WO2022087838A1

WO2022087838A1 - Clutch assembly

Info

Publication number: WO2022087838A1
Application number: PCT/CN2020/124075
Authority: WO
Inventors: 许涛; 许水电; 李延福; 严春波; 陈志伟
Original assignee: 传孚科技（厦门）有限公司
Priority date: 2020-10-27
Filing date: 2020-10-27
Publication date: 2022-05-05
Also published as: CN112469914B; CN112469914A

Abstract

Disclosed is a clutch assembly, which comprises an outer star wheel, an inner star wheel and a plurality of rolling elements disposed between the outer star wheel and the inner star wheel; one among an inner ring of the outer star wheel and an outer ring of the inner star wheel is provided with a plurality of concave curved surface grooves, each concave curved surface groove respectively corresponds to one rolling element, and each concave curved surface groove is formed by connecting two curved surfaces respectively. By means of the outer star wheel, the inner star wheel and the plurality of rolling elements disposed between the outer star wheel and the inner star wheel, the plurality of rolling elements are in close proximity with each other to achieve a linkage load-bearing, so that the clutch assembly may switch between multiple functions such as bi-directional overrunning and non-return, and various functions of the clutch assembly are achieved by using the adjusting mechanism to change the corresponding positions of the concave curved surface grooves of the rolling elements. The clutch assembly is simple in structure, and has the good characteristics of convenient assembly and good stability.

Description

a clutch assembly

technical field

The present invention relates to the technical field of clutches, and in particular, to a clutch assembly.

Background technique

Overrunning clutches are widely used in various fields. In the prior art, most of the overrunning clutches are one-way overrunning clutches, also known as one-way bearings, which are used between the prime mover and the working machine or between the driving shaft and the driven shaft inside the machine. It is an important part of the power transmission and disconnection function. The clutch function is realized by the speed change of the main and driven parts or the change of the rotation direction. Relying on the one-way locking principle, the transmission of torque is one-way, and the one-way transmission of power can be realized.

With the continuous expansion of the application field of the overrunning clutch, the demand for its multi-function is also higher and higher. The traditional one-way clutch working mode is relatively simple, and can no longer meet the one-way or one-way clutch power between the prime mover and the working machine. The need for multiple working modes such as two-way transfer.

In the existing overrunning clutches, the overrunning state and wedging state of the overrunning clutch are realized through the relative rotation between the inner and outer rings. The clutch itself has no additional mechanism to control the working position of the wedge (or roller). Therefore, the problem is that the overrunning clutch only has a one-way overrunning state and a one-way wedging state, and has a single function. In some specific construction machinery applications, when the overrunning clutch is required to rotate at a high speed, the driving part and the driven part are completely separated, that is, the active and driven parts can not interfere with each other, and the one-way overrunning of the overrunning clutch is limited. this function. At the same time, when the clutch is in a high-speed overrun state, there is sliding friction between the wedge (or roller) and the cage, and the contact between the inner and outer rings, so there are problems of wear and heat, which will affect its service life. The structures of some existing two-way overrunning clutches are relatively complex, and can only realize the overrunning function in two directions, and generally cannot realize the function of idling and cutting off the power.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In order to solve the technical problems in the prior art that the one-way overrunning clutch is easy to wear and heat up in the high-speed overrun state, and the structure of the two-way overrunning clutch is complex and the function is single, the present invention proposes a clutch assembly to solve the above problems.

A clutch assembly includes an outer planetary wheel, an inner planetary wheel, and a plurality of rolling bodies arranged between the outer planetary wheel and the inner planetary wheel, and one of the inner ring of the outer planetary wheel and the outer ring of the inner planetary wheel is provided with A plurality of concave curved grooves, each concave curved groove corresponds to at least one rolling body respectively, and each concave curved groove is respectively formed by connecting at least two curved surfaces. Each rolling element corresponds to a concave curved groove, which makes the structure of the entire clutch assembly simpler and facilitates the assembly of the rolling elements.

In some specific embodiments, the other of the inner ring of the outer star wheel and the outer ring of the inner star wheel is a cylindrical surface or is provided with a plurality of concave curved grooves.

In some specific embodiments, the clutch assembly further includes an adjustment mechanism for adjusting the rolling elements so that each of the plurality of rolling elements is in contact with one of the two curved surfaces. The adjustment mechanism can realize the function of switching multiple modes of the clutch assembly, thereby improving the functionality of the clutch assembly.

In some embodiments, the adjustment mechanism is an actuating element disposed on one of the rolling bodies, and the rolling bodies are in close proximity to each other. The rolling elements that are close to each other can realize the linkage of the rolling elements, so that all the rolling elements are switched in the corresponding concave curved grooves synchronously, and are loaded synchronously during operation, so that the stability of the clutch assembly is stronger.

