Cam clutch

Abstract

To provide a cam clutch which can easily switch an operation mode with a simple structure, has high responsiveness, and can achieve energy saving, size reduction and life elongation.SOLUTION: A cam clutch 100 of the present invention comprises an operation mode switching mechanism 170 having cam posture changing units 173 which are arranged in correspondence to a plurality of cams 140, respectively, and are movable so as to forcibly rotate the cams 140 independently from rotation motions of an inner ring 110 and an outer ring 120. For at least one cam posture changing unit 173, a relative positional relationship with the cam 140 corresponding to that cam posture changing unit 173 is configured to be different from a relative positional relationship of the cams 140 corresponding to the other cam posture changing units 173 so that the cam 140 rotates at a timing different from the other cams 140.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a cam clutch that can switch between two or more operating modes selected from a bidirectional free mode that allows relative rotational movement in both directions between the inner and outer rings, a one-way locked mode that prohibits relative rotational movement in either the forward or reverse direction between the inner and outer rings, and a bidirectional locked mode that prohibits relative rotational movement in both directions between the inner and outer rings. [Background technology]

[0002] As a clutch that controls the transmission and interruption of rotational force, a two-way clutch that can switch between driving and idling in both the forward and reverse directions is known. Some types of two-way clutches are configured to switch between a locked mode, which prohibits relative rotational movement between the inner and outer rings (transmits rotational force), and a free mode, which allows relative rotational movement between the inner and outer rings (blocks rotational force), by tilting a cam or sprag (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2).

[0003] Furthermore, Patent Document 3 describes a two-way clutch equipped with an operation mode switching mechanism that can switch between three operation modes, a bidirectional free mode, a one-way lock mode, and a bidirectional lock mode, by controlling a retainer that holds a roller, as a power transmission member, in a neutral position or one of the engagement positions of a cam surface formed on the inner circumference of the outer ring.

[0004] In the two-way clutch described in Patent Document 1, when the input rotor rotates relative to the output rotor, the sprags tilt in the same direction as the rotational direction of the input rotor, switching between engagement and disengagement between the input rotor and the output rotor. This causes a time loss when switching the rotational direction, resulting in poor responsiveness. The two-way clutch described in Patent Document 2 also has the same problem. The two-way clutch described in Patent Document 3 is capable of transmitting power in both directions simultaneously using a leaf spring-like member. However, because the power is transmitted by friction, there is a problem in that the torque that can be transmitted is small compared to the size of the two-way clutch. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] JP 2011-220509 A [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 11-182589 [Patent Document 3] JP 2014-219015 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] In each of the above patent documents, the cam position-changing member is positioned so that the relative position with respect to the cam is constant for all cams, so that when the operating mode of the cam clutch is switched, the position of all cams is changed at the same time. However, in such an operation mode switching mechanism, when a load torque is applied to the cam clutch itself, in order to change the position of the cam to release the engagement, a release torque equivalent to the load torque is required. This requires a position changing member that has high rigidity and is large in size to change the position of the cam, and a large drive source for the operation mode switching mechanism, which leads to problems such as increased energy consumption and an increase in the size of the clutch. In addition, the need for a large release torque may damage the engagement surfaces of the cam with the inner and outer rings, the raceway surfaces of the inner and outer rings, and the clutch may be shortened in life.

[0007] The present invention is devised to solve these problems, and aims to provide a cam clutch that has a simple structure, allows easy switching of operating modes, is highly responsive, and can achieve energy savings, compactness, and a long life. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The present invention relates to a cam clutch including an inner ring and an outer ring that are relatively rotatable on the same rotation axis, a plurality of cams arranged in a circumferential direction between the inner ring and the outer ring, and a biasing means that biases each of the plurality of cams so as to contact the inner ring and the outer ring, the cam clutch further including an operation mode switching mechanism that switches an operation mode of the cam clutch, the operation mode switching mechanism having a cam position changing part that is movable so as to forcibly rotate the cam independent of the rotational operation of the inner ring and the outer ring, the cam position changing part being disposed corresponding to each of the plurality of cams, At least one of the plurality of cams has a different relative positional relationship with respect to the cam so that the cam rotates at a different timing from the other cams. The above-mentioned problem is solved by the above-mentioned configuration. Effect of the Invention

[0009] According to the invention of claim 1, the cam can basically be rotated in a predetermined direction simply by moving the cam attitude changing portion, so that the operation mode of the cam clutch can be easily switched. Moreover, since the multiple cam attitude changing portions include cam attitude changing portions that have different relative positions with respect to the cam, the number of cams that are rotated at the same time when switching the operation mode of the cam clutch is reduced, so that the release torque required to release the meshing of the cams under torque load can be reduced. For this reason, it is possible to provide the cam attitude changing portion with high rigidity. Have It is no longer necessary to use a large material or a large size as a drive source for the operation mode switching mechanism, and high responsiveness can be obtained, energy saving and miniaturization can be achieved. Furthermore, there is no risk of damaging the engagement surface of the cam, the raceway surface of the inner ring, the raceway surface of the outer ring, and the cam position changing part, so the life of the cam can be extended.

[0010] According to the configuration described in claim 2, the relative positional relationship with respect to the cams, which are arranged at equal intervals in the circumferential direction, is changed by changing the position of the cam attitude change part, so that it is possible to reduce the torque release force without reducing the torque transmission capacity of the cam clutch.

[0011] According to the configuration described in claim 3, when switching the operating mode of the cam clutch, the cam posture is changed at different times for each of the multiple groups, making it possible to achieve both a reduction in the torque release force and a smooth operation switching.

[0012] According to the configuration of claim 4, the operation mode switching mechanism is configured to move the cam attitude changing parts in the circumferential direction, so that the structure does not become complicated and the increase in the axial dimension is kept to a minimum. In addition, when moving the cam attitude changing parts in the circumferential direction, by configuring the arrangement pattern of the cam attitude changing parts to include an arrangement portion where three adjacent cam attitude changing parts are arranged at different arrangement angles, it becomes possible to change the timing of rotating the cam when switching the operation mode of the cam clutch, and the torque release force reduction effect can be reliably obtained.

[0013] According to the configurations of claims 5 and 6, by dividing the multiple cam position changing parts into two groups and changing the cam position stepwise for each group, it is possible to quickly switch between operations while reducing the torque release force without complicating the structure. In particular, according to the configuration of claim 5, a high torque release force reduction effect can be obtained.

[0014] According to the configuration of the present invention, when the operation mode is switched, the plurality of cams are rotated one by one, so that the torque releasing force can be reduced as small as possible.

[0015] According to the configuration described in claim 8, the operation mode switching mechanism is configured to move the cam attitude change part in the axial direction, and the arrangement pattern of the cam attitude change part is configured to include an arrangement portion in which two cam attitude change parts, having different axial separation distances from the cam, are arranged adjacent to each other. This makes it possible to change the timing at which the cam rotates when switching the operation mode of the cam clutch, and reliably obtain the effect of reducing the torque release force.

[0016] According to the configurations of claims 9 and 10, by dividing the multiple cam position changing parts into two groups and changing the cam position stepwise for each group, it is possible to quickly switch between operations while reducing the torque release force without complicating the structure. In particular, according to the configuration of claim 10, a high torque release force reduction effect can be obtained.

[0017] According to the configuration of the present invention, when the operation mode is switched, the plurality of cams are rotated one by one, so that the torque releasing force can be reduced as small as possible.

