192 clutches and power-stop control – Clutches – Axially engaging
Reexamination Certificate
2002-07-01
2003-11-18
Lorence, Richard M. (Department: 3681)
192 clutches and power-stop control
Clutches
Axially engaging
C192S09300C
Reexamination Certificate
active
06648118
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a clutch device for an electric motor-driven wheeled vehicle, more particularly to a clutch device with a cam segment and a cam follower to transmit a rotational force of an operating lever to drive a shifter member so as to move a tubular coupler relative to a clutch shaft between coupled and uncoupled positions.
2. Description of the Related Art
Referring to
FIGS. 1
to
3
, a conventional clutch device
35
is shown to be mounted between an electric motor
25
and a transmitting mechanism
27
. The transmitting mechanism
27
includes a transmitting gear
28
, bevel wheels
29
, differential pinions
20
, a differential casing
30
, a pin
31
, and two bearings
32
. The bevel wheels
29
are mounted on two axles
33
which are received in a hollow cylindrical housing
34
disposed on a gearbox
23
. The clutch device
35
includes a gear
36
which is received rotatably in the gearbox
23
by means of a bearing
40
and which meshes with a ratchet
26
on an output shaft of the motor
25
. A clutch shaft
37
has an outer surrounding wall surface with first and second spline segments
371
,
372
and a smaller-diameter middle segment
373
therebetween, and an inner surrounding wall surface with an inner spline portion
374
that is in a spline engagement with an outer spline portion
381
of an axle shaft
38
. The second spline segment
372
meshes with the transmitting gear
28
. The axle shaft
38
is received rotatably in the gearbox
23
by means of a bearing
42
. A biasing spring
39
is disposed between the first spline segment
371
of the clutch shaft
37
and an inner side of the gearbox
23
. An operating lever
41
is disposed to pass through a cover plate
24
secured on the gearbox
23
to abut against the clutch shaft
37
at the second spline segment
372
. The clutch shaft
37
passes through an axial hole in the gear
36
. Thus, in a normal state, as shown in
FIG. 2
, the first spline segment
371
is in a spline engagement with an inner spline portion
361
in the axial hole, thereby transmitting a drive of the motor
25
to the transmitting mechanism
27
via the clutch device
35
. As shown in
FIG. 3
, when the operating lever
41
is operated to move the clutch shaft
37
against the biasing action of the biasing spring
39
such that the middle segment
373
faces towards the inner spline portion
361
, the clutch shaft
37
is disconnected from the gear
36
.
Since the operating lever
41
is connected directly to the clutch shaft
37
to actuate movement of the latter, and since the biasing spring
39
is required to restore the clutch shaft
37
to its original position, a relatively large amount of force is required to operate the operating lever
41
against the biasing action of the biasing spring
39
.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The object of the present invention is to provide a clutch device which can be conveniently and smoothly operated to shift between coupled and uncoupled positions.
According to this invention, the clutch device includes a mounting support which has front and rear ends opposite to each other along an axis, and an inner annular bearing wall that surrounds the axis and that extends between the front and rear ends. A clutch shaft includes a coupled segment and a first spline segment which are disposed opposite to each other along the axis, and which are respectively distal from and proximate to the front end. The coupled segment is adapted to be coupled with an input shaft of a gearbox. A tubular coupler is journalled on and is rotatable relative to the inner annular bearing wall about the axis. The tubular coupler includes a middle segment, a clutching segment, and second spline segment. The middle segment is surrounded by and is shiftable relative to the inner annular bearing wall along the axis. The clutching segment extends from the middle segment forwardly and outwardly of the front end, and includes outer and inner surrounding wall surfaces opposite to each other in radial directions relative to the axis. The inner surrounding wall surface has spline and non-spline regions opposite to each other along the axis, and is disposed to surround and is shiftable relative to the first spline segment between a coupled position, where the spline region is in a spline engagement with the first spline segment, and an uncoupled position, where the non-spline region faces towards the first spline segment in the radial directions, thereby disconnecting the clutching segment from the clutch shaft. The outer surrounding wall surface has a surrounding recess which extends in radial directions and inwardly towards the axis. The second spline segment extends from the middle segment rearwardly and outwardly of the rear end, and is adapted to be maintained in a spline engagement with an output shaft of an electric motor in the coupled and uncoupled positions. A shifter member includes shifting and actuated ends. The shifting end is disposed in the surrounding recess such that the tubular coupler is permitted to rotate relative to the inner annular bearing wall in the coupled and uncoupled positions, and such that the inner surrounding wall surface is shifted between the coupled and uncoupled position by moving the shifting end in an axial direction parallel to the axis. The actuated end is disposed to be externally operable to cause the shifting end to move in the axial direction.
REFERENCES:
patent: 2252670 (1941-08-01), Demarest et al.
patent: 3058558 (1962-10-01), Hawk
patent: 3872955 (1975-03-01), McIntyre
patent: 4951792 (1990-08-01), Egawa
Lee San-Chi
Wu Chia-Lung
Christensen O'Connor Johnson & Kindness PLLC
Kwang Yang Motor Co. Ltd.
Lorence Richard M.
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