Uncoupling pulley with offset clutch

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10066727-B2
Application number	US-201715639054-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 30, 2017
Priority date	Jun 30, 2016
Publication date	Sep 4, 2018
Grant date	Sep 4, 2018

Abstract

Uncoupling pulley having a longitudinal axis, and including a wheel rim having a first zone, to receive a belt connecting the wheel rim to a first power transmission element, and second zone situated in the axial extension along the direction defined by the longitudinal axis of the pulley, of the first zone; a hub to be secured to a second power transmission element; one of the power transmission elements being driving, and the other being driven; a ring mounted below the second zone of the wheel rim and around the hub, so the ring can rotate, around the longitudinal axis, relative to the wheel rim and/or the hub; an elastically deformable element mounted between the hub and the ring; and a unidirectional clutch having an end fastened to the ring and the remaining part of which is mounted below the second zone of the wheel rim and above the ring.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An uncoupling pulley provided with a longitudinal axis, said pulley including:
a wheel rim, comprising a first zone, intended to receive a belt connecting the wheel rim to a first power transmission element, and a second zone situated in the axial extension, namely, along the direction defined by the longitudinal axis (AX) of the pulley, of the first zone;
a hub intended to be secured to a second power transmission element;
one of the power transmission elements being driving, and the other being driven;
a ring mounted below the second zone of the wheel rim and around the hub, such that said ring can rotate, around said longitudinal axis, relative to the wheel rim and/or the hub;
an elastically deformable element mounted between the hub and the ring, and fastened both to the hub and to the ring;
a unidirectional clutch, one end of which is fastened to the ring and the remaining part of which is mounted both above the ring below the second zone of the wheel rim so that, in a coupling mode, said unidirectional clutch exerts a radial force against an inner bore of said wheel rim;
the pulley also being such that:
the first zone of the wheel rim has an inner diameter (D 11 );
the second zone ( 12 ) of the wheel rim has an inner diameter (D 12 );
the inner diameter (D 12 ) of the second zone being larger than the inner diameter (D 11 ) of the first zone.

2. The pulley according to claim 1 , wherein a cover is provided mounted securely on the wheel rim, and in contact with the ring.

3. The pulley according to claim 1 , wherein the elastically deformable element is a torsion spring centered on the hub.

4. The pulley according to claim 3 , wherein the end of the unidirectional clutch is arranged to contact with one end of the torsion spring.

5. The pulley according to claim 4 , wherein:
the end of the torsion spring that is in contact with the unidirectional clutch is curved, relative to the rest, defining a cylindrical general shape of said torsion spring; and
the end of the unidirectional clutch is in contact with a side face of this curved end of the torsion spring.

6. The pulley according to claim 4 , wherein:
the end of the torsion spring that is in contact with the unidirectional clutch is not curved, relative to the rest, defining a cylindrical general shape of said torsion spring; and
the end of the unidirectional clutch is placed end to end with this non-curved end of the torsion spring.

7. The pulley according to claim 4 , wherein:
the hub comprises at least one lug; and
the ring comprises at least one aperture receiving said at least one hub lug;
such that in a relative rotation direction between the wheel rim and the hub, the torsion spring engages on the hub until said at least one hub lug abuts against one end of said at least one ring aperture.

8. The pulley according to claim 4 , including at least one bearing situated between the wheel rim and the hub.

9. The pulley according to claim 8 , wherein said at least one bearing includes at least one face extending radially and in contact with the hub.

10. The pulley according to claim 8 , wherein said at least one bearing is either made from a plastic material chosen from among polyether ether ketone (PEEK), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyamide (PA) filled with molybdenum disulfide (MoS 2 ) or polyamide filled with polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) or with a metal or metal alloy inner layer, covered by an outer layer filled with polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE).

11. The pulley according to claim 1 , wherein the elastically deformable element is a body made from elastomer or elastomer thermoplastic.

12. The pulley according to claim 11 , wherein at least one rolling bearing is arranged between the hub and the wheel rim, advantageously below the first zone of the wheel rim.

13. The pulley according to claim 1 , wherein the end of the unidirectional clutch is housed in a slit of the ring, said pulley further including a wedge situated in the slit, and next to said second end of the unidirectional clutch.

14. The pulley according to claim 1 , comprising a counter-ring cooperating with the ring via apertures provided in the ring and lugs provided in the counter-ring.

15. The pulley according to claim 1 , wherein the unidirectional clutch is a helical spring.

16. The pulley according to claim 1 , wherein the unidirectional clutch is a helical spring with adjacent turns.

17. The pulley according to claim 15 , wherein the helical spring has a shape chosen from among:
a cylindrical shape;
a shape comprising a first cylindrical part, in the extension of its end intended to be fastened to the ring, and a second frustoconical part, in the extension of the first part;
a barrel shape; or
a shape comprising a first frustoconical part, in the extension of its end intended to be fastened to the ring, and a second cylindrical part, in the extension of the first part.

Assignees

• Hutchinson

Inventors

• Bourgeais Jean-Marc
• Guillot Benoît
• Varin Hervé

Classifications

• F16D7/005

  the torque being transmitted and limited by rolling friction, e.g. ball bearings axially loaded · CPC title

• F16H55/36 Primary

  Pulleys (with features essential for adjustment F16H55/52) · CPC title

• F16D41/206

  having axially adjacent coils, e.g. helical wrap-springs · CPC title

• F16D3/72

  with axially-spaced attachments to the coupling parts (F16D3/56 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F16D41/20

  with expandable or contractable clamping ring or band (F16D41/02, F16D41/24 take precedence) · CPC title