[0018] According to the configuration described in claim 12, the operation mode switching mechanism is configured to move the cam attitude change portion in the radial direction, and the arrangement pattern of the cam attitude change portion is configured to include an arrangement portion in which two cam attitude change portions, in which the radial separation distances between the contact point of the cam pressing member with the cam and the contact point of the movable element with the control plate are different, are arranged adjacent to each other. This makes it possible to change the timing at which the cam rotates when the operation mode of the cam clutch is switched, and the effect of reducing the torque release force can be reliably obtained.

[0019] According to the configurations of claims 13 and 14, by dividing the multiple cam position-changing parts into two groups and changing the cam position stepwise for each group, it is possible to quickly switch between operations while reducing the torque release force without complicating the structure. In particular, according to the configuration of claim 14, a high torque release force reduction effect can be obtained.

[0020] According to the configuration of the present invention, when the operation mode is switched, the plurality of cams are rotated one by one, so that the torque release force can be reduced as small as possible.

[0021] According to the configuration of claim 16, by selectively changing the posture of either or both of the first cam and the second cam, it is possible to switch between four operating modes: a bidirectional free mode that allows rotation in both the forward and reverse directions, a one-way locked mode that allows rotation only in one of the forward and reverse directions, and a bidirectional locked mode that prohibits rotation in both the forward and reverse directions. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0022] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view showing a configuration of a cam clutch according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] 2 is a radial cross-sectional view of the cam clutch shown in FIG. 1, taken along a plane perpendicular to the rotation axis. [Diagram 3] 2 is an axial cross-sectional view of the cam clutch shown in FIG. 1, taken along a plane including a rotation axis. [Figure 4] 2 is a perspective view showing a configuration of a cam in the cam clutch shown in FIG. 1. [Diagram 5] 2 is a perspective view showing a configuration of a cage ring in the cam clutch shown in FIG. 1. [Figure 6] 6 is a partial axial cross-sectional view for explaining a relative positional relationship between a cam attitude changing portion and a cam. FIG. [Figure 7] 2 is a plan view showing a configuration of a switching member in the cam clutch shown in FIG. 1. [Figure 8] 8 is a schematic diagram showing a relative positional relationship between a cam position changing portion and a cam in the switching member shown in FIG. 7. [Figure 9] 2 is a schematic diagram for explaining the operation of the cam clutch shown in FIG. 1. [Figure 10] FIG. 6 is a partial axial cross-sectional view showing the outline of the configuration of a cam clutch according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 11] 11 is a plan view showing a configuration of a switching member in the cam clutch shown in FIG. 10. [Figure 12] 12 is a schematic diagram showing a relative positional relationship between a cam position changing portion and a cam in the switching member shown in FIG. 11. [Figure 13] 11 is a schematic diagram for explaining the operation of the cam clutch shown in FIG. 10. FIG. [Figure 14] FIG. 11 is a partial axial cross-sectional view showing the outline of the configuration of a cam clutch according to a third embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 15] 15 is a plan view showing a configuration of a switching member in the cam clutch shown in FIG. 14. [Figure 16] 16 is a schematic diagram showing a relative positional relationship between a cam position changing portion and a cam in the switching member shown in FIG. 15. [Figure 17] 15 is a schematic diagram for explaining the operation of the cam clutch shown in FIG. 14. [Figure 18] FIG. 11 is a partial axial cross-sectional view showing the configuration of a cam clutch according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 19] 19 is a perspective view showing a configuration of a switching member in the cam clutch shown in FIG. 18. [Figure 20] 20 is a schematic diagram showing a relative positional relationship between a cam position changing portion and a cam in the switching member shown in FIG. 19. [Figure 21] 19 is a schematic diagram for explaining the operation of the cam clutch shown in FIG. 18. [Figure 22A] 13 is a schematic view showing the relative positional relationship between a cam position changing portion and a cam in another example of a switching member that configures the cam clutch according to the fourth embodiment. FIG. [Figure 22B] 13 is a schematic view showing the relative positional relationship between a cam position changing portion and a cam in still another example of a switching member that configures the cam clutch according to the fourth embodiment. FIG. [Figure 23] FIG. 11 is a partial axial cross-sectional view showing the configuration of a cam clutch according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 24] 24 is a rear view showing the configuration of the switching member in the cam clutch shown in FIG. 23 together with the inner ring, the outer ring, and the cam. FIG. [Diagram 25]25 is a schematic diagram showing the relative positional relationship between a cam position changing portion and a cam in the switching member shown in FIG. 24. [Figure 26] FIG. 24 is a schematic diagram for explaining the operation of the cam clutch shown in FIG. 23. [Figure 27A] 13 is a schematic view showing the relative positional relationship between a cam position changing portion and a cam in another example of a switching member that configures the cam clutch according to the fifth embodiment. FIG. [Figure 27B] 13 is a schematic view showing the relative positional relationship between a cam position changing portion and a cam in still another example of a switching member that configures the cam clutch according to the fifth embodiment. FIG. [Figure 28] FIG. 13 is a partial axial cross-sectional view taken along a plane including a rotation axis, showing the configuration of a cam clutch according to a sixth embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 29] FIG. 13 is a partial radial cross-sectional view taken along a plane perpendicular to the rotation axis, showing the configuration of a cam clutch according to a seventh embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0023] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, but the present invention is not limited to these embodiments. EXAMPLES

[0024] A cam clutch 100 according to a first embodiment of the present invention includes an inner ring 110, an outer ring 120, a cam mechanism 130, a cage detent 150, a concentric retaining member 160, and an operation mode switching mechanism 170, as shown in FIG. 2 and 3, in an assembled state of the cam clutch 100, the inner ring 110 and the outer ring 120 are provided so as to be relatively rotatable on the same rotation axis X, and are configured so that the raceway surface 111 of the inner ring 110 and the raceway surface 121 of the outer ring 120 face each other. The cam mechanism 130 is disposed between the raceway surface 111 of the inner ring 110 and the raceway surface 121 of the outer ring 120.

[0025] The cam mechanism 130 is composed of a plurality of cams 140 arranged in a predetermined arrangement pattern in the circumferential direction, a cage ring 135 that holds each of the plurality of cams 140 on the same circumference, and biasing means 131 that biases each of the plurality of cams 140 so as to contact the inner ring 110 and the outer ring 120. In this embodiment, the number of cams 140 is, for example, 12, but the number, shape and other configurations of the cams 140 are not particularly limited. In this embodiment, for example, a ring-shaped garter spring is used as the biasing means 131, but the biasing means 131 may be any elastic body that biases each of the multiple cams 140 so as to contact the inner ring 110 and the outer ring 120, and multiple leaf springs or torsion springs, etc. may also be used.

[0026] The cam 140 is configured, for example, to frictionally engage with the inner ring 110 and the outer ring 120 when the inner ring 110 rotates relative to the outer ring 120 in one direction (counterclockwise in Figure 2), and to tilt in a direction disengaging from the inner ring 110 and the outer ring 120 when the inner ring 110 rotates relative to the outer ring 120 in the other direction (clockwise in Figure 2). 4, cam 140 in this embodiment has head 141 having a peripheral surface formed to be curved in an arc so as to be convex radially outward and to constitute outer peripheral engagement surface 142 with outer ring 120, leg portion 145 having a peripheral surface formed to be curved in an arc so as to be convex radially inward and to constitute inner peripheral engagement surface 146 with inner ring 110, and support portion 147 connecting head 141 and leg portion 145. Head 141 is formed to protrude outward from support portion 147 in the circumferential direction. A garter spring retaining groove 143 is formed in the outer peripheral engagement surface 142 of the cam 140 at the center in the direction perpendicular to the end face of the cam 140 (axial direction). The garter spring retaining groove 143 is configured so that a rotational moment in the clockwise direction in FIG. 2 is applied to the cam 140 by the garter spring.

