Kabushiki Kaisha F. C. C.

Honda Motor Co., Ltd.

Kaoru Aono

Makoto Kataoka

Yuta Yokomichi

Yuta Kine

Han Hiong Chen

Masataka Murai

Yoshihiko Ozawa

Takayuki Suzuki

Yusuke Funayose

Katsu Yoshimoto

Masaki Yamazaki

Scott Daniel Batdorf

Shinichiro Keyaki

Shinya Nishiyama

Naoyuki Miwa

Masahiro Yamagishi

Provided is a centrifugal clutch configured so that a clutch weight can be smoothly displaced without interference with backward displacement of the clutch weight in a rotary drive direction of a drive plate and assist thrust can be stably generated. A centrifugal clutchincludes, through swing support pins, clutch weightson a drive plateto be rotatably driven by drive force of an engine, and includes plate-side cam bodiesand dampers. The clutch weightturnably displaces to a clutch outerside through the swing support pin, and includes a weight-side cam bodyconfigured to climb on the plate-side cam bodyand a damper groove. The damper grooveis formed such that a groove width Wfor fitting the damperwhen the clutch weightis at a clutch-ON position is wider to a front side in a rotary drive direction of the drive platethan a groove width Wfor fitting the damperwhen the clutch weightis at a clutch-OFF position.

Centrifugal clutch

Provided is a centrifugal clutch configured so that a clutch capacity can be increased with a simple configuration. A centrifugal clutchincludes a drive plateto be directly rotatably driven by drive force of an engine. The drive plateincludes each of swing support pinsand protruding bodies. The swing support pinis fitted in a pin slide holeformed at a clutch weightto swingably support the clutch weight. The protruding bodyis formed as a cylindrical roller. A driven portionof the clutch weightcontacts the protruding body. The pin slide holeis formed in a long hole shape allowing backward displacement of the clutch weightin the rotary drive direction of the drive plate. The driven portionis formed to extend inclined toward an outer rear side in a rotary drive direction of the drive plate

Provided is a centrifugal clutch configured so that tilt of a clutch weight can be more effectively reduced to reduce occurrence of uneven wear of the clutch weight and a clutch shoe and smoothly swing the clutch weight. A centrifugal clutchincludes clutch weightsand plate-side cam bodieson a drive plateto be rotatably driven by drive force of an engine. The clutch weightturnably displaces to a clutch outerside, and includes a weight-side cam bodyconfigured to climb on the plate-side cam body. In the clutch weight, each of a center portion CCP in a cam contact area CE between the plate-side cam bodyand the weight-side cam body, the positions FP, FPof action of force F, Fof a coupling spring, and a center portion SCP of a clutch shoein a thickness direction thereof is coincident with a barycentric position WCP of the clutch weight

A centrifugal clutch is configured so that assist thrust can be maintained constant or can be decreased even when a clutch shoe is abraded. The centrifugal clutch includes a drive plate to be rotatably driven by drive force of an engine. The drive plate includes each of swing support pins and the plate-side cam bodies. The swing support pin is fitted in a long-hole-shaped pin slide hole formed at a clutch weight to swingably support the clutch weight. The plate-side cam body includes a cylindrical roller, and a weight-side cam body of the clutch weight contacts the plate-side cam body. The weight-side cam body is formed as such a curved surface that a cam angle when a clutch shoe contacts a cylindrical surface of a clutch outer is the same between before and after abrasion of the clutch shoe progresses.

A power transmission device has a back torque transmission cam that brings driving clutch platesand driven clutch platesinto press contact with each other. A second clutch memberis moved when a rotational force is input to a first clutch membervia the output shaft. The pressure memberis located at a non-actuation position. A torque transmission portion transmits a rotational force transmitted to the second clutch memberto the first clutch membernot via the back torque transmission cam.

Power transmission device

A power transmission device has a back torque transmission cam that brings driving clutch platesand driven clutch platesinto press contact with each other. This occurs by moving a second clutch memberwhen a rotational force is input to a first clutch member, via the output shaft. A pressure memberis located at a non-actuation position. A back torque transmission cam can hold abutment between an interlocking memberand weight memberby moving the second clutch memberin a direction of being brought into proximity to the interlocking member

The present invention relates to a centrifugal clutch (). The centrifugal clutch () includes a drive plate () that is rotationally driven directly by the driving force of the engine. The drive plate () includes a swing support pin () that supports a clutch shoe () in a swinging state with respect to a clutch outer part (), and a spring support () that supports a torsion spring (). The spring support () is provided in a standing state on a base () adjacent to one distal end () of both end parts of a clutch weight () in the circumferential direction that faces a tubular surface () of the clutch outer part (). Both end parts () and () of the torsion spring () are respectively hooked on the distal end () of one clutch weight () and a proximal end () of the other clutch weight () of the two clutch weights ().

