A winch for securing a load to a vehicle a is disclosed. The winch includes a mounting bracket with opposed flanges. The winch further includes a drum extending along an axis between a first end and a second end. The drum is mounted relative to the opposed flanges so that the drum is rotatable about its axis. The winch includes a gear received on the drum and a worm configured to mesh with the gear so that a rotation of the worm causes a rotation of the gear. The winch further includes a clutch assembly between the drum and the gear. The clutch assembly is biasable between a first configuration in which the gear is fixed relative to the drum about the axis of the drum and a second configuration in which the gear is rotatable relative to the drum about the axis of the drum.

An internal combustion engine comprises a variable compression ratio mechanism that changes the relative position of a cylinder block with respect to a crankcase and a controlling device that controls the variable compression ratio mechanism. The variable compression ratio mechanism contains a driving device that rotates a shaft that includes an eccentric axis, and the drive device includes a clutch that blocks reverse input and is disposed in a drive power transmission route that transmits the rotational power of a motor to the shaft. The control device fixes the mechanical compression ratio to a predetermined low mechanical compression ratio when the amplitude of the rotational power vibration applied to an output shaft of the clutch is less than a predetermined determination value.

An internal combustion engine comprises a variable compression ratio mechanism that changes the relative position of a cylinder block with respect to a crankcase and a controlling device that controls the variable compression ratio mechanism. The variable compression ratio mechanism contains a driving device that rotates a shaft that includes an eccentric axis, and the drive device includes a clutch that blocks reverse input and is disposed in a drive power transmission route that transmits the rotational power of a motor to the shaft. The control device fixes the mechanical compression ratio to a predetermined low mechanical compression ratio when the amplitude of the rotational power vibration applied to an output shaft of the clutch is less than a predetermined determination value.

The invention relates to a coupling device for a drive train of a motorcycle or other motor vehicle, in particular for suppressing a so-called hopping. According to the invention, the coupling device has an output rotation part, a switchable friction coupling, which has an energy storage device for closing thereof and which is closed in an unactuated state, and at least one freewheel coupling for forming a torque transmission path for torque transmission from the input rotating part to the output rotating part, wherein the freewheel coupling includes the following components: an inner rotating element, the outer circumference of which forms a sawtooth-shaped circumferential structure having a plurality of circumferentially extending ramps; a substantially annular plate structure having an individual plate element or a stack of a plurality of plate elements, the inner circumference of which forms a sawtooth-shaped circumferential structure having a plurality of circumferentially extending counter-ramps to form an interlock and/or a friction lock together with the ramps of the inner rotating element in a rotation direction; and an outer rotating element surrounding the plate structure. The invention further relates to a corresponding drive train having such a coupling device.

A unidirectional joint includes a wedge member having a pressure contact portion that comes in pressure contact with an inner circumferential surface of an immovable ring. The wedge member includes a first follower displacing the wedge member to an unlocked position by receiving a pressing force from a release cam when a driving force is input to an input side protrusion and a second follower displacing the wedge member to a locked position by receiving a pressing force from a pressure cam when a driving force is input to an output side rotating part.

A wedge clutch assembly for transferring torque from an engine to an output shaft, comprising a clutch carrier comprising an axial friction surface and a radially inwardly facing surface, a hub comprising a first radially outwardly facing surface having grooves positioned circumferentially thereon and detents positioned within the grooves, a wedge plate comprising an axial friction surface, a second radially outwardly facing surface, and a second radially inwardly facing surface having recesses, a pressure plate concentrically arranged within the first radially inwardly facing surface and displaceable such that in an engaged mode, an axial force is applied to the pressure plate, in a first axial direction, to engage the wedge plate with the clutch carrier such that torque is transferred from the engine to the output shaft, and in a disengaged mode, the wedge plate is independently rotatable from the clutch carrier.

When relative positions of cages are changed from first positions to second positions, rollers are moved toward each other against an elastic biasing force of an elastic member such that an off state is achieved in which the rollers are disengaged from a cam surface or an inner peripheral surface portion to have a clearance therefrom. When the relative positions of the cages are changed from the second positions to the first positions, the rollers are moved away from each other by the elastic biasing force such that an on state is achieved in which one of the rollers on a downstream side engages with the cam surface or the inner peripheral surface portion without any clearance while the other of the rollers on an upstream side has a clearance from the cam surface or the inner peripheral surface portion.

When relative positions of cages are changed from first positions to second positions, rollers are moved toward each other against an elastic biasing force of an elastic member such that an off state is achieved in which the rollers are disengaged from a cam surface or an inner peripheral surface portion to have a clearance therefrom. When the relative positions of the cages are changed from the second positions to the first positions, the rollers are moved away from each other by the elastic biasing force such that an on state is achieved in which one of the rollers on a downstream side engages with the cam surface or the inner peripheral surface portion without any clearance while the other of the rollers on an upstream side has a clearance from the cam surface or the inner peripheral surface portion.

A clutch unit includes an operation lever, an operation bracket, an output shaft member, an input-side clutch, an output-side clutch, and a housing. An input-side outer ring member of the input-side clutch is a member including a bottom part and an outer ring part. A part of the outer ring part is a thick part. The thickness of the thick part in the radial direction is larger than the thickness of a non-thick part in the radial direction.

A clutch unit includes an operation lever, an operation bracket, an output shaft member, an input-side clutch, an output-side clutch, and a housing. An input-side outer ring member of the input-side clutch is a member including a bottom part and an outer ring part. A part of the outer ring part is a thick part. The thickness of the thick part in the radial direction is larger than the thickness of a non-thick part in the radial direction.