Coupling Assembly and Ratcheting Locking Member for Use Therein

Abstract

A coupling assembly includes first and second coupling members, a locking member, and a blocking structure. The locking member may be a strut, a pawl, or the like. The locking member is disposed between the coupling members and is movable between coupling and uncoupling positions. The coupling position is characterized by abutting-engagement of the locking member with each coupling member. The uncoupling position is characterized by non-abutting engagement of the locking member with at least the first coupling member. The blocking structure is associated with at least one of the first coupling member and the locking member. The blocking structure prevents the locking member from entering the coupling position, and thereby prevents abutting engagement of the locking member with the first coupling member, while rotation of the first coupling member in an engagement direction relative to the second coupling member is above a predetermined rotational speed.

Claims

1. A coupling assembly comprising: first and second coupling members including first and second coupling faces, respectively, in close-spaced opposition with one another, wherein at least one of the coupling members is mounted for rotation about an axis; a locking member disposed between the coupling faces of the coupling members, the locking member being movable between (i) a coupling position characterized by abutting-engagement of the locking member with each of the first and second coupling members and (ii) an uncoupling position characterized by non-abutting engagement of the locking member with at least the first coupling member; and a blocking structure associated with at least one of the locking member and the first coupling member, wherein the blocking structure prevents the locking member from entering the coupling position, and thereby prevents abutting engagement of the locking member with the first coupling member, while rotation of the first coupling member in an engagement direction relative to the second coupling member is above a predetermined rotational speed.

2. The coupling assembly of claim 1 wherein: the blocking structure is associated only with the locking member; and

3. The coupling assembly of claim 2 wherein: the blocking structure is a rib, protuberance, or protrusion on the locking member.

4. The coupling assembly of claim 1 wherein: the blocking structure is associated only with the first coupling member.

5. The coupling assembly of claim 4 wherein: the blocking structure is a rib, protuberance, or protrusion on the first coupling face of the first coupling member.

6. The coupling assembly of claim 1 wherein: the blocking structure is associated with both the locking member and the first coupling member.

7. The coupling assembly of claim 1 wherein: the abutting-engagement of the locking member with the first coupling member in the coupling position is further characterized by abutting-engagement of a nose of the locking member with a shoulder of the first coupling member; and the blocking structure preventing the locking member from entering the coupling position thereby prevents abutting engagement of the nose of the locking member with the shoulder of the first coupling member.

8. The coupling assembly of claim 1 wherein: the first coupling member is a notch plate and the second coupling member is a pocket plate.

9. The coupling assembly of claim 1 wherein: the coupling assembly is a controllable or selectable one-way clutch assembly.

10. The coupling assembly of claim 1 further comprising: a selector plate between the coupling faces and operable to control a position of the locking member, the selector plate having at least one opening which extends completely therethrough to allow the locking member to extend therethrough to the coupling position.

11. The coupling assembly of claim 1 wherein: the predetermined rotational speed is within a range of one to 200 revolutions per minute.

12. The coupling assembly of claim 1 further comprising: a biasing member carried by the second coupling member to urge the locking member toward the coupling position.

13. The coupling assembly of claim 1 wherein: the locking member is movable between the coupling and uncoupling positions by pivoting.

14. The coupling assembly of claim 1 wherein: the locking member is a strut.

15. A locking member for use in a coupling assembly having first and second coupling members, the locking member comprising: a body; and a blocking structure on a portion of the body, wherein the blocking structure prevents the locking member from entering a coupling position, characterized by abutting-engagement of the locking member with each of the first and second coupling members, while rotation of the first coupling member in an engagement direction relative to the second coupling member is above a predetermined rotational speed.

16. The locking member of claim 15 wherein: the blocking structure is a rib, protuberance, or protrusion.

17. The locking member of claim 15 wherein: the body includes a nose; the abutting-engagement of the locking member with the first coupling member in the coupling position is further characterized by abutting-engagement of the nose with a shoulder of the first coupling member; and the blocking structure preventing the locking member from entering the coupling position thereby prevents abutting engagement of the nose with the shoulder of the first coupling member.

18. The locking member of claim 15 wherein: the body includes a main body portion having an upper face; the blocking structure includes at least one integrally formed rib portion on the upper face of the main body portion.

19. The locking member of claim 18 wherein: the rib portion is centrally located between side faces of the main body portion.

20. The locking member of claim 15 wherein: the predetermined rotational speed is within a range of one to 200 revolutions per minute.