[0027] The cage ring 135 in this embodiment is configured to hold the multiple cams 140 such that the multiple cams 140 are arranged at equal intervals in the circumferential direction. 5, the cage ring 135 has a pair of annular plate portions 136a, 136b facing each other in the axial direction, and a plurality of pillar portions 138 that are arranged at equal intervals in the circumferential direction and extend in the axial direction to connect the annular plate portions 136a, 136b, and a pocket portion P is formed by the space between adjacent pillar portions 138. One annular plate portion 136a is configured to have an outer dimension larger than the other annular plate portion 136b so that it can be fitted into a recess formed in one end face of the outer ring 120. Each pillar portion 138 is formed so as to protrude radially outward from the outer circumferential edge of the other annular plate portion 136b, and a garter spring mounting groove 139 extending in the circumferential direction is formed on the outer circumferential surface. Moreover, an engagement protrusion 137 that protrudes outward in the axial direction is formed on the outer surface of one of the annular plate portions 136a.

[0028] Cam 140 is inserted into pocket P from leg 145 side, and arranged so that support 147 is positioned within pocket P, and is held by cage ring 135 by attaching a garter spring. This restricts the position of cam 140 in the circumferential direction and restricts the attitude of cam 140, so that all cams 140 are in contact with inner ring 110 and outer ring 120 without variation in attitude (inclination).

[0029] As shown in FIG. 1, the cage anti-rotation device 150 has an annular plate portion 151 that abuts against one annular plate portion 136a of the cage ring 135 and restricts the axial movement of the cam mechanism 130, and a peripheral wall portion 155 that is fitted onto the outer ring 120 and extends in the axial direction from the outer peripheral edge of one face of the annular plate portion 151. The inner surface of the annular plate portion 151 is formed with an engagement recess 152 into which the engagement protrusion 137 of the cage ring 135 engages, and the peripheral wall portion 155 is formed with an engagement claw portion 156 that slides into and engages with a recessed groove 125 formed on the outer peripheral surface of the outer ring 120 and extending in the axial direction, thereby preventing relative rotation of the cage ring 135 with respect to the outer ring 120.

[0030] The operating mode switching mechanism 170 in the cam clutch 100 of this embodiment is configured to be able to switch the operating mode of the cam clutch 100 between a locked mode, in which relative rotational movement between the inner wheel 110 and the outer wheel 120 is prohibited, and a free mode, in which relative rotational movement between the inner wheel 110 and the outer wheel 120 is permitted.

[0031] The operation mode switching mechanism 170 includes a switching member 171 that is provided rotatable independently of the rotational movements of the inner ring 110 and the outer ring 120 . As shown in FIG. 1 , the switching member 171 has a circular plate-shaped end wall portion 172, a plurality of cam posture change portions 173 that are integrally formed on one surface of the end wall portion 172 and correspond to each of the plurality of cams 140, and a peripheral wall portion 175 that is arranged on the same rotation axis X as the inner ring 110 and the outer ring 120 and extends in the axial direction from the outer circumferential edge on one surface of the end wall portion 172. The switching member 171 has a peripheral wall portion 175 fitted onto the cage anti-rotation member 150 via a concentric retaining member 160, and is configured such that the cam 140 is forcibly rotated by rotating the switching member 171 and moving the cam position changing portion 173 in the circumferential direction.

[0032] The cam posture change portion 173 is composed of, for example, a plate-shaped member extending in the axial direction, and has a base portion that extends in the axial direction while inclining toward one circumferential direction from the inner peripheral edge of one face of the end wall portion 172, and a cam pressing portion that extends along the axial direction continuous with the tip of the base. The cam pressing portion has a cam pressing surface 174 that abuts against the cam 140 and presses the cam 140 during the cam position changing operation. In this embodiment, the cam posture change portion 173 is configured integrally with the end wall portion 172, but it may be configured separately from the end wall portion 172 as long as it is movable so as to forcibly rotate the cam 140 independent of the rotational movement of the inner ring 110 and the outer ring 120.

[0033] Thus, in the cam clutch 100 of this embodiment, the relative positional relationship between at least one cam position-changing portion 173 and the cam 140 corresponding to that cam position-changing portion 173 is configured to be different from the relative positional relationships between the other cam position-changing portions 173 and the cam 140 corresponding to that cam position-changing portion 173, so that the cam 140 rotates at a different timing than the other cams 140. As described above, in this embodiment, the multiple cams 140 are arranged at equal intervals in the circumferential direction, and therefore the relative positional relationship with the cams 140 is adjusted by adjusting the arrangement pattern of the cam attitude changing parts 173. Since the relative positional relationship with the cams 140 is changed by changing the position of the cam attitude changing parts 173 with respect to the cams 140 arranged at equal intervals in the circumferential direction, it is possible to reduce the torque release force without reducing the torque transmission capacity of the cam clutch 100. The cam position changers 173 may be arranged at equal intervals in the circumferential direction, and the relative positional relationship between the cam position changers 173 and the corresponding cams 140 may be adjusted by adjusting the arrangement pattern of the cams 140.

[0034] Specifically, the relative positional relationship between the cam position changer 173 and the cam 140 will be described. As shown in FIG. 6, in a cross section perpendicular to the rotation axis O, when one cam position changer is defined as a reference cam position changer α and a line segment connecting the position of the reference cam position changer α and the rotation axis O is defined as a reference line L, the position angle θ of one-side cam position changer β adjacent to one circumferential side of the reference cam position changer α with respect to the reference line L is αβ and the arrangement angle θ of the other-side cam position changing portion γ adjacent to the other circumferential side of the reference cam position changing portion α with respect to the reference line L. αγ The arrangement pattern is configured to include an arrangement portion in which the cam position changer 173 and the cam pressure surface 174 have different sizes. Here, the arrangement position of the cam position changer 173 refers to the circumferential position of the cam pressure surface 174.

[0035] In the cam clutch 100 of this embodiment, the multiple cam position-changing portions 173 are divided into two groups, with group one being the cam position-changing portions 173 that have the same relative positional relationship with the cam 140 so as to rotate the cam 140 at the same timing. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 7, the multiple cam posture change portions 173 have an arrangement pattern in which an arrangement portion in which cam posture change portions 173a belonging to a first group that rotates the cam 140 first in the cam posture change operation and cam posture change portions 173b belonging to a second group that is adjacent to the cam posture change portion 173a in the other circumferential direction and rotates the cam 140 at a different timing than the first group are arranged at a first arrangement angle θ1, and an arrangement portion in which cam posture change portions 173a belonging to the first group and cam posture change portions 173b belonging to the second group that is adjacent to the cam posture change portion 173a in one circumferential direction are arranged at a second arrangement angle θ2 are arranged alternately. In this embodiment, the multiple cam position changers 173 are configured to be divided into two groups, but may be divided into three or more groups. Furthermore, the magnitudes of the first arrangement angle θ1 and the second arrangement angle θ2 are not particularly limited, but as an example, the first arrangement angle θ1 is, for example, 31.5°, and the second arrangement angle θ2 is, for example, 28.5°.

