Roller clutch

Abstract

A lock-up clutch has an inner race rotatable relative to an outer race. One of the races is cylindrical and rotates adjacent the race having the valley. Each valley is connected to the inclined surface. Rollers are located adjacent the valleys. A cage having a plurality of fingers may be constrained relative to the valleys in order to set the starting position of the rollers. The cage may be selectively restricted to determine a direction in which the rollers wedge to determine a direction in which the driving rollers contact the two races to lock the races relative to each other. Rotation of the inner race in an opposite direction relative to the outer race is a free rotational direction. The lockup clutch is designed to simultaneously engage all of its rollers so as to uniformly distribute forces therebetween.

Description

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 63 / 252,680 (filed on October 6, 2021), the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. Background Art

[0003] A roller clutch is a device that transmits torque in one direction and provides freedom of movement in the opposite direction. A roller clutch works by wedging one or more rollers between two surfaces to prevent relative motion of the two surfaces in one direction (the locking direction), thereby providing the ability to apply torque in the locking direction.

[0004] U.S. Patent No. 9,902,049, U.S. Patent No. 9,958,019, and U.S. Patent No. 11,110,570 show examples of roller clutches used in conjunction with hand tools. Each of these patents discloses a roller clutch used in conjunction with a ratchet wrench or tool. The roller clutches disclosed in these patents allow a user to selectively determine and change the locking direction to apply force to a bolt, nut, or other object while allowing the wrench to rotate in the opposite direction without applying force to the bolt, nut, or other object.

[0005] For a roller clutch to be useful in a hand tool, the roller clutch must be able to apply a large amount of torque in the locking direction without slipping. The roller clutch can use spherical rollers such as ball bearings, but it is preferred to use cylindrical rollers because when the cylindrical roller is wedged between two surfaces, the load applied thereto can be distributed along the length of the roller. An important challenge to maximize the torque that can be transmitted by the roller clutch in the locking direction is to achieve their simultaneous engagement when all rollers are wedged. Past efforts to achieve simultaneous engagement have involved having very tight tolerances on the surface and tight tolerances on the rollers themselves. The simultaneous engagement of the rollers requires that all rollers are almost the same, and these rollers must also be coupled to almost perfect surfaces. In practice, this is almost impossible to achieve, and even if almost perfect tolerances are achieved, this is only done at unreasonable expense. The slight difference from the perfectly sized rollers and the perfectly matched surfaces means that only some of the rollers are engaged, or they are unevenly engaged. In this way, only partial engagement or uneven engagement of the available rollers limits the amount of torque that can be transmitted in the locking direction. There remains an unmet need for a roller clutch whose rollers can engage simultaneously and which can be manufactured at a reasonable manufacturing cost. Summary of the invention

[0006] The present invention is a locking clutch having an inner race rotatable relative to an outer race. One of the races has a cylindrical surface adjacent to the other race. The other race has a plurality of valleys positioned relatively away from the cylindrical race. Each valley is connected to a corresponding inclined surface adjacent to each valley. A plurality of rollers are located between the races and adjacent to the valleys. A retainer having a plurality of fingers is constrained relative to the valleys so that the fingers hold the rollers in a first position relative to the valleys. Rotation of the inner race relative to the outer race in one direction causes the rollers to roll away from the corresponding valleys along the inclined surface. This movement of the rollers away from the valleys drives the rollers to contact the two races and position the rollers in a second position (i.e., a wedging position). The direction of rotation is a wedging direction, which causes the races to be locked relative to each other. Rotation of the inner race relative to the outer race in a direction opposite to the wedging direction tends to push the rollers toward their first position, and the direction of rotation is a free rotation direction.

[0007] In another aspect of the invention, the cage may be displaceable so that the first position of the roller may be on an inclined surface straddling the valley.Due to the positioning of the roller via the fingers of the cage, the side of the valley from which the roller originates determines the wedging direction.

[0008] In another aspect of the invention, the spring of the biasing spring may have a pre-installed position and then bend in plastic and elastic deformation to more evenly bias the rollers into the wedged position relative to the races. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009] Figure 1 is a perspective view of a wrench including a roller clutch according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0010] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 Exploded perspective view of the wrench shown in FIG.

[0011] Figure 3 yes Figure 1 A perspective view of one end of a wrench shown in FIG. 1 with certain components removed to illustrate the relationship between other components of the wrench.

[0012] Figure 4 yes Figure 1 A perspective view of a spindle as a component of a roller clutch as a wrench is shown in FIG.

[0013] Figure 5 yes Figure 1 A perspective view of a roller as a component of a roller clutch of a wrench is shown in FIG.

[0014] Figure 6 yes Figure 1A perspective view of a biasing member as a component of a roller clutch as a wrench is shown in FIG.

[0015] Figure 7 yes Figure 3 Detailed view of the area marked 7 in FIG.

[0016] Figure 8 is a perspective view of a wrench including a roller clutch according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0017] Fig. 9 yes Figure 8 Front perspective view of the wrench shown in .

[0018] Fig.10 yes Figure 8 Rear perspective view of the wrench shown in .

[0019] Fig.11 yes Figure 8 The wrench shown in Figure 8 An exploded perspective view of the components of the roller clutch of the wrench shown in FIG.

[0020] Fig.12 yes Figure 8 A perspective view of a spindle as a component of a roller clutch as a wrench is shown in FIG.

[0021] Fig.13 yes Figure 8 A perspective view of a biasing member as a component of a roller clutch as a wrench is shown in FIG.

[0022] Fig.14 It is installed in the wrench Figure 8 Front view of the roller clutch of the wrench shown.

[0023] Fig.15 It is installed in the wrench Figure 8 A partial front view of the roller clutch of the wrench is shown.

[0024] Fig.16 1 is a front perspective view of a wrench including a roller clutch according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0025] Fig.17 yes Fig.16 Rear perspective view of the wrench shown in .

[0026] Fig.18 yes Fig.16 The wrench shown in Fig.16 An exploded perspective view of the components of the roller clutch of the wrench shown in FIG.

[0027] Fig.19 yes Fig.16A perspective view of a switch as a component of a wrench is shown in FIG.

[0028] Fig. 20 yes Fig.16 An exploded perspective view of the rollers and cage as components of a roller clutch as shown in FIG.

[0029] Fig.21 It is installed in the wrench Fig.16 Front view of the roller clutch with the wrench shown in FIG.

