Electromagnetic spring-wound clutch

Claim 2

An electromagnetic spring-wound clutch comprising driving and driven members axially aligned for relative rotation about a common axis, a stationary coil housing, an electromagnetic coil mounted in said coil housing, a coil-wound spring mounted around said driving and driven members and having one end thereof secured to said driven member, an armature member operatively connected to the other end of said coil-wound spring for rotation therewith and axial movement thereon, and a radially extending pole member formed on said driving member intermediate said armature member and said coil housing, said coil when energized drawing said armature member axially into frictional contact with said pole member without axially moving said other end of said coil-wound spring while causing said spring to frictionally engage said driving member to thereby drive said driven member.

Claim 3

An electromagnetic spring-wound clutch comprising input and output members axially aligned for relative rotation about a common axis, a stationary coil housing, an electromagnetic coil mounted in said coil housing, a coil-wound spring mounted around said input and output members and having one end thereof secured to said output member, an armature member mounted around the other end of said coil-wound spring so as to be rotatable therewith and axially movable relative thereto, a radially extending pole member formed on said input member intermediate said armature member and said coil housing, the magnetic clutch field produced by said coil when energized serving to axially move said armature member into frictional contact with said pole member without axially distorting or moving any portion of said coil-wound spring while circumferentially restraining said other end of said spring and causing said spring to grippingly engage said input member to thereby drive said output member.

Claim 4

An electromagnetic spring-wound clutch comprising input and output members axially aligned for relative rotation about a common axis, a stationary coil housing, an electromagnetic coil mounted in said coil housing, a coil-wound spring mounted around said input and output members and having one end thereof secured to said output member, an armature member mounted around the other end of said coil-wound spring so as to be rotatable therewith and axially movable relative thereto, a radially extending pole member formed on said input member intermediate said armature member and said coil housing, the magnetic clutch field produced by said coil when energized serving to axially move said armature member into frictional contact with said pole member without axially distorting or moving any portion of said coil-wound spring while circumferentially restraining said other end of said spring and causing said spring to grippingly engage said input member to thereby drive said output member.

Claim 5

An electromagnetic spring-wound clutch comprising driving and driven members axially aligned for relative rotation about a common axis, a stationary coil housing, an electromagnetic coil mounted in said coil housing, a coil-wound spring mounted around said driving and driven members and having one end thereof secured to said driven member and an outwardly extending tab formed on the other end thereof, an armature ring member including a cylindrical portion and a radial flange portion, an opening formed in said cylindrical portion for the insertion therethrough of said outwardly extending tab, and a radially extending pole member formed on said driving member intermediate said radial flange portion of said armature ring membeR and said coil housing respective predetermined air spaces apart therefrom, said coil when energized drawing said armature ring member axially through one of said air spaces into frictional contact with said pole member without axially moving said other end of said coil-wound spring while contacting said tab and thereby causing said spring to frictionally engage said driving member to thereby drive said driven member.

Claim 6

An electromagnetic spring-wound clutch comprising driving and driven members axially aligned for relative rotation about a common axis, a stationary coil housing, an electromagnetic coil mounted in said coil housing, a coil-wound spring mounted around said driving and driven members and having one end thereof secured to said driven member and an outwardly extending tab formed on the other end thereof, an armature ring member including a cylindrical portion and a radial flange portion, an opening formed in said cylindrical portion for the insertion therethrough of said outwardly extending tab, and a radially extending pole member formed on said driving member intermediate said radial flange portion of said armature ring membeR and said coil housing respective predetermined air spaces apart therefrom, said coil when energized drawing said armature ring member axially through one of said air spaces into frictional contact with said pole member without axially moving said other end of said coil-wound spring while contacting said tab and thereby causing said spring to frictionally engage said driving member to thereby drive said driven member.

Claim 7

The electromagnetic spring-wound clutch described in claim 3, and torque-cushion means operatively connected intermediate said driving and driven members.

Claim 8

An electromagnetic spring-wound clutch comprising an input pulley assembly including a hub member, a pulley groove portion and a radial pole member interconnecting said hub member and said pulley groove portion, a plurality of circumferentially aligned arcuate slots formed in said radial pole member, an output shaft, a hub member mounted on said output shaft axially aligned with said pulley hub member for relative rotation about a common axis, a stationary coil housing having a radial wall portion adjacent said radial pole member both radially outwardly and radially inwardly of said arcuate slots, an electromagnetic coil mounted in said coil housing, a coil-wound spring mounted around said input pulley hub member and said output shaft hub member and having one end thereof secured to said output shaft hub member, and an armature member including a cylindrical portion mounted around the other end of said coil-wound spring and movable axially relative thereto and a flange portion adjacent said other end, said radial pole member being located intermediate said flange portion of said armature member and said coil housing, a first predetermined air space intermediate said coil housing and said radial pole member, a second predetermined air space intermediate said radial pole member and said flange portion of said armature member, said coil when energized drawing said armature member axially through said second air space so as to close said second air space and bring said flange portion of said armature member into frictional contact with said radial pole member without axially moving said other end of said coil-wound spring while causing said spring to grippingly engage said pulley hub member to thereby drive said output hub member and said output shaft, the flux path being from said coil housing across said first air space to said pole member radially outwardly of said arcuate slots, thence across said closing second air space to said flange portion of said armature member and back across said closing second air space to said pole member radially inwardly of said arcuate slots, and across said first air space to said coil housing.

