Freewheel and freewheel arrangement

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9726235-B2
Application number	US-201414339752-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 24, 2014
Priority date	Aug 1, 2013
Publication date	Aug 8, 2017
Grant date	Aug 8, 2017

Abstract

The present invention relates to a freewheel ( 4 ) having an inner ring ( 38 ), an outer ring ( 40 ) and at least one wedging element ( 48 ) between the inner ring ( 38 ) and the outer ring ( 40 ), which can be moved from a wedging position, in which the wedging element ( 48 ) prevents rotation of the outer ring ( 40 ) relative to the inner ring ( 38 ) in a first circumferential direction ( 24 ), into a release position, in which the outer ring ( 40 ) can be rotated in an opposite, second circumferential direction ( 26 ) relative to the inner ring ( 38 ), wherein the wedging element ( 48 ) is preloaded into the wedging position by means of a spring element ( 64 ). The spring element ( 64 ) has an elongate spring body ( 66 ), which extends in a radial plane and has a corrugated profile in the radial direction ( 20, 22 ). The present invention furthermore relates to a freewheel arrangement ( 2 ) having a freewheel ( 4 ) of this kind.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A freewheel having an inner ring, an outer ring and at least one wedging element between the inner ring and the outer ring, wherein the freewheel is constructed and arranged to be moved between a wedging position wherein the wedging element prevents rotation of the outer ring relative to the inner ring in a first circumferential direction and a release position wherein the outer ring is rotated in an opposite, second circumferential direction relative to the inner ring; and wherein the wedging element is preloaded into the wedging position by means of a spring element, wherein the spring element has an elongated spring body, which extends in a radial plane and has a corrugated profile in a radial direction, and wherein the spring body includes at least one shoulder which projects in an axial direction a distance greater than a remaining portion of the spring body and which supports the spring body in the axial direction.

2. The freewheel set forth in claim 1 , wherein the spring body is formed of a sheet-metal part or a wire.

3. The freewheel as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the spring body further comprises a first end leg, a plurality of radially extending outer corrugation peaks, a plurality of radially extending inner corrugation troughs, a second end leg at an end opposite of the first end leg, and a plurality of body legs which extend between the first leg, the plurality of radially extending outer corrugation peaks, the plurality of radially extending inner corrugation troughs, and the second end leg.

4. The freewheel set forth in claim 3 wherein the first end leg supports the wedging element.

5. The freewheel set forth in claim 4 , wherein the first end leg is supported by means of a connecting section between the first end leg and an adjacent one of the plurality of body legs at at least one further point of support on the adjacent one of the plurality of body legs, and wherein the first end leg is constructed and arranged to be supported at the further point of support by transferring the wedging element into the release position or to be continuously supported at the further point of support and has a section which projects in the direction of the adjacent one of the plurality of body legs by means of which the first end leg is supported at the further point of support.

6. The freewheel set forth in claim 3 wherein the at least one shoulder extends from at least one of the plurality of radially extending outer corrugation peaks or the plurality of radially extending inner corrugation troughs.

7. The freewheel set forth in claim 3 further comprising at least one elastic supporting tongue arranged on at least one of the plurality of body legs and which supports the spring body in the axial direction, and wherein the at least one elastic supporting tongue is one continuous uninterrupted piece with the spring body, and wherein the spring body is arranged on the freewheel with a preload on the at least one elastic supporting tongue.

8. The freewheel set forth in claim 7 wherein the at least one elastic supporting tongue is provided at least partially with a wear-inhibiting coating and wherein the coating is a carbon layer.

9. The freewheel set forth in claim 3 wherein the second end leg is a fastening section which is U-shaped, for fastening of the spring body on the inner or the outer ring, wherein the fastening section is fastened on the inner or the outer ring by a latching action and has a greater width in relation to the axial direction than at least one remaining section.

10. The freewheel set forth in claim 9 , wherein the fastening section is fastened on a fastening projection having a first side and a second side, and wherein the fastening section engages both the first side and the second side in relation to mutually opposite circumferential directions, and wherein the fastening section engages the fastening projection from at least one of an inside or an outside of the fastening section in relation to the radial direction.

11. The freewheel set forth in claim 9 , wherein at least one of the outer ring or the inner ring comprises a fastening depression, wherein the fastening section is held within the fastening depression; wherein the spring body is operatively attached to at least one of the inner ring or the outer ring; and wherein the fastening section is constructed and arranged to engage the fastening depression.

12. The freewheel set forth in claim 3 wherein at least one of the plurality of radially extending inner corrugation troughs, the plurality of radially extending outer corrugation peaks, the at least one shoulder, or the first end leg are provided at least partially with a wear-inhibiting coating and wherein the coating is a carbon layer.

13. The freewheel set forth in claim 1 wherein the spring body is provided at least partially with a wear-inhibiting coating and wherein the coating is a carbon layer.

14. The freewheel set forth in claim 1 wherein a side wall secured for conjoint rotation on the inner ring or the outer ring is provided for delimiting a wedging gap between the inner ring and the outer ring in the axial direction, wherein a fastening projection is provided on the side wall and is formed by a section of the side wall which projects into the wedging gap, the section being at least one of bent or punched out.

15. The freewheel set forth in claim 1 wherein the wedging element is a wedging roller, wherein the ratio of a width (b) to an outside diameter (a) of the wedging roller is equal to or less than 1:3.

16. The freewheel set forth in claim 1 wherein the at least one shoulder comprises at least three shoulders projecting in the axial direction.

17. A freewheel arrangement for a motor vehicle having the freewheel as set forth in claim 1 ; a starter ring, wherein the starter ring is connected for conjoint rotation to the inner ring; a drive output side, which is connected for conjoint rotation to the outer ring; and a starter which is in continuous rotary driving engagement with the starter ring, wherein the inner ring is supported in the radial direction on at least one of the drive output side or on a fixed housing and is constructed and arranged to allow for rotation via at least one of a rolling contact bearing or a sliding contact bearing, and the freewheel is one of a dry freewheel or a wet freewheel.

18. A freewheel having an inner ring, an outer ring and at least one wedging element between the inner ring and the outer ring, wherein the freewheel is constructed and arranged to be moved between a wedging position, wherein the wedging element prevents rotation of the outer ring relative to the inner ring in a first circumferential direction, and a release position, wherein the outer ring is rotated in an opposite, second circumferential direction relative to the inner ring; and wherein the wedging element is preloaded into the wedging position by means of a spring element, wherein the spring element has an elongated spring body which extends in a radial plane and has a corrugated profile in a radial direction, and wherein the spring body comprises a plurality of radially extending outer corrugation peaks, a plurality of radially extending corrugation troughs, and a plurality of legs which extend therebetween, and at least one elastic supporting tongue arranged on at least one of the plurality of legs which supports the spring body in the axial direction, and wherein the spring body is arranged on the freewheel with a preload on the at least one elastic supporting tongue.

Assignees

• Borgwarner Inc

Inventors

• Baeumler Richard

Classifications

• F16D41/066

  all members having the same size and only one of the two surfaces being cylindrical · CPC title

• F16D2041/0665

  characterised by there being no cage other than the inner and outer race for distributing the intermediate members · CPC title

• F16D41/064 Primary

  the intermediate members wedging by rolling and having a circular cross-section, e.g. balls (F16D41/061 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F16D2041/0605

  Spring details · CPC title