Patent ID: 6193040
Filing Date: 2001-02-27
Classification: F16D

Abstract:
An electromagnetic clutch and pulley assembly for a motor vehicle engine, said engine including a driven component having a shaft rotatable about an axis for driving said component, said electromagnetic clutch and pulley assembly comprising:a pulley member mounted for rotation about said shaft axis;an electromagnetic coil assembly associated with said pulley member;a clutch assembly constructed and arranged to selectively couple the pulley member to said shaft responsive to energizing and de-energizing said electromagnetic coil assembly, said clutch assembly including:a hub constructed and arranged to be coupled to the shaft;an armature disk operatively associated with said hub and axially spaced from said pulley member, said armature disk being axially movable into engagement with said pulley member when said electromagnetic coil assembly is energized;torsion transmitting structure constructed and arranged to transmit torsional loads between said armature disk and said hub; andaxially compressible resilient structure made from a rubber-based material and constructed and arranged to bias said armature disk axially away from said pulley member, said axially compressible resilient structure being constructed and arranged to be axially compressed to permit said armature disk to move into engagement with said pulley member and thereby enable said armature disk to be rotatably driven by said pulley member, and hence enable said armature disk to transmit rotation of said pulley member through said torsion transmitting structure to said hub and said shaft to drive said component in response to said electromagnetic coil assembly being energized,said axially compressible resilient structure being in non-torsion transmitting relation with respect to said hub and said armature disk and constituting the sole structure that biases said armature disk axially away from said pulley member, so that the sole structure which biases said armature disk axially away from said pulley member is substantially isolated from torsional transmission between said hub and said armature disk.