A centrifugal clutch that can suppress the inclination of a clutch weight, realize smooth oscillation, and suppress the uneven wear of a clutch shoe is provided. A drive plate () slidably supports a clutch weight () and also supports a projection body () via a projection body support pin (). The clutch weight () includes a first spring attachment part () and a second spring attachment part () to which two clutch springs () are attached formed, and a driven part () that comes into contact with the projection body () formed. The projection body () and the driven part () are formed in a manner that a projection body range (TE) where the projection body () and the driven part () come into contact overlaps action positions (FP) and (FP) of forces (F) and (F) of the clutch spring () acting on the clutch weight () in the thickness direction of the clutch weight ().

A centrifugal clutchincludes a first drive platerotationally driven directly by a driving force of an engine and a second drive platefrictionally in contact with the first drive plate. The first drive plateincludes a bulging bodyon a supporting portionbulging toward the second drive plate. The second drive plateis rotationally driven together with the first drive platewhile allowing rotational displacement relative to the first drive plate and includes clutch weights. The bulging bodyis made of a cylindrical roller. The clutch weightis formed with a driven portion. The driven portionhas a pressing bodyin contact with the bulging body. The pressing bodyobliquely extends rearwardly and outwardly in a rotational drive direction of the first drive plate

A power transmitting apparatus has a clutch member and a pressure member. The cam surfaces of the pressure-contact assist cam face each other. The cam surfaces of the back torque limiter cam face each other. A receiving portion for a clutch spring () on the pressure member () side has a receiving member () separate from the pressure member (). A first cam surface (C) and a second cam surface (C), constituting the back torque limiter cam, are, respectively, formed on the receiving member () and the clutch member (). A third cam surface (C) and a fourth cam surface (C), constituting the pressure-contact assist cam, are, respectively, formed on the pressure member () and the clutch member ().

Power transmitting apparatus

Provided is a centrifugal clutch having a simple configuration and configured so that a clutch capacity can be increased. A centrifugal clutch () includes a drive plate () to be directly rotatably driven by drive force of an engine. The drive plate () includes swing support pins () and protrusions (). The swing support pin () is fitted in a pin slide hole () formed at a clutch weight (), and swingably supports the clutch weight (). The protrusion () includes a cylindrical roller, and contacts a driven portion () of the clutch weight (). The pin slide hole () is formed in a long hole shape allowing the clutch weight () to displace backward in a rotary drive direction of the drive plate (). The driven portion () is formed to extend inclined outward to a rear side in the rotary drive direction of the drive plate ().

A power transmitting apparatus for transmitting or cutting-off the rotational driving power inputted to an input member to or from an output member by press-contacting or releasing the press-contacting force between driving-side clutch discs and driven-side clutch discs, wherein the power transmitting apparatus comprises interlocking members (e.g., a first member and second member) interlocking with the motion of the weight members from their radially inward positions to radially outward positions and movable toward a direction approaching to the pressure member; and elastic members interposed between the interlocking members and the pressure member and able to move the pressure member toward a direction for press-contacting the driving-side clutch discs and the driven-side clutch discs by urging the pressure member according to the movement of the interlocking members and also able to absorb the urging force of the pressure member applied to interlocking members when the actuating member is operated.

A centrifugal clutch apparatus can include a driving-side rotational member rotatable around a shaft member connected to a driving device; clutch devices mounted on the driving-side rotational member and movable radially-outward of the driving-side rotational member. A driven-side rotational member rotatable independent from the driving-side rotational member can be arranged for covering the driving-side rotational member and can have an inner circumferential surface to engage with the clutch devices. Friction members can be adapted to be abutted against the inner circumferential surface so as to transmit the driving power of the driving device to the driven-side rotational member. The inner circumferential surface of the driven-side rotational member can be formed with a groove and a tensioning member formed as a ring-shaped member can be snap-fitted into the groove and held therein under a radially-outward biasing force.

Growing community of inventors

Hamamatsu, Japan

Kaoru Aono