Spring coupler brake

• US 4,651,854 A
• Filed: 05/03/1983
• Issued: 03/24/1987
• Est. Priority Date: 05/04/1982
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Aisin Seiki Co., Ltd. (Aisin Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Aisin Seiki Co., Ltd. (Aisin Corp.)
• Inventors: Harada, Kuniyoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Bonck, Rodney H.
• Application Number:
  US06/491,188
• Time in Patent Office: 1,421 Days
• Field of Search: 192/8 C, 192/12 BA, 192/17 D
• US Class Current: 192/223.4
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 41/206 having axially adjacent coils, e.g. helical wrap-springs

Abstract

A spring coupler including a drive member, a driven member, a pair of coil springs interconnecting the drive and driven members, and a cylindrical housing providing a unidirectional drive either clockwise or counter-clockwise. The drive member has a pair of recesses in its outer surface and the driven member has a pair of substantially complementary projections, the projections and recesses interacting upon the assembly of the members to form a substantially cylindrical surface. The coil springs are coiled serially about the assembled members and the outer surfaces of the springs are frictionally engaged with the inner surface of the housing in the relaxed condition of the springs. Tangs on one end of each of the springs are inserted into individual ones of clearances between the projections and an edge of the recesses and the tangs on the other ends of the springs are inserted into slots in the projections. When the drive member is turned clockwise or counter-clockwise an edge of one of the recesses engages one of the tangs to tighten its spring and break the frictional engagement with the housing. The interaction of the other tang of the tightened spring with the slot in the projection in the other recess causes the inserted tang of the other spring to tighten its spring so as to release the frictional engagement of both springs to allow rotation of the drive and driven members. On the other hand, any counterrotations of the driven member leaves one spring in frictional engagement with the housing.

Claims

1. A spring coupler brake comprising:

a housing;

a drive member rotatably mounted within said housing and including a drive shaft and a pair of flanges extending radially outward from said drive shaft, each of said flanges having a first inner surface defining a first recess between said flanges and a second inner surface defining a second recess between said flanges;

a driven member rotatably mounted within said housing and including a plate member having an aperture for mounting said driven member on said drive shaft, said plate member also having first and second projection means extending substantially parallel to said drive shaft and positioned within said first and second recesses respectively, each of said first and second projection means having a pair of elongated extensions defining a first and a second slot, respectively; and

first and second spring members normally frictionally engaged to said housing, said first and second spring members having a cylindrical configuration and being serially aligned about said drive member and said driven member, and said first spring member having first means at opposite ends thereof for engaging said first inner surface of one of said flanges and said first slot, said second spring member having second means at opposite ends thereof for engaging said second inner surface of said one of said flanges and said second slot, thereby disengaging said first and second spring members from said housing to allow rotation of said driven member by said drive member in either direction while preventing essentially any movement of said drive member by rotation of said driven member.

2. The spring coupler brake of claim 1, wherein said opposite ends of said first and second spring members are bent inward to form said first and second engaging means.