Rotatable electromagnetic clutch utilizing inductive coupling

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11015661-B2
Application number	US-201815963289-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 26, 2018
Priority date	Apr 26, 2018
Publication date	May 25, 2021
Grant date	May 25, 2021

Abstract

An example electromagnetic clutch assembly includes a rotatable portion and a stationary portion. The rotatable portion includes a field winding and a clutch body, and the stationary portion includes an exciter winding that is inductively coupled to the rotatable portion and is operable to energize the field winding. The field winding is operable, when energized, to provide a magnetic field that causes engagement or disengagement between the clutch body and an armature body. A method of operating an electromagnetic clutch assembly is also disclosed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electromagnetic clutch assembly comprising:
a rotatable portion comprising an inductive winding, a field winding, a rectifier that connects the inductive winding to the field winding, and a clutch body; and
a stationary portion comprising:
an inverter configured to convert direct current (DC) from a power source to alternating current (AC); and
an exciter winding connected to the output of the inverter, the exciter winding operable to receive the AC from the inverter and induce AC in the inductive winding in a brushless configuration;

wherein the rectifier is configured to rectify AC from the inductive winding to DC for the field winding; and
wherein the field winding is operable, when energized by the inductive winding, to provide a magnetic field that causes engagement or disengagement between the clutch body and an armature body.

2. The electromagnetic clutch assembly of claim 1 , wherein:
the stationary portion comprises a clutch housing;
the rotatable portion is at least partially disposed within the clutch housing;
the power source is outside of the clutch housing; and
the exciter winding comprises leads that connect to the power source outside of the clutch housing via the inverter.

3. The electromagnetic clutch assembly of claim 1 , wherein the rectifier comprises a diode for each phase of the induced AC.

4. The electromagnetic clutch assembly of claim 1 , comprising:
at least one spring that provides a bias force that biases the armature body away from the clutch body;
wherein the magnetic field resists said bias force and causes the armature body to engage the clutch body.

5. The electromagnetic clutch assembly of claim 1 , comprising:
at least one spring that provides a bias force that biases the armature body towards the clutch body;
wherein the magnetic field resists said bias force and causes the armature body to disengage from the clutch body.

6. The electromagnetic clutch assembly of claim 1 , wherein the clutch body comprises a plurality of teeth operable to engage teeth of the armature body.

7. The electromagnetic clutch assembly of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the clutch body and the armature body comprise a high friction surface for engagement between the clutch body and the armature body.

8. The electromagnetic clutch assembly of claim 1 , wherein the rotatable portion is rotatable about a longitudinal axis, and the armature body is movable along the longitudinal axis to engage or disengage from the clutch body.

9. The electromagnetic clutch assembly of claim 8 , comprising:
a splined hub that interconnects the armature body to a load shaft, the splined hub comprising splined teeth that engage splined teeth of the armature body.

10. The electromagnetic clutch assembly of claim 8 , comprising:
at least one proximity sensor configured to measure axial displacement of the armature body along the longitudinal axis; and
a controller operable to verify whether the clutch body and armature body are engaged or disengaged based on feedback from the at least one proximity sensor.

11. The electromagnetic clutch assembly of claim 10 , wherein the controller is operable to utilize pulse width modulation to provide the AC in the exciter winding based on feedback from the at least one proximity sensor.

12. A method of operating an electromagnetic clutch assembly comprising:
providing alternating current (AC) in an exciter winding of a stationary portion of the electromagnetic clutch assembly;
inducing AC in an inductive winding of a rotatable portion of the electromagnetic clutch assembly through an inductive coupling between the exciter winding and inductive winding wherein said inducing AC in the inductive winding comprises performing pulse width modulation to provide an input signal that energizes the exciter winding through an inverter;
rectifying the induced AC in the inductive winding to direct current (DC) using a rectifier, and providing the DC to a field winding, the rectifier and field winding part of the rotatable portion; and
generating a magnetic field from the field winding that urges engagement or disengagement between a clutch body of the rotatable portion and an armature body of the stationary portion.

13. The method of claim 12 , comprising:
providing a bias force from at least one spring that biases the armature body away from the clutch body;
utilizing the magnetic field to resist said bias force and cause the engagement between the clutch body and the armature body.

14. The method of claim 12 , comprising:
providing a bias force from at least one spring that biases the armature body towards the clutch body;
utilizing the magnetic field to resist said bias force and cause disengagement between the clutch body and the armature body.

15. The method of claim 12 , comprising:
detecting axial displacement of the armature body using a proximity sensor; and
performing said providing based on said detecting.

Assignees

• Hamilton Sundstrand Corp

Inventors

• Mastrocola Naison E

Classifications

• F16D11/14

  with clutching members movable only axially (F16D11/02, F16D11/08 take precedence) · CPC title

• F16D2500/30401

  On-off signal indicating the engage or disengaged position of the clutch · CPC title

• F16D2027/002

  Electric or electronic circuits relating to actuation of electromagnetic clutches · CPC title

• F16D2500/10475

  Magnetic field, e.g. electro-rheological, magnetisable particles · CPC title

• F16D2027/008

  Details relating to the magnetic circuit, or to the shape of the clutch parts to achieve a certain magnetic path · CPC title