Open Belt Clutch

• US 20140238810A1
• Filed: 02/28/2013
• Published: 08/28/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Carvey, Philip, Holmes, Chris, John Rokosz, Matthew Carvey, Peter Costa
• Original Assignee: Carvey, Philip, Holmes, Chris, John Rokosz, Matthew Carvey, Peter Costa
• Inventors: Carvey, Philip, Rokosz, John, Carvey, Matthew, Costa, Peter, Holmes, Chris
• Granted Patent: US 9,285,020 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 192/80
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/6845 Clutches
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 13/10 with clutching members co-operating with the periphery of a drum, a wheel-rim, or the like F16D13/02 - F16D13/08 take precedence; similar brakes F16D49/00
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 7/0827 for disconnecting the drive

Abstract

Disclosed and claimed herein are a belt clutch and a multilevel belt clutch.

Claims

1. A clutch comprising:

a. a drum having an axis, a radius, a drum-side friction surface, and a selected cross section bounded by the drum-side friction surface;

b. an open-ended belt, having an anchored end, a free end, a length, a width, a belt-side friction surface, and a selected cross section bounded by the belt-side friction surface, configured to form a wrap partially, fully or a plurality of times around the drum; and

c. an externally controllable actuator, configured to apply a force to the free end of the open ended belt, whereby the belt-side friction surface engages frictionally with the drum-side friction surface,

wherein the cross section of the drum and the cross section of the belt are configured generally to mate with each other, and wherein the effective coefficient of friction between the belt-side friction surface and the drum-side friction surface varies across the width or length of the belt.

2. The clutch of claim 1, further comprising a spring for holding the belt-side friction surface generally out of contact with the drum-side friction surface.

3. The clutch of claim 2, wherein the spring is integrated with the open ended belt.

4. The clutch of claim 1, wherein the cross section of the drum comprises one or more open polygons having 2 to 20 sides.

5. The clutch of claim 1, wherein the cross section of the drum further comprises a flat portion, generally perpendicular to the radius of the drum.

6. The Clutch of claim 1, wherein the belt comprises at least one unitary or segmented protrusion, generally along the length of the belt, said at least one unitary or segmented protrusion having a generally polygonal cross section of 2-20 sides.

7. The clutch of claim 1 wherein the belt, is configured to form a wrap chosen from a compression wrap or a tension wrap.

8. The clutch of claim 1 wherein

a. the belt comprises at least one protrusion along the length of the belt of generally quadrilateral cross section, said protrusion having a bottom side, and

b. the drum comprises an open triangle or open quadrilateral shaped cross section, generally configured to mate with the at least one protrusion on the belt-side friction surface.

9. The clutch of claim 8, wherein the at least one protrusion on the belt has a groove in the bottom side, said groove running generally parallel to the length of the belt, wherein said groove is configured to hold a spring for holding the belt-side friction surface generally out of contact with the drum-side friction surface.

10. The clutch of claim 1, wherein the cross section of the belt comprises a generally triangular or quadrilateral shape.

11. The clutch of claim 1, wherein the belt comprises a cross section of generally triangular or quadrilateral shape and a groove along the length of the belt, wherein said groove is configured to hold a spring for holding the belt-side frictional surface generally out of contact with the drum-side frictional surface.

12. The Clutch of claim 1, wherein the cross section of the belt comprises a curved surface.

13. A clutch comprising:

a. a drum having a radius, m outer engagement regions, and n inner engagement regions, wherein each of the m outer engagement regions and each of the n inner engagement regions has a selected cross section bounded by a drum-side friction surface, and wherein m and n may be the same or different and m=0 to 6, and n=0 to 6, subject to the condition that m+n=1 to 12.

b. p open ended-belts, each open ended belt configured to form a wrap partially, fully or a plurality of times around its corresponding outer engagement region or its corresponding inner engagement region, wherein each of the p open ended belts has an anchored end, a free end, a length, and a selected cross section bounded by a belt-side friction surface, and wherein the selected cross section of each of the one or more open ended belts is configured generally to mate with the selected cross section of its corresponding inner or outer engagement region, and wherein p=1 to m+n;

c. means for applying a force to each open-ended belt, whereby said each open ended belt is engaged frictionally with its corresponding inner or outer engagement region.

14. The clutch of claim 13, wherein the effective coefficient of friction between each belt and its corresponding engagement region varies across the width or length of the belt.

15. The clutch of claim 13, further comprising means for holding each one or more of the p open ended belts out of frictional contact with its corresponding inner or outer engagement region.

16. The clutch of claim 13, wherein one or more of the cross sections of the m outer engagement regions and n inner engagement regions comprises an open polygon having 2 to 20 sides.

17. The clutch of claim 13, wherein one or more of the cross sections of the m outer engagement regions and n inner engagement regions comprises a flat portion, generally perpendicular to the radius of the drum.

18. The clutch of claim 13, wherein the cross sections of one or more of the p belts comprise a generally triangular or quadrilateral shape.

19. The clutch of claim 13, wherein one or more belts comprise at least one unitary or segmented protrusion, generally along the length of the belt, said at least one unitary or segmented protrusion having a generally polygonal cross section of 2-20 sides.

20. The clutch of claim 13 wherein each belt, is configured to form a wrap chosen from a compression wrap or a tension wrap.