[0036] 8, the cam posture changer 173 has such an arrangement pattern, so that the separation distance d1 between the cam posture changer 173a belonging to the first group and the corresponding cam 140 in the circumferential direction (movement direction of the cam posture changer 173a) is different from the separation distance d2 between the cam posture changer 173b belonging to the second group and the corresponding cam 140 in the circumferential direction (movement direction of the cam posture changer 173b), and the timing at which the cam posture changer 173a, 173b contact the cam 140 changes. As a result, when the operation mode of the cam clutch 100 is switched, the posture of the cam 140 is changed at different timings between the first group and the second group, making it possible to achieve both a reduction in torque release force and smooth operation switching. In particular, by dividing the multiple cam posture-changing portions 173 into two groups and gradually changing the posture of the cam 140 for each group, the structure does not become complicated, and it is possible to quickly switch operations while reducing the torque release force. In Figure 8, for convenience, the raceway surface 111 of the inner ring 110 and the raceway surface 121 of the outer ring 120 are shown as parallel planes, and the relative positional relationship between the cam 140 and the cam posture change portion 173 is exaggerated to make it easier to understand.

[0037] Hereinafter, the operation of the cam clutch 100 according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 9. As in Fig. 8, for the sake of convenience, the raceway surface 111 of the inner ring 110 and the raceway surface 121 of the outer ring 120 are shown as parallel planes in Fig. 9, and the relative positional relationship between the cam 140 and the cam position changing portion 173 is exaggerated to facilitate understanding. First, when the cam attitude changing parts 173a and 173b are not in contact with the cam 140 and the attitude of the cam 140 is in a position where it is not restricted (see FIG. 8), the cam clutch 100 is in a one-way lock mode in which the relative rotation of the inner ring 110 with respect to the outer ring 120 in one direction (counterclockwise direction in FIG. 2) is prohibited. That is, all the cams 140 maintain an engagement standby state so that engagement with the inner ring 110 and the outer ring 120 is immediately started when torque is applied to the inner ring 110 or the outer ring 120. For example, when the inner ring 110 is driven to rotate in one direction, the cam 140 rotates so as to tilt in the engagement direction and engages with the inner ring 110 and the outer ring 120, and when the torque on the inner ring 110 is released, the cam 140 rotates so as to tilt in the engagement release direction and transitions to an engagement standby state. When the inner ring 110 is driven to rotate in the other direction, the inner ring 110 spins idle.

[0038] When the switching member 171 is rotated in the other direction (clockwise in FIG. 2) manually or by an appropriate drive source, the cam posture changing portions 173a of the first group press the corresponding cams 140, and some of the cams 140 are rotated first so as to tilt in the disengagement direction, as shown in FIG. 9(a). Next, as shown in FIG. 9(b), the second group of cam posture change portions 173b press the corresponding cams 140, and all other cams 140 are rotated so as to tilt in the disengagement direction, whereby the postures of all cams 140 are constrained so as not to contact the inner ring 110 and the outer ring 120, and the operating mode of the cam clutch 100 is switched from the one-way lock mode to a free mode which allows relative rotational movement of the inner ring 110 with respect to the outer ring 120 in both directions.

[0039] Thus, according to the cam clutch 100 according to the first embodiment, basically, the cam 140 can be rotated in a predetermined direction simply by rotating the switching member 171 and moving the cam attitude changing portion 173 in the circumferential direction, so that it is possible to easily switch the operation mode of the cam clutch 100. Moreover, since the multiple cam attitude changing portions 173 include cam attitude changing portions having different relative positions with respect to the cam 140, the number of cams 140 that are rotated at the same timing when switching the operation mode of the cam clutch 100 is reduced, so that it is possible to reduce the release torque required to release the meshing of the cam 140 under torque load. Therefore, the cam clutch 100 has a cam position changing portion 173 with high rigidity. Have It is no longer necessary to use a large material or a large drive source for the operation mode switching mechanism, and high responsiveness can be obtained, while energy saving and miniaturization can be achieved. Furthermore, there is no risk of damaging the engagement surface of the cam 140, the raceway surface 111 of the inner ring 110, the raceway surface 121 of the outer ring 120, and the cam position changing part 173, so that a longer life can be achieved. EXAMPLES

[0040] The cam clutch according to the second embodiment of the present invention has a similar configuration to the cam clutch 100 according to the first embodiment, except that the configuration of the switching member in the operation mode switching mechanism is different.

[0041] As shown in Figures 10 and 11, the switching member 171 of this embodiment has cam position-changing parts 173a, 173b that are divided into two groups, with one group being the cam position-changing parts that have the same relative positional relationship with the cam 140 so as to rotate the cam 140 at the same timing. Specifically, the multiple cam posture change portions 173 have an arrangement pattern configured to include an arrangement portion where cam posture change portions 173a belonging to a first group that rotates some of the cams 140 first in the cam posture change operation are lined up in succession at a first arrangement angle θ1, and an arrangement portion where cam posture change portions 173b belonging to a second group that rotates the cams 140 at a timing different from that of the first group are lined up in succession at a second arrangement angle θ2. In this embodiment as well, the multiple cam position changers 173 may be divided into three or more groups. Furthermore, the magnitudes of the first arrangement angle θ1 and the second arrangement angle θ2 are not particularly limited, but as an example, the first arrangement angle θ1 is, for example, 31.5°, and the second arrangement angle θ2 is, for example, 28.5°.

[0042] In this embodiment, the arrangement pattern of the multiple cam posture change portions 173 is configured to include one arrangement portion where the cam posture change portions 173a belonging to the first group are arranged at the first arrangement angle θ1 and one arrangement portion where the cam posture change portions 173b belonging to the second group are arranged at the second arrangement angle θ2, but it may be configured to include multiple one or both of the arrangement portions where the cam posture change portions 173a belonging to the first group are arranged at the first arrangement angle θ1 and the arrangement portions where the cam posture change portions 173b belonging to the second group are arranged at the second arrangement angle θ2. Furthermore, the number of cam attitude change portions belonging to each group may be the same or different.

[0043] 12, in the cam clutch according to this embodiment, the separation distance d1 between the cam posture changer 173a belonging to the first group and the corresponding cam 140 in the circumferential direction (the moving direction of the cam posture changer 173a) is different from the separation distance d2 between the cam posture changer 173b belonging to the second group and the corresponding cam 140 in the circumferential direction (the moving direction of the cam posture changer 173b), and the timing at which the cam posture changer 173a, 173b contact the cam 140 changes. As a result, when the operation mode of the cam clutch 100 is switched, the posture of the cam 140 is changed at different times between the first group and the second group, making it possible to achieve both a reduction in the torque release force and smooth operation switching.