In some specific embodiments, grooves are provided at the positions of the inner star wheel and/or the outer star wheel corresponding to the adjustment mechanism, so as to facilitate the displacement of the adjustment mechanism. On the one hand, the groove facilitates the switching function of the adjusting mechanism, and on the other hand, makes the assembly of the components inside the clutch assembly easier.

In some specific embodiments, the contour shape of the concave curved groove includes a straight line, a circular arc, or a line segment taken from a logarithmic spiral. The setting of the logarithmic helix can realize the overrunning and self-locking functions of the clutch assembly, improve the relatively single defect of the traditional one-way clutch working mode, and realize the multifunctional integration of the clutch assembly.

In some specific embodiments, each concave curved groove is formed by at least two curved surfaces to form 3 areas, which are a forward self-locking area, a reverse self-locking area and an idling area, and the idling area is between the forward self-locking area and the reverse self-locking zone. Multiple logarithmic spirals are used to form multiple working intervals, so that the function of the clutch assembly can be maximized, multiple working modes can be realized, and the use performance of the clutch assembly can be greatly improved.

In some specific embodiments, an upper end cap and a lower end cap covering the outer star wheel and the inner star wheel are also included. The upper and lower end caps can fix the rolling elements between the inner and outer star wheels to prevent the rolling elements from separating from the inner and outer star wheels and cause the failure of the clutch function.

In some specific embodiments, one of the upper end cap and the lower end cap is provided with a limiting groove in the circumferential direction.

In some specific embodiments, the actuating element includes a pin on one of the rolling bodies, and the pin is disposed on the side of the rolling body facing the limiting groove in the upper end cap and the lower end cap.

In some embodiments, the stud is coupled to the limit slot and protrudes beyond the surface of the clutch assembly. The protruding pin can increase the expandability of the clutch assembly, and other mechanisms can be externally connected to realize the adjustment function of the pin.

In some specific embodiments, the limiting slot is an arc-shaped opening structure, and the width of the arc-shaped opening structure is greater than or equal to the diameter of the pin. The limit slots allow the pins to function in various modes of the clutch assembly in various positions.

In some specific embodiments, the adjustment mechanism further includes a toggle mechanism, the end of the toggle mechanism is provided with a hole for the pin to pass through, and the toggle mechanism can make the actuating element move left and right in the limiting slot. The toggle mechanism can more conveniently realize the movement of the internal actuating element of the clutch assembly, and can realize switching between various modes of the clutch assembly in combination with specific application situations.

The clutch assembly of the present invention realizes linkage load through a plurality of rolling bodies being close to each other, each rolling body corresponds to a concave curved surface groove, and the concave curved surface groove includes two logarithmic spirals, and the reasonable use of the two logarithmic spirals The setting enables the clutch assembly to realize the switching of multiple functions such as two-way overrunning and backstop, and uses the adjusting mechanism to change the corresponding position of the concave curved groove of the rolling elements, thereby realizing various functions of the clutch assembly. Compared with the traditional clutch, the structure of the clutch assembly is simpler. It does not need the structure of springs or cages. It simply relies on the linkage of multiple rolling elements to be loaded to realize the functions of one-way and two-way overrunning of the clutch assembly. It is lightweight and easy to assemble. And the good characteristics of good stability.

Description of drawings

The accompanying drawings are included to provide a further understanding of the embodiments and are incorporated into and constitute a part of this specification. The drawings illustrate embodiments and together with the description serve to explain the principles of the invention. Other embodiments and many of the intended advantages of the embodiments will be readily recognized as they become better understood by reference to the following detailed description. The elements of the drawings are not necessarily to scale to each other. Like reference numerals designate corresponding similar parts.

FIG. 1 is an internal structural diagram of a clutch assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 2 is a front view of a clutch assembly according to one embodiment of the present invention;

3 is a rear view of a clutch assembly according to one embodiment of the present invention;

4 is a structural diagram of a concave curved groove according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is an internal partial structural diagram of the clutch assembly in a forward self-locking state according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is an internal partial structural diagram of the clutch assembly in an idling state according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 7 is an internal partial structural diagram of the clutch assembly in reverse self-locking according to an embodiment of the present invention;

8 is an internal structural diagram of a clutch assembly according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Detailed ways

In the following detailed description, reference is made to the accompanying drawings, which form a part hereof and are shown by way of illustrative specific embodiments in which the invention may be practiced. In this regard, directional terms such as "top," "bottom," "left," "right," "top," "bottom," etc. are used with reference to the orientation of the figures being described. Because components of an embodiment may be positioned in several different orientations, directional terminology is used for purposes of illustration and is in no way limiting. It is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized or logical changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. Therefore, the following detailed description should not be taken in a limiting sense, and the scope of the invention is defined by the appended claims.

