An ultra-thin electromagnetic-mechanical hybrid one-way clutch

Abstract

An ultra-thin electromagnetic-mechanical hybrid one-way clutch relates to the field of mechatronics technology. A perforation is made at the center of the bottom of the outer casing groove. A rotating body is placed within the groove of the outer casing with a clearance fit. The mechanism's rotating shaft is coaxially connected to the rotating body for transmission. An L-shaped notch is machined on the edge of the rotating body and a self-locking module is installed. A cylindrical roller is placed at the corner of the L-shaped notch. An electromagnet is embedded in the short arm of the L-shaped notch. A spring supports the cylindrical roller between the corner of the L-shaped notch and the cylindrical roller. When the electromagnet is open, it magnetically attracts and fixes the cylindrical roller with a gap between it and the inner wall of the groove of the outer casing. When the electromagnet is closed, the spring supports the cylindrical roller against the inner wall of the groove of the outer casing. By using the mechanism's rotating shaft to engage the rotating body and the inner wall of the groove of the outer casing, and by setting an L-shaped notch on the edge of the rotating body and installing a self-locking module, one-way clutch engagement can be achieved without distinguishing between a driving shaft and a driven shaft. This simplifies the number of clutch parts and axial thickness, resulting in a simple structure and compact size.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of mechatronics technology, specifically to an ultra-thin electromagnetic-mechanical hybrid one-way clutch. Background Technology

[0002] Conventional one-way clutches typically consist of a drive shaft and a driven shaft, with mechanical or electromechanical design used to achieve one-way clutch engagement / disengagement control between them, resulting in a relatively complex structure. Furthermore, regardless of the design, the axial dimensions of the drive and driven shafts limit further reduction in the clutch's axial thickness. For robot structural designs, such as robot joints with stringent axial dimension requirements, current drive-driven one-way clutches are unsuitable. Therefore, there is an urgent need to design a simple and compact one-way clutch to address the limitation of controlling the thickness of existing one-way clutches. Summary of the Invention

[0003] To address the shortcomings of the prior art, this invention provides an ultra-thin electromagnetic-mechanical hybrid one-way clutch. It uses a mechanism shaft to engage a rotating body with the inner wall of the outer casing. An L-shaped notch is provided on the edge of the rotating body, and a self-locking module is installed. One-way clutching can be achieved without distinguishing between the driving shaft and the driven shaft. This simplifies the number of clutch parts and axial thickness, resulting in a simple structure and compact size.

[0004] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention adopts the following technical solution: an ultra-thin electromagnetic-mechanical hybrid one-way clutch, comprising a mechanism shaft, a rotating body, and a housing. The housing is a circular groove-shaped component with a through hole at the center of the groove bottom. The rotating body is a plate-shaped component that fits into the groove of the housing. The mechanism shaft passes through the through hole of the housing axially and is coaxially connected to the rotating body for transmission. The edge contour of the rotating body is circular and has a gap with the inner wall of the groove of the housing. At the same time, the edge of the rotating body is machined with an L-shaped notch. The L-shaped notch is equipped with a self-locking module. The self-locking module includes a cylindrical roller, an electromagnet, and a spring. The cylindrical roller is placed at the corner of the L-shaped notch. The electromagnet is embedded and fixed inside the short arm of the L-shaped notch. The spring is supported between the corner of the L-shaped notch and the side wall of the cylindrical roller. When the electromagnet is open, it magnetically fixes the cylindrical roller so that it has a gap with the inner wall of the groove of the housing. When the electromagnet is closed, the spring elastically supports the cylindrical roller against the inner wall of the groove of the housing.

[0005] Furthermore, the edge of the rotating body is uniformly machined with two or more L-shaped notches, and all the L-shaped notches are arranged symmetrically around the center of the rotating body.

[0006] Furthermore, a power supply is embedded inside the rotating body to power the electromagnet, and the electromagnet is switched on and off wirelessly.

[0007] Furthermore, the mechanism's rotating shaft and rotating body are detachably assembled and connected.

[0008] Furthermore, the rotating body has a shaped hole at its center, and the assembly end of the mechanism shaft is machined into a shaft segment with a cross-section that matches the shaped hole.

[0009] Furthermore, the irregular hole is a segmental hole.

[0010] Furthermore, the rotating shaft and the rotating mechanism are integrated.

