Rotary device and centering structure thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11215234-B2
Application number	US-202016906544-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 19, 2020
Priority date	Aug 2, 2019
Publication date	Jan 4, 2022
Grant date	Jan 4, 2022

Abstract

A centering structure is provided in a device including a first member with an inner peripheral surface and a second member with an outer peripheral surface opposed to the inner peripheral surface. The centering structure includes outer peripheral cam surfaces circumferentially aligned on the inner peripheral surface of the first member, inner peripheral cam surfaces opposed to the outer peripheral cam surfaces, and rolling elements. The inner peripheral cam surfaces form accommodation spaces together with the outer peripheral cam surfaces therebetween. The rolling elements are disposed in the accommodation spaces. Each rolling element rolls along each outer peripheral cam surface and each inner peripheral cam surface. The rolling elements move the first or second member in a direction to cause a center of the inner peripheral surface and a center of the outer peripheral surface to be matched when the first and second members are rotated relative to each other.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A centering structure provided in a device including a first member and a second member, the first member including an inner peripheral surface having an annular shape, the second member rotatable relative to the first member within a predetermined angular range, the second member including an outer peripheral surface having an annular shape, the outer peripheral surface opposed to the inner peripheral surface, the centering structure comprising:
a plurality of outer peripheral cam surfaces circumferentially aligned on the inner peripheral surface of the first member;
a plurality of inner peripheral cam surfaces opposed to the plurality of outer peripheral cam surfaces on the outer peripheral surface of the second member, the plurality of inner peripheral cam surfaces forming a plurality of accommodation spaces together with the plurality of outer peripheral cam surfaces therebetween; and
a plurality of rolling elements disposed in the plurality of accommodation spaces, each of the plurality of rolling elements configured to roll along each of the plurality of outer peripheral cam surfaces and each of the plurality of inner peripheral cam surfaces, the plurality of rolling elements configured to move either the first member or the second member in such a direction as to cause a center of the inner peripheral surface of the first member and a center of the outer peripheral surface of the second member to be matched with each other when the first member and the second member are rotated relative to each other.

2. The centering structure according to claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of accommodation spaces is gradually reduced in radial gap from a circumferential middle thereof to both circumferential sides thereof.

3. The centering structure according to claim 1 , wherein
each of the plurality of outer peripheral cam surfaces of the first member bulges to an outer peripheral side, and
each of the plurality of inner peripheral cam surfaces of the second member bulges to an inner peripheral side.

4. The centering structure according to claim 3 , wherein
each of the plurality of outer peripheral cam surfaces is gradually reduced in radius from a circumferential center thereof to both circumferential sides thereof, and
each of the plurality of inner peripheral cam surfaces is gradually increased in radius from a circumferential center thereof to both circumferential sides thereof.

5. The centering structure according to claim 1 , wherein
each of the plurality of outer peripheral cam surfaces is opposed to another of the plurality of outer peripheral cam surfaces through the center of the inner peripheral surface, and
each of the plurality of inner peripheral cam surfaces is opposed to another of the plurality of inner peripheral cam surfaces through the center of the outer peripheral surface.

6. The centering structure according to claim 1 , wherein
the first member includes an annular portion, the annular portion including the inner peripheral surface, and
the second member includes a disc portion, the disc portion including the outer peripheral surface, the disc portion disposed on an inner peripheral side of the annular portion.

7. A rotary device comprising:
a first member including an inner peripheral surface having an annular shape;
a second member rotatable relative to the first member within a predetermined angular range, the second member including an outer peripheral surface having an annular shape, the outer peripheral surface opposed to the inner peripheral surface; and
the centering structure recited in claim 1 , the centering structure configured to center the first and second members.

Assignees

• Exedy Corp

Inventors

• Tomiyama Naoki

Classifications

• F16F15/10

  Suppression of vibrations in rotating systems by making use of members moving with the system (by balancing F16F15/22 {; yielding couplings F16D3/00} ; with flywheels acting variably or intermittently F16H {; construction providing resilience or vibration-damping for gear elements F16H55/14}) · CPC title

• F16D3/02 Primary

  adapted to specific functions · CPC title

• F16D3/20

  one coupling part entering a sleeve of the other coupling part and connected thereto by sliding or rolling members (F16D3/18, F16D3/24 take precedence) · CPC title

• F16D43/208 Primary

  moving radially between engagement and disengagement · CPC title

• F16D3/04 Primary

  specially adapted to allow radial displacement, e.g. Oldham couplings · CPC title