Deployable Screw Thread Clutch for Air Conditioner Compressor
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing air conditioner compressor clutches require continuous electric power to maintain the connection or disconnection of driving power from the engine, leading to inefficient fuel economy in vehicles.
Innovation Solution
A rotating shaft assembly with deployable screw threads that can engage or disengage without the need for continuous electric power, using a magnet to compress and deploy the screw units, allowing the clutch to be engaged or disengaged with minimal electric power consumption.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a coil is used to maintain the contact between the driven pulley and the disc, then the clutch can be engaged or disengaged, but continuous electric power is required to maintain the engaged state
Solution Approach 1:
The screw thread structure automatically maintains the engaged state through its inherent mechanical locking capability without requiring continuous external energy input. Once engaged, the screw thread self-locks the clutch components together, eliminating the need for continuous electric power to maintain the connection.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the electromagnetic coil-based holding mechanism with a mechanical screw thread structure. The screw thread provides a purely mechanical solution for maintaining clutch engagement, substituting the energy-consuming electromagnetic system with a passive mechanical locking system.
2Use of energy by moving object
If a screw thread is deployed outward to transmit power, then the clutch can be engaged without continuous electric power, but the structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The rotating shaft is divided into multiple screw units that can be independently deployed or retracted. Each screw unit consists of separate components (screw thread, support portion, pressing device) that can be manufactured and assembled independently, simplifying the overall manufacturing process despite the complex functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The screw thread structure is designed to be dynamically deployable and retractable. The screw units can be pressed outward by pressing devices to engage the clutch, and retracted when disengagement is needed. This dynamic capability allows the system to transition between engaged and disengaged states without requiring continuous energy input.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This solution reduces electric power consumption, improving fuel economy by eliminating the need for continuous electric power to maintain the engaged or disengaged state of the clutch, thereby enhancing the efficiency of the air conditioner compressor operation.
Implementation Method 1
electric power is applied to a coil 113. When the electric power is applied to the coil 113, the disc 117 moves toward the driven pulley 112
Implementation Method 2
a plurality of screw units be slidable in a longitudinal direction of the rotating shaft, and may include deployable portions that are moved away from the rotating shaft when the deployable portions are pressed from one side by a pressing device
Data Source
AI summary
A rotating shaft assembly having a deployable screw thread is provided. The rotating shaft assembly includes a rotating shaft which transmits rotational force, and a plurality of screw units that are slidable in a longitudinal direction of the rotating shaft. A plurality of deployable portions are moved away from the rotating shaft when the deployable portions are pressed from one side by a pressing device. Additionally, the deployable portions are deployed outward when the screw units are pressed by the pressing device that moves along the rotating shaft.