Clutch, steering device, and method for producing clutch

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017282963-A1
Application number	US-201715463935-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 20, 2017
Priority date	Mar 29, 2016
Publication date	Oct 5, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

A clutch includes a sun gear, an internal gear, planetary gears, a carrier, a first area, a second area, and a third area. The carrier has a through hole through which an output shaft extends. The first area is disposed on an inner wall of the carrier defining the through hole. The second area is disposed on an outer surface of the output shaft and is spline-fitted to the first area. The third area is disposed at a position that is on the outer surface of the output shaft and that is closer to the input shaft than the second area is to the input shaft. The third area has a shape that makes the third area rotatable while being fitted to the first area.

First claim

What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by letters patent of the United States is:

1 . A clutch configured to mechanically establishing and disestablishing a torque transmission path between an input shaft through which a torque is input and an output shaft through which the torque is output, the clutch comprising:
a sun gear configured to switch between a fixed state and a non-fixed state; an internal gear coupled to the input shaft in a torque transmittable manner; planetary gears configured to mesh with the sun gear and the internal gear; a carrier configured to rotatably support the planetary gears and coupled to the output shaft in a torque transmittable manner, the carrier comprising a through hole through which the output shaft extends; a first area disposed on an inner wall of the carrier defining the through hole; a second area that is disposed on an outer surface of the output shaft and that is spline-fitted to the first area; and a third area disposed at a position that is on the outer surface of the output shaft and that is closer to the input shaft than the second area is to the input shaft, the third area comprising a shape that makes the third area rotatable while being fitted to the first area.

2 . The clutch according to claim 1 , further comprising a fourth area disposed at a position that is on the inner wall of the carrier defining the through hole and that is closer to the input shaft than the first area is to the input shaft, the fourth area being spline-fitted to the third area.

3 . A clutch configured to mechanically establishing and disestablishing a torque transmission path between an input shaft through which a torque is input and an output shaft through which the torque is output, the clutch comprising:
a sun gear configured to switch between a fixed state and a non-fixed state; an internal gear coupled to the input shaft in a torque transmittable manner; planetary gears configured to mesh with the sun gear and the internal gear; a carrier configured to rotatably support the planetary gears and coupled to the output shaft in a torque transmittable manner, the carrier comprising a through hole through which the output shaft extends; a third area disposed on an outer surface of the output shaft; a fourth area that is disposed on an inner wall of the carrier defining the through hole and that is spline-fitted to the third area; and a first area disposed at a position that is on the inner wall of the carrier defining the through hole and that is farther away from the input shaft than the fourth area is from the input shaft, the first area comprising a shape that makes the first area rotatable while being fitted to the third area.

4 . The clutch according to claim 1 , wherein the third area comprises a shape that is fitted to the first area and that restricts movement of the output shaft in a radial direction of the output shaft.

5 . A steering device comprising
a clutch configured to mechanically establishing and disestablishing a torque transmission path between an input shaft through which a torque is input and an output shaft through which the torque is output, the clutch comprising:
a sun gear configured to switch between a fixed state and a non-fixed state;
an internal gear coupled to the input shaft in a torque transmittable manner;
planetary gears configured to mesh with the sun gear and the internal gear;
a carrier configured to rotatably support the planetary gears and coupled to the output shaft in a torque transmittable manner, the carrier comprising a through hole through which the output shaft extends;
a first area disposed on an inner wall of the carrier defining the through hole;
a second area that is disposed on an outer surface of the output shaft and that is spline-fitted to the first area; and
a third area disposed at a position that is on the outer surface of the output shaft and that is closer to the input shaft than the second area is to the input shaft, the third area comprising a shape that makes the third area rotatable while being fitted to the first area.

6 . A method for producing a clutch configured to mechanically establishing and disestablishing a torque transmission path between an input shaft through which a torque is input and an output shaft through which the torque is output, the clutch comprising:
a sun gear configured to switch between a fixed state and a non-fixed state; an internal gear coupled to the input shaft in a torque transmittable manner; planetary gears configured to mesh with the sun gear and the internal gear; a carrier configured to rotatably support the planetary gears and coupled to the output shaft in a torque transmittable manner, the carrier comprising a through hole through which the output shaft extends; a first area disposed on an inner wall of the carrier defining the through hole; a second area that is disposed on an outer surface of the output shaft and that is spline-fitted to the first area; and a third area disposed at a position that is on the outer surface of the output shaft and that is closer to the input shaft than the second area is to the input shaft, the third area comprising a shape that makes the third area rotatable while being fitted to the first area, the method comprising: fitting the first area and the third area to each other; after the fitting step, adjusting a rotational angle of the carrier relative to the output shaft; and after the adjusting step, spline-fitting the output shaft and the carrier to each other.

7 . The clutch according to claim 2 , wherein the third area comprises a shape that is fitted to the first area and that restricts movement of the output shaft in a radial direction of the output shaft.

8 . The clutch according to claim 3 , wherein the third area comprises a shape that is fitted to the first area and that restricts movement of the output shaft in a radial direction of the output shaft.

Assignees

• Showa Corp

Inventors

• Sekikawa Shinsuke

Classifications

• F16H1/28

  with gears having orbital motion · CPC title

• B62D5/0439

  Controllable friction clutches (B62D5/0436 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B62D5/001 Primary

  Mechanical components or aspects of steer-by-wire systems, not otherwise provided for in this maingroup · CPC title

• B62D5/0412

  the axes of motor and steering column being parallel · CPC title

• B62D5/043

  characterised by clutch means between driving element, e.g. motor, and driven element, e.g. steering column or steering gear · CPC title