A friction clutch having an electromagnet assembly including a coil and a magnet connected to the coil. When the coil is energised, a magnetic field is generated and passes through the magnet and a magnetisable conductive body adjacent to the magnet, such that a displaceable magnetisable armature portion can be brought from one position into another position. The coil has a plurality of outer portions each having an associated outer dimension of the outer portion. The magnet completely covers an outer portion of the coil by a magnet side. Two further outer portions of the coil are not covered by the magnet or are not covered by more than 20% of an outer dimension of the further outer portion, or wherein, in the case a single further outer portion covered by the magnet, the outer portion is not covered by more than 70%.

A pump includes a stator and a rotor axially between a fluid inlet section and a fluid outlet section. The stator includes a plurality of radially inwardly extending legs; and a plurality of electrical windings disposed about the radially inwardly extending legs. The attenuating circuit includes a capacitor electrically wired in parallel with each winding and at least one switch electrically connected to the capacitor. During energization of the electrical winding, the switch electrically connects the capacitor to an electrical ground and the electrical power source creates a voltage in the capacitor. Following a de-energization of the plurality of electrical windings, the switch isolates the capacitor from the electrical ground and the capacitor discharges the voltage through the electrical winding, creating a decaying oscillating current that attenuates residual magnetization in the winding.

An electrically and mechanically driven automotive accessory including a housing, an electric motor, a pulley, and a pulley assist mechanism. The electric motor comprises a stator assembly that is mounted to the housing and a rotating assembly that is mounted to a shaft. The electric motor creates a primary torque flow path that drives rotation of the rotating assembly relative to the stator assembly. The pulley is rotatable relative to the shaft and the rotating assembly. The pulley assist mechanism includes a plurality of circumferentially spaced teeth nested with a conductive body, a rotor body fixedly mounted to the shaft, and an electromagnet that is configured to induce a magnetic field between the circumferentially spaced teeth, the rotor body, and the pulley, which creates a secondary torque flow path between the pulley and the rotor body.

An electrically and mechanically driven automotive accessory including a housing, an electric motor, a pulley, and a pulley assist mechanism. The electric motor comprises a stator assembly that is mounted to the housing and a rotating assembly that is mounted to a shaft. The electric motor creates a primary torque flow path that drives rotation of the rotating assembly relative to the stator assembly. The pulley is rotatable relative to the shaft and the rotating assembly. The pulley assist mechanism includes a plurality of circumferentially spaced teeth nested with a conductive body, a rotor body fixedly mounted to the shaft, and an electromagnet that is configured to induce a magnetic field between the circumferentially spaced teeth, the rotor body, and the pulley, which creates a secondary torque flow path between the pulley and the rotor body.

An electrically and mechanically driven automotive accessory including a housing, an electric motor, a pulley, and a pulley assist mechanism. The electric motor comprises a stator assembly that is mounted to the housing and a rotating assembly that is mounted to a shaft. The electric motor creates a primary torque flow path that drives rotation of the rotating assembly relative to the stator assembly. The pulley is rotatable relative to the shaft and the rotating assembly. The pulley assist mechanism includes a plurality of circumferentially spaced teeth nested with a conductive body, a rotor body fixedly mounted to the shaft, and an electromagnet that is configured to induce a magnetic field between the circumferentially spaced teeth, the rotor body, and the pulley, which creates a secondary torque flow path between the pulley and the rotor body.

An electrically and mechanically driven automotive accessory including a housing, an electric motor, a pulley, and a pulley assist mechanism. The electric motor comprises a stator assembly that is mounted to the housing and a rotating assembly that is mounted to a shaft. The electric motor creates a primary torque flow path that drives rotation of the rotating assembly relative to the stator assembly. The pulley is rotatable relative to the shaft and the rotating assembly. The pulley assist mechanism includes a plurality of circumferentially spaced teeth nested with a conductive body, a rotor body fixedly mounted to the shaft, and an electromagnet that is configured to induce a magnetic field between the circumferentially spaced teeth, the rotor body, and the pulley, which creates a secondary torque flow path between the pulley and the rotor body.

A continuously variable transmission includes a first shaft driveably connected to a power-plant and having a first pair of sheave disks, and a second shaft having a second pair of sheave disks. A tension member is connected to the first and second pairs of disks such that power is transmittable between the first and second shafts. A third shaft is selectively driveably connected to the second shaft via a clutch. The clutch includes an inner race fixed to one of the second and third shafts, and an outer race fixed to a gear and having an inner surface circumscribing the inner race. At least one pawl is biased to couple the races in a fixed relationship for common rotation. The clutch further includes an electric coil and an armature configured to engage the pawl to decouple the races in response to current being supplied to the electric coil.

A magnetically hinged, overrunning clutch is disclosed. Sprags containing rare-earth permanent magnets, and arranged in pairs of opposite magnetic orientation, are located within the gap between the inner surface of a hollow, circularly cylindrical shaft and the external surface of a smaller diameter, second circularly cylindrical shaft. Pairs of rare-earth permanent magnets encircling the second cylindrical shaft are located at, or just beneath, the surface of the shaft and are arranged in pairs having alternating magnetic orientation. The sprags are cylinders having a pseudo-spiral cross-section and are sized, and the ferromagnetic region located, such that when the sprags are attracted to the shaft-magnets, the first shaft may be rotated with respect to the second shaft in a first, overrunning direction of rotation, but the first shaft does not rotate with respect to the second shaft in an opposite, or lock-up direction.

A magnetically hinged, overrunning clutch is disclosed. Sprags containing rare-earth permanent magnets, and arranged in pairs of opposite magnetic orientation, are located within the gap between the inner surface of a hollow, circularly cylindrical shaft and the external surface of a smaller diameter, second circularly cylindrical shaft. Pairs of rare-earth permanent magnets encircling the second cylindrical shaft are located at, or just beneath, the surface of the shaft and are arranged in pairs having alternating magnetic orientation. The sprags are cylinders having a pseudo-spiral cross-section and are sized, and the ferromagnetic region located, such that when the sprags are attracted to the shaft-magnets, the first shaft may be rotated with respect to the second shaft in a first, overrunning direction of rotation, but the first shaft does not rotate with respect to the second shaft in an opposite, or lock-up direction.

A clutch assembly includes a clutch mechanism and an energy harvesting device. The clutch mechanism includes an input member, an output member, and an actuating mechanism to govern selective torque transmission from the input member to the output member. The actuating mechanism is powered by electrical current. The energy harvesting device is electrically connected to the actuating mechanism, and the energy harvesting device is configured to scavenge available energy to generate the electrical current that powers the actuating mechanism.