21. A coupling assembly comprising: first and second coupling members including first and second coupling faces, respectively, in close-spaced opposition with one another, wherein at least one of the coupling members is mounted for rotation about an axis; a locking member disposed between the coupling faces of the coupling members, the locking member being movable between (i) a coupling position characterized by abutting-engagement of the locking member with each of the first and second coupling members and (ii) an uncoupling position characterized by non-abutting engagement of the locking member with at least the first coupling member; and blocking means associated with at least one of the locking member and the first coupling member, wherein the blocking means prevents the locking member from entering the coupling position, and thereby prevents abutting engagement of the locking member with the first coupling member, while rotation of the first coupling member in an engagement direction relative to the second coupling member is above a predetermined rotational speed.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0035] FIGS. 1A, 1B and 1C are views, partially broken away and in cross section, which show a prior art coupling assembly at the start of locking member rise, during locking member rise and at locking member full engagement, respectively;

[0036] FIG. 2 is a perspective, schematic view of various locking members (i.e., struts) constructed in accordance with different embodiments of the present invention;

[0037] FIG. 3 is a perspective, schematic view, partially broken away, of a locking member in its fully engaged position within a notch of a notch plate constructed in accordance with at least one embodiment of the present invention;

[0038] FIG. 4A is a perspective schematic view of a locking member constructed in accordance with at least one embodiment of the present invention;

[0039] FIG. 4B is a top plan view, partially broken away, of a notch plate for use with the locking member of FIG. 4A wherein each of the notches of the notch plate has a center rib thereon;

[0040] FIG. 4C is a perspective, schematic view, partially broken away, showing the locking member of FIG. 4A in one of the notches of FIG. 4B;

[0041] FIGS. 5A, 5B and 5C are views, partially broken away and in cross section, which show parts of the coupling assembly of FIGS. 4A, 4B, and 4C at the start of locking member rise, during the locking member rise and at locking member full engagement, respectively;

[0042] FIG. 6A is a perspective, schematic view of a locking member having a center rib thereon constructed in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention;

[0043] FIG. 6B is a top plan view, partially broken away, of a notch plate for use with the locking member of FIG. 6A;

[0044] FIG. 6C is a perspective, schematic view, partially broken away, showing the locking member of FIG. 6A in the notch of FIG. 6B;

[0045] FIGS. 7A, 7B and 7C are views, partially broken away and in cross section, which show parts of the coupling assembly of FIGS. 6A, 6B, and 6C at the start of locking member rise, during locking member rise and at locking member full engagement, respectively:

[0046] FIG. 8A is a perspective, schematic view of a locking member with a through hole constructed in accordance with yet another embodiment of the present invention;

[0047] FIG. 5B is a top plan view, partially broken away, of a notch plate having a center rib in the interior of the plate for use with the locking member of FIG. 8A;

[0048] FIGS. 9A, 9B and 9C are views, partially broken away and in cross section, which show parts of the coupling assembly of FIGS. 8A and 8B at the start of locking member rise, during locking member rise and at locking member full engagement, respectively:

[0049] FIG. 10A is a perspective, schematic view of a locking member with a “high” center rib constructed in accordance of still another embodiment of the present invention;

[0050] FIG. 10B is a top plan view, partially broken away, of a notch plate for use with the locking member of FIG. 10A;

[0051] FIG. 10C is a perspective, schematic view, partially broken away, showing the locking member of FIG. 10A in a pocket plate and at least partially covered by a selector plate;

[0052] FIGS. 11A, 11B and 11C are views, partially broken away and in cross section, which show the parts of the coupling assembly of FIGS. 10A, 10B and 10C at the start of locking member rise, during locking member rise and at locking member full engagement, respectively;

[0053] FIG. 12 is a top, perspective schematic view, partially broken away, to illustrate a teeter-totter or center pivot version of a ratcheting locking member and its associated coupling member constructed in accordance with at least one embodiment of the present invention;

[0054] FIG. 13 is a side schematic, perspective view, partially broken away, of a radial version (i.e., radial locking member) of a ratcheting locking member and its associated coupling members constructed in accordance with at least one embodiment of the present invention;

[0055] FIG. 14 is another view of the radial locking member and its associated coupling member from FIGS. 13; and

[0056] FIG. 15 is a view similar of an optional construction of a radial locking member.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0057] Detailed embodiments of the present invention are disclosed herein; however, it is to be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the invention that may be embodied in various and alternative forms. The figures are not necessarily to scale; some features may be exaggerated or minimized to show details of particular components. Therefore, specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are, not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the present invention.

[0058] In general, for ratcheting to occur in a coupling assembly having a first coupling member (i.e., a notch plate 14) and a second coupling member (i.e., a pocket plate 10), a locking member (i.e., a strut) 34 must not be able to rise far enough to reach an abutting engagement with a shoulder 45 in a notch 28 of notch plate 14 by the time notch shoulder 45 aligns with an engagement nose 39 of locking member 34 in the direction marked 24. In other words, for ratcheting to occur, after locking member 34 is allowed to start rising while notch plate 14 is rotating relative to pocket plate 10 in the direction 24, notch shoulder 45 must pass locking member engagement nose 39 before locking member 34 has risen to the critical angle that allows locking member engagement nose 39 to engage with notch shoulder 45. For a ratcheting clutch design, there will be a critical relative speed between notch plate 14 and pocket plate 10, above which this condition is met and ratcheting occurs, and below which this condition is not met, and ratcheting does not occur. Below the critical speed when ratcheting does not occur, locking member 34 abuttingly engages in notch shoulder 45 and carries torque by locking the two coupling members 10 and 14 together.

