Bi-directional overrunning clutch having split roll cage

摘要

A bi-directional overrunning clutch includes a housing and a pair of hubs substantially coaxially aligned within the housing. A pair of roll cages position a plurality of rollers between each hub and an inner cam surface of the housing. The rollers are positioned to wedge between the hub and the inner cam surface when one of the hub and the housing is rotated with respect to the other. End caps are attached to the housing adjacent to the hubs. A friction disk mechanism includes a friction plate rotating in combination with each the roll cage and a spring compressed between the end cap and the roll cage for biasing the friction member into frictional contact with the hub. An intermittent coupler is located between each roll cage and configured to engage the roll cages so as to permit indexing of one roll cage relative to the other.

主权项

1. A bi-directional overrunning clutch comprising:
a housing adapted to be engaged with and rotated by a drive mechanism, the housing including an inner cam surface; a pair of hubs substantially coaxially aligned with each other within the housing and adapted respectively to engage first and second shafts of a primary drive axle; a respective roller assembly associated with each hub, each roller assembly including a roll cage having a set of slots positioning a plurality of rollers in an annular space between the associated hub and the inner cam surface of the housing, the rollers being spaced about the associated hub and adapted to wedgingly engage between the hub and the inner cam surface when one of the associated hub and the housing is rotated with respect to the other of the associated hub and the housing; a pair of end caps each associated with a respective one of the hubs and attached at a respective end of the housing; a friction disk mechanism associated with each hub and roller assembly for indexing the roller assembly relative to the hub, each friction disk mechanism including a friction plate engaged with or formed on the roll cage so as to rotate in combination with the roll cage and positioned to contact a contact surface on the hub during operation, and a spring compressed between the end cap and the roll cage for biasing the friction plate into frictional contact with the contact surface of the hub; and a roll cage intermittent coupler located between the roll cages, the coupler configured to engage the roll cages so as to permit indexing of one roll cage relative to the other; wherein the inner cam surface has a forward cam surface and a reverse cam surface, such that when the housing is being driven with respect to at least one of the hubs, the rollers wedgingly engage between the forward cam surface and the at least one hub; and wherein when one of the hubs is overrunning by rotating faster than the housing and the other of the hubs, the roll cage coupler configured to prevent the roll cage associated with the overrunning hub from rotating with the overrunning hub, thereby limiting the ability of the rollers to engage between the reverse cam surface of the housing and the one hub.