[0030] Fig. 22 It is installed in the wrench Fig.16 A partial front view of the roller clutch of the wrench shown in FIG.

[0031] Fig.23 is a partial front view showing the switch portion and the retainer portion (both are Fig.16 The relationship between the parts of the wrench shown in FIG.

[0032] Fig.24 yes Fig.16 A partial front view of the roller clutch of the wrench shown in , with the roller clutch installed in the wrench and torque applied to the wrench.

[0033] Fig.25 is a perspective view of a switch and a retainer as components of a wrench and a roller clutch according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0034] Fig.26 1 is a perspective view of a portion of a cage as a component of a roller clutch according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0035] Fig. 27 1 is an exploded perspective view of a cage as a component of a roller clutch according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0036] Fig.28 yes Fig. 27 A perspective view of the cage shown in FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0037] Figure 1 The roller clutch of the present invention is shown in application in a ratchet wrench 10. The wrench has a handle 20 having a distal end 21 connected to a head 23. The head 23 contains a roller clutch 24. Figure 2 The components of the roller clutch 24 and how the roller clutch 24 is assembled into the head 23 of the wrench 10 are shown in FIG.

[0038] The head 23 has a chamber 32 with a cylindrical race 34 that defines the outer boundary of the chamber 32 within the head 23. The cylindrical race 34 is terminated on one side by a base lug 36 that serves as a restraining feature for components mounted within the chamber 32 of the head 23. A washer 38 is placed on the base lug 36 to facilitate rotation of components mounted over the washer 38. The washer 38 may be a high density, low friction plastic or metal component. A spindle 44 is rotatably mounted over the washer 38 within the chamber 32. The spindle 44 has a central opening 45, as shown. Figure 1-Figure 7 As shown, the central opening 45 is designed to engage a twelve-point wrench for fasteners. However, it is contemplated that the central opening 45 of the spindle 44 can be other shapes designed to engage other fasteners. The spindle 44 has a second race 48, which has a series of radially outwardly projecting lobes 50. The second race 48 has a series of valleys 52, which are radially closest to a central axis 54 about which the spindle 44 rotates within the cylindrical race 34. The valleys 52 on the second race 48 are adjacent to inclined surfaces 56, which extend continuously from the valleys 52 on the second race 48 and terminate at an outer diameter surface 58, which is the radially outermost portion of each lobe 50. These inclined surfaces 56 are concave because they face the cylindrical race 34. The valleys 52 form a continuous surface with the inclined surfaces 56. Each lobe 50 has a back surface 62 that faces the adjacent valley 52. ​​When the mandrel 44 is assembled within the head 23, the second race 48 is positioned adjacent to and within the cylindrical race 34. Figure 3 As shown, in the assembled state, the valley 52 is the portion of the second race 48 that is relatively farthest from the cylindrical race 34. The inclined surface 56 adjacent to the valley 52 is gradually inclined in a direction closer to the cylindrical race 34.

[0039] Each salient angle 50 of the spindle 44 is designed to have a roller 66 adjacent thereto. Although the rollers 66 are shown as cylindrical elements, the rollers 66 may have other shapes, such as their cross-sections being oval. Each roller 66 is adjacent to a corresponding valley 52. ​​The rollers 66 remain captured between the cylindrical race 34, the corresponding inclined surface 56, the valley 52, and the corresponding back surface 62. These adjacently positioned surfaces form a cavity 68 that captures each roller 66 between the races 34, 48. These rollers can be moved from a first position to a second position, the first position positioning these rollers 66 relatively close to their corresponding valley 52, in the second position, each roller is positioned further away from its corresponding valley than in the first position. This movement is performed in a smooth and controlled manner. The movement from the first position to the second position may be imperceptibly small. In other words, the movement from the first position to the second position is associated with the movement of each roller 66 away from its corresponding adjacent valley along its adjacent inclined surface 56. The second position is limited by the roller 66 impinging on the inclined surface 56 and the cylindrical race 34 .

[0040] The springs 70 bias each roller toward the second position and along the inclined surface 56. Each spring 70 has a cantilevered biasing member 72 having a distal end 74 opposite a proximal end 76. The proximal end 76 is attached to a mounting portion 78, which is a tubular portion having a slit 73. The mounting portion 78 is compressible so that the sides of the slit 73 can be compressed toward each other. The mounting portions 78 of the springs 70 are pressed into recesses 80 on the back surface 62 of the cam 50. Because these mounting portions 78 are resilient, they press outwardly on the recesses 80 into which they are inserted and thereby maintain the position of each spring 70 in its corresponding recess 80. Once the springs 70 are pressed into their corresponding recesses 80, the distal ends 74 of the cantilevered biasing members 72 extend away from the back surface 62 at a pre-installed distance corresponding to when the spindle 44 is not received by the cylindrical race 34 in the head 23. The spindle 44 is placed into the cylindrical race 34 and the rollers 66 are placed adjacent to the cantilevered biasing members 72. The spindle 44 and rollers 66 are retained within the cylindrical race 34 by another washer 38 and snap ring 77 mounted in the groove 75. The insertion of the rollers 66 into their respective cavities 68 against the respective springs 70 plastically deforms each cantilevered biasing member 72 to an installed position that positions the distal end 74 of each cantilevered biasing member 72 closer to the second race 48 on the spindle. More specifically, these cantilevered biasing members 72 are closer to the back surface 62, which is a portion of the second race 48. It should be noted that the distal end 74 is where the biasing member 72 contacts its corresponding roller 66, and depending on the shape of the biasing member 72, there may be some portion of the biasing member 72 that extends beyond the distal end 74. An example of this is if the end of the biasing member 72 is slightly bent away from the roller 66 to avoid having a sharp edge that contacts the roller 66. The plastic deformation during the movement between the pre-installed position of the cantilevered biasing member 72 and its installed position is also accompanied by some elastic deformation. The amount of plastic deformation of each spring 70 to its installed position corresponds to the conditions within each corresponding frontal cavity 68 in which each spring 70 is located, providing each spring 70 with a nearly uniform preload to bias its corresponding roller 66 into the race 34, 48. Once the plastic deformation required to move the cantilevered biasing member 72 of each spring 70 from its pre-installed position to its installed position occurs, the force applied by each spring 70 to bias each corresponding roller 66 will depend on the Young's modulus of the material from which the spring 70 is made. Once plastic deformation occurs, the stress-strain curve of the spring 70 will shift so that the starting position of further bending of the cantilevered biasing member 72 from its installed position toward the back surface 62 of the second race 48 will be within the elastic range. The starting point of the bend will be exactly where the distal end 74 contacts its corresponding roller 66 .In this way, the starting point of the elastic bending in each spring 70 will be customized to the specific conditions in each cavity 68, which are defined by the diameter of each specific roller 66, the corresponding inclined surface 56, the position of the spring 70 on the corresponding back surface 62, and the cylindrical race 34. Therefore, any deviation in the tolerance of these parameters mentioned above can be compensated by the plastic deformation of the spring 70 from the pre-installed position to the installed position. This will make the pressure on each roller 66 almost uniform and facilitate the almost simultaneous engagement of all rollers 66 when moving to their second position.