[0044] The operation of the cam clutch according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 13. In Fig. 13, for the sake of convenience, the raceway surface 111 of the inner ring 110 and the raceway surface 121 of the outer ring 120 are shown as parallel planes, and the relative positional relationship between the cam 140 and the cam position changing part 173 is exaggerated to facilitate understanding. First, when the cam posture changing portions 173a, 173b are not in contact with the cam 140 and the posture of the cam 140 is in a position where it is not restricted (see Figure 12), it is in a one-way lock mode in which relative rotation of the inner ring 110 with respect to the outer ring 120 in one direction (counterclockwise in Figure 10) is prohibited. When the switching member 171 is rotated in the other direction (clockwise in FIG. 10) manually or by an appropriate drive source, the cam posture changing portions 173a of the first group press the corresponding cams 140, and some of the cams 140 are rotated first so as to tilt in the disengagement direction, as shown in FIG. 13(a). Next, as shown in FIG. 13(b), the second group of cam posture change portions 173b press the corresponding cams 140, and all other cams 140 are rotated so as to tilt in the disengagement direction, whereby the postures of all cams 140 are constrained so as not to contact the inner ring 110 and the outer ring 120, and the operating mode of the cam clutch 100 is switched from the one-way lock mode to a free mode which allows relative rotational movement of the inner ring 110 with respect to the outer ring 120 in both directions.

[0045] In the cam clutch of the second embodiment described above, the multiple cam posture change portions 173 include cam posture change portions 173a, 173b that have different relative positions to the cam 140. This reduces the number of cams 140 that rotate at the same time when switching the operating mode of the cam clutch, making it possible to reduce the release torque required to release the engagement of the cam 140 under torque load. EXAMPLES

[0046] The cam clutch according to the third embodiment of the present invention has a similar configuration to the cam clutch 100 according to the first embodiment, except that the configuration of the switching member in the operation mode switching mechanism is different.

[0047] As shown in Figures 14 and 15, the switching member 171 of this embodiment has cam position-changing parts 173a to 173l that are divided into a plurality of groups, with each group being a cam position-changing part that has the same relative positional relationship with the cam 140 so as to rotate the cam 140 at the same timing. Specifically, the plurality of cam position changers 173 are arranged such that adjacent two of the cam position changers 173 are arranged at angles θ1 to θ 12 The arrangement pattern of the cam position changer 173 in this embodiment is configured so that the arrangement angles are successively increased in the other circumferential direction at a constant angle difference. As an example, the first arrangement angle θ1 is, for example, 30.00°, and the nth arrangement angle θ n (n is an integer from 2 to 11) is the (n-1)th arrangement angle θ n-1 The 12th arrangement angle θ is, for example, 0.05° larger than the 12th arrangement angle θ 12 is, for example, 27.25°. 12 The size of the angle is not particularly limited, and the degree of increase in the angle may vary. Also, the arrangement pattern of the cam position changers 173 does not need to be configured so that the angle increases in sequence, and may be configured so that the angle changes irregularly.

[0048] Also in the cam clutch of this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 16, the cam posture change portion 173n belonging to the nth group (n is an integer from 1 to 12) and the corresponding cam 140 have different circumferential distances dn (n is an integer from 1 to 12) (the direction of movement of the cam posture change portion) (for convenience, FIG. 16 shows the relative positional relationship with the cam for only four cam posture change portions 173a to 173d). Therefore, the timing at which the cam posture-changing portions 173a to 173l come into contact with the cam 140 changes, and when the operating mode of the cam clutch 100 is switched, the posture of the cam 140 is changed at different timings for each of the multiple groups, just as if the multiple cams 140 were rotated one by one, making it possible to reduce the torque release force as much as possible.

[0049] The operation of the cam clutch according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 17. In Fig. 17, for the sake of convenience, the raceway surface 111 of the inner ring 110 and the raceway surface 121 of the outer ring 120 are shown as parallel planes, and the relative positional relationship between the cam 140 and the cam position changing part 173 is exaggerated to facilitate understanding. First, when the cam posture-changing portions 173a, 173b, 173c are not in contact with the cam 140 and the posture of the cam 140 is in a position where it is not restricted (see Figure 16), it is in a one-way lock mode in which relative rotation of the inner ring 110 with respect to the outer ring 120 in one direction (counterclockwise in Figure 14) is prohibited. When the switching member 171 is rotated in the other direction (clockwise in FIG. 14) manually or by an appropriate drive source, the cam posture changing portion 173a of the first group presses the corresponding cam 140, and one cam 140 is rotated first so as to tilt in the disengagement direction, as shown in FIG. 17(a). Next, as shown in FIG. 17(b), the cam posture-changing portion 173b of the second group adjacent to the cam posture-changing portion 173a of the first group presses the corresponding cam 140, and the second cam 140 is rotated so as to tilt in the disengagement direction. Similarly, as shown in FIG. 17(c), the cam posture-changing portion 173c of the third group adjacent to the cam posture-changing portion 173b of the second group presses the corresponding cam 140, causing the third cam 140 to rotate so as to tilt in the disengagement direction. This type of cam posture change operation is performed in stages at different times for each of the multiple groups, so that the postures of all cams 140 are constrained so that they are not in contact with the inner ring 110 and the outer ring 120, and the operating mode of the cam clutch 100 is switched from the one-way lock mode to a free mode that allows relative rotational movement of the inner ring 110 in both directions with respect to the outer ring 120. EXAMPLES

[0050] As shown in FIGS. 18 and 19, the cam clutch according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention has the same configuration as the cam clutch 100 according to the first embodiment described above, except that the configuration of a switching member 171 in an operation mode switching mechanism is different.

[0051] The switching member 171 according to this embodiment is configured so that the multiple cam position changing portions 173 are movable in the axial direction so as to forcibly rotate the cam 140 independently of the rotational movements of the inner ring 110 and the outer ring 120 . The switching member 171 has a circular plate-shaped end wall portion 172, a plurality of cam posture change portions 173 which are integrally formed on one side of the end wall portion 172 and correspond to each of the plurality of cams 140, and a peripheral wall portion 175 which has the same rotation axis O as the inner ring 110 and the outer ring 120 and extends axially from the outer periphery on each of both sides of the end wall portion 172. The multiple cam posture changing portions 173 have tapered portions 176 formed so that the side surface on the corresponding cam side at the tip portion narrows toward the front in the direction of movement of the switching member, and the side surface of the tapered portion 176 forms a cam pressing surface.

[0052] The multiple cam position-changing portions 173 are arranged at equal intervals in the circumferential direction, and are divided into two groups, with group one being the cam position-changing portions that have the same relative positional relationship with the cam 140 so as to rotate the cam 140 at the same timing. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 20, the multiple cam posture change portions 173 include cam posture change portion 173a belonging to a first group in which tapered portion 176 is formed so as to extend from the tip surface, and cam posture change portion 173b belonging to a second group in which tapered portion 176 is formed so as to extend from a position rearward of the tip surface in the switching member movement direction, and the cam posture change portion 173a belonging to the first group and the cam posture change portion 173b belonging to the second group have mutually different relative positional relationships with the corresponding cam 140. That is, the separation distance a1 in the axial direction (movement direction of cam position changer 173a) between cam position changer 173a belonging to the first group and its corresponding cam 140 is different from the separation distance a2 in the axial direction (movement direction of cam position changer 173b) between cam position changer 173b belonging to the second group and its corresponding cam 140, changing the timing at which cam position changer 173a, 173b contact cam 140. As a result, when switching the operation mode of the cam clutch, the position of cam 140 is changed at different times in the first group and the second group, making it possible to achieve both a reduction in torque release force and smooth operation switching.