Clutch assemblies according to embodiments of the present invention. 1 shows an internal structural view of a clutch assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a front view of the main body. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 , the clutch assembly includes an inner star wheel 1 , an outer star wheel 2 , a rolling body 3 , an adjusting mechanism 4 and an upper end cover 5 . There is a through hole connected to the input shaft in the middle of the inner star wheel 1, and between the inner star wheel 1 and the outer star wheel 2, a plurality of rolling bodies 3 and an adjusting mechanism 4 are evenly arranged in the circumferential direction. In one embodiment, the inner ring of the outer star wheel 2 is provided with a plurality of concave curved grooves 22, each concave curved groove 22 corresponds to a rolling body 3, the outer ring of the inner star wheel 1 is a cylindrical surface, and the rolling body 3 Tangent to the cylindrical surface of the outer ring of the inner star wheel 1. The clutch assembly adopts the structure of the inner star wheel 1 , the outer star wheel 2 and the rolling body 3 , which greatly simplifies the overall structure of the clutch assembly and can realize the lightweight of the clutch assembly.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the inner ring of the outer star wheel 2 is further provided with a groove 21, and the adjusting mechanism 4 is correspondingly placed in the groove 21. The adjusting mechanism 4 is one of the rolling bodies 3 and is provided for To adjust the actuating element of the clutch assembly mode, the adjustment mechanism 4 adds a column pin 41 on the basis of the rolling body 3. The column pin 41 is cylindrical and is arranged on the top of a certain rolling body 3. The height of the column pin 41 Protruding beyond the surface of the clutch assembly, the upper end cover 5 is provided with a limit groove 51 corresponding to the pin 41 , the limit groove 51 is an arc-shaped opening structure, and the adjustment mechanism 4 is located on the left, middle and right of the groove 21 . The switching of the three positions corresponds to the left, middle and right positions of the pin 41 in the limiting groove 51 respectively. In alternative embodiments, the stud 41 may have other structures than a cylindrical shape, such as a square bar shape or the like. The grooves 21 can also be provided on the outer star wheel 1 or on the inner and outer star wheels at the same time, as long as the adjustment mechanism 4 can be displaced in the groove 21, the technical effect of the present invention can be achieved.

Preferably, the adjusting mechanism 4 further includes a toggle mechanism 42 on the outer side of the clutch assembly. One end of the toggle mechanism 42 is connected to the pin 41. In one embodiment, one end of the toggle mechanism 42 is provided with a pin 41 for the toggle mechanism The left and right movement of the adjustment mechanism 4 in the groove 21 is realized by the left and right swing of the toggle mechanism 42 through the hole passing through. The toggle mechanism 42 can be connected with the control system according to the actual application scenario, and the adjustment mechanism 4 can be moved left and right according to the actual application requirements, so as to realize the switching of various modes of the clutch assembly.

Preferably, the rolling elements 3 are cylindrical structures, a plurality of rolling elements 3 and an adjusting mechanism 4 are adjacent to each other in the annular space formed by the inner star wheel 1 and the outer star wheel 2 , and the adjusting mechanism 4 is in the groove 21 left and right The movement drives the other rolling elements 3 to move left and right in the concave curved groove. It should be recognized that the rolling elements 3 can have other structures besides the cylindrical structure. In the same way, the adjusting mechanism 4 can adopt a spherical structure, which can also achieve the technical effect of the present invention. The multiple rolling elements 3 are close to each other to form a linkage system, so that the multiple rolling elements 3 are loaded synchronously, which can greatly improve the stability of the clutch assembly in actual use.

3 is a rear view of the clutch assembly of an embodiment of the present invention, the clutch assembly also includes a lower end cover 6, the inner star wheel 1 and the outer star wheel 2 are provided with a plurality of threaded

holes

11 and 23 threaded holes, the upper end cover 5 Corresponding through

holes

51 and 61 are provided on the lower end cover 6, the upper end cover 5 and the lower end cover 6 are fixed on the surface of the inner star wheel 1 and the outer star wheel 2 by means of bolts, and the fixed upper end cover 5 is on the surface. The limiting slot 51 of the 1 is coupled with the pin 41 of the adjusting mechanism 4 . It should also be recognized that the limiting groove 51 can also be provided on the lower end cover, and the reverse assembly of the adjusting mechanism 4 can also achieve the technical effect of the present invention. Alternatively, the upper end cover 5 and the lower end cover 6 can be fixed by means of bolts, and other fixing methods such as snap-fit can also be used, which can also achieve the technical effect of the present invention.

