Override clutch

• US 3,881,325 A
• Filed: 09/21/1973
• Issued: 05/06/1975
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/1973
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Augat National Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Laszlo N. Repay, Thomas A. Young
• Inventors: Repay, Laszlo N., Young, Thomas A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Scott, Samuel
• Assistant Examiner(s): Heald, Randall
• Application Number:
  US05/399,301
• Time in Patent Office: 592 Days
• Field of Search: 64/29,28R,3R 192/56 242/54
• US Class Current: 464/36
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 1/18 in which the end portion of the flexible member is laid along a curved surface of a pivoted member
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 2380/00 Electrical apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 43/206 moving axially between engagement and disengagement
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/103 Latching means; ensuring extension or retraction thereof

Abstract

A mechanism for coupling a motor to a driving element for actuating an attached member, such as for instance extending and retracting a vehicle radio antenna. A rotatable actuating member is provided for actuating the driving element. Clutching means operates to clutch the rotatable actuating member to the motor for drivingly rotating the actuating member. The clutching means including a rotatable clutch member coupled to the motor. The rotatable actuating member and the clutch member have abutments thereon, which abutments when disposed in confronting engaged relation, cause rotation of the actuating member upon rotation of the motor driven clutch member. The abutments are staggered with respect to the axes of rotation of the clutch and actuating members for driving of the actuating members in both rotary directions. Ramp-like structure coacts with the abutments on one of the members for preventing noisy movement of the abutments relative to one another in the event that the driving connection between the clutch member and the actuating member is released when the stress between the abutments results in an overload, causing the abutments on one of the members to ride over the confronting abutments on the other of the members, and thereby providing smooth, substantially noiseless overload release for the mechanism.

Claims

1. In a mechanism which includes a drive motor and an actuating member for causing actuation of an associated operative element, and releasable clutching means for clutching said actuating member to said motor for causing actuation of said actuating member and thus operation of the operative element, said clutching means comprising a rotatable clutch member for clutching the power of the motor to the actuating member, abutment means on said clutch member and on said actuating member, said abutment means on said clutch member being adapted for abutting engagement with said abutment means on said actuating member for causing rotation of the latter during energization of the motor, ramp means coacting with said abutment means on one of said members for preventing sudden movement and undesirable sound between said abutment means in the event that the driving connection between the clutch member and said actuating member is released when the stress between the abutment means results in an overload causing one of the abutment means to override the confronting abutment means, and said abutment means on the other of said members comprising a rollable element and wherein said motor is of reversible drive type, said members having a coincident axis of rotation, said abutment means on one of said members comprising a plurality of abutments which are located at predetermined different distances from the axis of rotation of said members, certain of said abutments being operative during rotation of said one member in one rotary direction, while the other of said abutments are operative during rotation of said one member in the opposite rotary direction.

2. A mechanism in accordance with claim 1 wherein said abutment means on the respective member projects outwardly with respect to the adjacent surface of the respective member and in a direction toward the confronting of said members, at least one of said abutment means being mounted so as to be resiliently biased away from said adjacent surface of the respective member and in a direction toward said confronting member.

3. A mechanism in accordance with claim 1 wherein said abutment means on the respective member projects outwardly with respect to the adjacent surface of the respective member and in a direction toward the confronting of said members, said rollable element abutment means is on said clutch member and comprises at least one ball-like member mounted in an elongated slot in said adjacent surface of said clutch member, and said abutment means on said actuating member comprising at least a pair of raised abutments thereon adapted for engagement with the ball member, and wherein said ramp means comprises sloped inclines sloping inwardly from the outer extremity of the respective abutment on said actuating member to merge with said adjacent surface of the actuating member.

4. A mechanism in accordance with claim 1 wherein said abutments are on said actuating member and said rollable element abutment is on said clutch member, and including means coacting with each of said abutments on said actuating member for facilitating reverse movement of said abutment on said clutch member without passing over an immediately passed abutment on said actuating member.

5. A mechanism in accordance with claim 1 wherein one of said abutments on said actuating member faces in one rotary direction while the other of said abutments on said actuating member faces in the opposite rotary direction, for coupling said actuating member to said clutch member in both directions of rotation of the latter member.

6. A mechanism in accordance with claim 4 wherein each of said abutments on said actuating member comprises a protrusion projecting outwardly with respect to the adjacent surface of said actuating member and in a direction toward the confronting clutch member, said means coacting with each abutment comprises a pathway formed adjacent the juncture of the respective protrusion and said adjacent surface of said actuating member.

7. A mechanism in accordance with claim 2 wherein said rollable element comprises a rollable ball-like member movably mounted in an elongated slot in said adjacent surface in guided, rollable relation.