[0041] The movement of the rollers 66 into the second position is facilitated by the rotation of the spindle 44 relative to the cylindrical race 34 in the head 23. Ultimately, this motion drives the rollers 66 to their second position. When the spindle 44 is rotated in a particular direction relative to the cylindrical race 34, this will cause the rollers 66 to wedge against their corresponding adjacent inclined surfaces 56 and the cylindrical race 34. This wedging contact will effectively lock the spindle 44 relative to the head 23 and allow torque to be applied through the central opening 45 of the spindle 44. These inclined surfaces 56 are concave, and this maximizes the contact area that the rollers 66 have with the second race 48 because they are wedged between these inclined surfaces 56 of the second race 48 and the cylindrical race 34. As an example of a wedging action, the spindle 44 is rotated relative to the cylindrical race 34 and the head 23 in the following manner: Figure 3 Rotation in the clockwise direction shown will wedge the roller 66 between the inclined surface 56 and the cylindrical race 34. This relative movement that causes the wedging of the roller 66 is also achieved by rotating the handle 20 and head 23 counterclockwise relative to the spindle 44. The relative movement of the spindle 44 relative to the head 23 (as described, for causing the wedging of the roller 66) is the wedging rotational direction. Rotating the handle 20 of the wrench 10 in the wedging direction makes the present invention particularly useful. Figures 1 to 7The practicality of the configuration described in is achieved by the almost instantaneous locking of the spindle 44 relative to the head 23. In a typical ratchet wrench or standard ratchet, there is a lag when the user rotates the handle 20 of such a device and when the spindle 44 is locked in a particular direction so that torque can be applied to the fastener. This means that the handle 20 can move a considerable distance in an arc around the spindle 44 before the torque is actually applied to the fastener. This movement before the torque is applied to the fastener can be considered as dead travel because it is a wasteful action that does not accomplish the task of applying the torque. The nearly instantaneous locking of the spindle 44 in the wedging direction is partially achieved because each roller 66 is biased toward its second position by a spring 70 so that each roller 66 is in contact with its corresponding inclined surface 56 and the cylindrical race 34 at the same time. Rotating the handle 20 in the wedging direction causes each roller 66 to move along its inclined surface 56 away from its valley 52 because the cylindrical race 34 is biased by the spring 70 to drag the roller 66 that has already contacted the cylindrical race 34 further into the cylindrical race 34. As described above, the spring 70 provides a uniform bias on the rollers 66 regardless of variations in tolerances. Therefore, the rollers 66 are simultaneously engaged to lock the spindle 44 relative to the head 23 in the wedging direction. This provides an instant application of torque through the spindle 44 when the handle 20 is rotated in the wedging direction. As described above, the uniform bias of the spring 70 evenly distributes the wedging force among the plurality of rollers 66. The uniform distribution of the wedging force prevents a disproportionate force on any one roller 66 that may engage in front of other rollers 66 due to slight variations in tolerances. Such premature engagement of any one roller 66 may cause brinelling of the contacting surfaces due to plastic deformation and may cause the roller 66 to be permanently locked. Because all rollers 66 engage at approximately the same time, a significant amount of torque can be applied to the handle 20 before any roller 66 plastically deforms or causes depression of the races 34, 48. The simultaneous engagement of the rollers 66 of the present invention also minimizes dead travel due to deformation of the rollers 66 or the surfaces they contact, because the even load spread across the rollers 66 minimizes any deformation of the mating surfaces under torque. Rotating the handle 20 and head 23 in the direction opposite to the wedging direction corresponds to the free rotation direction. Figure 3As shown, the free rotation direction corresponds to the head 23 and cylindrical race 34 rotating clockwise relative to the spindle 44. Movement in the free rotation direction tends to drag the rollers 66 toward their first position, thereby causing the rollers 66 to be relatively closer to their corresponding valleys 52. Although this movement toward the first position may be very small, the rollers will tend to drag very slightly on the cylindrical race 34, which causes the rollers 66 to be closer to the valleys to facilitate free rotation opposite to the wedging direction of rotation. Because the rollers 66 have a force that is evenly distributed between the rollers 66, no indentation is created between the rollers 66 or the races 34, 48. When the cylindrical race 34 is rotated in the free rotation direction, the rollers 66 are immediately released because no indentation is created. If Figures 1 to 7 Should a user of the illustrated wrench 10 desire to reverse the direction in which torque may be applied to a fastener, the wrench 10 may be flipped over to effect a reversal of the wedging direction of the locking spindle 44 .

[0042] It should also be noted that the above components of the above wrench 10 can have the inclined surface 56 located in the head 23, and the cylindrical race 34 can be located on the spindle 44. This configuration is similar to Figures 1 to 7 The arrangement shown is exactly the opposite, but the same wedging action is produced by the relative movement of the spindle 44 with respect to the head 23.

[0043] Although the wrench 10 described above does not have a mechanism that allows the wedging direction and the free rotation direction to be purposefully changed, it is possible to do so. Figures 8 to 15 Such a roller clutch 130 is shown that allows the wedging direction to be changed. The ratchet wrench 100 has a handle 108 attached to a head 112. The handle 108 has a distal end 118 opposite the end of the handle 108 attached to the head 112.

