Automatic clutch employing expanding friction disk and an adjustable pressure plate
DCFirst Claim
1. An apparatus for centrifugal engagement of a clutch comprising:
- a clutch basket, a pressure plate, a center clutch and a clutch pack disposed between said pressure plate and said center clutch and capable of coupling said clutch basket with said center clutch;
an expanding friction disk assembly disposed between said center clutch and said pressure plate, said expanding friction disk assembly having a first plate, a second plate, at least one centrifugal actuating member disposed between said first plate and said second plate, at least one ramping mechanism disposed between said centrifugal actuating member and said first plate and at least one biasing spring disposed between said first plate and said second plate;
wherein said biasing spring provides a force to urge said first plate and said second plate towards each other and wherein when said expanding friction disk assembly is rotated above a threshold speed, said centrifugal actuating member moves radially outward against the force of said biasing spring and said ramping mechanism causing said expanding friction disk assembly to expand.
3 Assignments
Litigations
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An apparatus and system are disclosed for automatic centrifugal engagement of a clutch incorporating a friction disk that expands when rotated above a threshold speed. The apparatus may include a clutch basket, a clutch pack capable of coupling the clutch basket with a center clutch, a pressure plate that may be easily adjusted to create a gap between the pressure plate and the clutch pack and an expanding friction disk assembly that may take the place of one or more friction disks. The assembly expands under centrifugal force to provide automatic engagement of the clutch. A mechanism is provided to manually override the automatic engagement of the clutch with a clutch lever and with improved operational performance of the clutch lever versus previous automatic clutch systems.
9 Citations
17 Claims
-
1. An apparatus for centrifugal engagement of a clutch comprising:
- a clutch basket, a pressure plate, a center clutch and a clutch pack disposed between said pressure plate and said center clutch and capable of coupling said clutch basket with said center clutch;
an expanding friction disk assembly disposed between said center clutch and said pressure plate, said expanding friction disk assembly having a first plate, a second plate, at least one centrifugal actuating member disposed between said first plate and said second plate, at least one ramping mechanism disposed between said centrifugal actuating member and said first plate and at least one biasing spring disposed between said first plate and said second plate;
wherein said biasing spring provides a force to urge said first plate and said second plate towards each other and wherein when said expanding friction disk assembly is rotated above a threshold speed, said centrifugal actuating member moves radially outward against the force of said biasing spring and said ramping mechanism causing said expanding friction disk assembly to expand. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
- a clutch basket, a pressure plate, a center clutch and a clutch pack disposed between said pressure plate and said center clutch and capable of coupling said clutch basket with said center clutch;
-
6. A centrifugal clutch system comprising:
- at least one biasing spring, a center clutch, a clutch pack and an adjustable pressure plate assembly, said adjustable pressure plate assembly including a pressure plate and a threaded adjuster;
wherein said biasing spring provides a force to urge said pressure plate in a direction towards said clutch pack and said threaded adjuster provides an adjustable stop for limiting the movement of said pressure plate towards said clutch pack against the force of said biasing spring. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
- at least one biasing spring, a center clutch, a clutch pack and an adjustable pressure plate assembly, said adjustable pressure plate assembly including a pressure plate and a threaded adjuster;
-
13. An automatic clutch apparatus comprising:
- a clutch input, a clutch output, an adjustable pressure plate assembly, an expanding friction disk assembly rotationally coupled to said clutch input and including a first plate, a second plate, at least one centrifugal actuating member disposed between said first plate and said second plate, at least one ramping mechanism disposed between said centrifugal actuating member and said first plate and at least one biasing spring disposed between said first plate and said second plate;
wherein said biasing spring provides a force to urge said first plate and said second plate towards each other;
a clutch pack disposed between said clutch output and said adjustable pressure plate assembly, said clutch pack capable of frictional rotational coupling of said clutch input to said clutch output;
said clutch pack including at least one of said expanding friction disk assemblies;
said adjustable pressure plate assembly including at least one pressure plate biasing spring, a pressure plate and a threaded adjuster;
wherein said pressure plate biasing spring provides a force to urge said pressure plate in a direction towards said clutch pack and said threaded adjuster provides an adjustable stop for limiting the movement of said pressure plate towards said clutch pack against the force of said pressure plate biasing spring and creating a gap between said pressure plate and said clutch pack;
wherein below a threshold speed of rotation of said clutch input, said expanding friction disk assembly remains in a collapsed state and above said threshold speed of rotation of said clutch input, said expanding friction disk assembly expands through said gap and provides an axial force against said adjustable pressure plate causing frictional coupling of said clutch pack and rotationally coupling said clutch input to said clutch output. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17)
- a clutch input, a clutch output, an adjustable pressure plate assembly, an expanding friction disk assembly rotationally coupled to said clutch input and including a first plate, a second plate, at least one centrifugal actuating member disposed between said first plate and said second plate, at least one ramping mechanism disposed between said centrifugal actuating member and said first plate and at least one biasing spring disposed between said first plate and said second plate;
Specification