Patent ID: 6887176
Filing Date: 2005-05-03
Classification: B25B,F16D

Abstract:
1. A torque transmission mechanism, comprising: a drive shaft having an axis and arranged and constructed to rotate about the axis, a driven shaft extending along substantially the same axis as the drive shaft, a torque accumulator arranged and constructed to accumulate a rotational torque of the drive shaft and to transmit the rotational torque to the driven shaft due to a frictional force, and a controller arranged and constructed to control the accumulation of the torque in the torque accumulator, wherein the torque accumulator comprises a resilient member that has a resiliency in a substantially rotational direction of the driven shaft, the resilient member comprises a coil spring, the coil spring extends substantially linearly along the same axis as the drive shaft and the driven shaft, the coil spring has a first end and a second end opposite to the first end, the first end is coupled to the controller, and the second end is coupled to the driven shaft, wherein the controller is operable rotate the first end in the opposite direction to the rotational direction of the drive shaft in order to release the tightening force of the second portion of the coil spring around the driven shaft, the controller comprises a control member and an actuator that is arranged and constructed to rotate the control member, and the control member is coupled to the first end of the coil spring, wherein the actuator is driven by a power unit that also drives the drive shaft.