Cam clutch

Abstract

To provide a cam clutch for enabling smooth operation including operational mode switching operation in a simple construction while preventing biting of a cam, thus actualizing a higher function and a smaller size.SOLUTION: A cam clutch 100 with a plurality of cams including a first cam 130a and a second cam 130b having mutually different engaging directions includes an operational mode switching mechanism 150 for switching an operational mode of the cam clutch 100, and a switching action mechanism 140, the operational mode switching mechanism 150 including an outer ring side cage ring 160, an inner ring side cage ring 170, and a position restriction cage ring 180, the switching action mechanism 140 having an outer ring side guide 141, an inner ring side guide 142, and a rotary ring 143 movable in a peripheral direction relative to the outer ring side guide 141 and the inner ring side guide 142 for controlling axial positions of the outer ring side cage ring 160 and the inner ring side cage ring 170.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a cam clutch configured to be able to switch operating modes.

Background Art

[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. For example, in Patent Document 1, a retainer that holds both a first sprag and a second sprag biased by biasing means so that the rotation lock direction is reversed is controlled to allow rotation in both the forward and reverse directions, a one-way lock mode that allows rotation only in the forward direction and prohibits rotation in the reverse direction, and a one-way lock mode that allows rotation only in the reverse direction and prohibits rotation in the forward direction. A clutch is described that is configured to be able to switch between three operating modes.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, in the above two-way clutch, when changing the operating mode, by controlling the retainer, all of the first sprag and the second sprag are forcibly tilted. Therefore, it is not possible to realize a two-way lock mode that prohibits relative rotation in both the forward and reverse directions of the outer ring and the inner ring.

[0005] Furthermore, in the two-way clutch described above, the first and second sprags are biased to contact the outer and inner rings. When torque is applied to the outer or inner ring, one sprag tilts to immediately engage with the outer and inner rings, while the other sprag continues to slide and contact the outer and inner rings, maintaining a state of readiness for engagement. When the torque is released, one sprag tilts in the disengagement direction and enters a free-spinning state. However, before the engagement of one sprag is released, the other sprag may tilt in the engagement direction and begin to engage with the outer and inner rings, potentially causing all cams to engage simultaneously in a state of "meshing." In this condition, all sprags engage with high surface pressure, so when switching the clutch's operating mode from a locked mode, which prohibits relative rotational movement of the outer and inner rings in either forward or reverse direction, to a free mode, which allows relative rotational movement of the outer and inner rings in both directions, a large force is required to change the position of the sprags. This can damage the engagement surfaces of the sprags with the outer and inner rings, as well as the raceway surfaces of the outer and inner rings, potentially shortening the clutch's lifespan. Furthermore, there is the problem that the attitude-changing members used to change the attitude of the sprag require high rigidity.

[0006] Furthermore, the shape of the cam as an engaging element in a cam clutch is generally an arc shape on its side. With such an outer circumferential contour shape, there is a problem in that it is difficult to increase the rolling distance of the cam due to the relationship between the contact position of the cam and the retainer which functions as a means of changing the cam's orientation.

[0007] The present invention was made based on the above circumstances, and aims to provide a cam clutch with a simple structure that prevents cam jamming, enables smooth operation including switching of operating modes, and achieves high functionality and miniaturization. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The present invention relates to a cam clutch comprising an outer ring and an inner ring rotatably mounted relative to each other on the same axis of rotation, and a plurality of cams arranged circumferentially between the outer ring and the inner ring, wherein the plurality of cams include a first cam and a second cam whose meshing directions with respect to the outer ring and the inner ring are different from each other, and further comprises an operating mode switching mechanism for switching the operating mode of the cam clutch, and a switching operating mechanism for operating the operating mode switching mechanism, wherein the operating mode switching mechanism includes an outer ring side cage ring that is axially movable independently of the rotational movement of the outer ring and the inner ring and configured to change the orientation of the first cam, and a front The problem is solved by comprising an inner ring cage ring configured to change the orientation of the second cam, a position-restricting cage ring provided between the outer ring cage ring and the inner ring cage ring to restrict the degree of freedom of circumferential movement of the outer ring cage ring and the inner ring cage ring, and the switching operation mechanism having an outer ring guide that defines the axial position of the outer ring cage ring, an inner ring guide whose relative position is fixed to the outer ring guide and defines the axial position of the inner ring cage ring, and a rotating ring that is movable relative to the outer ring guide and the inner ring guide in the circumferential direction and operates the axial positions of the outer ring cage ring and the inner ring cage ring. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the invention of claim 1, the outer ring cage ring is provided with a first cam attitude control function and the inner ring cage ring is provided with a second cam attitude control function. Furthermore, by restricting the degree of freedom of circumferential movement of the outer ring cage ring and the inner ring cage ring with a position-regulating cage ring, the cam can be tilted and the changed cam attitude can be maintained simply by moving one or both of the outer ring cage ring and the inner ring cage ring in the axial direction. Therefore, it is possible to configure the cam clutch with a simple configuration that has high functionality and can handle four operating modes. Furthermore, by restricting the degree of freedom of movement of the outer ring cage ring and the inner ring cage ring in the circumferential direction, jamming of the first cam and the second cam together with the outer ring and inner ring when the cam's orientation changes is avoided, enabling smooth operation and high responsiveness. Furthermore, the switching mechanism that operates the operating mode switching mechanism has a rotating ring that is relatively movable in the circumferential direction with respect to the outer ring guide and the inner ring guide, and which operates the axial position of the outer ring cage ring and the inner ring cage ring. Therefore, by simply rotating the rotating ring, the axial position of the outer ring cage ring and the inner ring cage ring can be changed along the outer ring guide and the inner ring guide, respectively, making it even easier to support the four operating modes of the cam clutch. Furthermore, compared to a case where the outer ring cage ring and the inner ring cage ring are operated by cylinders that move axially, this method allows for significant space savings, particularly in the axial direction.

[0010] According to the invention of claim 2, the outer ring side guide is configured to be able to receive and slide the outer ring side protruding member and has an outer ring side advancing guide portion, an outer ring side retracting guide portion, and an outer ring side inclined guide portion, and the inner ring side guide is configured to be able to receive and slide the inner ring side protruding member and has an inner ring side advancing guide portion, an inner ring side retracting guide portion, and an inner ring side inclined guide portion. Therefore, by sliding the outer ring side protruding member and the inner ring side protruding member along the outer ring side guide and the inner ring side guide, respectively, the outer ring side cage ring and the inner ring side cage ring can be easily moved in the axial direction. This allows the cam clutch to be reliably held in each of the four operating modes simply by rotating the rotating ring to a predetermined position, by setting the axial positions of the outer ring side advance guide portion and outer ring side retraction guide portion, and the inner ring side advance guide portion and inner ring side retraction guide portion to the desired attitude holding positions of the first cam and the second cam, respectively. According to the invention of claim 3, the rotating ring has an outer ring side cylindrical wall and an inner ring side cylindrical wall formed between the outer ring side cage ring and the outer ring side guide and between the inner ring side cage ring and the inner ring side guide, an outer ring side sliding hole penetrating the outer ring side cylindrical wall and an inner ring side sliding hole penetrating the inner ring side cylindrical wall, the outer ring side sliding hole is formed to allow the outer ring side protruding member to pass through and communicate with the outer ring side guide, and the inner ring side sliding hole is formed to allow the inner ring side protruding member to pass through and communicate with the inner ring side guide, so that the axial lengths of the outer ring side sliding hole and the inner ring side sliding hole are set to the length from the outer ring side advancing guide portion to the outer ring side retraction guide portion and the length from the inner ring side advancing guide portion to the inner ring side retraction guide portion, respectively, the outer ring side protruding member and the inner ring side protruding member can move axially along the outer ring side guide and the inner ring side guide in conjunction with the rotation of the rotating ring.

