Clutch unit

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12097787-B2
Application number	US-202218043817-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 26, 2022
Priority date	Jan 29, 2021
Publication date	Sep 24, 2024
Grant date	Sep 24, 2024

Abstract

A clutch unit includes an operation lever, an operation member, an input-side clutch, an output-side clutch, and a bottomed cylindrical housing. The input-side clutch includes an input-side inner ring member and an operation bracket. The operation bracket includes an engagement portion that engages with the input-side inner ring member, a facing portion that faces the bottom surface of the housing with a gap therebetween, a fastened portion that penetrates a through hole formed in the bottom surface of the housing and is fastened to the operation member, and a sliding-contact portion that extends from the facing portion toward the bottom surface of the housing and comes into sliding-contact with the bottom surface of the housing.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A clutch unit for use in a vehicle seat, the clutch unit comprising:
an operation lever that is rotatable about a rotation axis;
an output shaft member that is rotatable about the rotation axis and outputs, to a vehicle seat, an operation force applied to the operation lever;
an operation member that rotates together with rotation of the operation lever;
an input-side clutch that is driven by the operation member;
an output-side clutch that transmits a rotational torque of the input-side clutch to the output shaft member and limits transmission of a rotational torque from the output shaft member to the input-side clutch; and
a bottomed cylindrical housing that accommodates at least the input-side clutch,
wherein the input-side clutch includes:
an input-side inner ring member that rotates about the rotation axis;
an input-side outer ring member that rotates about the rotation axis;
an input-side intermediate transmission member that is rotatably provided between the input-side inner ring member and the input-side outer ring member, and transmits a rotational torque between the input-side outer ring member and the input-side inner ring member; and

an operation bracket that is fastened to the operation member and rotates about the rotation axis together with the operation member,
wherein the operation bracket includes:
an engagement portion that engages with the input-side inner ring member or the input-side outer ring member;
a facing portion that faces a bottom surface of the housing with a gap therebetween;
a fastened portion that extends from the facing portion toward the operation member, penetrates a through hole formed in the bottom surface of the housing, and is fastened to the operation member; and
a sliding-contact portion that extends from the facing portion toward the bottom surface of the housing and comes into sliding-contact with the bottom surface of the housing,

wherein the sliding-contact portion includes a sliding-contact surface extending outward in a radial direction of the rotation axis, and
wherein a part of the sliding-contact surface overlaps the through hole formed in the bottom surface of the housing when the operation lever is rotated to a maximum movable range.

2. The clutch unit according to claim 1 ,
wherein the sliding-contact portion extends from an outer end portion of the facing portion in a radial direction of the rotation axis toward the bottom surface of the housing.

3. The clutch unit according to claim 1 ,
wherein the sliding-contact surface comes into sliding-contact with the bottom surface of the housing outward of the through hole in the radial direction.

4. The clutch unit according to claim 1 ,
wherein a plurality of sliding-contact portions are provided at equal intervals in a circumferential direction of the rotation axis.

Assignees

• Toyota Boshoku Kk
• Ntn Toyo Bearing Co Ltd

Inventors

• Mikasa Kunihiro
• Hibi Yasumasa
• Sasanuma Kyohei
• Watanabe Kengo

Classifications

• F16D41/084

  the intermediate coupling members wedging by pivoting or rocking · CPC title

• 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

• B60N2/938

  and provided with braking systems · CPC title

• B60N2/168

  and provided with braking systems · CPC title

• B60N2/167

  Ratchet mechanism · CPC title