4 shows a structural diagram of a concave curved groove according to an embodiment of the present invention, the concave curved groove 22 includes a logarithmic helix 221 and a logarithmic helix 223, and the logarithmic helix 221 intersects with the logarithmic helix 223 At point 222, and symmetrically about point 222, the function of the concave curved groove 22 according to the clutch assembly of the present invention is divided into a forward self-locking area, an idling area and a reverse self-locking area. The forward self-locking area corresponds to the area of the logarithmic spiral 221, the reverse self-locking area corresponds to the area of the logarithmic spiral 223, and the idling area is the intersection of the forward self-locking area and the reverse self-locking area. , the intersection 222 area.

5 to 7 are schematic diagrams of the three states of forward self-locking, idling, and reverse self-locking of the clutch assembly of the present invention. In FIG. 5 , the adjusting mechanism 4 is moved to the left side of the groove 21 by the toggle pin 41 , causing the adjacent rolling elements 3 to move toward the logarithmic spiral 221 side in the concave curved groove 22, the adjacent rolling elements 3 realize synchronous linkage, and all the rolling elements 3 are in the corresponding concave curved grooves. The locking area is the area where the logarithmic helix 221 is located. When the inner star wheel 1 rotates clockwise relative to the outer star wheel 2, the rolling element 3 is wedged tightly with the inner star wheel 1 and the outer star wheel 2 to form a self-locking structure. When the star wheel 1 rotates counterclockwise relative to the outer star wheel 2, the rolling elements 3 are not wedged tightly with the inner star wheel 1 and the outer star wheel 2, and the clutch assembly is in a reverse overrun state at this time.

In FIG. 6, the adjusting mechanism 4 is in the middle position of the groove 21, and the rolling elements 3 are in the idling area of the corresponding concave curved groove 22, that is, the area of the intersection 222 of the logarithmic spiral 221 and the logarithmic spiral 223. The inner star wheel 1 rotates counterclockwise or clockwise relative to the outer star wheel 2, the rolling elements 3 are not wedged tightly with the inner star wheel 1 and the outer star wheel 2, and the rotation of the input shaft and the inner star wheel will not drive the outer star wheel. When it rotates with the output shaft, the clutch assembly has no power output and is in a state of idling.

In FIG. 7 , the adjusting mechanism 4 is moved to the right side of the groove 21 by turning the pin 41, so that the adjacent rolling elements 3 move toward the logarithmic spiral 223 side in the concave curved groove 22, and the adjacent rolling elements 3 To achieve synchronous linkage, all rolling elements 3 are in the reverse self-locking area in the corresponding concave curved groove, that is, the area where the logarithmic spiral 223 is located. When the inner star wheel 1 rotates counterclockwise relative to the outer star wheel 2, the rolling The body 3 is wedged tightly with the inner star wheel 1 and the outer star wheel 2 to form a self-locking structure. When the inner star wheel 1 rotates clockwise relative to the outer star wheel 2, the rolling body 3 is not wedged tightly with the inner star wheel 1 and the outer star wheel 2. , the clutch assembly is in a positive overrun state at this time.

In the clutch assembly shown in FIGS. 1-7 , the concave curved groove 22 is provided in the inner ring of the outer star wheel 2 , but it should be appreciated that the concave curved groove 22 of the clutch assembly can also be provided on the outer surface of the inner star wheel 1 . As shown in Figure 8, the inner ring of the corresponding outer star wheel 2 is set as a cylindrical surface, and the rolling body 3 is tangent to the cylindrical surface. At this time, the groove 21 can also be set on the outer star wheel 2 or the inner and outer star The grooves are also provided on the wheel, as long as the adjustment mechanism 4 can be displaced in the grooves 21, the technical effect of the present invention can be achieved. In other embodiments, the outer ring of the inner star wheel 1 and the inner ring of the outer star wheel 2 can also be configured to have a plurality of concave curved grooves 22 at the same time, which can also achieve the technical effect of the present invention.

