A controllable one-way clutch

Abstract

A controllable one-way clutch includes an outer ring, an inner ring, a wedge groove, a wedge, a pushing groove, and a pushing structure; the outer ring has a wedge ratchet sleeve on its inner circumference; the inner ring is coaxial with the outer ring and has a wedge groove, a front limit ball hole, and a rear limit ball hole on its outer circumference; the wedge is received in the wedge groove, engages with the outer ring wedge ratchet sleeve, and transmits torque between the inner ring, the outer ring, and the coupling member; the pushing groove is in the inner ring wedge groove; the pushing structure is in the pushing groove and pushes the wedge towards the outer ring to make the wedge engage with the outer ring wedge ratchet sleeve; a controllable one-way clutch also has a coupling member that axially moves between the front limit ball hole and the rear limit ball hole; a guiding surface is provided on one or both of the contact surfaces between the wedge and the coupling member. The present invention can freely make the one-way clutch in an independent non-locking state disengaged from the power input end in both forward and reverse directions, reduce the frictional loss during idling, and further expand the application of the one-way clutch.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention belongs to the field of mechanical transmission, and particularly relates to a controllable one-way clutch for torque transmission and disconnection. Background Art

[0002] In the prior art, due to its force characteristics, the traditional wedge one-way clutch has limited strength transmission torque between its inner and outer rings. When transmitting a large torque, high requirements are imposed on the dimensions and strength of the inner and outer rings. Moreover, the traditional wedge one-way clutch can only lock the inner and outer rings in one rotational direction, while they are in a non-locked state in the other rotational direction. Additionally, when the traditional wedge one-way clutch idles, a part of the power is lost due to the frictional losses generated by the wedges. How to freely make the one-way clutch in an independent non-locked state disengaged from the power input end in both forward and reverse directions, reduce the frictional losses during idling, further expand the application of the one-way clutch, and improve the load-bearing capacity of the clutch is a major research topic for those skilled in the art. Summary of the Invention

[0003] To solve the above technical problems, we have invented a controllable one-way clutch, which is characterized by improving the load-bearing capacity of the one-way clutch, enabling the one-way clutch to be freely in an independent non-locked state disengaged from the power input end in both forward and reverse directions; there is a coupling member provided without frictional losses when the one-way clutch is in a non-locked state; the banding and back-dragging losses are reduced; using two of the said controllable one-way clutches in combination can replace a wet clutch.

[0004] One technical solution of the present invention provides a controllable one-way clutch, including an outer ring, an inner ring, a wedge groove, a wedge, a push groove, and a push structure; the outer ring has a wedge ratchet sleeve on its inner circumference; the inner ring is coaxial with the outer ring and has a wedge groove, a front limit ball hole, and a rear limit ball hole on its outer circumference; the wedge is received in the wedge groove, engages with the outer ring wedge ratchet sleeve, and transmits torque between the inner ring, the outer ring, and the coupling member; the push groove is in the inner ring wedge groove; the push structure is in the push groove and pushes the wedge towards the outer ring to make the wedge engage with the outer ring wedge ratchet sleeve; the controllable one-way clutch also has a coupling member that axially moves between the front limit ball hole and the rear limit ball hole; one or both of the contact surfaces between the wedge and the coupling member are provided with a guiding surface; through multiple actual tests, when the guiding surface angle is set between 36 degrees and 39 degrees, the corresponding coupling member engagement time and the one-way clutch disengagement response time have good effects on the system engagement or disengagement process, and at a specific oil pressure of 10 bar, the control of the coupling member by the fork for engagement or disengagement response is accurate and timely, and the system has good robustness.

