An excessive torque releasing type clutch apparatus comprises an outer ring, an inner ring arranged radially inside and coaxially with the outer ring and rotatably relative to the outer ring, a torque transmitting portion capable of transmitting torque between the outer ring and the inner ring, and a restricting mechanism for restricting excessive torque from being input from an input torque transmitting member to a driving ring of the outer ring and the inner ring and restricting excessive inverse torque that is input to a driven ring of the outer ring and the inner ring from being input to the input torque transmitting member. Treatment steps for securing strength of constituent members of the clutch apparatus in manufacturing be simplified or omitted.

An excessive torque releasing type clutch apparatus comprises an outer ring, an inner ring arranged radially inside and coaxially with the outer ring and rotatably relative to the outer ring, a torque transmitting portion capable of transmitting torque between the outer ring and the inner ring, and a restricting mechanism for restricting excessive torque from being input from an input torque transmitting member to a driving ring of the outer ring and the inner ring and restricting excessive inverse torque that is input to a driven ring of the outer ring and the inner ring from being input to the input torque transmitting member. Treatment steps for securing strength of constituent members of the clutch apparatus in manufacturing be simplified or omitted.

A vibration damping assembly for use with a second shaft nested within an interior of a first shaft is provided including a collar rotatable with the first shaft, and a cage rotatable with the second shaft and having at least one window formed therein. The collar and the cage are mounted concentrically. At least one damping mechanism is positioned within the at least one window. The at least one damping mechanism includes at least one flyweight and at least one support wedge. The at least one flyweight movable relative to the cage to frictionally engage an adjacent surface of the collar.

A non-backdrivable clutched module for a bi-directional actuator such as actuators used for active aerodynamics on vehicles. The module has both a stopper mode and a clutch mode. During the stopper mode a back-driving force gets diverted away from the actuator using a locking bearing member. If the force is too great a clutch mode will disengage the back-driving force completely from the shaft connected to the actuator, thereby preventing damage to the actuator.

A slip clutch assembly includes a clutch carrier, a one-way clutch assembly, and a preloaded clutch assembly. The one-way clutch assembly has a portion fixed to the clutch carrier. The preloaded clutch assembly has a first clutch plate, a second clutch plate, and a resilient element. The first clutch plate is drivingly engaged with the carrier. The second clutch plate is arranged for driving engagement with a first portion of a transmission. The resilient element is for compressing the first and second clutch plates. In some example embodiments, the one-way clutch assembly has an outer race, an inner race, and a plurality of blocking elements. The outer race is fixed to the clutch carrier. The inner race is arranged to engage a second portion of the transmission. The blocking elements are selected from the group of rollers or sprags for selectively locking the outer race to the inner race and are disposed radially between the outer race and inner race.

A slip clutch assembly includes a clutch carrier, a one-way clutch assembly, and a preloaded clutch assembly. The one-way clutch assembly has a portion fixed to the clutch carrier. The preloaded clutch assembly has a first clutch plate, a second clutch plate, and a resilient element. The first clutch plate is drivingly engaged with the carrier. The second clutch plate is arranged for driving engagement with a first portion of a transmission. The resilient element is for compressing the first and second clutch plates. In some example embodiments, the one-way clutch assembly has an outer race, an inner race, and a plurality of blocking elements. The outer race is fixed to the clutch carrier. The inner race is arranged to engage a second portion of the transmission. The blocking elements are selected from the group of rollers or sprags for selectively locking the outer race to the inner race and are disposed radially between the outer race and inner race.

A joint assembly having a first shaft having an end and extending along a first axis and a second shaft having an end and extending along a second axis is provided. A first inner ring coupled to the first shaft, a second inner ring coupled to the second shaft, and a sleeve coupled to the first and second inner rings are also provided. The first and second inner rings are disposed within the sleeve and a centering device engages the ends of the first and second shafts. The centering device is configured to maintain the angular positions of the first and second shafts relative to the sleeve. The centering device is substantially fixed from rotation during rotation of the first and second shafts and the centering device includes a receiving socket defining a socket path, the socket path having a different orientation than the second axis.

A joint assembly having a first shaft having an end and extending along a first axis and a second shaft having an end and extending along a second axis is provided. A first inner ring coupled to the first shaft, a second inner ring coupled to the second shaft, and a sleeve coupled to the first and second inner rings are also provided. The first and second inner rings are disposed within the sleeve and a centering device engages the ends of the first and second shafts. The centering device is configured to maintain the angular positions of the first and second shafts relative to the sleeve. The centering device is substantially fixed from rotation during rotation of the first and second shafts and the centering device includes a receiving socket defining a socket path, the socket path having a different orientation than the second axis.

A torque limiting device comprises an input shaft, an output shaft and a machined torsion spring having a first end and a second end. The first end and the second end of the torsion spring are coupled to the both the input shaft and the output shaft, whereby torque is transmitted between the input shaft and output shaft via the torsion spring. The couplings between the torsion spring and the input shaft and the output shaft permit limited relative rotation between the input shaft and the output shaft. The device further comprises a jamming mechanism operable in response to relative rotation between the input shaft and output shaft to stop rotation of both the input shaft and the output shaft.

The engine starter includes a pinion-mobile component which is linked to an output shaft by a helical spline and can be slid in a shaft direction, in a state where the pinion-mobile component includes; an overrunning clutch which is idled when the pinion gear, which is engaged to the ring gear, is driven by the engine via the ring gear so as to be rotated at a rotational speed which is higher than a rotational speed of the output shaft; and a breaking mechanism in which the overrunning clutch breaks a transmission of a torque, which is generated in accordance with a rotation of the motor and is transmitted to the ring gear, when a value of the torque is a predetermined condition value with respect to a direction where the torque is transmitted to the ring gear.