[0044] The head 112 includes a roller clutch 130 housed therein. Fig.111 shows an exploded view of the roller clutch 130. The interior of the head 112 has a chamber 134 defined by a cylindrical race 138 that defines the outer boundary of the chamber 134. The cylindrical race 138 has a groove 140 for receiving a snap ring 142, which acts as a restraining feature for components mounted within the chamber 134 of the head 112. A base plate 146 rests on the snap ring 142 and supports a spindle 150 that rotates within the cylindrical race 138. The spindle 150 has a square drive 153 extending through the base plate 146. The square drive 153 is a post extending from the spindle 150. It is contemplated that the square drive 153 may have other shapes to transmit torque. The spindle 150 has a second race 154 opposite the square drive 153, and the second race 154 has a series of lobes 156. The lobes 156 are separated by valleys 160 which are radially closest to a central axis 164 about which the mandrel 150 rotates within the cylindrical race 138. Each lobe 156 has an inclined surface 168 which continues from the valley 160 adjacent to the particular lobe 156 to an outer diameter surface 172 which is the radially outermost portion of each lobe 156. Each valley 160 has a pair of inclined surfaces 168 which span across each valley 160 and lead to two lobes 156 spaced apart from each valley 160. These inclined surfaces 168 are concave when facing the cylindrical race 138. When the mandrel 150 is assembled within the head 112, the second race 154 on the mandrel 150 is adjacent to and within the cylindrical race 138. In the assembled state, the valley 160 is the portion of the second race 154 that is relatively farthest from the cylindrical race 138. The inclined surfaces 168 across the valley 160 gradually incline in a direction closer to the cylindrical race 138. These inclined surfaces 168 are concave when facing the cylindrical race 138.

[0045] When the spindle 150 is in its installed position within the cylindrical race 154, each valley 160 of the spindle 150 has a roller 152 adjacent thereto. As previously described, the rollers 152 are cylindrical, but this is not necessarily the only cross-sectional shape that may be used. The rollers 152 remain captured between the cylindrical race 138 and the corresponding valley 160. The rollers 152 are movable from a first position, in which each roller 152 is positioned relatively close to its corresponding valley 160, and a wedged position or second position, in which the rollers 152 have moved far enough along the inclined surface 168 to contact the inclined surface 168 and the cylindrical race 138. Movement of the rollers 152 along the inclined surface 168 away from their corresponding valley 160 is achieved by rotating the head 112 and the cylindrical race 138 relative to the spindle 150 in the wedging direction. This wedging direction is established by a shifting mechanism that positions the roller 152 on one side of its valley 160 so that the roller 152 can roll along the inclined surface 168 on only one side of the valley 160 .

[0046] The shifting mechanism includes a holder 180 having fingers 184 extending from a base 186. Each finger 184 has a distal end 188 opposite the base 186. The distal end 188 includes a slot 190 extending toward the base 186. The center of the holder 180 includes a hole 195 extending through the base 186. A boss 194 extends upward from the base 186, and the hole 195 extends through the boss 194 and into the slot 198. The switch 200 has a shaft 204 that extends through the hole 195 in the boss 194 and allows the switch 200 to rotate about the shaft 204 when the switch 200 is installed in the hole 195. The shaft 204 has a triangular boss 208 at its end for moving a pawl slide 210 within the slot 198. The pawl slide 210 has teeth 217 on opposite ends that selectively lock the retainer 180 in different positions relative to the spindle 150. The details of how the pawl slide 210 selectively locks the retainer 180 relative to the spindle 150 are not fully described herein and are known in the art. More specifically, U.S. Pat. No. 9,958,019 discloses the details of how the pawl slide 210 locks the retainer 180 relative to the spindle 150. Rotating the switch 200 causes the retainer 180 and its fingers 184 to shift relative to the valley 160. Once the switch 200 shifts the retainer 180 to the desired position, the retainer 180 and the fingers 184 rotate with the spindle. In other words, once the switch has positioned the retainer 180 in the desired position, the fingers 184 remain fixed relative to the valley 160. Other mechanisms besides the use of the pawl slide 210 described above may be used to achieve the same purpose of keeping the finger 184 fixed relative to the valley 160 during the rotation of the spindle 150. Such a mechanism for locking the retainer 180 and the finger 184 may include a spring ball and pawl, or other locking feature, to maintain the position of the finger 184 relative to the valley. Any locking mechanism used for this purpose should have the desired feature of not releasing the finger 184 during the rotation of the spindle 150. It can be understood from the above description that if the locking mechanism allows the retainer 180 to move randomly during use, the rotation direction of the spindle 150 locked by the wedging action will change during use. This unpredictable behavior will greatly reduce the practicality of the ratchet wrench 100.

[0047] The springs 218 are positioned within the slots 190 of the fingers 184. Each spring 218 has a first cantilever end 222 and a second cantilever end 224 connected by a bridge 228. The springs 218 are generally U-shaped. The bridge 228 of the springs 218 is slidably retained within the slots 190 of the fingers 184 and can be laterally displaced within the slots 190 relative to the fingers 184, which guides the movement of the springs 218.

[0048] Fig.14 An example of how the cage 180 is displaced to position the fingers 184 relative to the valleys 160 on the second race 154 of the spindle 150 is shown. For clarity, the valleys 160 are thin areas that are the portion of the second race 154 that is farthest from the cylindrical race 138. Each valley is defined by adjacent inclined surfaces 168 that converge to form the portion farthest from the cylindrical race 138. Lines 232 represent specific locations of the valleys 160. These lines 232 radiate from a central axis 234 of the spindle 150 about which the spindle 150 rotates. Each finger 184 positions each roller 152 to a contact point 240 that is displaced to a specific side from the valley 160. Fig.15 The contact point 240 shown in FIG. 1 is the starting point or first position for positioning the contact of each roller 152 with the adjacent inclined surface 168 to a position displaced to one side of the corresponding valley 160. The contact point 240 is actually a contact line extending along the length of each roller 152 for its entire contact along the inclined surface 168 of the spindle 150. When the position of the finger 184 is locked to the spindle 154, this means that the roller 152 cannot roll back toward the nearest valley 160, and definitely cannot roll further than the nearest valley 160 to ride on the inclined surface 168 on the side of the nearest valley 160 opposite to where it is located. As shown in FIG. Fig.14 As shown, this means that the roller 152 can roll only along the right-hand valley 160. This starting position (or interchangeably referred to as the first position) sets the wedging direction that locks the spindle 150 in the cylindrical race 138 through the wedging action of the roller 152 between the inclined surface 168 and the cylindrical race 138. Fig.14 In the illustrated case, rotating the head 112 by turning the handle 108 in a clockwise direction is the wedging direction, which causes the roller 152 to wedge between the inclined surface and the cylindrical race 138, thereby applying torque to the spindle 150, which is connected to the socket or other attachment, to apply torque to the fastener connected to the spindle 150. Fig.14 As shown, rotation of the handle in a counterclockwise direction will release the roller 152 from its wedging engagement and allow the spindle 150 to rotate freely. The switch 200 can be used to selectively lock the retainer 180 so that the finger 184 positions the starting position or first position of the roller 152 to the valley 160. Fig.14 Another inclined surface 168 on the opposite side shown in FIG. Therefore, the wedging direction of the mandrel 150 will be the same as Fig.14 The opposite of what is shown in .