[0005] According to the above technical solution of the present invention, an upper limit angle and an upper support edge are provided on the wedge ratchet sleeve, a front limit edge, a lower limit angle and a lower support edge are provided on the wedge groove, and a wedge front edge and a wedge rear edge are provided on the wedge; when the wedge is pushed to fit with the wedge ratchet sleeve, the radian of the upper limit angle is consistent with the radian of the wedge contact surface, completely fitting the edge of the wedge, playing a role of limiting and fixing; the upper support edge fits with the wedge front edge, and the width of the upper support edge is smaller than the width of the wedge front edge. When the wedge is pushed to fit with the wedge ratchet sleeve, it is ensured that a part of the wedge front edge still extends beyond the upper support edge of the wedge ratchet sleeve and remains in contact with the front limit edge of the wedge groove, so that the wedge is partially received in the wedge groove at any time, and the wedge rear edge is always in contact with the lower limit angle and the lower support edge of the wedge groove, limiting and supporting when the wedge moves, so that the wedge rotates and moves with the wedge rear edge as a fixed point. When the coupling member pushes the wedge from being completely fitted with the ratchet sleeve to being completely fitted with the wedge groove, the wedge is always partially received in the wedge groove. Therefore, no impact will occur during the pushing and coupling process, and the whole process is stable and smooth, making the engagement and disengagement process of a controllable one-way clutch smooth, with good fitting effect, and having good stability and durability.

[0006] According to the above technical solution of the present invention, the pushing structure has a spring, and a steel ball is provided at the top of the spring.

[0007] According to the above technical solution of the present invention, the coupling member is coaxial with the inner ring; the front limit steel ball of the coupling member is in the front limit steel ball hole; the rear limit steel ball of the coupling member is in the rear limit steel ball hole.

[0008] According to the above technical solution of the present invention, there is also a fork, which is connected to the coupling member and controls the axial forward and backward movement of the coupling member.

[0009] According to the above technical solution of the present invention, when the fork controls the axial movement of the coupling member to the front limit steel ball hole, the coupling member is separated from the wedge, and the wedge meshes with the outer ring wedge ratchet sleeve under the action of the pushing structure, and a controllable one-way clutch is in the engaged state; when the fork controls the axial movement of the coupling member to the rear limit steel ball hole, the coupling member presses the wedge into the wedge groove, and at this time the wedge has no contact with the outer ring, and a controllable one-way clutch is in the non-engaged state.

[0010] The advantages of a controllable one-way clutch of the present invention are as follows: it improves the load-bearing capacity of the one-way clutch, and the one-way clutch can be freely in an independent non-locking state of disengaging from the power input end in both forward and reverse directions; a coupling member is provided, and there is no frictional loss when the one-way clutch is in the non-locking state; it reduces the drag and back-drag losses; using two such controllable one-way clutches in combination can replace a wet clutch. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0011] Figure 1It is a perspective view showing an embodiment of a controllable one-way clutch of the present invention in an exploded manner.

[0012] Figure 2 It is a schematic structural diagram of the outer ring of an embodiment of a controllable one-way clutch of the present invention.

[0013] Figure 3 It is a perspective view of the inner ring structure of an embodiment of a controllable one-way clutch of the present invention.

[0014] Figure 4 It is a sectional view of the inner ring structure of an embodiment of a controllable one-way clutch of the present invention.

[0015] Figure 5 It is a schematic diagram of a wedge block of an embodiment of a controllable one-way clutch of the present invention.

[0016] Figure 6 It is a partial schematic diagram of an embodiment of a controllable one-way clutch of the present invention in the engaged state and the disengaged state.

[0017] Figure 7 It is a partial schematic diagram of an embodiment of a controllable one-way clutch of the present invention when the control fork moves axially forward and backward to the front and rear limit positions. Detailed implementation manners

[0018] The following further describes the specific implementation manners of the present invention with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0019] Figure 1 It is a perspective view showing an embodiment of a controllable one-way clutch of the present invention in an exploded manner. A controllable one-way clutch of the present invention includes four parts: an outer ring 1 part, an inner ring 2 part, a coupling member 3 part, and a fork 4 part.

[0020] Figure 2 It is a schematic structural diagram of the outer ring of an embodiment of a controllable one-way clutch of the present invention. The outer ring 1 part of a controllable one-way clutch of the present invention includes an outer ring 1, and the outer ring 1 has a wedge ratchet sleeve 5 on its inner circumference.

