Clutch unit

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9541147-B2
Application number	US-201314391184-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 29, 2013
Priority date	Apr 20, 2012
Publication date	Jan 10, 2017
Grant date	Jan 10, 2017

Abstract

A clutch unit includes a lever-side clutch section provided on an input side, for controlling rotational torque to be input through lever operation, and a brake-side clutch section provided on an output side, for transmitting the rotational torque from the lever-side clutch section to the output side, and interrupting rotational torque to be reversely input from the output side. The brake-side clutch section has a two-layer structure, in which two one-way clutches are arranged side by side in an axial direction. The first one-way clutch interrupts rotational torque in a forward direction, which is reversely input from the output side, through meshing of serrated projection and depression portions, whereas the second one-way clutch interrupts rotational torque in a backward direction, which is reversely input from the output side, through meshing of serrated projection and depression portions arranged in an opposite direction.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A clutch unit, comprising:
an input-side clutch section provided on an input side, for controlling transmission and interruption of a rotational torque to be input; and
an output-side clutch section provided on an output side, for transmitting the rotational torque from the input-side clutch section to the output side, and interrupting a rotational torque to be reversely input from the output side,
the output-side clutch section comprising:
an input member to which the rotational torque is to be input;
a stationary member restricted in rotation;
an output member from which the rotational torque is to be output;
an engagement element arranged between the stationary member and the output member, for interrupting the rotational torque from the output member through engagement between the stationary member and the output member, and transmitting the rotational torque from the input member through disengagement between the stationary member and the output member; and
control means for engaging, at the time of interrupting the rotational torque, the engagement element between the stationary member and the output member through meshing of projection and depression portions of the engagement element and the stationary member, and disengaging, at the time of transmitting the rotational torque, the engagement element between the stationary member and the output member through unmeshing of the projection and depression portions.

2. The clutch unit according to claim 1 , wherein the control means comprises:
an elastic member provided between the engagement element and the output member, for elastically biasing the engagement element in a direction of engaging the engagement element with the stationary member through the meshing of the projection and depression portions; and
a cam portion provided between the engagement element and the input member, for shifting, against an elastic force of the elastic member, the engagement element in a direction of disengaging the engagement element from the stationary member through the unmeshing of the projection and depression portions.

3. The clutch unit according to claim 2 , wherein the cam portion has a tapered surface formed on at least one of the engagement element or the input member.

4. The clutch unit according to claim 1 , wherein the engagement element is engageable and disengageable between the stationary member and the output member by shifting in a radial direction of the clutch unit.

5. The clutch unit according to claim 1 , wherein the projection and depression portions each have any one shape selected from among an angular shape, a rectangular shape, or a tooth-like shape.

6. The clutch unit according to claim 1 , wherein the output-side clutch section further comprises a two-way clutch comprising two types of one-way clutches each configured to transmit a rotational torque in a forward direction and a rotational torque in a backward direction from the input-side clutch section to the output side, only one type of one-way clutch out of the two types of one-way clutches being configured to interrupt any one of the rotational torque in the forward direction and the rotational torque in the backward direction, which are to be reversely input from the output side, through the meshing of the projection and depression portions.

7. The clutch unit according to claim 6 ,
wherein the two-way clutch is structured so that a stationary member of the one type of one-way clutch and a stationary member of another type of one-way clutch are arranged in abutment on each other,
wherein the stationary member of the one type of one-way clutch has an abutment surface with a protrusion and a hole formed therein,
wherein the stationary member of the another type of one-way clutch has an abutment surface with a protrusion and a hole formed therein,
wherein the protrusion of the stationary member of the one type of one-way clutch is fitted into the hole of the stationary member of the another type of one-way clutch under a state in which directions of interrupting the rotational torque through the meshing of the projection and depression portions are opposite to each other, and
wherein the protrusion of the stationary member of the another type of one-way clutch is fitted into the hole of the stationary member of the one type of one-way clutch under the state in which the directions of interrupting the rotational torque through the meshing of the projection and depression portions are opposite to each other.

8. The clutch unit according to claim 6 , wherein, when disengaging an engagement element of the one type of one-way clutch from a stationary member thereof, the two-way clutch maintains a non-contact state between an input member and an engagement element of the another type of one-way clutch before an input member of the one type of one-way clutch is brought into contact with the engagement element thereof.

9. The clutch unit according to claim 6 ,
wherein the input member and the output member are each shared by the two types of one-way clutches serving as the two-way clutch, and
wherein an engagement element of the one type of one-way clutch and an engagement element of another type of one-way clutch are arranged in a reverse relationship with respect to their center lines extending in a radial direction of the clutch unit.

10. The clutch unit according to claim 6 , wherein the control means comprises an elastic member, the elastic member being shared by the one type of one-way clutch and another type of one-way clutch out of the two types of one-way clutches serving as the two-way clutch.

11. The clutch unit according to claim 6 , wherein the two-way clutch comprises chamfers formed at any one pair of edge portions of an engagement element of the one type of one-way clutch and an engagement element of another type of one-way clutch, which are arranged side by side in an axial direction of the clutch unit and held in abutment on a stationary member of the one type of one-way clutch and a stationary member of the another type of one-way clutch, respectively, or edge portions of the stationary member of the one type of one-way clutch and the stationary member of the another type of one-way clutch, which are held in abutment on the engagement element of the one type of one-way clutch and the engagement element of the another type of one-way clutch, respectively.

12. The clutch unit according to claim 1 , wherein the input-side clutch section and the output-side clutch section are built into an automobile seat-lifter section.

Assignees

• Isoda Kouji
• Saito Takahide
• Kawai Masahiro
• Hibi Yasumasa
• Mineno Yumiko
• Ntn Toyo Bearing Co Ltd

Inventors

• Isoda Kouji
• Saito Takahide
• Kawai Masahiro
• Hibi Yasumasa
• Mineno Yumiko

Classifications

• B60N2/168

  and provided with braking systems · CPC title

• F16D67/02 Primary

  Clutch-brake combinations · CPC title

• B60N2/167

  Ratchet mechanism · CPC title

• B60N2/1882

  Ratchet mechanism · CPC title

• B60N2/1814

  Parallelogram-like structure · CPC title