[0011] According to the invention of claim 4, since the outer ring side advance guide portion and the outer ring side retraction guide portion, and the inner ring side advance guide portion and the inner ring side retraction guide portion are each arranged at the same position in the circumferential direction at least at one location, for example, by arranging the outer ring side protruding member and the inner ring side protruding member in the same direction in the circumferential direction, the outer ring side cage ring and the inner ring side cage ring can be easily switched between four combinations by rotating the rotating ring: the position where they are moved to the outer ring side advance guide portion and the inner ring side advance guide portion, the position where they are moved to the outer ring side retraction guide portion and the inner ring side advance guide portion, and the position where they are moved to the outer ring side retraction guide portion and the inner ring side retraction guide portion. This allows the cam's orientation, which is switched by the axial position of the outer ring cage ring and the inner ring cage ring, to be maintained in combinations that correspond to four operating modes. According to the invention of claim 5, by changing the opening shape of the first cam holding portion and the second cam holding portion of the outer ring side cage ring and the inner ring side cage ring, respectively, which serve as the operating mode switching mechanism, only one of the first cam and the second cam can be tilted. In other words, by integrating a mechanism for changing the cam's position into both the outer ring cage ring and the inner ring cage ring, it is possible to simplify the structure, miniaturize it, reduce the number of parts, and increase the holding torque. Furthermore, by making the opening shapes of the first cam retaining portion in the outer ring cage ring and the second cam retaining portion in the inner ring cage ring different from simple rectangles, and by having an opening width variation portion where the opening width changes continuously, slight jamming caused by manufacturing errors can be released with a small thrust. Furthermore, by appropriately changing the opening shapes of the first and second cam retaining portions of the outer ring cage ring and the inner ring cage ring, it becomes possible to realize a greater number of operating modes and their switching.

[0012] According to the invention of claim 6, it is possible to restrict the degree of freedom of circumferential movement of the outer ring cage ring and the inner ring cage ring with a simple configuration. According to the invention of claim 7, when the outer ring side cage ring is in a position where the first cam is engaged with the outer ring and inner ring, the outer projection of the position-regulating cage ring becomes movable in the circumferential direction, thereby obtaining an appropriate degree of freedom for the outer ring side cage ring relative to the position-regulating cage ring. Furthermore, when the inner ring side cage ring is in a position where the second cam is engaged with the outer ring and inner ring, the inner projection of the position-regulating cage ring becomes movable in the circumferential direction, thereby obtaining an appropriate degree of freedom for the inner ring side cage ring relative to the position-regulating cage ring. Thus, it is possible to achieve an appropriate engagement state of the first cam and the second cam with respect to the outer ring and inner ring.

[0013] According to the invention of claim 8, by adding an axial holding function for the cam to the outer ring, the desired function of the cam clutch can be reliably obtained without increasing the number of parts. According to the invention of claim 9, it is possible to maintain a high degree of interlocking between the outer ring cage ring and the inner ring cage ring while giving a large rotation angle to a small cam. This makes it possible to reduce the size of the cam and thus the cam clutch, as well as to tilt the cam with a small torque, thereby suppressing the engagement torque.

[0014] According to the invention of claim 10, the contact position between the cam and the outer ring side cage ring and the inner ring side cage ring can be easily adjusted, and the range of motion of the cam can be expanded while improving the interlocking with the cage rings. According to the invention of claim 11, the axial positions of the first rotating member and the second rotating member can be changed simply by rotating the rotating ring. Furthermore, compared to the case where the first and second rotating members are operated by cylinders that move in the axial direction, this method allows for significant space savings, particularly in the axial direction.

[0015] According to the invention of claim 12, the first guide is configured to be able to receive and manually operate the first protruding member and has a first advance guide portion, a first retraction guide portion, and a first inclined guide portion, and the second guide is configured to be able to receive and slidably operate the second protruding member and has a second advance guide portion, a second retraction guide portion, and a second inclined guide portion. Therefore, by sliding the first protruding member and the second protruding member along the first guide and the second guide, respectively, the first rotating member and the second rotating member can be easily moved along the axial direction. According to the invention according to claim 13, the rotating ring has a first cylindrical wall and a second cylindrical wall formed between the first rotating member and the first guide and between the second rotating member and the second guide, a first sliding hole penetrating the first cylindrical wall, and a second sliding hole penetrating the second cylindrical wall. The first sliding hole is formed so as to be able to pass through the first protruding member and communicate with the first guide, and the second sliding hole is formed so as to be able to pass through the second protruding member and communicate with the second guide. Therefore, by forming the axial lengths of the first sliding hole and the second sliding hole to be the lengths from the first advancing guide portion to the first retreating guide portion and the length from the second advancing guide portion to the second retreating guide portion, respectively, the first protruding member and the second protruding member can move axially along the first guide and the second guide in conjunction with the rotation of the rotating ring.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0016] [Figure 1] It is a perspective view seen from the front side in the axial direction showing a configuration example of the cam clutch of the present invention. [Figure 2] It is a perspective view seen from the front side in the axial direction showing a configuration example of the present invention excluding the switching operation mechanism of the cam clutch. [Figure 3] It is a cross-sectional perspective view cut along a plane including the rotation axis of the cam clutch shown in FIG. 1. [Figure 4] It is an axial cross-sectional view showing a part of a cross-section cut along a plane including the rotation axis of the cam clutch shown in FIG. 1. [Figure 5] It is a radial cross-sectional view seen from the rear side in the axial direction cut along a plane orthogonal to the rotation axis of the cam clutch shown in FIG. 1. [Figure 6] It is a plan view showing the configuration of the cam. [Figure 7] It is a perspective view showing the outer ring side guide portion and the inner ring side guide in the cam clutch shown in FIG. 1. [Figure 8] It is a perspective view showing the rotating ring in the cam clutch shown in FIG. 1. [Figure 9] It is a perspective view seen from the front side in the axial direction showing the configuration of the outer ring side cage ring. [Figure 10]Figure 9 is a partially unfolded view of the outer ring side cage ring. [Figure 11] This is a perspective view from the axial front side, showing the configuration of the inner ring cage ring. [Figure 12] Figure 11 is a partially unfolded view of the inner ring side cage ring. [Figure 13] This is a perspective view from the axial front side, showing the configuration of the position-regulating cage ring. [Figure 14] Figure 13 is a partially unfolded view of the position-regulating cage ring. [Figure 15] Figure 7 is a top view, seen from the axial front side, showing the outer ring guide and inner ring guide. [Figure 16] Figure 1 is a side view showing the switching operation of the cam clutch from the forward rotation lock mode to the bidirectional free mode. [Figure 17] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating the switching operation of the cam clutch from the forward rotation lock mode to the bidirectional free mode. [Figure 18] Figure 1 is a side view showing the switching operation of the cam clutch from the forward-rotation lock mode to the bidirectional lock mode. [Figure 19] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating the switching operation of the cam clutch from the forward-rotation lock mode to the bidirectional lock mode. [Figure 20] Figure 1 is a side view showing the switching operation of the cam clutch from the forward rotation lock mode to the reverse rotation lock mode. [Figure 21] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating the switching operation of the cam clutch from the forward rotation lock mode to the reverse rotation lock mode. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0017] Embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 20.