[0021] Figure 3 It is a perspective view of the inner ring structure of an embodiment of a controllable one-way clutch of the present invention. Figure 4It is a sectional view of the inner ring structure of an embodiment of a controllable one-way clutch according to the present invention. For a controllable one-way clutch of the present invention, its inner ring 2 part includes an inner ring 2. The inner ring 2 is coaxial with the outer ring 1. The outer periphery of the inner ring 2 has wedge grooves 6, front limiting ball holes 7 and rear limiting ball holes 8, and they are symmetrically arranged according to the required quantity; the inner periphery of the inner ring has an inner shaft fixing spline 9 for fixing the inner ring 2. In other embodiments when applying the one-way clutch, other fixing or connecting methods can also be used to fix or connect with the inner ring 2; the wedge X is received in the wedge groove 6 and is engaged with the wedge ratchet sleeve 5 to transmit torque between the outer ring 1 of the inner ring 2 and the coupling member 3; the pushing groove 10 is in the wedge groove 6; the pushing structure 11 is in the pushing groove 10. The pushing structure 11 is composed of a spring 12 and a steel ball 13. The steel ball 13 is located at the top outside the spring 12 and is used to push the wedge X towards the outer ring 1 to make the wedge X engage with the wedge ratchet sleeve 5; the front limiting ball 14 of the coupling member is in the front limiting ball hole 7; the rear limiting ball 15 of the coupling member is in the rear limiting ball hole 8. The fork 4 is connected to the coupling member 3 and moves back and forth axially; the cooperation between the limiting ball and the limiting ball hole enables the coupling member 3 to only move axially between the front limiting ball hole 7 and the rear limiting ball hole 8, which plays a role in restricting the stroke of the coupling member 3. Through the control of the fork 4, the coupling member 3 can be adjusted to be fixed at the position of the front limiting ball hole 7 or fixed at the position of the rear limiting ball hole 8 at any time.

[0022] Figure 5 It is a schematic diagram of the wedge of an embodiment of a controllable one-way clutch according to the present invention. The wedge X is provided with a wedge front edge X7, a wedge rear edge X8 and a guiding surface X1; for a hybrid special transmission equipped with the controllable one-way clutch of the embodiment of the present invention, through multiple tests, it is obtained that when the angle a of the guiding surface X1 is set between 36 degrees and 39 degrees, the corresponding engagement time of the coupling member 3 and the disengaging response time of the one-way clutch have good effects on the system engagement or disengagement process. Under a specific oil pressure of 10 bar, the control of the coupling member 3 by the fork 4 for engagement or disengagement is accurate and timely, the system has good robustness, and the shifting is smooth.

[0023] Figure 6FIG. 0 is a partial schematic diagram of an embodiment of a controllable one-way clutch of the present invention in the engaged state and the disengaged state. An upper limit angle X2 and an upper support edge X3 are provided on the wedge ratchet sleeve 5, and a front limit edge X4, a lower limit angle X5 and a lower support edge X6 are provided on the wedge slot 6; the wedge X is provided with a front wedge edge X7 and a rear wedge edge X8; when the wedge X is pushed to fit with the wedge ratchet sleeve 5, the radian of the upper limit angle X2 is consistent with the radian of the wedge contact surface, and the upper limit angle X2 completely fits the edge of the wedge X, playing a role of limiting and fixing; the upper support edge X3 fits with the front wedge edge X7, and the width of the upper support edge X3 is smaller than the width of the front wedge edge X7. When the wedge X is pushed to fit with the wedge ratchet sleeve 5, it is ensured that a part of the front wedge edge X7 still extends beyond the upper support edge X3 on the wedge ratchet sleeve 5 and remains in contact with the front limit edge X4 on the wedge slot 6, so that the wedge X is partially received in the wedge slot 6 at any time. The rear wedge edge X8 is always in contact with the lower limit angle X5 and the lower support edge X6 on the wedge slot 6, providing limiting and support when the wedge X moves. The wedge X rotates and moves with the rear wedge edge X8 as the fixed part after being stressed. When the engaging member 3 pushes the wedge X from being completely engaged with the wedge ratchet sleeve 5 to being completely engaged with the wedge slot 6, the wedge X is always partially received in the wedge slot 6. Therefore, no impact will occur during the pushing and engaging process, and the whole process is stable and smooth, making the engagement and disengagement process of the controllable one-way clutch smooth, with good fitting effect, and having good stability and durability.