[0049] Ideally, the rollers 152 would engage simultaneously in the wedging direction with perfect synchronism. Simultaneous engagement requires that the spindle 150 have a precisely uniform inclined surface 168, wherein identical rollers 152 are displaced by perfectly uniform fingers 184, which are all positioned at exactly the same distance from their corresponding valleys 160. However, perfect manufacturing is unrealistic, and attempting to achieve too tight tolerances would produce a mechanism that is too expensive to manufacture. Therefore, a load balancing mechanism is employed to facilitate nearly simultaneous engagement of the rollers 152 against the two races 138, 154 within practical manufacturing tolerances. The load balancing mechanism also achieves nearly uniform loading of the rollers 152 as the rollers 152 are wedged by movement of the races 138, 154 in the wedging direction. Simultaneous engagement minimizes dead travel in the wedging direction, so that torque is applied once the handle 108 is turned in the wedging direction.

[0050] The load balancing mechanism includes the above-mentioned springs 218 which balance the load and facilitate simultaneous engagement of the rollers 152 . Fig.15 This shows how the load balancing mechanism works. Under practical manufacturing tolerances, the rollers 152 may not wedge or engage between the inclined surface 168 and the cylindrical race 138 at the same time. Fig.15 Some rollers 152 marked with the letter O are shown out of engagement, while other rollers 152 that are engaged are marked with Xs. Fig.15 The wedging direction in Fig.14 Thus, rotation of the cylindrical race 138 in a clockwise direction relative to the inclined surface 168 will cause the roller 152 to wed in engagement between the cylindrical race 138 and the inclined surface 168. Fig.15 When the rollers 152 (marked with X) are brought into wedging engagement slightly ahead of the other rollers marked with O, the engaged rollers 152 (marked with X) will press against the first cantilevered end 222 of the spring 218 which contacts that particular engaged roller (marked with X) 152. Fig.15 As shown, this will cause the spring 218 to shift in its slot 190, with the finger 184 retaining the spring 218. When the bridge 228 shifts and a force is applied between the first cantilever end 222 and the second cantilever end 224, this shifting of the spring 218 will push the adjacent rollers 152 (labeled O) that are not fully engaged into wedging contact. In this way, if certain rollers 152 (such as the rollers labeled X) enter into wedging engagement slightly before the rollers 152 labeled O, the spring 218 will cause the rollers 152 labeled O to catch up and enter into wedging engagement at almost the same time. In this way, in the event that there are slightly different wedging engagement rates between the rollers 152 due to tolerances, the spring 218 will still provide almost simultaneous wedging engagement of the rollers 152 as the spindles 150 and 112 rotate in the wedging direction. As shown in FIG. Fig.15 As shown, when the handle 108 is used to rotate the cylindrical race 138 in the counterclockwise direction within the head 112, the roller 152 will be released from the wedging engagement. In addition, the energy stored in the spring 218 will be released so that the roller 152 will be able to rotate freely when the handle 108 is rotated in the free rotation direction. As can be understood from the above description, positioning the finger 184 on the opposite side of the valley 160 using the switch 200 will change the wedging and free rotation directions, as well as reverse the interaction of the spring 218 with the roller 152. Therefore, in either direction (the wedging direction) selected to transmit torque, a nearly simultaneous engagement of the roller 152 and a nearly simultaneous release of the roller 152 in the free rotation direction will be achieved. Therefore, the switch 200 and the finger 184 act as components of a shifting mechanism for selecting the wedging direction, and the spring 218 within the finger 184 acts as a load balancing mechanism.

[0051] Although spring 218 may be used as a load balancing mechanism, load balancing may be as follows: Figure 16-Figure 25 As shown. Fig.18 As shown in the exploded view of FIG. 2 , the roller clutch 290 includes a cage 296 that serves as a load balancing mechanism to facilitate simultaneous engagement of rollers 300 held within the cage 296. The cage 296 also serves as a shifting mechanism as will be described below. The cage 296 has a base 310 with a plurality of fingers 314 extending away from the base 310. The fingers 314 have a proximal end 318 attached to the base 310 and a distal end 320 spaced apart from the base 310 in a cantilevered manner. The cage 296 is designed to be assembled with a head 328 of a ratchet wrench 332. A handle 334 is connected to the head 328.

[0052] The spindle 340 includes a cylindrical race 344 and a square drive 348 extending opposite the cylindrical race 344. The cylindrical race 344 is an outer surface on the spindle body 346. The spindle body 346 includes a hole 350 for receiving a spring 354, which can press on a catch ball 358 for retaining a socket on the square drive 348. The spindle 340 is retained in the head 328 on one side by the front cover 349 and the snap ring 351, and on the other side by the rear cover 353.

[0053] The head 328 of the ratchet wrench 332 has a second race 366 having a plurality of valleys 370 separated by ridges 374. The valleys 370 are areas of the second race 366 that are radially farthest from the cylindrical race 344 when the cylindrical race 344 is assembled within the second race 366 so that the second race 366 surrounds the cylindrical race 344. Each valley 370 is an area spanned on both sides by adjacent inclined surfaces 376. As described above, the inclined surfaces 376 may be concave when facing the cylindrical race 344. When the cylindrical race 344 is within the second race 366, the roller 300 is held between the cylindrical race 344 and the inclined surfaces 376. The inclined surface 376 is inclined toward the cylindrical race 344 so that movement of the rollers 300 along the inclined surface 376 away from the valley 370 in either direction positions them closer to the cylindrical race 344 until each roller 300 eventually contacts both the inclined surface 376 and the cylindrical race 344. The rollers 300 are movable from a first position in which each roller 300 is positioned relatively close to its corresponding valley 370 and a wedged position or a second position in which the rollers 300 have moved far enough along their inclined surface 376 to contact the inclined surface 376 and the cylindrical race 344. Movement of the rollers 300 along the inclined surface away from their corresponding valley 370 is accomplished by rotating the second race 366 relative to the spindle 340 in a wedging direction. The wedging direction is established by displacing the retainer 296 to purposefully position the rollers 300. The wedging direction is set by positioning the rollers 300 on one side of their corresponding valleys 370 so that the rollers 300 can roll along the inclined surface 376 on only one side of the valley 370 .