[0018] As shown in Figures 1 to 5, the cam clutch 100 according to the present invention comprises an outer ring 110 and an inner ring 120 rotatably mounted on the same axis; a plurality of cams arranged at circumferential intervals in the annular space between the raceway surface 111 of the outer ring 110 and the raceway surface 121 of the inner ring 120 as engaging elements that transmit and interrupt torque between the outer ring 110 and the inner ring 120; an outer ring side cage ring 160 and an inner ring side cage ring 170 rotatably mounted on the same axis between the outer ring 110 and the inner ring 120 together with the outer ring 110 or the inner ring 120 and holding each of the plurality of cams; and a position-restricting cage ring 180 that restricts the degree of freedom of circumferential movement of the outer ring side cage ring 160 and the inner ring side cage ring 170. In Figure 4, C represents the axis of rotation. Furthermore, a rotating ring 143 is provided that allows the outer ring cage ring 160 and the inner ring cage ring 170 to rotate from the axial front side around the rotation axis C as the center of rotation, and a switching operation mechanism 140 is provided which has an outer ring guide 141 and an inner ring guide 142 that define the axial positions of the outer ring cage ring 160 and the inner ring cage ring 170, respectively.

[0019] The outer ring 110 is provided with a position restricting portion 115 that restricts the axial movement of each of the multiple cams. In this embodiment, the position restricting portion 115 is composed of inner rib portions 116 provided at each of the axial ends on the inner circumferential surface of the outer ring 110 so as to protrude radially inward along the entire circumference, and each of the multiple cams is positioned between the inner rib portions 116 so as to restrict the axial movement of each of the multiple cams.

[0020] Each of the multiple cams includes a first cam 130a and a second cam 130b, which have different meshing directions with respect to the outer ring 110 and the inner ring 120. In this embodiment, the first cam 130a and the second cam 130b have, for example, the same external shape, and the second cam 130b is used by flipping the first cam 130a inside out.

[0021] The first cam 130a and the second cam 130b are arranged, for example, alternately at equal intervals in the circumferential direction. The arrangement of the first cam 130a and the second cam 130b is not particularly limited. The first cam 130a and the second cam 130b do not have to be arranged alternately in the circumferential direction, and the number of first cams 130a and the number of second cams 130b may be different.

[0022] The meshing direction of the first cam 130a is clockwise in Figure 5 (hereinafter referred to as the "forward rotation direction"), and the first cam 130a is configured to mesh with the outer ring 110 and the inner ring 120 when the outer ring 110 is rotated in the forward rotation direction, or when the inner ring 120 is rotated counterclockwise in Figure 5 (hereinafter referred to as the "reverse rotation direction"). The meshing direction of the second cam 130b is the reverse direction, and the second cam 130b is configured to mesh with the outer ring 110 and the inner ring 120 when the outer ring 110 is rotated in the reverse direction, or when the inner ring 110 is rotated in the forward direction.

[0023] The first cam 130a and the second cam 130b have an outer contour shape that includes a curved portion along an involute curve in an axial plan view. Figure 6 shows an example configuration of the first cam 130a. In Figure 6, the filled-in arrows indicate the engagement direction of the first cam 130a, and the open-circle arrows indicate the disengagement direction of the first cam 130a. As mentioned above, the second cam 130b is the first cam 130a inverted and has the same shape as the first cam 130a, so its explanation is omitted.

[0024] This first cam 130a has a constricted portion 131 in the radial center and is configured to have a roughly gourd-like shape. The head portion 132 of the first cam 130a, which is radially outward from the constricted portion 131, has an outer ring side engagement surface 133. Both sides 134a and 134b, which are smoothly continuous with the outer ring side engagement surface 133 and in contact with the outer ring side cage ring 160, are made of curved surfaces configured such that the width dimension of the head portion 132 remains constant regardless of the orientation of the first cam 130a. Specifically, the two sides 134a and 134b of the head portion 132 are composed of curves that follow an involute curve having a common base circle, as viewed in an axial plan view. Furthermore, the leg portion 135 on the radially inward side of the constricted portion 131 of the first cam 130a has an inner ring side engagement surface 136, and both sides 137a and 137b that smoothly continue from the inner ring side engagement surface 136 and contact the inner ring side cage ring 170 are composed of curved surfaces configured such that the width dimension of the leg portion 135 remains constant regardless of the orientation of the first cam 130a. Specifically, the two sides 137a and 137b of the leg portion 135 are composed of curves that follow an involute curve having a common base circle, as viewed in an axial plan view. Because the first cam 130a and the second cam 130b have such an outer circumferential contour shape, it is possible to give a large rotation angle to a small cam while maintaining high interlocking with the outer ring cage ring 160 and the inner ring cage ring 170. As a result, the cam size can be reduced and the cam clutch 100 can be made smaller, and the cam can be tilted with a small torque, so the engagement torque can be suppressed to a small amount. Furthermore, biasing members may be provided to bias the first cam 130a and the second cam 130b in the direction of meshing with the outer ring 110 and the inner ring 120.

[0025] The switching mechanism 140 operates the operating mode switching mechanism 150, which will be described later. As shown in Figures 7 and 8, it consists of a rotating ring 143 that can rotate independently and relative to the outer ring 110 and the inner ring 120, and rotates the outer ring side protruding member 169 and the inner ring side protruding member 179, which will be described later, and an outer ring side guide 141 and an inner ring side guide 142 that can rotate relative to the rotating ring 143. The rotating ring 143 has an outer ring side cylindrical wall 144 that extends axially and is interposed between the outer ring side cage ring 160 and the outer ring side guide 141, an inner ring side cylindrical wall 146 that extends axially and is interposed between the inner ring side cage ring 170 and the inner ring side guide 142, and a connecting portion 148 that connects the outer ring side cylindrical wall 144 and the inner ring side cylindrical wall 146. Furthermore, the outer ring side cylindrical wall 144 is provided with an outer ring side sliding hole 145 that allows the outer ring side protruding member 169 (described later) to pass through and communicates with the outer ring side guide 141, and the inner ring side cylindrical wall 146 is provided with an inner ring side sliding hole 147 that allows the inner ring side protruding member 179 (described later) to pass through and communicates with the inner ring side guide 142.

[0026] The outer ring side guide 141 is configured to be able to receive and slide the outer ring side protruding member 169, and has an outer ring side advancing guide portion 141a that holds the outer ring side cage ring 160 in a position that has advanced axially toward the outer ring 110 via the outer ring side protruding member 169, an outer ring side retracting guide portion 141b that holds the outer ring side cage ring 160 in a position that has retracted axially from the outer ring 110, and an outer ring side inclined guide portion 141c that connects the outer ring side advancing guide portion 141a and the outer ring side retracting guide portion 141b, and moves the outer ring side cage ring 160 axially forward and backward as the outer ring side cage ring 160 rotates. Furthermore, the inner ring side guide 142 is configured to be able to receive and slide the inner ring side protruding member 179, and has an inner ring side advancing guide portion 142a that holds the inner ring side cage ring 170 in a position that has advanced axially toward the inner ring 120 via the inner ring side protruding member 179, an inner ring side retracting guide portion 142b that holds the inner ring side cage ring 170 in a position that has retracted axially from the inner ring 120, and an inner ring side inclined guide portion 142c that connects the inner ring side advancing guide portion 142a and the inner ring side retracting guide portion 142b, and moves the inner ring side cage ring 170 axially forward and backward as the inner ring side cage ring 170 rotates.

