A ONE-WAY DRIVE DEVICE AND A MECHANICAL ASSEMBLY INTEGRATING THE DEVICE

• Main Author: FITZ, FRANK
• Format: Patent
• Language: English; French; German
• Published: 13.11.2002
• Edition: 7
• Subjects: BLASTING; BRAKES; CLUTCHES; COUPLINGS FOR TRANSMITTING ROTATION; ENGINEERING ELEMENTS AND UNITS; GENERAL MEASURES FOR PRODUCING AND MAINTAINING EFFECTIVEFUNCTIONING OF MACHINES OR INSTALLATIONS; HEATING; LIGHTING; MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL; WEAPONS

A one-way drive device is disclosed herein including first and second members which are mounted for rotation about a given axis in a particular drive direction and which include respective first and second planar surfaces in close but spaced apart confronting relationship to one another. The overrunning clutch is also disclosed having a coupling arrangement including a strut for causing the first member to drive the second member in the particular drive direction when the first member is caused to rotate in that direction at a speed faster than the second member while allowing the first member to rotate in the particular drive direction at a slower speed than and independent of the second member. The one way drive device, as disclosed, includes a number of features. First, the first and second plate members are constructed of different materials, for example, aluminum and steel powder metal, respectively. In this way, the first member can also serve as an existing component of a separate mechanical assembly, for example a torque converter. Second, because of the feature just mentioned, the strut is specifically configured to compensate for the weaker aluminum, as contrasted with steel powder metal. Third, as a result of the first two features, the first plate member which is, for example, aluminum, includes a pocket for containing the strut, which pocket is deeper than corresponding pockets in the second plate member which is constructed of, for example, steel powder metal.