[0011] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows: The present invention uses a mechanism shaft to cooperate with the rotating body and the inner wall of the outer shell groove. An L-shaped notch is set at the edge of the rotating body and a self-locking module composed of a cylindrical roller, an electromagnet, and a spring is mounted thereon. When the electromagnet is open, there is a gap between the cylindrical roller and the inner wall of the outer shell groove, which is the unlocked state. The mechanism shaft and the outer shell are independent of each other and do not affect each other. When the electromagnet is closed, the cylindrical roller contacts the inner wall of the outer shell groove under the action of the spring. During the rotation of the rotating body to one side by the mechanism shaft, the short arm of the L-shaped notch is engaged with the cylindrical roller. The rollers provide support, resulting in minimal friction with the inner wall of the outer casing. This does not restrict the relative rotation between the mechanism shaft and the outer casing. During the reverse rotation of the rotating body driven by the mechanism shaft, the long arm of the L-shaped notch presses the cylindrical roller against the inner wall of the outer casing, increasing friction. This causes the mechanism shaft to drive the outer casing to rotate almost synchronously. There is no distinction between the driving and driven shafts; one-way clutching is achieved solely through the mechanism shaft. This significantly reduces the number of clutch parts and axial thickness, making the overall structure simpler and more compact, which is beneficial for applications in mechanical structures with high space requirements. Attached Figure Description

[0012] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the main structure of the one-way clutch of the present invention;

[0013] Figure 2 This is a top view schematic diagram of the one-way clutch of the present invention.

[0014] In the diagram: 1. Mechanism shaft; 2. Rotating body; 3. Cylindrical roller; 4. Electromagnet; 5. Spring; 6. Housing. Detailed Implementation

[0015] The technical solutions of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings of the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the invention, not all embodiments. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of the present invention without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0016] like Figures 1-2As shown, an ultra-thin electromagnetic-mechanical hybrid one-way clutch includes a mechanism shaft 1, a rotating body 2, and a housing 6.

[0017] The outer shell 6 is a circular groove-shaped component with a through hole at the center of its bottom for the introduction of the mechanism shaft 1. The rotating body 2 is a plate-shaped component that fits into the groove of the outer shell 6. The mechanism shaft 1 passes through the through hole in the outer shell 6 axially and is coaxially connected to the rotating body 2 for transmission. The mechanism shaft 1 and the rotating body 2 can be integrated as one piece, or they can be detachably assembled and connected as needed. For example, an irregular hole can be provided at the center of the rotating body 2, and the assembly end of the mechanism shaft 1 can be machined into a shaft section with a cross-section that matches the irregular hole, thereby allowing the mechanism shaft 1 and the rotating body 2 to be inserted and connected, enabling the mechanism shaft 1 to drive the rotating body 2 to rotate together. The irregular hole can be a segmental hole, a regular polygonal hole, or other hole structures. Since the mechanism shaft 1 is conventionally a circular shaft, it is advisable to grind a flat surface on the assembly end of the mechanism shaft 1, while the irregular hole at the center of the rotating body 2 can be a segmental hole with a cross-section that matches it, to reduce machining difficulty.

[0018] In addition, the edge contour of the rotating body 2 is circular and has a gap with the inner wall of the groove of the outer shell 6. At the same time, the edge of the rotating body 2 is machined with L-shaped notches, and each L-shaped notch is equipped with a self-locking module. In order to ensure structural balance and to increase the friction generated by the self-locking module, preferably, two or more L-shaped notches are uniformly machined on the edge of the rotating body 2, and all L-shaped notches are arranged symmetrically around the center of the rotating body 2.

[0019] The self-locking module includes a cylindrical roller 3, an electromagnet 4, and a spring 5. The cylindrical roller 3 is placed at the corner of the L-shaped notch, the electromagnet 4 is embedded and fixed inside the short arm of the L-shaped notch, and the spring 5 is supported between the corner of the L-shaped notch and the side wall of the cylindrical roller 3.

[0020] This invention designs a one-way clutch based on the principles of electromagnetism and self-locking. Unlike traditional clutch devices, this invention does not distinguish between a driving shaft and a driven shaft; it achieves one-way clutching using only a single mechanism shaft 1. The specific working principle is as follows: Figure 2 For reference, the explanation is as follows:

[0021] When the electromagnet 4 is activated, it magnetically attracts and fixes the cylindrical roller 3, leaving a gap between it and the inner wall of the groove of the outer casing 6. This is the unlocked state. The mechanism shaft 1 and the outer casing 6 are independent of each other and do not affect each other. The mechanism shaft 1 can drive the rotating body 2 to rotate in both directions as needed.

[0022] When the electromagnet 4 is closed, the cylindrical roller 3 is elastically supported on the inner wall of the groove in the outer casing 6 by the spring 5, wherein:

[0023] If the rotating body 2 rotates along the direction of the short arm of the L-shaped notch (i.e.) Figure 2 (in the counterclockwise direction), because the short arm supports the cylindrical roller 3 during rotation, it pushes the cylindrical roller 3 to rotate together with the rotating body 2. At this time, the cylindrical roller 3 is subjected to force in the circumferential direction. The friction between the cylindrical roller 3 and the inner wall of the groove of the outer shell 6 is small, so it cannot achieve self-locking and will not restrict the relative rotation between the mechanism shaft 1 and the outer shell 6.