[0027] The outer ring guide 141 and the inner ring guide 142 are fixed in relative positions, and the outer ring advancing guide portion 141a and outer ring retracting guide portion 141b, and the inner ring advancing guide portion 142a and inner ring retracting guide portion 142b are arranged such that each combination has a portion that is oriented in the same direction in the circumferential direction around the rotation axis C. This allows the outer ring side protruding member 169 and the inner ring side protruding member 179, described later, to maintain the same orientation in the circumferential direction around the rotation axis C while the rotating ring 143 is rotated, thereby moving the outer ring side cage ring 160 and the inner ring side cage ring 170 forward and backward in the axial direction, and fixing them in one of the operating modes described later. Furthermore, the outer ring-side inclined guide 141c and the inner ring-side inclined guide 142c are not positioned in the same circumferential direction around the rotation axis C.

[0028] In this embodiment, the cam clutch 100 can be switched between four operating modes by an operating mode switching mechanism 150: a forward-direction lock mode that prohibits relative rotation of the outer ring 110 and inner ring 120 in the forward direction; a reverse-direction lock mode that prohibits relative rotation of the outer ring 110 and inner ring 120 in the reverse direction; a bidirectional lock mode that prohibits relative rotation of the outer ring 110 and inner ring 120 in both the forward and reverse directions; and a bidirectional free mode that allows relative rotation of the outer ring 110 and inner ring 120 in both the forward and reverse directions.

[0029] In this embodiment, the operating mode switching mechanism 150 is composed of an outer ring cage ring 160, an inner ring cage ring 170, and a position-regulating cage ring 180.

[0030] As shown in Figures 9 and 10, the outer ring cage ring 160 includes a cylindrical main body portion 161 that extends in the axial direction. The main body 161 is provided with a first cam holding portion 162 that receives the head portion 132 of the first cam 130a and holds the first cam 130a, and a second cam holding portion 165 that receives the head portion of the second cam 130b and holds the second cam 130b, arranged alternately in the circumferential direction. Furthermore, the outer ring side cage ring 160 is provided with an outer ring side flange 161a and an outer ring side protruding member 169 that is slidably connected to the outer ring side flange 161a in the circumferential direction and protrudes radially outward.

[0031] The first cam holding portion 162 of the outer ring side cage ring 160 is configured to have an opening width variable portion in which the opening width changes continuously in the axial direction. Specifically, the first cam holding portion 162 includes a guide space portion 163a configured to have a constant opening width in the axial direction, a first posture fixing space portion 163b configured to have a smaller opening width than the guide space portion 163a and continuous with the axial forward side (upward side in Figure 10) of the guide space portion 163a, and a second posture fixing space portion 163c configured to have a smaller opening width than the guide space portion 163a and continuous with the axial rear side (downward side in Figure 10) of the guide space portion 163a. The first posture-fixing space 163b is continuous with the guide space 163a via a first opening width variation section 164a, which is formed so that the opening width continuously decreases as the axial direction moves forward. The second posture-fixing space 163c is continuous with the guide space 163a via a second opening width variation section 164b, which is formed so that the opening width continuously decreases as the axial direction moves backward. The first opening width variation portion 164a is configured such that the opening edge on the side of the first cam 130a in the disengagement direction (left direction in Figure 10) protrudes inward, and the second opening width variation portion 164b is configured such that the opening edge on the side of the first cam 130a in the engagement direction (right direction in Figure 10) protrudes inward. The second cam holding portion 165 of the outer ring cage ring 160 is rectangular in shape and is configured to have a constant opening width in the axial direction.

[0032] The outer ring cage ring 160 is provided to be movable in the axial direction independently of the rotational movement of the outer ring 110 and the inner ring 120. This makes it possible to tilt the first cam 130a and change its position while maintaining the position of the second cam 130b. Thus, the first cam holding portion 162 of the outer ring cage ring 160 is not a simple rectangular opening, but rather an irregularly shaped opening window whose opening width narrows at both axial ends. This makes it possible to release slight jamming caused by manufacturing errors with a small thrust, and by appropriately changing the opening shape of the first cam holding portion 162, it is possible to realize a wider range of operating modes and their switching.

[0033] On the inner surface of the main body portion 161 of the outer ring side cage ring 160, an inner groove portion 166 extending in the axial direction is formed between the first cam holding portion 162 and the second cam holding portion 165 which is adjacent to the first cam holding portion 162 in the meshing direction of the first cam 130a. The inner groove portion 166 has a guide groove portion 167 that extends in a straight line from the axial rear end edge to the axial front end edge of the main body portion 161, and a slide groove portion 168 that is continuous with the axial front end of the guide groove portion 167. The slide groove 168 is formed to extend in the circumferential direction in the direction of engagement with the first cam 130a, and is configured to allow circumferential movement of the outer projection 185 of the position-regulating cage ring 180, which will be described later, when the outer ring side cage ring 160 is in a position where it is engaged with the first cam 130a.

[0034] As shown in Figures 11 and 12, the inner ring cage ring 170 includes a cylindrical body portion 171 that extends in the axial direction. The main body 171 is provided with a first cam holding portion 172 that receives the leg portion 135 of the first cam 130a and holds the first cam 130a, and a second cam holding portion 173 that receives the leg portion of the second cam 130b and holds the second cam 130b, arranged alternately in the circumferential direction. Furthermore, the inner ring cage ring 170 is provided with an inner ring flange 171a at its axially forward end and an inner ring projection member 179 that is slidably connected to the inner ring flange 171a in the circumferential direction and protrudes radially outward.

[0035] The first cam holding portion 172 of the inner ring cage ring 170 is rectangular in shape and is configured such that the opening width is constant in the axial direction. The second cam holding portion 173 of the inner ring cage ring 170 is configured to have an opening width variation portion in which the opening width changes continuously in the axial direction. Specifically, the second cam holding portion 173 includes a guide space portion 174a configured to have a constant opening width in the axial direction, a first posture fixing space portion 174b configured to have a smaller opening width than the guide space portion 174a and continuous with the axial forward side (upward side in Figure 12) of the guide space portion 174a, and a second posture fixing space portion 174c configured to have a smaller opening width than the guide space portion 174a and continuous with the axial rear side (downward side in Figure 12) of the guide space portion 174a. The first posture-fixing space 174b is continuous with the guide space 174a via a first opening width variation section 175a, which is formed so that the opening width continuously decreases as the axial direction moves forward. The second posture-fixing space 174c is continuous with the guide space 174a via a second opening width variation section 175b, which is formed so that the opening width continuously decreases as the axial direction moves backward. The first opening width variation portion 175a is configured such that the opening edge on the side of the second cam 130b in the disengagement direction (to the right in Figure 12) protrudes inward, and the second opening width variation portion 175b is configured such that the opening edge on the side of the second cam 130b in the engagement direction (to the left in Figure 12) protrudes inward.