[0053] In the switching member 171 of this embodiment, the multiple cam posture change portions 173 have an arrangement pattern in which cam posture change portions 173a belonging to a first group, whose axial separation distance from the cam is a first axial separation distance a1, and cam posture change portions 173b belonging to a second group, whose axial separation distance from the cam is a second axial separation distance a2, are arranged alternately in the circumferential direction.

[0054] The operation of the cam clutch according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 21. In Fig. 21, for the sake of convenience, the raceway surface 111 of the inner ring 110 and the raceway surface 121 of the outer ring 120 are shown as parallel planes, and the relative positional relationship between the cam 140 and the cam position changing part 173 is exaggerated to facilitate understanding. First, as shown in FIG. 21(a), when the cam posture-changing portions 173a, 173b are not in contact with the cam 140 and the posture of the cam 140 is in a position where it is not restricted, the cam is in a one-way lock mode in which relative rotation of the inner ring 110 with respect to the outer ring 120 in one direction (counterclockwise in FIG. 18) is prohibited. When the switching member 171 is moved axially manually or by an appropriate drive source, the first group of cam posture changing portions 173a press the corresponding cams 140, and due to the action of the tapered portions 176, some of the cams 140 are rotated first so as to tilt in the disengagement direction, as shown in FIG. 21(b). Next, as shown in FIG. 21(c), the second group of cam posture-changing portions 173b press the corresponding cams 140, and the action of the tapered portions 176 rotates all of the other cams 140 so that they are inclined in the disengagement direction. As a result, the posture of all of the cams 140 is constrained so that they are not in contact with the inner ring 110 and the outer ring 120, and the operating mode of the cam clutch is switched from the one-way lock mode to a free mode which allows relative rotational movement of the inner ring 110 with respect to the outer ring 120 in both directions.

[0055] In the above embodiment, the cam position changer 173 has an arrangement pattern in which the cam position changer 173a belonging to the first group and the cam position changer 173b belonging to the second group are alternately arranged in the circumferential direction. However, the arrangement pattern of the cam position changer 173 is not particularly limited. For example, as shown in FIG. 22A, the arrangement pattern of the cam position changer 173 may be configured to include an arrangement portion in which the cam position changer 173a belonging to the first group are arranged consecutively and an arrangement portion in which the cam position changer 173b belonging to the second group are arranged consecutively. In addition, the arrangement pattern of the cam position changer 173 may be configured to include one or both of an arrangement portion in which the cam position changer 173a belonging to the first group are arranged consecutively and an arrangement portion in which the cam position changer 173b belonging to the second group are arranged consecutively.

[0056] Furthermore, the multiple cam position changers 173 may be divided into three or more groups. For example, as shown in Fig. 22B, multiple cam position changers (Fig. 22B shows the relative positional relationship with the cam for only four cam position changers 173a to 173d) having tapered portions 176 formed at different positions may have an arrangement pattern configured such that the separation distances a1 to a4 between the tapered portions 176 and the cams increase sequentially in the other circumferential direction. In such a configuration, the arrangement pattern may be such that the separation distance between the tapered portions 176 and the cams changes irregularly.

[0057] In the cam clutch of the fourth embodiment described above, the multiple cam posture change portions 173 include cam posture change portions having different relative positions to the cam 140, so that when switching the operating mode of the cam clutch, the number of cams 140 that rotate at the same time is reduced, making it possible to reduce the release torque required to release the engagement of the cams 140 under torque load. EXAMPLES

[0058] As shown in FIG. 23, the cam clutch according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention has a similar configuration to the cam clutch 100 according to the first embodiment, except that the configuration of a switching member 171 in an operation mode switching mechanism is different.

[0059] The switching member 171 according to this embodiment is configured so that the multiple cam position changing portions 173 are movable in the radial direction so as to forcibly rotate the cam 140 independently of the rotational movements of the inner ring 110 and the outer ring 120 .

[0060] As shown in FIG. 24, the switching member 171 includes a plurality of cam posture-changing portions 173 corresponding to the plurality of cams 140, and a control plate 180 that is rotatable in one direction (clockwise in FIG. 24) relative to the rotation axis O and radially moves each of the cam posture-changing portions 173. Cam attitude changer 173 is composed of a mover 185 having, for example, an oval planar shape, and a rod-like cam pressing member 186 that is fixed to mover 185 and extends in the axial direction. Mover 185 and cam pressing member 186 may be formed integrally or separately. The control plate 180 is configured with a plurality of teeth 181 formed on the peripheral surface of a disk-shaped base portion, and is adapted to move the cam attitude change portion 173 radially by rotating it within a predetermined angular range either manually or by an appropriate drive source. The plurality of teeth 181 are formed in each of the peripheral surface regions that are divided at equal angular intervals in the circumferential direction in correspondence with each of the plurality of cam attitude changing portions 173, and are configured so that the distance from the rotation axis O to the peripheral surface gradually increases. The inclined surface of the teeth 181 is, for example, arc-shaped.

[0061] The multiple cam position changers 173 are divided into two groups, with the first group consisting of cam position changers that have the same relative positional relationship with the cam 140 so as to rotate the cam 140 at the same timing. Specifically, as shown in Fig. 25, the teeth 181 in the control plate 180 include a first tooth 181a having an arc-shaped inclined surface 182 with a first curvature radius, and a second tooth 181b having an arc-shaped inclined surface 182 with a second curvature radius smaller than the first curvature radius, and the first tooth 181a and the second tooth 181b are arranged alternately in the circumferential direction. The cam position changers 173 are arranged, for example, at equal intervals in the circumferential direction, and the cam position changers 173a belonging to the first group corresponding to the first tooth 181a are positioned on the inclined surface 182 of the first tooth 181a, while the cam position changers 173b belonging to the second group corresponding to the second tooth 181b are positioned on the circumferential surface of the base portion. Also, the cam pressing members 186 in each of the cam position changers 173a, 173b are provided to be positioned on the same circumference. Therefore, the distance r1 between the contact point of cam pressing member 186 with cam 140 in cam position changer 173a belonging to the first group and the contact point of mover 185 with control plate 180 is different from the distance r2 between the contact point of cam pressing member 186 with cam 140 in cam position changer 173b belonging to the second group and the contact point of mover 185 with control plate 180. As a result, when switching the operation mode of the cam clutch, the position of cam 140 is changed at different times in the first and second groups, making it possible to achieve both a reduction in torque release force and smooth operation switching.

[0062] In the switching member 171 of this embodiment, the multiple cam posture change portions 173 have an arrangement pattern in which cam posture change portions 173a belonging to a first group in which the radial distance between the contact point of the cam pressing member with the cam and the contact point of the movable member with the control plate is a first radial distance r1, and cam posture change portions 173b belonging to a second group in which the radial distance is a second radial distance r2 are arranged alternately in the circumferential direction.

[0063] The operation of the cam clutch according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Figure 26. In Figure 26, for the sake of convenience, the raceway surface 111 of the inner ring 110 and the raceway surface 121 of the outer ring 120 are shown as parallel planes, and the relative positional relationship between the cam 140 and the cam position changing part 173 is exaggerated to make it easier to understand. First, when the cam posture changing portions 173a, 173b are not in contact with the cam 140 and the posture of the cam 140 is in a position where it is not restricted, the cam clutch is in a one-way lock mode in which relative rotation of the inner ring 110 with respect to the outer ring 120 in one direction (counterclockwise in Figure 23) is prohibited.