[0059] The critical speed is determined by two primary factors: (i) the angular distance that notch plate 14 travels relative to pocket plate 10 from when locking member 34 is allowed to start rising to when notch shoulder 45 aligns with locking member engagement face 39; and (ii) the amount of time that locking member 34 takes to reach the critical angle at which it can make abutting engagement with the notch shoulder 45, after locking member 34 is allowed to start rising.

[0060] An embodiment of the present invention provides a blocking structure on locking member 34 and/or notch plate 14, which shortens the angular distance that notch plate 14 travels relative to pocket plate 10 from when locking member 34 is allowed to start rising to when the notch shoulder 45 aligns with locking member engagement face 39, which reduces the critical speed above which the locking member ratchets and below which the locking member engages in notch 28. Since the blocking structure reduces the critical speed, it reduces the impact speed and the resulting damage in the case that the controllable locking member is allowed to rise toward notch 28 while notch plate 14 is rotating in what would be engagement direction 24 relative to pocket plate 10.

[0061] FIGS. 1A, 1B, and 1C show a prior art pocket member or plate, generally indicated at 10, of a planar coupling or clutch assembly, generally indicated at 11. A notch plate, generally indicated at 14 of assembly 11, is typically nested within pocket plate 10. Notch plate 14 may be connected to a part (not shown) via internal splines formed on notch plate 14, which engage splines on the part. Pocket plate 10 may be typically provided with external splines.

[0062] An actuator (not shown) may be drivably connected to a control or selector plate, generally indicated at 20, thereby causing control plate 20 to be adjusted angularly with respect to a central axis about which at least one of the plates 10 and 14 is rotatable. Control plate 20 is disposed between plates 10 and 1.4 for limited angular rotation relative to the plates, as generally illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 7,344,010.

[0063] Notch plate 14 is prevented from moving in one angular direction as indicated by arrow 24 about the central axis relative to pocket plate 10 when the locking members are uncovered by control plate 20. The motion of arrow 24 is achieved in an operating mode when the actuator adjusts the angular position of control plate 20 relative to pocket plate 10 (such as via a fork) about the central axis to a position which covers up the locking members.

[0064] Notch plate 14 has a coupling face 26 with one or more notches 28 formed therein. Notch plate 14 may be adapted to be received in pocket plate 10 as previously mentioned.

[0065] Pocket plate 10 has a coupling face 30 with pockets 33 formed in corresponding locking member-holding portions of the pocket plate. Located intermediate coupling faces 26 and 30 of notch plate 14 and pocket plate 10, respectively, is control plate 20,

[0066] Referring now to FIGS. 2 through 11C, there are illustrated a plurality of locking members (i.e., struts, pawls. or the like) as well as a plurality of coupling members such as notch and pocket plates constructed in accordance with the present invention. In each of the embodiments of FIGS. 2 through 11C, only locking member and notch plate geometry changes from the prior art locking member and notch plate geometry of FIGS. 1A, 1B, and 1C. Each of locking members 34 includes a first end surface or face 36 at a nose end 39. Each of the locking members 34 further includes a second end surface or face 38 at a tail end 41 opposite the first end surface 36. The tail end 41 engages a shoulder 37 in pocket plate 10. Each of the locking members 34 further includes an upper face 40 and a lower face 42 of a main body portion 43.

[0067] Locking member 34 is movable between coupling and uncoupling positions. The coupling position is characterized by abutting-engagement of locking member 34 with each pocket plate 10 and notch plate 14. Particularly, the abutting-engagement of locking member 34 with notch plate 14 in the coupling position is characterized by abutting-engagement of locking member nose 39 with notch shoulder 45. The uncoupling position is characterized by non-abutting engagement of locking member 34 with at least notch plate 14.

[0068] Locking member 34 also includes a blocking structure on upper face 40 of main body portion 43 in the form of a center rib 44 in FIGS. 10A and 10C. Center rib 44 keeps locking member 34 in the uncoupling position characterized by non-abutting engagement of nose 39 with notch plate 14 upon rotation (i.e., in direction 24) of notch plate 14 relative to pocket plate 10 above a predetermined rotational speed. That is, the blocking structure prevents locking member 34 from entering the coupling position, and thereby prevents abutting engagement of locking member 34 with notch plate 14, while rotation of notch plate 14 in a first direction (i.e., in direction 24) relative to pocket plate 10 is above the predetermined rotational speed. In embodiments. the predetermined rotational speed falls within a range of zero to 200 revolutions per minute. The predetermined rotational speed depends on the design of the blocking structure.

