Serpentine drive with coil spring-one-way clutch alternator connection
First Claim
1. A serpentine belt drive system for an automotive vehicle comprisinga drive assembly including an internal combustion engine having an output shaft with a driving pulley thereon rotatable about a driving pulley axis, a sequence of driven assemblies each having a driven pulley rotatable about an axis parallel with said driving pulley axis and a serpentine belt mounted in cooperating relation with said driving pulley and with said driven pulleys in a sequence which corresponds with the sequence of said driven assemblies when related to the direction of movement of the belt to cause said driven pulleys to rotate in response to the rotation of said driving pulley,said sequence of driven assemblies including an alternator assembly including a housing and an armature assembly mounted in said housing for rotation about an armature axis,a hub structure fixedly carried by said armature assembly outwardly of said housing for rotation therewith about the armature axis,means for mounting the driven alternator pulley of said alternator assembly on said hub structure for rotational movement with respect to said hub structure about the armature axis, anda coil spring and one-way clutch mechanism between said alternator pulley and said hub structure for (1) transmitting the driven rotational movements of said alternator pulley by said serpentine belt to said hub structure such that said armature assembly is rotated in the same direction as said alternator pulley while being capable of instantaneous relative resilient rotational movements in opposite directions with respect to said alternator pulley during the driven rotational movement thereof and (2) allowing said hub structure and hence the armature assembly to rotate at a speed in excess of the rotational speed of said alternator pulley when the speed of the engine output shaft is decelerated to an extent sufficient to establish the torque between said alternator pulley and said hub structure at a predetermined negative level.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A serpentine belt drive system for an automotive vehicle in which the sequence of driven assemblies includes an alternator assembly comprising a housing and an armature assembly mounted in the housing for rotation about an armature axis. A hub structure is carried by the armature assembly outwardly of the housing for rotation therewith about the armature axis. A coil spring and one-way clutch mechanism is disposed in operative relation between the alternator pulley and the hub structure for (1) transmitting the driven rotational movements of the alternator pulley by the serpentine belt to the hub structure such that the armature assembly is rotated in the same direction as the alternator pulley while being capable of instantaneous relative resilient rotational movements in opposite directions with respect to the alternator pulley during the driven rotational movement thereof and (2) allowing the hub structure and hence the armature assembly to rotate at a speed in excess of the rotational speed of said alternator pulley when the speed of the engine output shaft is decelerated to an extent sufficient to establish the torque between said alternator pulley and said hub structure at a predetermined negative level.
146 Citations
16 Claims
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1. A serpentine belt drive system for an automotive vehicle comprising
a drive assembly including an internal combustion engine having an output shaft with a driving pulley thereon rotatable about a driving pulley axis, a sequence of driven assemblies each having a driven pulley rotatable about an axis parallel with said driving pulley axis and a serpentine belt mounted in cooperating relation with said driving pulley and with said driven pulleys in a sequence which corresponds with the sequence of said driven assemblies when related to the direction of movement of the belt to cause said driven pulleys to rotate in response to the rotation of said driving pulley, said sequence of driven assemblies including an alternator assembly including a housing and an armature assembly mounted in said housing for rotation about an armature axis, a hub structure fixedly carried by said armature assembly outwardly of said housing for rotation therewith about the armature axis, means for mounting the driven alternator pulley of said alternator assembly on said hub structure for rotational movement with respect to said hub structure about the armature axis, and a coil spring and one-way clutch mechanism between said alternator pulley and said hub structure for (1) transmitting the driven rotational movements of said alternator pulley by said serpentine belt to said hub structure such that said armature assembly is rotated in the same direction as said alternator pulley while being capable of instantaneous relative resilient rotational movements in opposite directions with respect to said alternator pulley during the driven rotational movement thereof and (2) allowing said hub structure and hence the armature assembly to rotate at a speed in excess of the rotational speed of said alternator pulley when the speed of the engine output shaft is decelerated to an extent sufficient to establish the torque between said alternator pulley and said hub structure at a predetermined negative level.
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15. An alternator assembly for an automotive serpentine drive system including a belt comprising
a housing, an armature assembly mounted in said housing for rotation about an armature axis, a hub structure carried by said armature assembly outwardly of said housing for rotation therewith about the armature axis, an alternator pulley mounted on said hub structure for rotational movement with respect to said hub structure about the armature axis, said pulley having an exterior surface configuration suitable to be engaged by the belt so as to be driven rotationally thereby, and a coil spring and one-way clutch mechanism between said alternator pulley and said hub structure for (1) transmitting the driven rotational movements of said alternator pulley by said serpentine belt to said hub structure such that said armature assembly is rotated in the same direction as said alternator pulley while being capable of instantaneous relative resilient rotational movements in opposite directions with respect to said alternator pulley during the driven rotational movement thereof and (2) allowing said hub structure and hence the armature assembly to rotate at a speed in excess of the rotational speed of said alternator pulley when the speed of the engine output shaft is decelerated to an extent sufficient to establish the torque between said alternator pulley and said hub structure at a predetermined negative level.
Specification