[0064] When the switching member 171 is rotated in one direction (counterclockwise in FIG. 23) manually or by an appropriate drive source, as shown in FIG. 26(a), the first group of cam attitude changing portions 173a move radially outward due to the action of the inclined surface 182 of the first tooth portion 181a of the control plate 180. As a result, the cam pressing member 186 presses the corresponding cams 140, and some of the cams 140 are rotated so as to tilt first in the meshing release direction. 26(b), the second group of cam attitude changing parts 173b move radially outward due to the action of the inclined surface 182 of the second tooth part 181b of the control plate 180. As a result, the cam pressing member 186 presses the corresponding cam 140, and all other cams 140 are rotated so as to incline in the mesh release direction. As a result, the attitudes of all cams 140 are constrained in a state where they are not in contact with the inner ring 110 and the outer ring 120, and the operation mode of the cam clutch is switched from the one-way lock mode to a free mode which allows relative rotational movement of the inner ring 110 with respect to the outer ring 120 in both directions.

[0065] In the above embodiment, the multiple cam posture change portions 173 have an arrangement pattern in which the cam posture change portions 173a belonging to the first group and the cam posture change portions 173b belonging to the second group are arranged alternately in the circumferential direction. However, the arrangement pattern of the multiple cam posture change portions 173 is not particularly limited. 27A, the arrangement pattern of the multiple cam position changers 173 may be configured to include an arrangement portion where the cam position changers 173a belonging to the first group are aligned consecutively and an arrangement portion where the cam position changers 173b belonging to the second group are aligned consecutively. In other words, the control plate 180 may be configured to include an arrangement portion where the first teeth 181a are aligned consecutively and an arrangement portion where the second teeth 181b are aligned consecutively. In addition, the arrangement pattern of the multiple cam posture change portions 173 may be configured to include multiple arrangement portions where the cam posture change portions 173a belonging to the first group are arranged in succession and multiple arrangement portions where the cam posture change portions 173b belonging to the second group are arranged in succession.

[0066] Also, the multiple cam posture changing parts 173 may be divided into three or more groups. For example, as shown in Fig. 27B, by forming the inclined surfaces 182 of the first tooth part 181a, the second tooth part 181b, and the third tooth part 181c of the control plate 180 in the shape of an arc with a different radius of curvature, it is possible to rotate the cam 140 at different timings for each of the multiple groups (only three teeth parts are shown in Fig. 27B). In this example, the multiple teeth parts are regularly arranged so that the radius of curvature of the inclined surfaces 182 becomes smaller in the circumferential direction, but they may be arranged so that the radius of curvature of the inclined surfaces changes irregularly in the circumferential direction. Furthermore, by configuring the control plate so that multiple tooth portions having arc-shaped inclined surfaces with the same radius of curvature are arranged with their phase in the rotational direction shifted by a predetermined angle, it is also possible to rotate the cam 140 at different timing for each of the multiple groups. In addition, the inclined surfaces of each tooth portion on the control plate may be formed into an arc shape with the same radius of curvature, and the position of cam pressing member 186 on movable element 185 may be adjusted to adjust the relative positional relationship between cam 140 and cam posture change portion 173.

[0067] In the cam clutch of the fifth embodiment described above, the multiple cam posture change portions 173 include cam posture change portions having different relative positions to the cam 140, and therefore when switching the operating mode of the cam clutch, the number of cams 140 that rotate at the same time is reduced, making it possible to reduce the release torque required to release the engagement of the cams 140 under torque load.

[0068] In the above, the cam clutches according to the first to fifth embodiments have been described as being configured such that the inner ring 110 is used as the input rotating body, but the outer ring 120 may also be configured to be used as the input rotating body. In addition, while all of the cam clutches in the above embodiments are configured using cams that are configured so that moments are applied in the same direction by the biasing means, two types of cams that are configured so that moments are applied in different directions may be used, and the cam clutch may be configured to be switchable between three operating modes: a bidirectional lock mode, a one-way lock mode, and a bidirectional free mode. In such a configuration, the arrangement of the first cam and the second cam is not particularly limited, and the first cam and the second cam may be arranged on the same circumference, or multiple cam rows in which multiple cams are arranged on the same circumference may be arranged side by side in the axial direction. In a configuration having multiple cam trains, each cam train may include only one of the first cam and the second cam, or may include both the first cam and the second cam. In addition, the number of first cams and second cams may be the same or different. When the first cam and the second cam are arranged on the same circumference, the first cam and the second cam may be arranged so as to alternate in the circumferential direction, or may not be arranged so as to alternate. EXAMPLES

[0069] FIG. 28 is an axial cross-sectional view taken along a plane including the rotation axis, showing the configuration of a cam clutch according to a sixth embodiment of the present invention. This cam clutch has clutch mechanisms 101 arranged in parallel in the axial direction, each having a configuration similar to that of the cam clutch 100 of the first embodiment, and the end wall portion 172 of a switching member 171 that constitutes an operation mode switching mechanism 170 is shared at the center.

[0070] The switching member 171 has a circular plate-shaped end wall portion 172, a plurality of cam posture change portions 173 that are integrally formed on each of both sides of the end wall portion 172 and correspond to each of the plurality of cams 140, and a peripheral wall portion 175 that is arranged on the same rotation axis X as the inner ring 110 and the outer ring 120 and extends axially from the outer periphery on each of both sides of the end wall portion 172.

[0071] In this cam clutch, by rotating the switching member 171 manually or by an appropriate drive source to move the cam posture change portion 173 in the circumferential direction, it is possible to switch between four operating modes: a bidirectional locked mode in which both cam clutch mechanisms 101 are locked; a one-way locked mode in which only one cam clutch mechanism 101 is in a free state that allows relative rotational movement in both directions and the other cam clutch mechanism 101 is locked; and a bidirectional free mode in which both cam clutch mechanisms 101 are free. EXAMPLES

[0072] FIG. 29 is a radial cross-sectional view taken along a plane perpendicular to the rotation axis, showing the configuration of a cam clutch according to a seventh embodiment of the present invention. This cam clutch has a double-structure clutch mechanism having a similar configuration to the cam clutch 100 of the first embodiment, with an inner clutch mechanism 101 disposed between the inner ring 110 and the intermediate ring 115, and an outer clutch mechanism 102 disposed between the intermediate ring 115 and the outer ring 120, and the end wall portions of the switching members that constitute the operating mode switching mechanism are shared. The intermediate wheel 115 corresponds to the outer wheel in the inner clutch mechanism 101 and corresponds to the inner wheel in the outer clutch mechanism 102 . The switching member is provided with a plurality of cam position changing portions 173 corresponding to the plurality of inner and outer cams 140, respectively.

[0073] In the sixth and seventh embodiments, the cam posture change portion in the operation mode switching mechanism may have any of the arrangement patterns exemplified in the first to third embodiments, and the cam posture change portions associated with the two clutch mechanisms may have the same arrangement pattern or different arrangement patterns. In addition, the shape or structure of the switching member may be changed so as to move the cam position changing portion in the axial or radial direction.

