the concave portion provided at the end portion of the clutch outer ring and the inner diameter flange portion and the claw portion provided at the end portion of the bearing housing. The outer diameter flange portion can be made relatively short in length, and at the same time, it is advantageous in manufacturing the clutch outer ring.

Further, by restricting the retainer of the roller clutch by the claw portion of the bearing housing to prevent the retainer from coming off, the structure can be simplified.

Further, by providing a centering clearance that allows the roller clutch to move in accordance with the inclination of the rotating member, even if the rotating member is inclined due to an installation error or the like, this inclination is automatically generated by the movement of the roller clutch. Since the magnetic force is aligned, an unbalanced load during torque transmission is prevented, a more stable clutch function can be ensured, and the durability of the roller clutch can be improved.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view (FIG. A: aa cross section in FIG. B) and a side view (FIG. B: b direction arrow in FIG. A) showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a side view (FIG. A) showing a clutch outer ring, a sectional view (section b-b in FIG. A), and a plan view (c in FIG. A).
Direction arrow).

FIG. 3 is a side view (FIG. A) showing a bearing housing and a cross-sectional view (bb cross section in FIG. A).

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 rotating shaft 2 roller clutch 2a outer ring 2b roller 2c retainer 2a2 outer diameter flange portion 2a3 recessed portion 3 rolling bearing 5 bearing housing 5a2 inner diameter flange portion 5a3 claw portion

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A clutch outer ring having a plurality of cam surfaces on its inner peripheral surface, each cam surface forming a wedge space between the cam surface and the outer peripheral surface of a rotating member to be controlled, and engaging / disengaging with the wedge space. A roller clutch having a roller disposed in the roller and a retainer for accommodating the roller, a rolling bearing that is arranged with its axis aligned with the roller clutch, and rotatably supports the rotating member, and accommodates the rolling bearing. And a tubular bearing housing, which is provided with a recess at least at one end of the clutch outer ring,
An inner diameter flange portion that extends toward the inner diameter side and a claw portion that protrudes toward the inner diameter side from at least one location of the inner diameter flange portion are provided at the end of the bearing housing, and the concave portion and the claw portion can be engaged with each other. By so doing, the clutch outer ring and the bearing housing are engaged and integrated with each other. 2. An outer diameter flange portion extending to the outer diameter side is provided at an end portion of the clutch outer ring, and a notch-shaped recess is formed by cutting at least one portion of the end portion from the outer diameter flange portion side. , By incorporating the outer diameter flange portion inside the inner diameter flange portion, and by fitting the concave portion and the claw portion such that they can engage with each other, the clutch outer ring and the bearing housing are integrally engaged. The roller clutch unit according to claim 1, which is characterized in that. 3. The roller clutch unit according to claim 1, wherein the retainer of the roller clutch is regulated by the claw portion of the bearing housing so as not to come off in the axial direction. 4. The roller clutch unit according to claim 1, wherein the retainer of the roller clutch is axially prevented from coming off by a ring body interposed between the retainer of the roller clutch and the claw portion of the bearing housing. 5. An aligning clearance is provided between the clutch outer ring and the bearing housing to allow a movement of the roller clutch in accordance with an inclination of the rotating member. 3 or 4 roller clutch unit.