Claim 9

An electromagnetic spring-wound clutch comprising an input pulley assembly including a hub member, a pulley groove portion and a radial pole member interconnecting said hub member and said pulley groove portion, a plurality of circumferentially aligned arcuate slots formed in said radial pole member, an output shaft, a hub member mounted on said output shaft axially aligned with said pulley hub member for relative rotation about a common axis, a stationary coil housing having a radial wall portion adjacent said radial pole member both radially outwardly and radially inwardly of said arcuate slots, an electromagnetic coil mounted in said coil housing, a coil-wound spring mounted around said input pulley hub member and said output shaft hub member and having one end thereof secured to said output shaft hub member, and an armature member including a cylindrical portion mounted around the other end of said coil-wound spring and movable axially relative thereto and a flange portion adjacent said other end, said radial pole member being located intermediate said flange portion of said armature member and said coil housing, a first predetermined air space intermediate said coil housing and said radial pole member, a second predetermined air space intermediate said radial pole member and said flange portion of said armature member, said coil when energized drawing said armature member axially through said second air space so as to close said second air space and bring said flange portion of said armature member into frictional contact with said radial pole member without axially moving said other end of said coil-wound spring while causing said spring to grippingly engage said pulley hub member to thereby drive said output hub member and said output shaft, the flux path being from said coil housing across said first air space to said pole member radially outwardly of said arcuate slots, thence across said closing second air space to said flange portion of said armature member and back across said closing second air space to said pole member radially inwardly of said arcuate slots, and across said first air space to said coil housing.

Claim 10

The electromagnetic spring-wound clutch described in claim 5, and a torque-cushion formed integrally with said output hub member.

Claim 11

The electromagnetic spring-wound clutch described in claim 6, wherein said torque-cushion is bonded on one side to a plate member and on the other side to a radial flange formed on said output hub member.

Claim 12

An electromagnetic spring-wound clutch comprising an input pulley assembly including a hub member, a pulley groove portion and a pole member interconnecting said hub member and said pulley groove portion, said pole member including a radial wall portion and a cylindrical wall portion, an output shaft, a hub member mounted on said output shaft axially aligned with said pulley hub member for relative rotation about a common axis, a stationary coil housing, said radial wall portion and said cylindrical wall portion each being located a predetermined air space apart from side and peripheral wall portions of said coil housing, an electromagnetic coil mounted in said coil housing, a coil-wound spring mounted around said input pulley hub member and said output shaft hub member and having one end thereof secured to said output shaft hub member, and an armature ring member mounted around the other end of said coil-wound spring so as to bE rotatable therewith and movable axially relative thereto, said armature ring member being located a predetermined air space apart from said radial wall portion of said pole member, said coil when energized drawing said armature ring member axially through said last-mentioned air space into frictional contact with said radial wall portion of said pole member without axially moving said other end of said coil-wound spring while causing said spring to grippingly engage said pulley hub member to thereby drive said output hub member and said output shaft.

Claim 13

An electromagnetic spring-wound clutch comprising an input pulley assembly including a hub member, a pulley groove portion and a pole member interconnecting said hub member and said pulley groove portion, said pole member including a radial wall portion and a cylindrical wall portion, an output shaft, a hub member mounted on said output shaft axially aligned with said pulley hub member for relative rotation about a common axis, a stationary coil housing, said radial wall portion and said cylindrical wall portion each being located a predetermined air space apart from side and peripheral wall portions of said coil housing, an electromagnetic coil mounted in said coil housing, a coil-wound spring mounted around said input pulley hub member and said output shaft hub member and having one end thereof secured to said output shaft hub member, and an armature ring member mounted around the other end of said coil-wound spring so as to bE rotatable therewith and movable axially relative thereto, said armature ring member being located a predetermined air space apart from said radial wall portion of said pole member, said coil when energized drawing said armature ring member axially through said last-mentioned air space into frictional contact with said radial wall portion of said pole member without axially moving said other end of said coil-wound spring while causing said spring to grippingly engage said pulley hub member to thereby drive said output hub member and said output shaft.