[0074] Although the embodiment of the present invention has been described in detail above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and various design modifications can be made without departing from the present invention described in the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0075] 100 ··· Cam clutch 101 Clutch mechanism 102 Clutch mechanism 110... Inner circle 111 ... Raceway surface 115 ··· Intermediate wheel 120 Outer ring 121 ... raceway surface 125 ... groove 130 Cam mechanism 131 .... Actuating means 135 ··· Cage ring 136a Annular plate portion 136b Annular plate portion 137... Engagement protrusion 138 · · Column part 139 Garter spring mounting groove 140 Cam 141 ... head 142 Outer circumferential engagement surface 143 Garter spring retaining groove 145... Legs 146... Inner circumference side engagement surface 147 ··· Support section 150 ··· Cage anti-rotation 151 Annular plate portion 152 ... Engagement recess 155 ... Peripheral wall part 156 Engagement claw portion 160 ... concentric retaining member 170 Operation mode switching mechanism 171 ... Switching member 172 End wall 173 Cam position change section 173a First group cam position change portion 173b Second group cam position change portion 173c to 173l: Cam position changing parts of the third group to the twelfth group 174 Cam pressing surface 175 ... Peripheral wall part 176 ··· Tapered section 180 ··· Control board 181 .... Tooth part 181a 1st tooth part 181b 2nd tooth 181c... 3rd tooth 182 · · Slope 185 · · Mover 186 Cam pressing member α Reference cam position change section β ··· One side cam position change part γ: Other side cam position change part L...Reference line O Rotation axis P... Pocket

Claims

1. A cam clutch comprising an inner ring and an outer ring that are relatively rotatable on the same rotation shaft, a plurality of cams arranged in a circumferential direction between the inner ring and the outer ring, and a biasing means that biases each of the plurality of cams so as to contact the inner ring and the outer ring, An operation mode switching mechanism for switching the operation mode of the cam clutch is provided, the operation mode switching mechanism has a cam attitude changing unit that is movable so as to forcibly rotate the cam independently of the rotational movements of the inner ring and the outer ring, The cam attitude change portion is arranged corresponding to each of the plurality of cams, and includes a cam clutch having a different relative positional relationship with respect to the cam so that at least one of the plurality of cams rotates at a different timing than the other cams.

2. 2. The cam clutch according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of cams are arranged at equal intervals in the circumferential direction.

3. 3. The cam clutch according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of cam position-changing portions are divided into a plurality of groups, with each group being a cam position-changing portion that has the same relative positional relationship with the cam so as to rotate the cam at the same timing.

4. The operation mode switching mechanism is configured to move the cam attitude changing portion in a circumferential direction, 4. The cam clutch according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of cam attitude change portions have an arrangement pattern configured to include an arrangement portion in which, when one cam attitude change portion is a reference cam attitude change portion and a line segment connecting the position of the reference cam attitude change portion and the rotating shaft is taken as a reference line, an arrangement angle of a line segment connecting the position of a one-side cam attitude change portion adjacent to one circumferential side of the reference cam attitude change portion and the rotating shaft relative to the reference line is different from an arrangement angle of a line segment connecting the position of an other-side cam attitude change portion adjacent to the other circumferential side of the reference cam attitude change portion and the rotating shaft relative to the reference line.

5. The arrangement pattern of the cam position change parts is such that two adjacent cam position change parts are arranged at a first arrangement angle θ 1 The arrangement part and the adjacent two cam position change parts are arranged at a second arrangement angle θ 2 5. The cam clutch according to claim 4, wherein the arrangement portions are arranged alternately with the arrangement portions arranged in a straight line.

6. The arrangement pattern of the cam position change parts is such that some of the cam position change parts are arranged at a first arrangement angle θ 1 The arrangement parts that are continuously arranged in the second arrangement angle θ 2 5. The cam clutch according to claim 4, further comprising an arrangement portion in which the first and second cams are arranged in succession.

7. 5. The cam clutch according to claim 4, wherein the arrangement pattern of the cam position changers is configured such that the arrangement angles of two adjacent cam position changers are different from each other.

8. the operation mode switching mechanism is configured to move the plurality of cam attitude changing units in the axial direction between a position on one end side of the axial direction where the cam attitude changing units do not come into contact with the cams and a position on the other end side of the axial direction where all of the cams can be rotated, Each of the plurality of cam attitude changing portions has a tapered portion formed such that a side surface on a corresponding cam side at a tip portion thereof becomes narrower toward the other axial end side, 4. The cam clutch according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of cam position-changing portions have an arrangement pattern configured to include an arrangement portion in which two cam position-changing portions having different axial separation distances, which are distances from the cam to the narrowest position in the tapered portion, are arranged adjacent to each other.

9. 9. The cam clutch according to claim 8, characterized in that the arrangement pattern of the cam position-changing parts is configured so that cam position-changing parts belonging to a first group, whose axial separation distance from the cam is a first axial separation distance d1, and cam position-changing parts belonging to a second group, whose axial separation distance from the cam is a second axial separation distance d2, are arranged alternately.

10. The cam clutch according to claim 8, characterized in that the arrangement pattern of the cam position change parts is configured to include an arrangement portion in which cam position change parts belonging to a first group, whose axial separation distance from the cam is a first axial separation distance d1, are arranged in succession, and an arrangement portion in which cam position change parts belonging to a second group, whose axial separation distance from the cam is a second axial separation distance d2, are arranged in succession.

11. 9. The cam clutch according to claim 8, wherein the arrangement pattern of the plurality of cam position change portions is configured so that the cam position change portions are arranged with mutually different axial distances from the cam.

12. The operation mode switching mechanism is configured to move the plurality of cam attitude change units in a radial direction, the operation mode switching mechanism includes a control plate having a plurality of teeth formed on a circumferential surface of a rotatable disk-shaped base portion, and each of the plurality of teeth is configured such that a distance from a rotation axis to the circumferential surface gradually increases; each of the plurality of cam attitude change units includes a movable element that is moved in a radial direction by rotating the control plate, and a cam pressing member that is fixed to the movable element and extends in an axial direction; 4. The cam clutch according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of cam position-changing portions have an arrangement pattern configured to include an arrangement portion in which two cam position-changing portions, in which a radial separation distance between a contact point of the cam pressing member with respect to the cam and a contact point of the movable piece with respect to the control plate is different from each other, are arranged adjacent to each other.

13. 13. The cam clutch according to claim 12, wherein an arrangement pattern of the plurality of cam position-changing parts is configured such that a first group of cam position-changing parts in which a radial separation distance between a contact point of the cam pressing member with respect to the cam and a contact point of the movable piece with respect to the control plate is a first radial separation distance, and a second group of cam position-changing parts in which the radial separation distance is a second radial separation distance are arranged alternately.

14. 13. The cam clutch according to claim 12, wherein the arrangement pattern of the plurality of cam attitude-changing parts is configured to include an arrangement portion in which cam attitude-changing parts belonging to a first group, in which a radial separation distance between a contact point of the cam pressing member with respect to the cam and a contact point of the movable piece with respect to the control plate is a first radial separation distance, are arranged consecutively, and an arrangement portion in which cam attitude-changing parts belonging to a second group, in which the radial separation distance is a second radial separation distance, are arranged consecutively.

15. 13. The cam clutch according to claim 12, wherein the arrangement pattern of the plurality of cam attitude-changing parts is configured so that the cam attitude-changing parts are arranged in such a manner that the radial separation distances between the contact point of the cam pressing member with the cam and the contact point of the movable piece with the control plate are different from each other.

16. 16. The cam clutch according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of cams include a first cam and a second cam that mesh with the inner ring and the outer ring in mutually different directions.

Images