192 clutches and power-stop control – Clutches – Automatic
Reexamination Certificate
2000-09-28
2001-10-09
Lorence, Richard M. (Department: 3681)
192 clutches and power-stop control
Clutches
Automatic
C188S083000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06298966
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a friction resistance generator which is used as a mechanism for applying an arbitrary resistance by a frictional force to a rotational motion of various machines.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, bearings are well known as one type of machine element. The bearings are largely classified into a sliding bearing which supports a movable member via a lubricating oil, and a rolling bearing which supports the movable member via a ball and a roller. These bearings are used for always smoothly moving the movable member, and their object is to reduce frictional resistance between members. Therefore, conventional bearings are not structured so as to control the power transferred between moving members by applying a resistance to moving members. Accordingly, when it is desired in order to restrict a kinetic velocity of the movable member to a prescribed velocity, a damping device such as a shock absorber and a damper needs to be separately added.
By the way, in the sliding bearing using a lubricating oil, if the lubricating oil is interposed between members in an ideal state, the frictional resistance can be extremely reduced. However, an oil film between two surfaces mutually sliding is lost in a low velocity state and in a high load state. As a result, a static friction and a kinetic friction intermittently act, and then, a frictional force becomes extremely unstable. For this reason, there is a problem that a so-called stick slip phenomenon can often occur.
Taking the aforesaid problem into consideration, the applicant has proposed a friction resistance generator disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 2801153, which can restrict a kinetic velocity to a prescribed velocity without adding a specific mechanism, and always generates a stable resistance so as to readily control the resistance.
In the friction resistance generator, a plurality of rollers are interposed between a rotor and a passive member which are arranged facing each other in a radial direction, and a rolling axis of each roller is inclined so as to make a prescribed angle with respect to a plane including a rotational axis of the rotor. By doing so, a load of an axial direction is applied to the rotor and the passive member, and then, when the rotor and the passive member is rotated while contacting with each roller, a sliding friction is generated while each roller is rolling, and thus, an arbitrary frictional resistance is generated with respect to a rotational motion of the rotor.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an improvement in the aforesaid friction resistance generator. It is an object of the present invention to provide a friction resistance generator which can effectively generate a stable frictional resistance.
To achieve the above object, according to a first aspect, the present invention provides a friction resistance generator comprising:
a rotor rotating on the center of an axis thereof;
a plurality of rollers arranged along a rotational raceway track of the rotor;
a passive member facing the rotor in a radial direction of the rotor through the respective rollers; and
a retainer holding the respective rollers arranged at intervals so that the rollers freely roll,
wherein rolling axes of the respective rollers are inclined so as to form a prescribed first inclination angle with respect to a rotational axis of the rotor, and the inclination angle is set to a range larger than 5° and smaller than 20°, and
the rolling axes of the rollers are inclined to the identical direction respectively so as to form a second prescribed angle to a plane including the rotational axis of the rotor, and the second inclination angle is set to a range larger than 25° and smaller than 90°.
With the above construction, when a load in the axial direction is applied to the rotor, and the rotor is rotated while contacting with the respective rollers; the respective rollers roll along the rotational raceway track of the rotor while the retainer is restricting rotational motions of the rollers which are rolling to a direction inclined to the rotational raceway track of the rotor. As a result, a frictional force is generated between the respective rollers and the rotor. At this time, when the rotor is rotated in one direction, the respective rollers roll in one axial direction of the rotor. On the other hand, when the rotor is rotated to the other direction, the respective rollers rolls in the other axial direction of the rotor. Therefore, different frictional forces are generated depending upon a rotational direction of the rotor. In this case, each rolling axis of the rollers is made to be in a range larger than 5° and smaller than 20° with respect to the rotational axis of the rotor, and each rolling axis of the rollers is made to be in a range larger than 25° and smaller than 90° with respect to the plane including the rotational axis of the rotor. Thereby an effective and stable frictional force is always generated.
Further, according to a second aspect, the present invention provides a friction resistance generator comprising:
a rotor rotating on the center of an axis thereof;
a plurality of rollers arranged along a rotational raceway track of the rotor;
a passive member facing the rotor in a radial direction of the rotor through the respective rollers; and
a retainer holding the respective rollers arranged at intervals so that the rollers freely roll,
wherein rolling axes of the rollers are inclined so as to form a prescribed angle with respect to a rotational axis of the rotor, and a first inclination angle which is set to a range larger than 3° and smaller than 20°, and
the rolling axes of the rollers are inclined in a reverse direction every prescribed number respectively so as to form a second prescribed angle to a plane including the rotational axis of the rotor, and the second inclination angle is set to a range larger than 25° and smaller than 90°.
With the above construction, when a load of the axial direction is applied to the rotor, and the rotor is rotated while contacting with the respective rollers; the respective rollers roll along the rotational raceway track of the rotor while the retainer is restricting rotational motions of the rollers which are rolling to a direction inclined to the rotational raceway track of the rotor. As a result, a frictional force is generated between the respective rollers and the rotor. At this time, when the rotor is rotated, some rollers, which are inclined in an identical direction, tend to roll in one axial direction of the rotor, while the other rollers, which are inclined in the other direction, tend to roll in the other axial direction of the rotor. Therefore, according to the number of rollers which are inclined in opposite directions to each other, it is possible to arbitrarily set magnitude of frictional force in each rotational direction of the rotor. In this case, each rolling axis of the rollers is made set to be in a range larger than 3° and smaller than 20° with respect to the rotational axis of the rotor, and each rolling axis of the rollers is made to be in a range larger than 25° and smaller than 90° with respect to the plane including the rotational axis of the rotor. Thereby an effective and stable frictional force is always generated.
Thus, the friction resistance generator according to the first and second aspects is effectively applicable to a clutch, a braking device or the like, and has a simple structure, so that it is possible to achieve cost reduction and size reduction. In this case, according to the second aspect, it is possible to arbitrarily set magnitude of frictional force in each rotational direction of the rotor, so that the friction resistance generator is applicable to a wide range in accordance with the usage.
Further, according to the second aspect, the rollers inclined in opposite directions with respect to the plane including the rotational axis of the rotor, are alternately arranged in a circumferential direction of the rotor
Lorence Richard M.
Lowe Hauptman & Gilman & Berner LLP
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