[0054] The holder 296 serves as part of an overall shifting mechanism, which includes a switch 390 that pivots about a screw 394 extending through the head 328, as shown in FIG. Fig.18390 is shown. The screw 394 is screwed into the hole 396 in the pivot post 400 so that the switch 390 can be pivoted about an axis 406 that passes through the center of the pivot post 400 and the screw 394. The switch 390 has a shift post 408 extending downwardly into the head 328 so that it can shift the holder 296. The switch 390 has a detent ball 410 that is urged by a spring 419 into a detent pocket 418 in the switch 390 to selectively lock its position. The shift post 408 extends into a shift slot 428 in the base 310 of the holder 296. The pivoting of the switch 390 causes the finger 314 of the holder 296 to be selectively restrained relative to the valley 370 on a selected side of the valley 370. The finger 314 is restrained relative to the valley 370 within the confines defined by the shift slot 428 in the base 310. Because the shift post 408 is selectively fixed relative to the second race 366 by the interaction of the detent ball 410 with the switch 390, the side 434 of the shift slot 428 allows the retainer 296 and its finger 314 to travel the distance spent by the side 434 of the shift slot 428 contacting the shift post (the distance is Fig.23 The displacement post 408 is rotationally displaced within the limits defined by the second race 366 and the valley 370 thereon. It is contemplated that the displacement post 408 may be fixed relative to the second race 366 and the valley 370 thereon so that the displacement post 408 is immovable. A fixed displacement post may be desired when a single wedging direction for transmitting torque is required.

[0055] Generally, it should be noted that the retainer 296 is constrained relative to a race having a valley, which in this case happens to be the second race 366, which is an outer race around the inner cylindrical race 344 on the spindle 340, and is then used with the retainer 296. It is contemplated that the cylindrical race 344 could be reversed so that it is the inner race on the head 328, and the valley could be located on the spindle 340. Fig.11 Such a configuration is shown in , however, retainer 180 is slightly different than retainer 296 .

[0056] Pivoting the switch causes the shift post to bear against one of the sides 434 of the shift slot 428. With the shift post 408 bearing against one of the sides 434 of the shift slot 428, the retainer 296 can further rotate in the direction in which the shift post pushes the retainer 296. Figure 21 to Figure 24 It is explained how this relationship works and shows how this action allows the cage 296 in combination with the switch 390 to be both a shifting mechanism that determines the wedging direction and a load balancing mechanism. Fig.21The cage 296 is shown positioned so that rotation of the head 328 and the second race 366 wedges the roller 300 into the inclined surface 376 on the left side of the valley 370, as shown in FIG. Fig.21 Thus, the wedging direction for applying torque is accomplished by rotating the handle 334 in a clockwise direction, and the free rotation direction is in a counterclockwise direction. Fig. 22 It shows that Fig.21 An enlarged view of the interacting rollers 300 is shown, as well as the positioning of the fingers 314 in this state. Fig.23 The shift post 408 is shown bearing on the left side 434 of the shift slot 428. This position shifts the roller 300 to set the wedging direction as described above, but will allow the retainer 296 and its fingers 314 to rotate counterclockwise until the shift post 408 contacts the right side 434 of the shift slot 428.

[0057] The load balancing function of the cage 296 is Fig.24 . Some of the rollers labeled X are sufficiently engaged between the cylindrical race 344 and the inclined surface 376 of the second race to transfer torque due to the wedging action that results from rotating the inclined surface 376 in the clockwise wedging direction set by the retainer 296 and the switch 390. When the rollers 300 labeled X engage before the rollers 300 labeled O, the rollers 300 labeled X will push their adjacent fingers 314 in a counterclockwise direction on the left to push the rollers 300 labeled O and thereby push the rollers 300 labeled O into engagement. Movement of the retainer 296 and fingers 314 in the counterclockwise direction is possible because there is space within the shift slot 428 to allow them to move from the shift post 408 toward the right side 434 of the shift slot 428. As shown in FIG. Fig.23 As shown, the retainer 296 can move counterclockwise away from the shift post 408 when the shift post 408 contacts the starting side 434' of the shift slot 428. This movement is one way that the retainer 296 can promote load balancing between the rollers 300. Another way that the retainer 296 can balance the load and promote simultaneous engagement of all rollers 300 is through the bending of the fingers 314. If the finger 314 contacts the roller 300 that is engaged before another finger, the first engaged roller 300 can cause the finger 314 to bend near its proximal end 318 and cause the distal end 320 to enhance movement through a cantilever action to impact the adjacent roller 300. Therefore, the retainer 296 can promote simultaneous engagement of all rollers 300 through displacement of the entire retainer 296 and bending of individual fingers 314. In this way, the retainer 296 can accommodate significant tolerance variations between adjacent rollers 300 and non-adjacent rollers 300 through bending and displacement.