[0036] The inner ring cage ring 170 is provided to be movable in the axial direction independently of the rotational movement of the outer ring 110 and the inner ring 120. This makes it possible to tilt the second cam 130b and change its position while maintaining the position of the first cam 130a. Thus, the second cam holding portion 173 of the inner ring cage ring 170 is not a simple rectangular opening, but rather an irregularly shaped opening window with a narrower opening width at both axial ends. This makes it possible to release slight jamming caused by manufacturing errors with a small thrust, and by appropriately changing the opening shape of the second cam holding portion 173, it is possible to realize a wider range of operating modes and their switching.

[0037] On the outer surface of the main body portion 171 of the inner ring cage ring 170, an outer groove portion 176 extending in the axial direction is formed between the second cam holding portion 173 and the first cam holding portion 172 adjacent to the second cam holding portion 173 in the direction of disengaging the second cam 130b. The outer groove portion 176 has a guide groove portion 177 that extends linearly from the axial front end edge to the axial rear end edge of the main body portion 171, and a slide groove portion 178 that is continuous with the axial rear end of the guide groove portion 177. The slide groove 178 is formed to extend in the circumferential direction in the direction of engagement with the second cam 130b, and is configured to allow circumferential movement of the inner projection 186 of the position-regulating cage ring 180, which will be described later, when the inner ring side cage ring 170 is in a position where it is engaged with the second cam 130b.

[0038] In this embodiment, the outer ring side protruding member 169 and the inner ring side protruding member 179 are provided one each on the outer ring side cage ring 160 and the inner ring side cage ring 170, but multiple members may be provided for each, and can be appropriately selected according to the shape of the outer ring side guide 141 and the inner ring side guide 142, the outer ring side sliding hole 145 and the inner ring side sliding hole 147.

[0039] Thus, the operating mode switching mechanism 150 of the cam clutch 100 in this embodiment is configured to include a position-restricting cage ring 180 that restricts the degree of freedom of circumferential movement of the outer ring side cage ring 180 and the inner ring side cage ring 170, as described above. As a result, the degrees of freedom of circumferential movement of the outer ring cage ring 160 and the inner ring cage ring 170 relative to the position-regulating cage ring 180 can be adjusted to an appropriate degree of freedom according to each operating mode, making it possible to maintain the first cam 130a and the second cam 130b in the correct position.

[0040] As shown in Figures 13 and 14, the position-regulating cage ring 180 consists of a pair of annular portions 181 extending parallel to each other in the circumferential direction, and a plurality of connecting portions 182 that connect the annular portions 181 axially at predetermined intervals. The space between adjacent connecting portions 182 forms pocket portions 183 capable of accommodating one first cam 130a and one second cam 130b, respectively. The pocket sections 183 are provided at equal intervals along the circumferential direction.

[0041] The position-regulating cage ring 180 has an outward projection 185 that protrudes radially outward from its axial front end and is slidably engaged with the inner groove 166 of the outer ring cage ring 160, and an inward projection 186 that protrudes radially inward from its axial rear end and is slidably engaged with the outer groove 176 of the inner ring cage ring 170.

[0042] The operation of the cam clutch 100 in this embodiment will be described below with reference to Figures 15 to 21. In this embodiment, the outer ring side projection member 169 of the outer ring side cage ring 160 is positioned to slide through the outer ring side sliding hole 145 and within the outer ring side guide 141, and the inner ring side projection member 179 of the inner ring side cage ring 170 is positioned to slide through the inner ring side sliding hole 147 and within the inner ring side guide 142. Therefore, by rotating the rotating ring 143, the outer ring side projection member 169 and the inner ring side projection member 179 can be rotated simultaneously by pushing them from the side through the outer ring side sliding hole 145 and the inner ring side sliding hole 147, respectively. Furthermore, the outer ring side protruding member 169 is slidably connected to the outer ring side flange 161a in the circumferential direction, and the inner ring side protruding member 179 is slidably connected to the inner ring side flange 171a in the circumferential direction. Since the outer ring side sliding hole 145 and the inner ring side sliding hole 147 are formed in the same circumferential direction when viewed from the rotation axis C, the outer ring side protruding member 169 and the inner ring side protruding member 179 also maintain the same circumferential direction. In other words, by rotating the rotating ring 143, the outer ring side protruding member 169 and the inner ring side protruding member 179 rotate relative to the outer ring side cage ring and the inner ring side cage ring in the circumferential direction while maintaining the same orientation in the circumferential direction, and slide within the outer ring side guide 141 and the inner ring side guide 142. As a result, the outer ring side cage ring 160 and the inner ring side cage ring can be easily switched to combinations of axial positions that enable each of the four operating modes.

[0043] First, as shown in Figure 15, when the outer ring side protruding member 169 is positioned at the outer ring side advance guide portion 141a1 and the inner ring side protruding member 179 is positioned at the inner ring side advance guide portion 142a1 (P1), that is, when both the outer ring side cage ring 160 and the inner ring side cage ring 170 are positioned axially rearward as shown in Figure 16(a), the first cam 130a maintains a meshing standby state so that when torque is applied to the outer ring 110 or the inner ring 120, the first cam 130a immediately begins to mesh with the outer ring 110 and the inner ring 120. On the other hand, the second cam 130b maintains a state in which the inner ring side engagement surface 136 is separated from the raceway surface 121 of the inner ring 120. Therefore, the cam clutch 100 is in a forward rotation lock mode, which prohibits relative rotation of the outer ring 110 and the inner ring 120 in the forward rotation direction.

[0044] From this state, for example, as shown in Figure 15, the rotating ring 143 is rotated so that the outer ring side protruding member 169 and the inner ring side protruding member 179 move from P1 to P2, that is, so that only the outer ring side protruding member 169 slides along the outer ring side inclined guide portion 141c1 while moving to the outer ring side retraction guide portion 141b1, and as shown in Figure 16(b), the outer ring side cage ring 160 is moved axially forward, and as shown in Figure 17(b), the head portion 132 of the first cam 130a is pressed by the action of the second opening width variation portion 164b in the first cam holding portion 162 of the outer ring side cage ring 160. In this case, the inner ring side protruding member 179 slides only within the inner ring side advance guide portion 142a1, so the inner ring side cage ring 170 does not move in the axial direction. As a result, the first cam 130a is tilted in the disengagement direction, and the position of the first cam 130a is maintained such that the inner ring side engagement surface 136 of the first cam 130a is separated from the raceway surface 121 of the inner ring 120. On the other hand, the second cam holding portion 165 in the outer ring cage ring 160 is formed in a rectangular shape with a constant opening width in the axial direction, and the circumferential degrees of freedom of the outer ring cage ring 160 and the inner ring cage ring 170 are restricted by the position-restricting cage ring 180. As a result, the position of the second cam 130b is maintained such that the inner ring engagement surface 136 is separated from the raceway surface 121 of the inner ring 120. This switches the operating mode of the cam clutch 100 from a forward-rotation lock mode to a bidirectional free mode that allows relative rotation of the outer ring 110 and inner ring 120 in both the forward and reverse directions. In Figures 16(a) and 16(b), for convenience, the raceway surface 111 of the outer ring 110 and the raceway surface 121 of the inner ring 120 are shown as parallel planes.

