Patent ID: 6390264
Filing Date: 2002-05-21
Classification: E05F,E05Y,F16D,Y10T

Abstract:
A clutch comprising:a housing that is non-rotatably secured and has an inner circumferential surface; a driving-side rotator that is connected to a drive source and is rotatably received within said housing; a driven-side rotator that is connected to a load and is rotatably received within said housing, wherein said driven-side rotator is connected to said driving-side rotator in a manner allowing relative rotation of said driven-side rotator within a predetermined range in a rotational direction; and clampable means that is arranged between said driven-side rotator and said inner circumferential surface of said housing and is positionable between a clamped position where said clampable means is clamped between said driven-side rotator and said inner circumferential surface of said housing and a non-clamped position where said clampable means is not clamped between said driven-side rotator and said inner circumferential surface of said housing, said clutch being characterized in that: when said driving-side rotator is rotated by a rotational force transmitted from said drive source, rotation of said driving-side rotator causes said clampable means to be positioned in said non-clamped position and also to be revolved therewith, and at the same time said driving-side rotator engages said driven-side rotator in a rotational direction and transmits a rotational force of said driving-side rotator to said driven-side rotator; and when said driven-side rotator is rotated by a rotational force transmitted from said load, said clampable means is positioned in said clamped position, and at the same time said driven-side rotator is allowed to rotate while generating a desired frictional force between said clampable means and said inner circumferential surface of said housing.