Asymmetric drag force bearings

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10024366-B2
Application number	US-201414557163-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 1, 2014
Priority date	Aug 20, 2010
Publication date	Jul 17, 2018
Grant date	Jul 17, 2018

Abstract

An asymmetric bearing device automatically decreases, without the need for manual adjustment, an amount of friction exerted against rotation of a drum or other mechanism upon reversal of the direction of rotation of the drum.

First claim

We claim:

1. An asymmetric bearing device, comprising:
a first race;
a second race; and
a friction switching and control assembly disposed between the first race and the second race, the friction switching and control assembly comprising:
at least two ramp elements formed on an inner shoulder of the first race;
a ridge between the ramp elements, formed on an upper shoulder of the first race;
at least one friction bump formed on the second race; and
at least one deformable sliding element disposed between the inner shoulder and the upper shoulder of the first race and slidable between the two ramp elements to a first position during rotation of the first race in a first direction relative to the second race, and a second position during rotation of the first race in a second direction relative to the second race, the deformable sliding element has different levels of flexibility at different portions of the deformable sliding element, wherein one or more of the different portions are flexed according to corresponding levels of flexibility to slide over the friction bump when being engaged to the ridge and at least one of the ramp elements, to reach at the first position providing a first friction level in the first direction of rotation and to the second position providing the second friction level in the second direction of rotation.

2. The asymmetric bearing device of claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of rotatable friction reducing members positioned between the first race and the second race.

3. The asymmetric bearing device of claim 2 , wherein the rotatable friction reducing members include ball bearings.

4. The asymmetric bearing device of claim 2 , wherein the rotatable friction reducing members include roller bearings.

5. The asymmetric bearing device of claim 1 , wherein the first race is an inner circular race and the second race is an outer circular race.

6. The asymmetric bearing device of claim 5 , wherein the deformable sliding element is disposed between the inner shoulder and the upper shoulder of the inner circular race and slidable circumferentially between the two ramp elements.

7. The asymmetric bearing device of claim 1 , wherein the deformable sliding element includes a first end portion, a middle portion and a second end portion, each having a different level of flexibility.

8. The asymmetric bearing device of claim 7 , wherein the middle portion is less flexible than the first end portion.

9. The asymmetric bearing device of claim 8 , wherein the middle portion engages with the friction bump to change the friction level between the first friction level and the second friction level.

10. The asymmetric bearing device of claim 1 , further comprising a locking mechanism for locking the first and second races to contain the friction switching and control assembly and a plurality of bearings.

11. The asymmetric bearing device of claim 7 , wherein the middle portion is flexed to slide over the friction bump to reach at the first position providing the first friction level, and the first end portion is flexed to slide over the friction bump to reach at the second position providing the second friction level.

12. The asymmetric bearing device of claim 7 , wherein the the first end portion is a U-shaped end, the second end portion is a round or bulb-shaped end, and the middle portion is angular.

13. The asymmetric bearing device of claim 11 , wherein greater amount of force is required to flex the middle portion than the first end and second end portions.

14. An asymmetric bearing device for deploying and retraction a cable on a storage drum, wherein the asymmetric bearing device includes a friction switching and control assembly comprising:
at least two ramp elements and a ridge disposed between the ramp elements;
at least one friction bump; and
at least one deformable sliding element slidable between the two ramp elements to a first position upon deployment of the cable from the storage drum and a second position upon retraction of the cable onto the storage drum, the deformable sliding element has different levels of flexibility at different portions of the deformable sliding element, wherein one or more of the different portions are flexed according to corresponding levels of flexibility to slide over the friction bump when being engaged to the ridge and at least one of the ramp elements, to reach at the first position providing a first friction level during deployment of the cable from the storage drum and to the second position providing the second, lower friction level during retraction of the cable into the storage drum.

Assignees

• Seescan Inc

Inventors

• Kleyn James F
• Chapman Eric M
• Olsson Mark S
• Turgeon Michael E

Classifications

• F16D41/063

  the intermediate members wedging by moving along the inner and the outer surface without pivoting or rolling, e.g. sliding wedges (F16D41/061 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B65H75/364

  the stored material being coiled · CPC title

• F16C41/001 Primary

  Integrated brakes or clutches for stopping or coupling the relatively movable parts · CPC title

• B65H75/4442

  acting on the reel · CPC title

• H04N7/183

  for receiving images from a single remote source · CPC title