8. A mechanism in accordance with claim 2 wherein the clutch member comprises a channel-shaped element which is coupled to a shaft which in turn is coupled to the motor, said channel-shaped element having elongated diagonally arranged slots formed therein with a rollable ball member comprising said rollable element, being received in each of said slots, and means overlying the ball members and being resiliently urged into engagement with said clutch member to generally resiliently urge the ball members into engagement with the confronting surface of said actuating member, said actuating member having protrusions formed from the material thereof and extending outwardly from said adjacent surface of the actuating member, said protrusions comprising said abutment means on said actuating member and adapted for abutting coaction with a respective ball member of the clutch member for causing rotation of said actuating member upon rotation of said clutch member, said protrusions being located at different distances from the axis of rotation of said clutch and actuating members, certain of said protrusions being operative to coact with said ball members during rotation of said clutch member in one rotary direction, while other of said protrusions are operative during rotation of said clutch member in the opposite rotary direction.

9. A mechanism in accordance with claim 1 in combination with an associated operative element, the latter comprising an elongated flexible driving cable for extending and retracting a vehicle remote control radio antenna, and including a coil storage chamber adapted to receive at least a portion of said cable coiled therein, said actuating member coacting with said cable for coiling and uncoiling the latter into and from said chamber upon predetermined rotation of said actuating member.

10. A mechanism in accordance with claim 9 wherein the rotatable actuating member comprises a plate having a central opening therethrough through which extends a shaft operatively coupled to said motor, and cavity means formed in the plate for receiving therein the elongated flexible driving cable and gripping it during rotation of said plate to accomplish feeding of said driving cable into and from said storage chamber.

11. A mechanism in accordance witH claim 9 including a partition means separating the coil storage chamber from the rotatable actuating member, the latter engaging and riding on said partition means, and in coaction with the latter defining a revolving generally circular cavity which receives therein the flexible driving cable to accomplish coiling and uncoiling of the driving cable into and from said storage chamber.

12. A mechanism in accordance with claim 6 wherein said pathway for facilitating return of the abutment on the clutch member past the protrusion abutment on the actuating member is of curvilinear configuration in elevation, said rollable element being adapted to roll in the pathway and bypass the protrusion abutment on said actuating member upon reversal of said clutch member.

13. A mechanism in accordance with claim 2 wherein said rollable element on said clutch member comprises a steel ball which is adapted to be movable relative to the clutch member, and which is adapted to move lengthwise of a retaining elongated diagonally oriented slot in said clutch member.

14. An actuating member for use in an override clutching mechanism wherein a reversible motor is coupled to a clutching means for clutching said actuating member to the motor to thus cause rotation of said actuating member, said actuating member comprising a rotatable plate-like member having a central axis of rotation, and abutment means projecting outwardly from one side of said plate-like member, said abutment means comprising a plurality of protrusions having abutment faces thereon and which are located at predetermined different distances from said axis of rotation, certain of said protrusions facing in one rotary direction and being operative during rotation of said member in said one rotary direction, while other of said protrusions face in the opposite rotary direction and are operative during rotation of said plate-like member in said opposite rotary direction.

15. An actuating member in accordance with claim 14 wherein said abutment faces on said certain and said other protrusions are disposed generally along a single radial plane passing through said axis, but with said faces being spaced radially with respect to one another.

16. A mechanism in accordance with claim 3 wherein said ramp means slopes outwardly in a direction generally transverse of the latter.

17. A mechanism in accordance with claim 3 wherein there is provided a pair of said ball-like members, each of which is mounted in a respective slot in said adjacent surface of said clutch member, and said abutment means on said actuating member comprises at least two pair of said raised abutments thereon, each of said raised abutments having ramp means coacting therewith, certain of said ramp means sloping inwardly in one rotary direction of said actuating member, while other of said ramp means slopes inwardly in the opposite rotary direction of said actuating member.

18. In a mechanism which includes a drive motor and an actuating member for causing actuation of an associated operative element, and releasable clutching means for clutching said actuating member to said motor for causing actuation of said actuating member and thus operation of the operative element, said clutching means comprising a rotatable clutch member for clutching the power of the motor to the actuating member, abutment means on said clutch member and on said actuating member, said abutment means on said clutch member being adapted for abutting engagement with said abutment means on said actuating member for causing rotation of the latter during energization of the motor, ramp means coacting with said abutment means on one of said members for preventing sudden movement and undesirable sound between said abutment means in the event that the driving connection between the clutch member and said actuating member is released when the stress between the abutment means results in an overload causing one of the abutment means to override the confronting abutment means, said motor beIng of the reversible drive type, said abutment means on one of said members comprising a plurality of abutments which are located at predetermined different distances from the axis of rotation of said one member, certain of said abutments being operative during rotation of said one member in one rotary direction while the other of said abutments are operative during rotation of said one member in the opposite rotary direction, and said abutment means on the other of said members comprising an element movable relative to said other member, and responsive to the direction of rotation of the latter.

19. A mechanism in accordance with claim 18 wherein said abutments comprise protrusions having abutment faces thereon, certain of said abutments on said one member facing generally in one rotary direction and being operative during rotation of said one member in the last mentioned rotary direction while other of said abutment on said one member face generally in the opposite rotary direction and are operative during rotation of said one member in said opposite rotary direction.