Although the concave curved groove 22 in the above embodiment adopts three regions formed by two logarithmic spirals to realize the switching function of different modes, it should be recognized that other contours such as straight lines and curves can also be used. Combining to form different functional areas can also achieve the technical effect of the present invention. The working principle of the above-mentioned functional area is: when the rolling element 3 is in the forward self-locking area and the reverse self-locking area of the concave curved groove 22, the self-locking angle α of the rolling element 3 satisfies the following conditions: when the rolling element 3 When it is between the positive self-locking area (or reverse self-locking area) of one star wheel and the contact surface of the other star wheel, no matter how much positive force (or reverse force) the rolling element 3 is subjected to , its self-locking angle α is always kept in the range of 2.5°～7°, that is, the self-locking state (or reverse self-locking state) in the forward direction is always maintained. According to many experiments by the inventors of the present application, although the design of the self-locking angle of the concave curved groove with a straight line or a curved profile is relatively difficult, it can also achieve the above-mentioned self-locking function. Preferably, a logarithmic spiral profile is used. The concave curved groove is easier to control the self-locking angle and can obtain greater load capacity.

The clutch assembly of the present invention adopts the outer star wheel, the inner star wheel and a plurality of rolling bodies arranged between the outer star wheel and the inner star wheel. The plurality of rolling bodies are close to each other to realize linkage load, and each rolling body corresponds to a concave Curved groove, concave curved groove consists of two logarithmic spirals connected, so that the clutch assembly can realize the switching of multiple functions such as two-way overrun and backstop, and use the adjustment mechanism to adjust the corresponding position of the concave curved groove on the rolling element. changes to achieve the various functions of the clutch assembly. Compared with the traditional clutch, the structure of the clutch assembly is simpler. It relies on the linkage of multiple rolling elements to bear the load, and realizes functions such as bidirectional overrunning of the clutch assembly. The structure is simple, and has the advantages of light weight, convenient assembly and good stability. Features.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and changes can be made to the embodiments of the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. In this manner, the present invention is also intended to cover such modifications and changes if they come within the scope of the claims of the present invention and their equivalents. The word "comprising" does not exclude the presence of other elements or steps not listed in a claim. The mere fact that certain measures are recited in mutually different dependent claims does not indicate that a combination of these measures cannot be used to advantage. Any reference signs in the claims should not be construed as limiting the scope.

Claims

A clutch assembly is characterized in that it comprises an outer planetary wheel, an inner planetary wheel and a plurality of rolling bodies arranged between the outer planetary wheel and the inner planetary wheel, the inner ring of the outer planetary wheel and the inner planetary wheel One of the outer rings of the star wheel is provided with a plurality of concave curved grooves, each of the concave curved grooves corresponds to at least one of the rolling bodies, and each of the concave curved grooves is connected by at least two curved surfaces respectively. become.
The clutch assembly according to claim 1, wherein the other of the inner ring of the outer star wheel and the outer ring of the inner star wheel is a cylindrical surface or a plurality of the concave curved grooves are provided .
3. A clutch assembly according to claim 2, characterized in that the clutch assembly further comprises an adjustment for adjusting the rolling elements so that the plurality of rolling elements are respectively in contact with one of the two curved surfaces mechanism.
A clutch assembly according to claim 3, wherein the adjustment mechanism is an actuating element disposed on one of the rolling bodies, and the rolling bodies are adjacent to each other.
A clutch assembly according to claim 3, characterized in that, grooves are provided at the positions of the inner star wheel and/or the outer star wheel corresponding to the adjustment mechanism, so as to facilitate the displacement of the adjustment mechanism .
A clutch assembly according to claim 1, wherein the contour shape of the concave curved groove comprises a straight line, a circular arc or a line segment taken from a logarithmic spiral.
A clutch assembly according to claim 1 or 6, characterized in that, three regions are formed on each of the concave curved grooves by the at least two curved surfaces, which are a forward self-locking region and a reverse self-locking region, respectively. A lock area and an idling area, the idling area is between the forward self-locking area and the reverse self-locking area.
The clutch assembly of claim 4, further comprising an upper end cover and a lower end cover covering the outer star wheel and the inner star wheel.
The clutch assembly according to claim 8, wherein one of the upper end cover and the lower end cover is provided with a limiting groove in the circumferential direction.
9. A clutch assembly according to claim 9, wherein the actuating element comprises a stud on one of the rolling bodies, the stud disposed on the rolling body toward the upper end cover and the all The lower end cover is provided with one side of the limiting groove.
The clutch assembly of claim 10, wherein the stud is coupled to the limiting groove and protrudes out of the surface of the clutch assembly.
The clutch assembly according to claim 10, wherein the limiting groove is an arc-shaped opening structure, and the width of the arc-shaped opening structure is greater than or equal to the diameter of the pin.
The clutch assembly according to claim 10, wherein the adjustment mechanism further comprises a toggle mechanism, and an end of the toggle mechanism is provided with a hole for the pin to pass through, and the toggle mechanism The mechanism enables the actuating element to move left and right in the limiting groove.