Electronically-controlled selectable clutch with backlash arrangement

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10337571-B2
Application number	US-201615562538-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 25, 2016
Priority date	Apr 24, 2015
Publication date	Jul 2, 2019
Grant date	Jul 2, 2019

Abstract

A bi-directional clutch assembly includes an outer race presenting a plurality of inner ratchet teeth and an inner race presenting a plurality of outer ratchet teeth. A passive one-way clutch includes a plurality of passive struts supported by the inner race and pivotable into engaging relationships with the inner ratchet teeth during rotation of the inner race in a first direction. A selectable one-way reverse clutch includes at least one active strut supported by the outer race and selectively pivotable from an unlocked position to a locked position to engage one of the outer ratchet teeth during rotation of the inner race in the second direction. The passive struts are unevenly circumferentially spaced from one another along the inner race to establish an indexed relationship among the passive struts for staggering engagement of sequential passive struts with the inner ratchet teeth of the outer race.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A bi-directional clutch assembly comprising:
an outer race presenting a plurality of inner ratchet teeth; an inner race presenting a plurality of outer ratchet teeth;
a passive one-way forward clutch including a plurality of passive struts pivotably supported by said inner race for pivoting into engaging relationships with said inner ratchet teeth during rotation of said inner race in a first direction;
a selectable one-way reverse clutch including at least one active strut supported by said outer race and selectively pivotable from an unlocked position wherein said active strut is disengaged from said outer ratchet teeth to a locked position for engaging one of said plurality of outer ratchet teeth during rotation of said inner race in a second direction opposite said first direction;
said plurality of passive struts being unevenly circumferentially spaced from one another along said inner race for staggering engagement by sequential ones of said plurality of passive struts with said inner ratchet teeth; and
said plurality of passive struts grouped into a plurality of sets of evenly circumferentially spaced passive struts with a first set of passive struts being a reference set of passive struts and each sequential set of passive struts being circumferentially indexed towards a preceding set of passive struts by a forward indexing angle to establish an indexed relationship among said plurality of passive struts.

2. A bi-directional clutch assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein each sequential set of passive struts is disposed at a spacing angle relative to the preceding set of passive struts by an equidistant angle minus the forward indexing angle, wherein the equidistant angle is defined by 360 degrees divided by the number of passive struts.

3. A bi-directional clutch assembly as set forth in claim 1 , wherein said plurality of inner ratchet teeth are evenly spaced from one another to define an inner tooth degree spacing and said forward indexing angle is equal to the inner tooth degree spacing divided by the number of sets of passive struts.

4. A bi-directional clutch assembly as set forth in claim 3 wherein each of said sets of passive struts includes a diametrically opposed pair of passive struts.

5. A bi-directional clutch assembly as set forth in claim 4 wherein said plurality of sets of diametrically opposed passive struts includes three sets of diametrically opposed passive struts.

6. A bi-directional clutch assembly as set forth in claim 5 wherein said plurality of inner ratchet teeth include sixty inner ratchet teeth to define an inner tooth degree spacing of six degrees and a forward indexing angle of two degrees.

7. A bi-directional clutch assembly as set forth in claim 3 wherein each of said sets of said struts includes a trio of passive struts disposed 120 degrees apart from one another.

8. A bi-directional clutch assembly as set forth in claim 7 wherein said plurality of sets of passive strut trios includes two sets of passive strut trios.

9. A bi-directional clutch assembly as set forth in claim 8 wherein said plurality of inner ratchet teeth include sixty inner ratchet teeth to define an inner tooth degree spacing of six degrees and a forward indexing angle of three degrees.

10. A bi-directional clutch assembly as set forth in claim 1 , wherein said reverse clutch includes a plurality of active struts collectively pivotable from the unlocked position to the locked position and a first one of said active struts being a reference active strut and each sequential active strut being circumferentially indexed towards a preceding active strut by a reverse indexing angle.

11. A bi-directional clutch assembly as set forth in claim 10 wherein said plurality of outer ratchet teeth are evenly spaced from one another to define an outer tooth degree spacing and said reverse indexing angle is equal to said outer tooth degree spacing divided by the number of active struts.

12. A bi-directional clutch assembly as set forth in claim 11 wherein said plurality of active struts includes two active struts and said plurality of outer ratchet teeth include ninety ratchet teeth to define an outer tooth degree spacing of four degrees and a reverse indexing angle of two degrees.

13. A bi-directional clutch assembly as set forth in claim 11 wherein said reverse indexing angle is equal to or a multiple of said forward indexing angle.

14. A bi-directional clutch assembly as set forth in claim 11 wherein said forward indexing angle is a multiple of said reverse indexing angle.

15. A bi-directional clutch assembly as set forth in claim 1 further comprising:
wherein the engaging relationship between one of said plurality of passive struts and a respective one of said plurality of inner ratchet teeth during rotation of said inner race in the first direction defines a forward engagement position,
wherein an engaging relationship between said at least one active strut in said locked position and a respective one of said plurality of outer ratchet teeth during rotation of said inner race in the second direction defines a reverse engagement position, and
wherein an angle of rotation of said inner race between said forward and reverse engagement positions is between 0.75 and 1.25 degrees.

16. A bi-directional clutch assembly as set forth in claim 15 , wherein said angle of rotation of said inner race between said forward and reverse positions is approximately 1.0 degrees.

17. A bi-directional clutch assembly as set forth in claim 1 , wherein said selectable one-way reverse clutch includes at least one electromagnetic actuator for selectively pivoting said at least one active strut between said unlocked and locked positions.

Assignees

• Magna Powertrain Usa Inc

Inventors

• Cioc Adrian C
• Greene Darrell F
• Dorigo David V
• Steele Sean A
• Samila Myron R
• Loui Dennis T

Classifications

• F16D2027/001

  Means for electric connection of the coils of the electromagnetic clutches · CPC title

• F16D41/14 Primary

  the effective stroke of the pawl being adjustable · CPC title

• F16D27/10

  with an electromagnet not rotating with a clutching member, i.e. without collecting rings {(F16D27/004 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• F16D41/04

  combined with a clutch for locking the driving and driven members (F16D41/02, F16D41/24 take precedence) · CPC title

• F16D27/108

  with axially movable clutching members · CPC title