[0045] Conversely, when switching the operating mode of the cam clutch 100 from the bidirectional free mode to the forward rotation lock mode, as shown in Figure 15, the outer ring side protruding member 169 and the inner ring side protruding member 179 are moved from P2 to P1, that is, the rotating ring 143 is rotated so that only the outer ring side protruding member 169 slides along the outer ring side inclined guide 141c1 and is positioned at the outer ring side advance guide portion 141a1, thereby moving the outer ring side cage ring 160 to the axial rearward side. In this case, the inner ring side protruding member 179 slides only within the inner ring side advance guide portion 142a1, so the inner ring side cage ring 170 does not move in the axial direction. As a result, the head portion 132 of the first cam 130a is pressed by the action of the first opening width variable portion 164a in the first cam holding portion 162 of the outer ring cage ring 160, causing the first cam 130a to tilt in the meshing direction, and torque is applied to the outer ring 110 or inner ring 120, holding the first cam 130a in a meshing standby state so that meshing with the outer ring 110 and inner ring 120 can be started immediately. At this time, the inner groove portion 166 of the outer ring side cage ring 160 has a sliding groove portion 168, which allows the circumferential movement of the outer projection portion 185 of the position-regulating cage ring 180. Therefore, the degree of freedom of circumferential movement of the outer ring side cage ring 160 relative to the position-regulating cage ring 180 is properly adjusted, and the first cam 130a is held in the correct position. On the other hand, the position of the second cam 130b is maintained such that the inner ring side engagement surface 136 is separated from the raceway surface 121 of the inner ring 120, as described above. This switches the operating mode of the cam clutch 100 from bidirectional free mode to forward rotation lock mode.

[0046] Furthermore, when the operating mode of the cam clutch 100 is set to the forward rotation lock mode shown in Figures 18(a) and 19(a), as shown in Figure 15, the rotating ring 143 is rotated so that the outer ring side protruding member 169 and the inner ring side protruding member 179 move from P1 to P3, that is, so that only the inner ring side protruding member 179 slides along the inner ring side inclined guide portion 142c6 and is positioned at the inner ring side retraction guide portion 142b3, thereby moving the inner ring side cage ring 170 axially forward as shown in Figure 17(b). As a result, as shown in Figure 18(b), the leg portion 135 of the second cam 130b is pressed by the action of the second opening width variation portion 175b in the second cam holding portion 173 of the inner ring side cage ring 170. In this case, the outer ring side protruding member 169 slides only within the outer ring side advance guide portion 141a1, so the outer ring side cage ring 160 does not move in the axial direction. As a result, the second cam 130b is tilted in the meshing direction, and torque is applied to the outer ring 110 or inner ring 120, holding the second cam 130b in a meshing-waiting state so that meshing with the outer ring 110 and inner ring 120 can begin immediately. In this case, the outer groove portion 176 of the inner ring cage ring 170 has a sliding groove portion 178, which allows the circumferential movement of the inner projection portion 186 of the position-regulating cage ring 180. Therefore, the degree of freedom of circumferential movement of the inner ring cage ring 170 relative to the position-regulating cage ring 180 is properly adjusted, and the second cam 130b is held in the correct position. On the other hand, since the first cam holding portion 172 in the inner ring cage ring 170 is formed in a rectangular shape with a constant opening width in the axial direction, the position of the first cam 130a is held in a meshing standby state so that when torque is applied to the outer ring 110 or the inner ring 120, the first cam 130a immediately begins to mesh with the outer ring 110 and the inner ring 120. As a result, the operating mode of the cam clutch 100 is switched from the forward rotation lock mode to the bidirectional lock mode, which prohibits relative rotation of the outer ring 110 and inner ring 120 in both the forward and reverse directions.

[0047] Conversely, when switching the operating mode of the cam clutch 100 from the bidirectional lock mode to the forward rotation lock mode, as shown in Figure 15, the rotating ring 143 is rotated so that the outer ring side protruding member 169 and the inner ring side protruding member 179 are moved from P3 to P1, that is, so that only the inner ring side protruding member 179 slides along the inner ring side inclined guide portion 142c6 and is positioned at the inner ring side advancing guide portion 142a1, thereby moving the inner ring side cage ring 170 axially rearward. In this case, the outer ring side protruding member 169 slides only within the outer ring side advance guide portion 141a1, so the outer ring side cage ring 160 does not move in the axial direction. As a result, the leg portion 135 of the second cam 130b is pressed by the action of the first opening width variation portion 175a in the second cam holding portion 173 of the inner ring cage ring 170, causing the second cam 130b to tilt in the disengagement direction, and the posture of the second cam 130b is maintained such that the inner ring side engagement surface 136 of the second cam 130b is separated from the raceway surface 121 of the inner ring 120. On the other hand, as described above, the position of the first cam 130a is maintained in a meshing standby state so that when torque is applied to the outer ring 110 or the inner ring 120, the first cam 130a immediately begins to mesh with the outer ring 110 and the inner ring 120. This switches the operating mode of the cam clutch 100 from bidirectional lock mode to forward-rotation lock mode.

[0048] Furthermore, when the operating mode of the cam clutch 100 is set to the forward rotation lock mode shown in Figures 20(a) and 21(a), as shown in Figure 15, the rotating ring 143 is rotated so that the outer ring side protruding member 169 and the inner ring side protruding member 179 move from P1 to P4, that is, the outer ring side protruding member 169 and the inner ring side protruding member 179 slide along the outer ring side inclined guide 141c1 and the inner ring side inclined guide portion 142c1 respectively, and the outer ring side cage ring 160 and the inner ring side cage ring 170 are both moved axially forward as shown in Figure 19(b). Then, as shown in Figure 20(b), the head portion 132 of the first cam 130a is pressed by the action of the second opening width variation portion 164b in the first cam holding portion 162 of the outer ring side cage ring 160. As a result, the first cam 130a is tilted in the disengagement direction, and the position of the first cam 130a is maintained such that the inner ring side engagement surface 136 of the first cam 130a is separated from the raceway surface 121 of the inner ring 120. On the other hand, the leg portion 135 of the second cam 130b is pressed by the action of the second opening width variation portion 175b in the second cam holding portion 173 of the inner ring cage ring 170. As a result, the second cam 130b is tilted in the meshing direction, and torque is applied to the outer ring 110 or inner ring 120, holding the second cam 130b in a meshing-waiting state so that meshing with the outer ring 110 and inner ring 120 can begin immediately. At this time, as described above, the degree of freedom of movement of the inner ring cage ring 170 relative to the position-regulating cage ring 180 is appropriately adjusted, and the second cam 130b is held in the correct position. This switches the operating mode of the cam clutch 100 from the forward rotation lock mode to the reverse rotation lock mode, which prohibits relative rotation of the outer ring 110 and the inner ring 120 in the reverse direction.

