Method for manufacturing an overrunning clutch

• US 20080053777A1
• Filed: 03/09/2007
• Published: 03/06/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
• Inventors: Odahara, Kazuhiro, Kamei, Koichiro, Katayama, Hidekazu, Hirao, Jiro
• Granted Patent: US 8,297,420 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 192/45
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 2250/00 Manufacturing; Assembly
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 41/066 all members having the same size and only one of the two surfaces being cylindrical
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49771 Quantitative measuring or gauging
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/4984 Retaining clearance for motion between assembled parts
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49861 Sizing mating parts during final positional association

Abstract

Rollers and springs are installed in notch portions of a clutch outer (S104), an inscribed circle diameter of the rollers is measured in a state in which the rollers are placed in contact with stopping portions by pressure from the springs (S105), and an outside diameter of a cylindrical portion is determined from the inscribed circle diameter measured value such that a predetermined amount of roller bite is achieved (S106). Then, the outside diameter of the cylindrical portion is finished so as to have the determined value of the outside diameter (S108). An overrunning clutch is assembled by pairing together the clutch outer, rollers, and springs and the clutch inner (S110).

Claims

1. A method for manufacturing an overrunning clutch, said overrunning clutch comprising:

a tubular clutch outer that has a plurality of tapered notch portions formed circumferentially on an inner circumferential portion;

a clutch inner that has a cylindrical portion disposed at a first end, said cylindrical portion being inserted into said inner circumferential portion of said clutch outer such that wedge-shaped spaces are formed between an outer circumference of said cylindrical portion and said notch portions;

rollers that are mounted into said wedge-shaped spaces so as to be movable circumferentially;

springs that press said rollers toward narrow ends of said wedge-shaped spaces; and

stopping portions that are disposed on said inner circumferential portion of said clutch outer so as to project inward at narrow end positions of each of said wedge-shaped spaces,

wherein a driving force is transmitted from said clutch outer through said rollers to said clutch inner by unidirectional rotation, said method comprising steps of;

installing said rollers and said springs in each of said notch portions of said clutch outer;

measuring an inscribed circle diameter of said rollers in a state in which said rollers are respectively placed in contact with said stopping portions by pressure from said springs; and

determining an outside diameter of said cylindrical portion from a measured value of said inscribed circle diameter such that an amount of roller bite is at a predetermined amount at a position at which said rollers come into contact with said stopping portions.

2. A method for manufacturing an overrunning clutch according to claim 1, wherein:

said cylindrical portion is finished such that said outside diameter of said cylindrical portion of said clutch inner is at a determined value of said outside diameter; and

said clutch inner in which said cylindrical portion has been finished and said clutch outer in which said inscribed circle diameter of said rollers was measured in order to determine said outside diameter of said cylindrical portion are paired together.

3. A method for manufacturing an overrunning clutch according to claim 1, wherein:

a plurality of types of said clutch outer that have different inscribed circle diameters are prepared;

said outside diameter of said cylindrical portion is determined from a measured value of said inscribed circle diameter in said plurality of types of clutch outer;

said cylindrical portion of said clutch inner is finished and an outside diameter of said cylindrical portion is measured;

a clutch outer that has a determined value of said outside diameter that conforms to said measured value of said outside diameter is selected from said plurality of types of clutch outer; and

said selected clutch outer and said clutch inner in which said outside diameter of said cylindrical portion was measured are paired together.

4. A method for manufacturing an overrunning clutch according to claim 1, wherein:

a plurality of types of said clutch inner that have different outside diameters in said cylindrical portion are finished before measuring said inscribed circle diameter of said rollers;

a clutch inner that has an outside diameter of said cylindrical portion that conforms to a determined value of said outside diameter is selected from said plurality of types of clutch inner; and

said selected clutch inner and said clutch outer in which said inscribed circle diameter of said rollers was measured in order to determine said outside diameter of said cylindrical portion are paired together.

5. A method for manufacturing an overrunning clutch according to claim 1, wherein said inscribed circle diameter is measured at two or more positions that differ in an axial direction of said rollers in said state in which each of said rollers is placed in contact with said stopping portions by pressure from said springs.

6. A method for manufacturing an overrunning clutch according to claim 5, wherein:

an inclination of said rollers is calculated from said measured values of said inscribed circle diameter; and

said cylindrical portion is finished so as to have a tapered shape that matches said calculated inclination.

7. A method for manufacturing an overrunning clutch according to claim 1, wherein said measured value of said inscribed circle diameter of said rollers or an identifying mark that represents said measured value of said inscribed circle diameter is marked on said clutch outer in which said inscribed circle diameter has been measured or on an accessory of said clutch outer.

8. A method for manufacturing an overrunning clutch according to claim 2, wherein said measured value of said outside diameter of said cylindrical portion or an identifying mark that represents said measured value of said outside diameter is marked on said clutch inner in which said outside diameter has been measured or on an accessory of said clutch inner.