Nsk-warner Kabushiki Kaisha

Akimitsu Suzuki

Kozaburo Igari

Hiroshi Yabe

Toshio Awaji

A speed responsive centrifugal clutch having a one-way clutch function and suitable for use as a lock-up clutch of a torque converter is provided. The one-way clutch is provided not as a separate component but as structurally integrated in the clutch. The speed responsive centrifugal clutch includes a clutch plate fixedly mounted on a rotating shaft, a damper plate supported to be rotatable relative to the clutch plate and carrying damper elements, a reaction ring supported to be rotatable over a predetermined angle range relative to the damper plate, a plurality of shoe assemblies supported by the reaction ring to be displasable radially outwardly due to centrifugal forces, and a one-way clutch mechanism incorporated between the clutch plate and the damper plate. Because of the provision of such a one-way clutch mechanism in this particular manner, the overall size of the clutch can be minimized and transmission of rotating force can be carried out extremely smoothly.

Speed responsive one-way centrifugal clutch

A speed responsive clutch assembly includes a generally disc-shaped clutch plate fixedly mounted on a rotating shaft on the driven side of the clutch assembly and a reaction ring supported by the clutch plate so as to be rotatable relative to the clutch plate over a predetermined angle. The clutch assembly also includes a plurality of shoe assemblies which are mounted on the reaction ring so as to be movable radially outward until they come into frictional contact with a casing, which is connected to a driving source, thereby establishing a coupled condition as the centrifugal force acting on the shoe assemblies increases. The assembly also includes a plurality of damper members interposed between the clutch plate and the reaction ring so that the rotational force can be transmitted between the clutch plate and the reaction ring through the damper members. Those shoe assemblies and damper members are arranged substantially along the same circumference.

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Fujisawa, Japan

Akimitsu Suzuki