[0058] The selection of the dimensions of the components interacting with the retainer 296 is governed by specific relationships in order to achieve the desired results during use. When the switch 390 is rotated to one of its detent positions by moving the switch to the left or right, the shift post 408 will contact the outer side 434 of the shift slot 428. After moving the switch to one of its detent positions, the initial contact of the shift post 408 is the starting side 434' of the shift slot 428, and can be the left or right side 434. Fig.23 The starting side 434' is shown. When the switch is in one of its selectively locked detent positions, there is a desired minimum distance W between the shift post 408 of the switch 390 and the opposite side 434 of the shift slot 428 with which the shift post 408 contacts. Considering Fig.24 The distance W is selected so that the shift slot 428 is wide enough so that the retainer 296 can rotate sufficiently to cause all rollers 300 to wedge into contact before the retainer 296 stops on the shift post 408 by contacting the opposite side 434 with the starting side 434'. Fig.23 , the starting side 434' is the left side 434. The minimum distance W must allow for the necessary rotation of the retainer 296 and is determined as follows:

[0059] W=0.35Tc

[0060] Where Tc is the desired circumferential travel of the cage 296, calculated as follows:

[0061] Tc=(θ / 360)×C

[0062] Where θ is the desired relative angular rotation between the spindle 340 and the head 328, and where C is the circumference of a circle passing through the center of the roller 300 centered at the center of the spindle 250. θ is determined by (a) determining the difference between the angular rotation of the free end of the handle 334 at a specified torque (e.g., a torque of 100% of the torque for a given wrench size as determined by the American National Standards Institute ("ANSI") minus the rotation of the square driver 348 at that torque), and (b) subtracting the contribution of the angular rotation of the free end of the handle 334 (including any contribution due to flexure or bending of the handle 334) from the angular rotation. For example, using the ANSI standard for a 3 / 8 inch wrench, the difference between the rotation of the free end of the handle 334 and the square driver 348 is 14.5 degrees, and the contribution due to the rotation of the free end of the handle 334 (including any contribution due to flexure or bending of the handle 334) is 6.5 degrees. This results in θ = 8 degrees.

[0063] C can be calculated as follows:

[0064] C=Pi(SD+RD), where SD is the spindle 340 diameter at the cylindrical race 344 and RD is the roller 300 diameter.

[0065] The desired range of G (the spacing of the fingers 314 from the roller 300) is:

[0066] 0.05(RD)≤G≤0.2(Tc)

[0067] Apply these formulas to a 3 / 8-inch ratchet wrench 332 (for example) with the following component dimensions:

[0068] θ=8 degrees

[0069] SD = 0.0984 inches

[0070] RD = 0.0984 inches

[0071] C = 3.162 inches

[0072] Tc = 0.070 inches

[0073] 0.0049 inch ≤ G ≤ 0.014 inch

[0074] W = 0.0245 inches minimum

[0075] As described above, the shift mechanism using the switch 390 and the shift rod 408 may be implemented by other similar mechanisms. Fig.18 The shift post 408 on the switch 390 shown is engaged by a Fig.23 The shift post 408 enters the shift slot 428 by entering the base 310 of the retainer 296 perpendicularly to the bottom of the base 310 opposite the finger-like member. It is also contemplated that the shift post can enter the shift slot 428 laterally. This will be perpendicular to how the shift post 408 enters the shift slot 428, as shown. Fig.23 Other mechanisms other than those described above may be utilized to displace the retainer 296 to achieve their same functions, i.e., to displace the retainer 296 to a particular side of the valley 370 so that the wedging direction may be selected but still allow some constrained movement of the retainer 296.

[0076] The cage 296 shown above is not the only type of cage that can be used with the present invention. Cage 480 is a different type of cage that can be used in place of cage 296. Cage 480 includes a base 488 having fingers 494 connected thereto. Base 488 has U-shaped members 492 that span between the fingers 494 to connect the fingers 494. Each member 492 has a flex region 498. Rollers 300 can be mounted between the fingers 494 of cage 480 in the same manner as cage 296 described above. Cage 480 is displaced in the same manner as cage 296. Cage 480 provides an opportunity for additional flexing of members 492 between the fingers 494 beyond the extent of the substantially more rigid base 310 of cage 296. This additional flexibility within cage 480 allows adjacent rollers 300 to push adjacent rollers 300 to a greater extent than in cage 296. Furthermore, the cage 480 need not rely as much on the cantilever action described in the cage 296. In this manner, the load balancing effect of having relative movement between the fingers 494 can be enhanced by selecting the characteristics of the member 492 to provide the desired amount of relative movement between the fingers 494.

[0077] Fig. 27 and Fig.28 Another example of a cage 510 is shown in FIG. Cage 510 is very similar to cage 296, however, cage 510 has a first base 520 and a second base 524. First base 520 and second base 524 are spanned by a plurality of fingers 528 that receive rollers 300 therebetween. Fig. 27 and Fig.28 As shown, each finger 528 may have a tang 538 that extends into the recess 540. The retainer 510 is useful for more flexible materials that would have excessive cantilever effects as described in the retainer 296.

[0078] In general, the present invention will allow load balancing between the rollers 66, 152, 300, 300 so that they are equally supported on their corresponding races 34, 48; 138, 154; 344, 366 and wedged into locking engagement simultaneously. When using a retainer 180, 296, 480, 510, the retainer of the present invention serves the function of shifting the rollers 152, 300, 300 so that they wedge on the specific inclined surfaces 168, 376 on the desired side of the corresponding valley 160, 370 to set the wedging direction and thereby select the locking direction and the free rotation direction. The retainer 108, 296, 480, 510 has not only a shifting function, but also an additional and separate load balancing function. This load balancing function facilitates the simultaneous engagement of all rollers 152, 300, 300 so that the forces applied to all rollers 152, 300, 300 are almost the same.

[0079] The cage 180 is selectively fixed relative to its second race 154 to provide the shifting function. The springs 218 act as the shiftable portion of the fingers 184 that hold them. In this way, the springs 218 acting as the shiftable portion of the fingers 184 allow controlled and differential movement of the rollers 152 after the cage 180 is selectively locked to facilitate load balancing.

[0080] The cages 296, 480, and 510 facilitate load balancing in two ways. The first is relative movement of the entire cage 296, 480, and 510 in a constrained manner relative to the shift post 408, which constrains the cages 296, 480, and 510 relative to their corresponding second races 154, 366. This allows some movement to transfer loads from the rollers 152, 300, 300 that were earlier wedged into engagement to the rollers 152, 300, 300 that have not yet engaged. The cages 296 and 480 also allow for relative movement of the fingers 314, 494 relative to the cages 296, 480 as a whole. As described above, the fingers 314, 494 can move in a flexing manner via their cantilever nature, or in the case of the cage 480, the fingers can have some relative movement due to the flexure of the U-shaped member 492. Thus, the cage 296 , 480 may facilitate load balancing via movement of the entire cage 296 , 480 or relative movement of the fingers 314 , 494 within the cage 296 , 480 .

[0081] The invention is not limited to the above disclosure but may be modified within the scope of the following claims.