[0024] If the rotating body 2 rotates along the direction of the long arm of the L-shaped notch (i.e.) Figure 2 (in the clockwise direction), during the rotation of the long arm, the cylindrical roller 3 is squeezed against the inner wall of the groove of the outer shell 6, increasing the friction. At this time, the force of the cylindrical roller 3 is almost perpendicular to the contact surface, forming a self-locking mechanism that restricts the relative rotation of the mechanism shaft 1 and the outer shell 6. If the outer shell 6 is fixed, the mechanism shaft 1 cannot rotate. If the outer shell 6 is movable, the mechanism shaft 1 will drive the outer shell 6 to rotate together.

[0025] Furthermore, given that if the electromagnet 4 is powered by an external power source via a wire, the wire may become tangled during the rotation of the rotating body 2, a power source can be embedded inside the rotating body 2 to power the electromagnet 4, and the electromagnet 4 can be switched on and off wirelessly.

[0026] The above-described one-way clutch structure design significantly reduces the number of clutch parts and axial thickness, making the overall structure simpler and smaller in size, which is beneficial for its application in robot joints, especially robot joints with strict axial dimension requirements.

[0027] It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present invention is not limited to the details of the exemplary embodiments described above, and that the invention can be implemented in other forms without departing from its spirit or essential characteristics. Therefore, the embodiments should be considered illustrative and non-limiting in all respects, and the scope of the invention is defined by the appended claims rather than the foregoing description. Thus, all variations falling within the meaning and scope of the equivalents of the claims are intended to be included within the present invention. No reference numerals in the claims should be construed as limiting the scope of the claims.

[0028] Furthermore, it should be understood that although this specification describes embodiments, not every embodiment contains only one independent technical solution. This narrative style is merely for clarity. Those skilled in the art should consider the specification as a whole, and the technical solutions in each embodiment can also be appropriately combined to form other embodiments that can be understood by those skilled in the art.

Claims

1. An ultra-thin electromagnetic-mechanical hybrid one-way clutch, characterized by: The utility model provides a mechanism rotating shaft (1), rotating body (2) and shell (6), shell (6) is circular groove like member and its groove bottom center is provided with a through -hole, rotating body (2) is the board like member cooperation and is placed in the groove of shell (6), mechanism rotating shaft (1) passes through the through -hole of shell (6) along the axis and is coaxial with rotating body (2) connection drive, and the edge profile of rotating body (2) is circular and has a gap with the inner wall of the groove of shell (6), at the same time, the edge of rotating body (2) is processed with L-shaped notch, the L-shaped notch is loaded with self -locking module, the self -locking module includes cylindrical roller (3), electromagnet (4) and spring (5), the cylindrical roller (3) is placed at the corner of L-shaped notch, the electromagnet (4) is embedded and fixed in the inner side of the short arm of L-shaped notch, the spring (5) is supported between the corner of L-shaped notch and the sidewall of cylindrical roller (3), when electromagnet (4) is opened, magnetically attracts and fixes cylindrical roller (3) to make it have a gap with the inner wall of the groove of shell (6), is the unlocking state, when electromagnet (4) is closed, cylindrical roller (3) is elastically supported on the inner wall of the groove of shell (6) through spring (5), if rotating body (2) is rotated along the short arm of L-shaped notch towards direction, the short arm rotates and supports cylindrical roller (3), the stress direction of cylindrical roller (3) is along the circumference, does not limit the relative rotation of mechanism rotating shaft (1) and shell (6), if rotating body (2) is rotated along the long arm of L-shaped notch towards direction, the long arm rotates and extrudes cylindrical roller (3) to the inner wall of the groove of shell (6) and increases friction, limits the relative rotation of mechanism rotating shaft (1) and shell (6), shell (6) is fixed form, mechanism rotating shaft (1) cannot rotate, shell (6) is movable, and mechanism rotating shaft (1) drives shell to rotate, mechanism rotating shaft (1) has no distinction between driving shaft and driven shaft.

2. The ultra-thin electromagnetic-mechanical hybrid one-way clutch according to claim 1, wherein: The edge of the rotating body (2) is uniformly processed with two or more L-shaped notches, and all the L-shaped notches are arranged in rotational symmetry around the center of the rotating body (2).

3. The ultra-thin electromagnetic-mechanical hybrid one-way clutch according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: A power supply is embedded in the rotating body (2) to supply power to the electromagnet (4), and the electromagnet (4) is controlled by wireless switching.

4. The ultra-thin electromagnetic-mechanical hybrid one-way clutch of claim 3, wherein: The mechanism rotating shaft (1) and the rotating body (2) are detachably assembled.

5. An ultra-thin electromagnetic-mechanical hybrid one-way clutch according to claim 4, characterized in that: A special-shaped hole is formed in the center of the rotating body (2), and the assembly end of the mechanism rotating shaft (1) is processed into a shaft segment with a cross section matching the special-shaped hole.

6. An ultra-thin electromagnetic-mechanical hybrid one-way clutch according to claim 5, characterized in that: The special-shaped hole is a circular segment hole.

7. The ultra-thin electromagnetic-mechanical hybrid one-way clutch of claim 3, wherein: The mechanism rotating shaft (1) and the rotating body (2) are integrated.

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