Patent ID: 7886887
Filing Date: 2011-02-15
Classification: F16D

Abstract:
1. A friction clutch apparatus comprising: a disk assembly having: a disk portion selectively coupled to a first member; a hub portion coupled to a second member and generally axially aligned with said disk portion, wherein said disk portion is rotatable relative to said hub portion, and said disk assembly selectively transmits a torque between said first member and said second member; and an energy storage member selectively damping the relative rotation between said disk portion and said hub portion, wherein the damping includes relative rotation between said disk portion and said hub portion, said energy storage member being preloaded, thereby requiring a preselected amount of torque to be applied by one of said disk portion and said hub portion to the other of said disk portion and said hub portion prior to fully overcoming the preload during at least a portion of the relative rotation, said energy storage member damping the relative rotation during a first stage when the transmitted torque is less than the preselected amount of torque, and during a second stage when the transmitted torque is greater than the preselected amount of torque, the energy storage member more stiffly damping the relative rotation during the first stage than the second stage, but wherein there is relative rotation during both the first stage and during the second stage; wherein relative rotation between the disk portion and the hub portion necessarily deflects the energy storage member at all times.