SELF-RELEASING CLUTCH ASSEMBLY FOR A VEHICLE DOOR LOCK

摘要

A self-releasing clutch assembly for locking a vehicle door lock. The clutch assembly (11) includes a servo-actuated input drive and a cinching output drive. A gear shaped first actuator (42) is mounted to the input drive. A cylindrical second actuator (44) is mounted to the output drive and is moveable relative to the first actuator. Four pairs of rollers (50) are interdisposed between the first and second actuators and moveable between a disengaged position and an engaged position. With the disengaged position, t he rollers rest against the first actuator and allowing the second actuator to rotate relative thereto. With the engaged position, the rollers interlock th e first and second actuators for relative concurrent movement. The clutch assembly is characterized by the first actuator including four driving surfaces (43) and the second actuator including four corresponding abutments (48). The driving surfaces engage and move the rollers from the disengaged position to the engaged position in response to movement by the input drive. The abutments then lock the rollers between the first and second actuators t o couple the input drive with the output drive thereby transferring the moveme nt of the input drive to the output drive. The subject invention also includes a biasing device (54) for automatically returning the rollers to the disengage d position when the driving force from the first actuator ceases.