Patent ID: 6447397
Filing Date: 2002-09-10
Classification: F16D

Abstract:
In a torque overload clutch having an outer member and an inner member radially inward of said outer member, and at least one detent between said inner member and said outer member which maintains said members in rotational driving engagement with one another below a certain overload torque between said members, each said detent including a driving member which slides radially in an opening in said inner member between an engaged position in which said driving member is seated in a recess of said outer member in driving engagement with said recess and a disengaged position in which said driving member is retracted from said recess and said outer member is continuously rotatable relative to said inner member, said driving members being moved radially outward to engage in said recesses by a mechanism including a disc spring which exerts an axial spring force that biases said driving members into said engaged position, the improvement wherein:said disc spring is regressive so that said spring force exerted by said disc spring is less in said disengaged position than in said engaged position.