[0024] Figure 7 FIG. 4 is a partial schematic diagram of an embodiment of a controllable one-way clutch of the present invention when the control fork moves axially forward and backward to the front and rear limit positions. When the fork 4 controls the engaging member 3 to axially move to the front limit ball hole 7, the positioning hole 16 on the engaging member 3 meshes with the front limit ball 14 to fix the engaging member 3. At this time, a gap is formed between the fork 4 and the engaging member 3 to avoid friction between the engaging member 3 and the fork 4 during movement. The engaging member 3 is separated from the wedge X, and the wedge X meshes with the wedge ratchet sleeve 5 under the action of the pushing structure 11. A controllable one-way clutch is in the engaged state, and the one-way locking can transmit torque, while in the other direction, it is in an independent non-locking state and does not transmit torque. When the fork 4 controls the engaging member 3 to axially move to the rear limit ball hole 8, the positioning hole 16 on the engaging member 3 meshes with the front limit ball 15 to fix the engaging member 3. At this time, a gap is formed between the fork 4 and the engaging member 3 to avoid friction between the engaging member 3 and the fork 4 during movement. The engaging member 3 presses the wedge X into the wedge slot 6. At this time, the wedge X has no contact with the outer ring 1, and the controllable one-way clutch is in the disengaged state, and it is in an independent non-locking state in any rotation direction and has no frictional loss.

[0025] When the controllable one-way clutch of the present invention is used in combination, that is, when two controllable one-way clutches with wedge blocks and wedge block grooves in opposite directions are fixedly connected, the following situations can be formed: 1. The single clockwise locking rotation direction is in the locking state for torque transmission, and the counterclockwise rotation direction is in the independent non-locking state with no frictional loss; 2. The single counterclockwise locking rotation direction is in the locking state for torque transmission, and the clockwise rotation direction is in the independent non-locking state with no frictional loss; 3. Any rotation direction is in the locking state for torque transmission; 4. Any rotation direction is in the independent non-locking state with no frictional loss. Through these combination methods and functions, when the controllable one-way clutch of the present invention is used in combination, it can replace the wet clutch.

[0026] The above embodiments are only used to illustrate the present invention, and are not intended to limit the present invention. According to the structural principle of the present invention, many structural schemes can also be made. Changes, modifications, additions or substitutions made by those of ordinary skill in the art within the scope of the essence of the present invention should also fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A controllable one-way clutch, comprising an outer ring, an inner ring, a wedge groove, a wedge, a pushing groove, a pushing structure and a coupling member, Characterized in that: The outer ring has a wedge ratchet sleeve on its inner circumference; the inner ring is coaxial with the outer ring and has a wedge groove, a front limiting ball hole and a rear limiting ball hole on its outer circumference; the wedge is received in the wedge groove, engages with the outer ring wedge ratchet sleeve, and transmits torque between the inner ring, the outer ring and the coupling member; the pushing groove is in the inner ring wedge groove; the pushing structure is in the pushing groove and pushes the wedge towards the outer ring to make the wedge engage with the outer ring wedge ratchet sleeve; the coupling member moves axially between the front limiting ball hole and the rear limiting ball hole; one or both of the contact surfaces between the wedge and the coupling member are provided with guiding surfaces; the coupling member is coaxial with the inner ring; the front limiting ball of the coupling member is in the front limiting ball hole; the rear limiting ball of the coupling member is in the rear limiting ball hole; the controllable one-way clutch has a fork, and the fork is connected to the coupling member to control the axial up and down movement of the coupling member; when the fork controls the coupling member to axially move to the front limiting ball hole, the coupling member is separated from the wedge, and the wedge engages with the outer ring wedge ratchet sleeve under the action of the pushing structure, and the controllable one-way clutch is in a combined state; when the fork controls the coupling member to axially move to the rear limiting ball hole, the coupling member presses the wedge into the wedge groove, and at this time the wedge has no contact with the outer ring, and the controllable one-way clutch is in a non-combined state.

2. The controllable one-way clutch according to claim 1, Characterized in that: The wedge ratchet sleeve is provided with an upper limiting angle and an upper supporting edge, the front part of the wedge groove is provided with a front limiting edge, a lower limiting angle and a lower supporting edge, and the wedge is provided with a wedge front edge, a wedge rear edge and a guiding surface.

3. The controllable one-way clutch according to claim 1, Characterized in that: The pushing structure has a spring, and the top of the spring has a steel ball.

Images