Claims

1. A locking clutch, comprising: an inner race rotatable within the outer race relative to the outer race; One of the races has a cylindrical surface adjacent to another of the races; The other of the races has a plurality of valleys thereon, the valleys being located relatively far from the one race, and each of the valleys being connected to a corresponding inclined surface adjacent to each of the valleys, wherein the inclined surface has a portion relatively closer to the one race than the valleys; a plurality of rollers positioned between the races, the rollers being movable from a first position, the first position positioning the rollers relatively close to a corresponding valley adjacent each of the rollers, to a second position positioning the rollers further away from the corresponding valley than the first position; The inner race rotates relative to the outer race in a wedging direction, the rotation in the wedging direction causing the rollers to roll along the inclined surface in a direction away from the corresponding valleys to drive the rollers into contact with the one race and the other race; and the inner race rotates relative to the outer race in a free rotation direction opposite to the wedging direction, tending to push the rollers toward their corresponding valleys; A plurality of springs fixed relative to the other seat ring are used to apply a biasing force to the rollers so as to push the rollers toward their second position, the springs including a cantilevered biasing member which is bendable between a pre-installed position and an installed position, the pre-installed position corresponding to the distal end of the cantilevered biasing member being positioned relatively away from the other seat ring, and the installed position corresponding to the distal end of the cantilevered biasing member being compressed closer to the other seat ring to a position defined by the distal end pressing the corresponding rollers into the second position, so that the cantilevered biasing member contacts the two seat rings, and the movement from the pre-installed position to the installed position causes the spring to undergo plastic deformation.

2. The locking clutch according to claim 1, wherein: The outer race is a cylindrical surface and the inner race includes the plurality of valleys.

3. The locking clutch according to claim 1, wherein: The other race comprises a back surface opposite the inclined surface, the spring being fixed to the back surface and urging the rollers towards their position.

4. The locking clutch according to claim 3, wherein: The spring includes a mounting portion, the mounting portion of the spring being pressed into a recess in the back surface.

5. A locking clutch comprising: an inner race rotatable within the outer race relative to the outer race; One of the races has a cylindrical surface adjacent to another of the races; The other of the races has a plurality of valleys thereon, the valleys being located relatively away from the one race, and each valley being connected to a plurality of corresponding inclined surfaces adjacent each of the valleys such that the inclined surfaces straddle the valleys; a plurality of rollers positioned between the races and adjacent the valleys; a shifting mechanism, the shifting mechanism comprising a cage having a plurality of fingers, the fingers being selectively restrained in a first position and a second position relative to the other race, so that the plurality of fingers are selectively restrained relative to the valley, the fingers shifting the roller to a first position spaced apart from the valley, the inner race rotating in a wedging direction relative to the outer race, the rotation in the wedging direction causing the roller to roll in a direction away from the corresponding valley and along the inclined surface to drive the roller into contact with the two races, thereby positioning the roller in the second position; and the inner race rotates relative to the outer race in a free rotation direction opposite to the wedging direction, thereby tending to urge the roller toward the first position; the wedging direction and the free rotation direction are variable by moving the cage to either of its first position or its second position; A portion of the cage is movable from its first position or its second position in response to differential movement of the rollers to their second position.

6. The locking clutch according to claim 5, wherein: The fingers each include a displaceable member movable relative to the finger in response to differential movement of the roller across the finger.

7. The locking clutch according to claim 6, wherein: The displaceable member is a spring deflectable in response to the differential movement of the roller across the fingers.

8. The locking clutch according to claim 6, wherein: The displaceable member is a spring having a bridge retained within the finger and a cantilevered portion extending from the bridge to contact the roller across the finger.

9. The locking clutch according to claim 5, wherein: The retaining frame is selectively restrained by a switch, the switch selectively locked in first and second positions corresponding to the first and second positions of the retaining frame; the switch includes a shift post in a shift slot in the retaining frame, the shift slot being larger than the shift post.

10. The locking clutch according to claim 9, wherein: The shift slot has a side, and the switch positioned in the first position or the second position positions the shift post against a starting side wall of the shift slot, and the differential movement of the rollers allows the retaining frame to rotate so that the shift post does not contact the starting side wall, and the retaining frame can rotate until the shift post contacts the side wall opposite to the starting side wall.

11. The locking clutch according to claim 10, wherein: The finger has a proximal end connected to a base and a distal end depending from the base, the displacement slot is located in the base, and the finger is bendable relative to the base.

12. The locking clutch according to claim 10, wherein: The fingers of the cage are connected by a bendable member that allows differential movement of the fingers relative to the cage.

13. A locking clutch, comprising: an inner race rotatable within the outer race relative to the outer race; One of the races has a cylindrical surface adjacent to another of the races; The other of the races has a plurality of valleys thereon, the valleys being located relatively away from the one race, and each of the valleys being connected to a corresponding inclined surface adjacent to each of the valleys; a plurality of rollers positioned between the races and adjacent the valleys; a cage having a plurality of fingers, the fingers being restrained relative to the other race so that the fingers are restrained relative to the valley, the fingers holding the rollers relative to the valleys in a first position, the inner race rotating relative to the outer race in a wedging direction, the rotation in the wedging direction causing the rollers to roll in a direction away from the corresponding valleys and along the inclined surface to drive the rollers into contact with the two races, thereby positioning the rollers in a second position; and the inner race rotates relative to the outer race in a free-rotation direction opposite to the wedging direction, thereby tending to urge the roller toward the first position; A portion of the cage is movable in response to differential movement of the rollers to their second position.

14. A locking clutch as claimed in claim 13, said fingers each including a displaceable member movable relative to said finger in response to differential movement of said rollers across said fingers.

15. The locking clutch of claim 14, wherein: The displaceable member is a spring deflectable in response to differential movement of the roller across the fingers.

16. The locking clutch of claim 15, wherein: The displaceable member is a spring having a bridge retained within the finger and a cantilevered portion extending from the bridge to contact the roller across the finger.

17. The locking clutch of claim 13, wherein: The cage is restrained in a displacement slot in the cage by a displacement post, the displacement post being fixed relative to the second race, the displacement slot being larger than the displacement post.

18. The locking clutch of claim 17, wherein: The finger has a proximal end connected to a base and a distal end depending from the base, the displacement slot is located in the base, and the finger is bendable relative to the base.

19. The locking clutch of claim 17, wherein: The fingers of the cage are connected by a bendable member that allows differential movement of the fingers relative to the cage.

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