Clutch Tooth Geometry for Stable Torque in Compact Motor Units
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing clutch devices face challenges in stably providing clutch torque due to manufacturing limitations, leading to uneven engagement of teeth and reduced torque transmission on the outer peripheral side.
Innovation Solution
The clutch device features an input disk and an output disk with tooth portions that have recessed and raised portions in a radial direction, forming a curved surface with expanding width in the circumferential direction. This configuration ensures greater engagement force on the inside of the tooth portions in the radial direction, stabilizing clutch torque transmission.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If tooth portions with straight radial edges are used, then manufacturing is simpler, but engagement force becomes uneven and clutch torque transmission is unstable
Solution Approach 1:
The tooth portions are designed with curved surfaces where the width in the circumferential direction continuously expands toward the outside in the radial direction. This curvature ensures that engagement force is greater on the inside of the tooth portions than on the outside, stabilizing clutch torque transmission while remaining manufacturable through conventional machining processes.
2Volume of moving object
If the clutch device is made smaller, then the motor unit size is reduced, but clutch torque capacity may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The tooth portions are designed with non-uniform geometry where the width in the circumferential direction varies continuously in the radial direction. This creates localized engagement characteristics with greater engagement force on the inside of the tooth portions, allowing a compact clutch device to achieve stable torque transmission capacity.
3Reliability
If engagement force is uniform across the tooth width, then manufacturing is easier, but clutch torque transmission becomes unstable due to manufacturing variations
Solution Approach 1:
The tooth portions are designed with asymmetric engagement characteristics where the width in the circumferential direction continuously expands toward the outside in the radial direction. This asymmetry ensures greater engagement force on the inside of the tooth portions, compensating for manufacturing variations and ensuring stable clutch torque transmission.
Data Source
AI summary
A clutch device includes: an input disk; an output disk; and a biasing member configured to press the input disk and the output disk against each other, the input disk and the output disk contact or separate from each other in an axial direction, and at opposing surfaces thereof, respectively have tooth portions engageable with or disengageable from each other, at each tooth portion, recessed and raised portions extending in a radial direction are alternately provided in a circumferential direction, each of the recessed and raised portions is formed so that a width in the circumferential direction may outwardly expands in the radial direction, and engagement force in the axial direction is greater on an inside of the tooth portions in the radial direction than on the outside when the tooth portions of the input disk and the output disk pressed by the biasing member are fitted in each other.