[0049] Conversely, when switching the operating mode of the cam clutch 100 from the reverse direction lock mode to the forward direction lock mode, as shown in Figure 15, the outer ring side protruding member 169 and the inner ring side protruding member 179 are moved from P4 to P1, that is, the rotating ring 143 is rotated so that the outer ring side protruding member 169 and the inner ring side protruding member 179 slide along the outer ring side inclined guide portion 141c1 and the inner ring side inclined guide portion 142c1 respectively, and the outer ring side cage ring 160 and the inner ring side cage ring 170 are both moved axially rearward. As a result, the head portion 132 of the first cam 130a is pressed by the action of the first opening width variable portion 164a in the first cam holding portion 162 of the outer ring cage ring 160, causing the first cam 130a to tilt in the meshing direction, and torque is applied to the outer ring 110 or inner ring 120, holding the first cam 130a in a meshing standby state so that meshing with the outer ring 110 and inner ring 120 can be started immediately. At this time, as described above, the degree of freedom of circumferential movement of the outer ring side cage ring 160 relative to the position-regulating cage ring 180 is appropriately adjusted, and the first cam 130a is held in the correct position. On the other hand, the leg portion 135 of the second cam 130b is pressed by the action of the first opening width variation portion 175a in the second cam holding portion 173 of the inner ring cage ring 170, causing the second cam 130b to tilt in the disengagement direction, and the posture of the second cam 130b is maintained such that the inner ring side engagement surface 136 of the second cam 130b is separated from the raceway surface 121 of the inner ring 120. This switches the operating mode of the cam clutch 100 from reverse-direction lock mode to forward-direction lock mode.

[0050] As described above, in the cam clutch 100 of this embodiment, the outer ring cage ring 160 is provided with a posture control function for the first cam 130a, and the inner ring cage ring 170 is provided with a posture control function for the second cam 130b. Furthermore, by restricting the degrees of freedom of the outer ring cage ring 160 and the inner ring cage ring 170 with a position-restricting cage ring 180, one or both of the first cam 130a and the second cam 130b can be tilted and the changed posture can be maintained simply by moving one or both of the outer ring cage ring 160 and the inner ring cage ring 170 in the axial direction. Therefore, the cam clutch 100 can be configured with a simple structure and high functionality that can support four operating modes. Furthermore, by restricting the degrees of freedom of the outer ring cage ring 160 and the inner ring cage ring 170, it is possible to avoid jamming between the first cam 130a and the second cam 130b when the cam's orientation changes, thereby enabling smooth operation and achieving high responsiveness. Furthermore, since the axial movement of the outer ring cage ring 160 and the inner ring cage ring 170 can be controlled simply by rotating the rotating ring 143, the cam clutch 100 can be made to support four operating modes even more easily. Furthermore, since the outer ring-side inclined guide portion 141c and the inner ring-side inclined guide portion 142c are not arranged in the same circumferential direction around the rotation axis C, even when the rotating ring 143 is rotated, at least one of the outer ring-side protruding member 169 and the inner ring-side protruding member 179 is located at one of the locations within the outer ring-side advancing guide portion 141a, the outer ring-side retracting guide portion 141b, the inner ring-side advancing guide 142a, and the inner ring-side retracting guide 142b. Therefore, when switching operating modes, the axial position of either the outer ring-side cage ring 160 or the inner ring-side cage ring 170 can be fixed during operation, thereby stabilizing the operation. Furthermore, compared to a case where the outer ring cage ring 160 and the inner ring cage ring 170 are operated by cylinders that move in the axial direction, for example, this design allows for significant space savings, particularly in the axial direction.

[0051] Although embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various design modifications can be made without departing from the present invention as described in the claims.

[0052] In the above embodiment, a configuration was described in which the operating mode of the cam clutch is set to the forward rotation lock mode when the outer ring side cage ring and the inner ring side cage ring are positioned axially rearward. However, the relationship between the operating mode of the cam clutch and the axial positions of the outer ring side cage ring and the inner ring side cage ring is not particularly limited. For example, when the outer ring cage ring and the inner ring cage ring are positioned axially rearward, the cam clutch may be configured to operate in free mode, bidirectional lock mode, or reverse lock mode. Furthermore, in the above embodiment, a configuration was described in which one or both of the first cam and the second cam are separated from the inner ring in operating modes other than the bidirectional lock mode, but the cam may also be configured to be separated from the outer ring.

[0053] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, it was described that an outer ring side cylindrical wall is provided between the outer ring side guide and the outer ring side cage ring, and an inner ring side cylindrical wall is provided between the inner ring side guide and the inner ring side cage ring. However, the configuration of the rotating ring is not limited to this. For example, columnar bodies extending in the axial direction may be provided between the outer ring side guide and the outer ring side cage ring, and between the inner ring side guide and the inner ring side cage ring, respectively, so that the outer ring side protrusion and the inner ring side protrusion can move in the circumferential direction.

[0054] Furthermore, the configuration of the switching mechanism as in the above embodiment, which moves the outer ring cage ring and the inner ring cage ring to predetermined positions in the axial direction, is optimal when the axial movement of two members arranged on the same rotation axis is performed externally, and can be applied not only to cam clutches as in the above embodiment, but to any device that requires similar operation. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0055] 100... Cam clutch 110 ··· Outer ring 111 ... Raceway surface 115...Position regulation part 116 ··· Inner rib section 120 ··· Inner circle 121 ... raceway surface 130a ··· First cam 130b ··· 2nd cam 131 ··· Waist area 132 ... head part 133 ··· Outer ring side engagement surface 134a ··· Side view 134b... side 135 ... leg part 136 ··· Inner ring engagement surface 137a... side 137b... side 140 ··· Switching mechanism 141 ··· Outer ring side guide 141a (141a1, 141a2, 141a3) ... Outer ring side advance guide section 141b (141b1, 141b2, 141b3) ... Outer ring side retraction guide section 141c (141c1, 141c2, 141c3, 141c4, 141c5, 141c6) ... Outer ring side inclined guide section 142 ··· Inner ring guide 142a (142a1, 142a2, 142a3) ... Inner side access guide section 142b (142b1, 142b2, 142b3) ... Inner ring side retraction guide section 142c (142c1, 142c2, 142c3, 142c4, 142c5, 142c6) ... Inner ring side inclined guide section 143 ··· Rotating Ring 144 ··· Outer ring side cylindrical wall 145 ··· Outer ring side sliding hole 146 ··· Inner ring cylindrical wall 147 ··· Inner ring sliding hole 148... Connection part 150 ··· Operating mode switching mechanism 160 ··· Outer ring cage ring 161 ··· Main body 161a ··· Outer ring side flange 162 ··· First cam retaining part 163a ··· Guide space section 163b... First posture fixing space 163c...Second posture fixing space 164a ··· First opening width variation section 164b... Second opening width variation section 165 ··· Second cam retaining part 166 ··· Inner groove section 167 ··· Guide groove section 168... Slide groove section 169 ··· Outer ring side protruding member 170 ··· Inner ring cage ring 171 ··· Main body 171a ··· Inner ring flange 172 ··· First cam retaining part 173 ··· Second cam retaining part 174a ··· Guide space section 174b... Space for fixing the first posture 174c...Second posture fixing space 175a ··· First opening width variation section 175b ··· Second opening width variation section 176 ... External groove 177 ··· Guide groove section 178... Slide groove section 179 ··· Inner ring side protruding member 180 ··· Positioning Cage Ring 181 ··· Circular section 182 ··· Connection part 183 ··· Pocket section 185 ... outward protrusion 186 ... Inward protrusion C...Rotation axis center P1... Orientation of the outer ring side projection and inner ring side projection in the forward rotation lock mode state P2 ··· Orientation of the outer ring side protrusion and inner ring side protrusion in the bidirectional free mode state. P3... Orientation of the outer ring side projection and inner ring side projection in the bidirectional lock mode P4... Orientation of the outer ring side projection and inner ring side projection in the reverse direction lock mode

