ROTATABLE ELECTROMAGNETIC CLUTCH UTILIZING INDUCTIVE COUPLING

• US 20190331174A1
• Filed: 04/26/2018
• Published: 10/31/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hamilton Sundstrand Corporation (Rtx Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Hamilton Sundstrand Corporation (Rtx Corporation)
• Inventors: Mastrocola, Naison E.
• Granted Patent: US 11,015,661 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 11/14 with clutching members movable only axially F16D11/02, F16D11/08 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 2027/001 Means for electric connection of the coils of the electromagnetic clutches
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 2027/002 Electric or electronic circuits relating to actuation of electromagnetic clutches
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 2027/008 Details relating to the magnetic circuit, or to the shape of the clutch parts to achieve a certain magnetic path
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 2500/10475 Magnetic field, e.g. electro-rheological, magnetisable particles
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 2500/30401 On-off signal indicating the engage or disengaged position of the clutch
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 27/06 with friction surfaces arranged within the flux
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 27/09 and with interengaging jaws or gear-teeth
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 27/14 Details
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 49/06 of the synchronous type H02K49/10 takes precedence

Abstract

An example electromagnetic clutch assembly includes a rotatable portion and a stationary portion. The rotatable portion includes a field winding and a clutch body, and the stationary portion includes an exciter winding that is inductively coupled to the rotatable portion and is operable to energize the field winding. The field winding is operable, when energized, to provide a magnetic field that causes engagement or disengagement between the clutch body and an armature body. A method of operating an electromagnetic clutch assembly is also disclosed.

Claims

1. An electromagnetic clutch assembly comprising:

a rotatable portion comprising a field winding and a clutch body; and

a stationary portion comprising an exciter winding that is inductively coupled to the rotatable portion and is operable to energize the field winding;

wherein the field winding is operable, when energized, to provide a magnetic field that causes engagement or disengagement between the clutch body and an armature body.

2. The electromagnetic clutch assembly of claim 1, wherein the rotatable portion comprises an inductive winding and a rectifier that connects the inductive winding to the field winding, the exciter winding configured to induce alternating current (AC) in the inductive winding, and the rectifier configured to rectify the AC to direct current (DC) for the field winding.

3. The electromagnetic clutch assembly of claim 2, wherein:

the stationary portion comprises a clutch housing;

the rotatable portion is at least partially disposed within the clutch housing; and

the exciter winding comprises leads that connect to a power source outside of the clutch housing, such that the exciter winding receives current from the power source and induces current in the inductive winding in a brushless configuration.

4. The electromagnetic clutch assembly of claim 2, wherein the rectifier comprises a diode for each phase of the induced current.

5. The electromagnetic clutch assembly of claim 1, comprising:

at least one spring that provides a bias force that biases the armature body away from the clutch body;

wherein the magnetic field resists said bias force and causes the armature body to engage the clutch body.

6. The electromagnetic clutch assembly of claim 1, comprising:

at least one spring that provides a bias force that biases the armature body towards the clutch body;

wherein the magnetic field resists said bias force and causes the armature body to disengage from the clutch body.

7. The electromagnetic clutch assembly of claim 1, wherein the clutch body comprises a plurality of teeth operable to engage teeth of the armature body.

8. The electromagnetic clutch assembly of claim 1, wherein at least one of the clutch body and the armature body comprise a high friction surface for engagement between the clutch body and the armature body.

10. The electromagnetic clutch assembly of claim 1, wherein the rotatable portion is rotatable about a longitudinal axis, and the armature body is movable along the longitudinal axis to engage or disengage from the clutch body.

11. The electromagnetic clutch assembly of claim 10, comprising:

a splined hub that interconnects the armature body to the load shaft, the splined hub comprising splined teeth that engage splined teeth of the armature body.

12. The electromagnetic clutch assembly of claim 10, comprising:

at least one proximity sensor configured to measure axial displacement of the armature body along the longitudinal axis; and

a controller operable to verify whether the clutch body and armature body are engaged or disengaged based on feedback from the at least one proximity sensor.

13. The electromagnetic clutch assembly of claim 12, wherein the controller is operable to utilize pulse width modulation to power the exciter winding based on feedback from the at least one proximity sensor.

14. A method of operating an electromagnetic clutch assembly comprising:

energizing a field winding in a rotatable portion of an electromagnetic clutch assembly through an inductive coupling between the rotatable portion and an exciter winding in a stationary portion of the electromagnetic clutch assembly; and

generating a magnetic field from the field winding that urges engagement or disengagement between a clutch body of the rotatable portion and an armature body of the stationary portion.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein said energizing the field winding comprises inducing current in an inductive winding of the rotatable portion, rectifying the induced current using a rectifier, and providing the rectified current to the field winding, wherein the inductive winding and rectifier are part of the rotatable portion.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein said inducing current in the inductive winding comprises performing pulse width modulation to provide an input signal that energizes the exciter winding which is inductively coupled to the inductive winding.

17. The method of claim 14, comprising:

providing a bias force from at least one spring that biases the armature body away from the clutch body;

utilizing the magnetic field to resist said bias force and cause the engagement between the clutch body and the armature body.

18. The method of claim 14, comprising:

providing a bias force from at least one spring that biases the armature body towards the clutch body;

utilizing the magnetic field to resist said bias force and cause disengagement between the clutch body and the armature body.

19. The method of claim 14, comprising:

detecting axial displacement of the armature body using a proximity sensor; and

performing said energizing based on said detecting.

20. An electromagnetic clutch assembly comprising:

a rotatable portion having an inductive winding and a field winding; and

a stationary portion having an exciter winding configured such that during rotation of the rotatable portion when electrical power is supplied to the exciter winding, electrical power is induced in the inductive winding and transferred to the field winding to generate a magnetic field to urge engagement or disengagement between the rotatable portion and the stationary portion.