[0069] Referring now to FIG. 10A, preferably, center rib 44 is centrally located between side faces 60 of main body portion 43 of locking member 34.

[0070] In the embodiments of FIGS. 4B and 8B, the blocking structure also takes the form of a center rib 62 within each notch 28 of the notch plate 14. In the embodiment of FIG. 8A, locking member strut 34 has a hole 63 formed through main body portion 43 between upper and lower faces 40 and 42, respectively.

[0071] In embodiments, a blocking structure(s) may be associated only with locking member 34, only with notch plate 14, or with both locking member 34 and notch plate 14. A blocking structure associated with locking member 34 may be a rib, protuberance, or protrusion on the locking member. In the schematic view of the various locking members shown in FIG. 2, additional exemplary blocking structures associated with locking members 34 are labeled with reference numeral 35. A blocking structure associated with notch plate 14 may be a rib, protuberance, or protrusion on coupling face 26 of the notch plate. In FIGS. 3, 12, and 14, additional exemplary blocking structures associated with notch plates 14 are labeled with reference numeral 65. In the configuration shown in FIG. 3, blocking structures 65 associated with notch plate 14 each function as a “release ledge” which define a “clearance feature” 67.

[0072] When control plate 20 is situated in its first position it does not cover the set of locking members 34. When control plate 20 is situated in its second position, it covers the set of locking members 34. When uncovered, locking members 34 are allowed to ratchet above a predetermined speed of notch plate 14 relative to pocket plate 10 in direction 24. Below the predetermined speed, locking members 34 abuttingly engage notches 28 of notch plate 14 to stop or prevent rotation between pocket plate 10 and notch plate 14 in the direction indicated by arrow 24.

[0073] In the example described above, control plate 20 is provided with a plurality of apertures 46. These are spaced and arranged angularly about the central axis. When control plate 20 is appropriately positioned in the first position, one aperture 46 will be disposed directly over each recess 33.

[0074] Apertures 46 and notches 28 are sized so that noses 39 of locking members 34 can enter notches 28 of notch plate 14 and engage shoulders 45 of notches 28 to establish a locking action between locking members 34 and notch plate 14 that will prevent or stop rotation between notch plate 14 and pocket plate 10.

[0075] When control plate 20 is rotated to a different (i.e., second) angular position from the first position, control plate 20 engages the top surface of locking members 34 to cause the locking members to rotate downwardly about their pivots 70 into their recesses 33 and will be at least partially covered by control plate 20 and prevented from moving pivotally upward at an engagement point 72. When control plate 20 is thus positioned, notch plate 14 can free-wheel in direction 24 about the central axis with respect to pocket, plate 10.

[0076] Locking member 34 each have a pair of oppositely projecting ears 68 which extend laterally from their tail end 41.

[0077] Although any suitable locking member spring can be used with one embodiment of the invention, a coil spring 64 is located under each of locking members 34 within spring pockets 66 formed in recesses 33.

[0078] When notch plate 14 is received within or nested within pocket plate 10 with control plate 20 therebetween, notch plate 14 and pocket plate 10 are held axially fast typically by a retainer ring or snap-ring (not shown). The snap-ring is received and retained in a groove formed in pocket plate 10. When assembled, control plate 20 is typically located within an annular groove (not shown) formed in pocket plate 10.

[0079] The locking members of FIGS. 2-11 can be characterized as ratcheting planar locking members. The locking member of FIG. 12 is a ratcheting center pivot or teeter-totter locking member, generally indicated at FIG. 12, 34′. The locking member 34′ is shown with its associated coupling member or notch plate 14′.

[0080] The locking member of FIG. 13 can be characterized as a radial version of the planar locking member of FIGS. 2-11 and is generally indicated at FIG. 13, 34″. The locking member 34″ is shown biased by a spring 64″ with its associated coupling members (i.e. notch and pocket plates 14″ and 10″, respectively). An expanded view of radial locking member 34″ is generally indicated in FIG. 14. An alternate construction of a radial locking member is generally indicated at 34″' in FIG. 15. An expanded view of the notch plate 14″ is generally indicated in FIG. 14.

[0081] Radial locking members 34″ and 34″' of FIGS. 14 and 15, respectively, typically are not actuated by a selector plate but rather are actuated by a linear actuator.

[0082] While exemplary embodiments are described above, it is not intended that these embodiments describe all possible forms of the present invention. Rather, the words used in the specification are words of description rather than limitation, and it is understood that various changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Additionally, the features of various implementing embodiments may be combined to form further embodiments of the present invention.