Claims

1. A cam clutch comprising an outer ring and an inner ring mounted on the same axis of rotation so as to be rotatable relative to each other, and a plurality of cams arranged circumferentially between the outer ring and the inner ring, The plurality of cams include a first cam and a second cam whose meshing directions with respect to the outer ring and the inner ring are different from each other. The system comprises an operating mode switching mechanism for switching the operating mode of the cam clutch, and a switching operating mechanism for operating the operating mode switching mechanism, The operation mode switching mechanism comprises an outer ring side cage ring that is axially movable independently of the rotational movement of the outer ring and the inner ring and configured to change the position of the first cam; an inner ring side cage ring that is axially movable independently of the rotational movement of the outer ring and the inner ring and configured to change the position of the second cam; and a position restricting cage ring provided between the outer ring side cage ring and the inner ring side cage ring to restrict the degree of freedom of circumferential movement of the outer ring side cage ring and the inner ring side cage ring. The switching mechanism is characterized by comprising an outer ring side guide that defines the axial position of the outer ring side cage ring, an inner ring side guide whose relative position is fixed to the outer ring side guide and defines the axial position of the inner ring side cage ring, and a rotating ring that is movable relative to the outer ring side guide and the inner ring side guide in the circumferential direction and operates the axial positions of the outer ring side cage ring and the inner ring side cage ring.

2. An outer ring side projection member is provided at the end of the outer ring side cage ring, which is circumferentially slidable with respect to the outer ring side cage ring and protrudes radially. An inner ring side projection member is provided at the end of the inner ring side cage ring, which is circumferentially slidable with respect to the inner ring side cage ring and protrudes radially. The outer ring side guide is configured to be able to receive and slide the outer ring side protruding member, and includes an outer ring side advancing guide portion that holds the outer ring side cage ring in a position advanced toward the outer ring, an outer ring side retracting guide portion that holds the outer ring side cage ring in a position retracted from the outer ring, and an outer ring side inclined guide portion that connects the outer ring side advancing guide portion and the outer ring side retracting guide portion. The cam clutch according to claim 1, wherein the inner ring side guide is configured to be able to receive and slide the inner ring side protruding member and has an inner ring side advancing guide portion that holds the inner ring side cage ring in a position advanced toward the inner ring, an inner ring side retracting guide portion that holds the inner ring side cage ring in a position retracted from the inner ring, and an inner ring side inclined guide portion that connects the inner ring side advancing guide portion and the inner ring side retracting guide portion.

3. The rotating ring has an outer ring side cylindrical wall and an inner ring side cylindrical wall formed between the outer ring side cage ring and the outer ring side guide and between the inner ring side cage ring and the inner ring side guide, an outer ring side sliding hole penetrating the outer ring side cylindrical wall, and an inner ring side sliding hole penetrating the inner ring side cylindrical wall. The outer ring side sliding hole is formed to allow passage through the outer ring side protruding member and to communicate with the outer ring side guide. The cam clutch according to claim 2, characterized in that the inner ring side sliding hole is formed to allow passage of the inner ring side protruding member and to communicate with the inner ring side guide.

4. The cam clutch according to claim 2, characterized in that the outer ring side advance guide portion and the outer ring side retract guide portion, and the inner ring side advance guide portion and the inner ring side retract guide portion are each arranged at at least one location in the circumferential direction.

5. The outer ring side cage ring and the inner ring side cage ring each have a first cam holding portion for holding the first cam and a second cam holding portion for holding the second cam, The second cam retaining portion in the outer ring cage ring and the first cam retaining portion in the inner ring cage ring are configured such that the opening width is constant in the axial direction. The cam clutch according to claim 1, characterized in that the first cam holding portion in the outer ring side cage ring and the second cam holding portion in the inner ring side cage ring are configured to have opening width variable portions in which the opening width changes continuously in the axial direction.

6. The outer ring side cage ring has an inner groove portion extending in the axial direction on its inner surface, The inner ring side cage ring has an outer groove portion extending in the axial direction on its outer surface, The cam clutch according to claim 1, characterized in that the position-regulating cage ring has an outward projection at one axial end that protrudes radially outward and is slidably engaged with the inner groove of the outer ring side cage ring, and an inward projection at the other axial end that protrudes radially inward and is slidably engaged with the outer groove of the inner ring side cage ring.

7. The inner groove portion is provided to extend in the circumferential direction and has a sliding groove portion that allows circumferential movement of the outer projection portion when the outer ring side cage ring is in a position where it is engaged with the first cam. The cam clutch according to claim 6, characterized in that the outer groove portion is provided to extend in the circumferential direction and has a sliding groove portion that allows the circumferential movement of the inner projection portion when the inner ring side cage ring is in a position where it is engaged with the second cam.

8. The cam clutch according to claim 1, characterized in that the outer ring is provided with a position restricting portion that restricts the axial movement of the plurality of cams.

9. The cam clutch according to claim 1, characterized in that both sides of the plurality of cams that contact the outer ring side cage ring and both sides that contact the inner ring side cage ring are made of curved surfaces configured such that the width dimension remains constant regardless of the orientation of the cam.

10. The two sides of the aforementioned multiple cams that are in contact with the outer ring side cage ring are formed by curves that follow an involute curve having a common base circle in an axial plan view. The cam clutch according to claim 9, characterized in that both sides of the plurality of cams that contact the inner ring side cage ring are formed by curves along an involute curve having a common base circle in an axial plan view.

11. An axial interlocking mechanism that moves a first rotating member and a second rotating member, which are rotatably mounted on the same axis of rotation, in the axial direction, An axial interlocking mechanism characterized by comprising: a first guide that defines the axial position of the first rotating member; a second guide whose relative position is fixed to the first guide and defines the axial position of the second rotating member; and a rotating ring that is movable relative to the first guide and the second guide in the circumferential direction and operates the axial positions of the first rotating member and the second rotating member.

12. The end of the first rotating member has a first protruding member that is circumferentially slidable from the first rotating member and protrudes radially, The end of the second rotating member has a second protruding member that is circumferentially slidable with respect to the second rotating member and protrudes radially. The first guide is configured to be able to receive and slide the first protruding member, and includes a first advancing guide portion that holds the first rotating member in an advanced position, a first retracting guide portion that holds the first rotating member in a retracted position, and a first inclined guide portion that connects the first advancing guide portion and the first retracting guide portion. The axial interlocking mechanism according to claim 11, characterized in that the second guide is configured to be able to receive and slide the second protruding member and has a second advancing guide portion that holds the second rotating member in an advanced position, a second retracting guide portion that holds the second rotating member in a retracted position, and a second inclined guide portion that connects the second advancing guide portion and the second retracting guide portion.

13. The rotating ring has a first cylindrical wall and a second cylindrical wall formed between the first rotating member and the first guide and between the second rotating member and the second guide, a first sliding hole penetrating the first cylindrical wall, and a second sliding hole penetrating the second cylindrical wall. The first sliding hole is formed to allow passage through the first protruding member and to communicate with the first guide. The axial interlocking mechanism according to claim 12, characterized in that the second sliding hole is formed to allow passage through the second protruding member and to communicate with the second guide.

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