Patent Publication Number: US-2022228749-A1

Title: Gear two-way clutching mechanism

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a gear two-way clutching mechanism, and more particularly to a gear two-way clutching mechanism having simple design, pure structure, capable of saving mechanical use space, and enhancing operation efficiencies of mechanism clutching and meshing. 
     Description of the Related Art 
     In order to allow the output of motor power to achieve specific purpose or have better efficiency, a clutch mechanism is usually disposed at a transmission chain used in the motor. The design and operation of the clutch mechanism mainly generate clutching effect when the motor is at clockwise rotation or counter wise rotation. The motor transmission chain merely works in singular direction. Although the operation of the motor transmission chain could achieve purpose of anticipated clutching and transmitting power, the clutch mechanism also has shortcomings of complexity, higher production cost and space occupation. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Therefore, it is a primary objective of the present invention to provide a gear two-way clutching mechanism capable of improving the foregoing shortcomings and enabling the clutching mechanism of the transmission chain disposed between the power source and the loading to have effects of simple design, purified structure, reducing manufacture costs, saving mechanism use space, enhancing operation efficiency of mechanism clutching and meshing. 
     To achieve the foregoing objective, the disclosure is acted between power output and loading and mainly comprises a power source, a loading, a clutching unit and a deceleration unit. When a first output gear of the clutching unit is driven by the power source to rotate to a predetermined position, a teeth missing portion is tangential with and corresponds to a buffer gear, or a wheel teeth portion is meshed to the buffer gear. The clutching unit connected between the power source and the loading can perform motion of clutching without working and enables the loading end to freely rotate, or the clutching unit can carry out motion of meshing work so that power of the power source is directly outputted to the loading end. With the deceleration unit connected to a rear section and/or a front section of the clutching unit, speed reduction ratio of the transmission chain connected between the power source and the loading can be changed to achieve effect of enhancing or changing output torsional moment. The technical characteristics, contents, advantages and effects of the present invention will be apparent with the detailed description accompanied with related drawings of two preferred embodiments as follows. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a three-dimensional schematic diagram according to a first embodiment of the invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a decomposition structure drawing according to  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is a plane schematic diagram of a buffer gear according to an embodiment (I) of the invention; 
         FIG. 4  is a plane schematic diagram of a buffer gear according to an embodiment (II) of the invention; 
         FIG. 5  is a plane schematic diagram of a buffer gear according to an embodiment (III) of the invention; 
         FIG. 6  is a plane schematic diagram of a buffer gear according to an embodiment (IV) of the invention; 
         FIG. 7  is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the first embodiment applied to a stove automatic turning-off machine that shows meshing state according to the invention; 
         FIG. 8  is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the first embodiment applied to a stove automatic turning-off machine that shows a non-meshing state according to the invention; 
         FIG. 9  is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the first embodiment applied to a stove automatic turning-off machine that performs ignition operation according to the invention; 
         FIG. 10  is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the first embodiment applied to a stove automatic turning-off machine that performs automatic turning-off according to the invention; 
         FIG. 11  is a planar schematic diagram of the clutching unit that shows clutching state according to the embodiment of the invention; 
         FIG. 12  is a planar schematic diagram of the clutching unit that is ready to enter meshing state according to the embodiment of the invention; 
         FIG. 13  is a planar schematic diagram of the clutching unit that shows clutching state according to the embodiment of the invention; 
         FIG. 14  is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of cascading the deceleration unit to a rear section of the clutching unit according to a second embodiment of the invention; 
         FIG. 15  is an exploded structure drawing according to  FIG. 14 ; 
         FIG. 16  is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the second embodiment applied to a stove automatic turning-off machine that shows clutching state according to the invention; 
         FIG. 17  is a top view schematic diagram according to  FIG. 16 ; 
         FIG. 18  is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the second embodiment applied to a stove automatic turning-off machine that shows meshing state according to the invention; 
         FIG. 19  is a top view schematic diagram according to  FIG. 18 ; 
         FIG. 20  is a top view schematic diagram of cascading the deceleration unit to a rear section of the clutching unit according to a third embodiment of the invention; 
         FIG. 21  is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of cascading the deceleration unit to a front section of the clutching unit according to a fourth embodiment of the invention; and 
         FIG. 22  is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of cascading the deceleration unit to a front section of the clutching unit according to a fifth embodiment of the invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     The technical characteristics, contents, advantages and effects of the present invention will be apparent with the detailed description accompanied with related drawings of preferred embodiments as follows. 
     With reference to  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 2  a first embodiment illustrates optimum shape that implements the disclosure. A gear two-way clutching mechanism according to the disclosure acts between power output and a loading and mainly comprises a power source  10 , a loading  20 , a clutching unit  30  and a deceleration unit  40 ; wherein the power source  10  is provided for outputting power and capable of delivering rotation power to the loading  20  through the clutching unit  30  and disposed with a power output shaft  101 ; wherein the power source  10  can be a motor assembly. 
     The loading  20  is connected to the clutching unit  30  and can be driven by rotation power outputted from the power source  10  and disposed with a loading end spindle  201 . 
     The clutching unit  30  is connected between the power output shaft  101  of the power source  10  and the loading end spindle  201  of the loading  20  and capable of transmitting rotation power of the power source  10  to the loading  20  or disconnecting power of the power source  10  from the loading  20  and enables the loading  20  to perform freely rotation motion as idle and disposed with a first output gear  301  and a buffer gear  302 . The first output gear  301  is disposed to the power output shaft  101  of the power source  10 . The first output gear  301  is disposed with a teeth missing portion  3011  and a wheel teeth portion  3012 . The buffer gear  302  is disposed to the loading end spindle  201  of the loading  20  and connected to the first output gear and disposed with a pierced cutting groove  3021  on a circumference so that a gear axle core  3022  and a gear teeth  3023  are form non-rigid connection and occur relative torsional displacement while receiving force. 
     The wheel teeth portion  3012  of the first output gear  301  and the gear teeth  3023  of the buffer gear  302  are configured as the same modulus to mesh to each other. A quantity of missing teeth from the teeth missing portion  3011  of the first output gear  301  can take a principle that avoids meshing the buffer gear  302 . Moreover, the quantity of missing teeth from the teeth missing portion  3011  is roughly not less than two teeth. 
     With reference to  FIGS. 3-6 , the pierced cutting groove  3021  disposed to the circumference of the buffer gear  302  can be a spiral cutting groove (as shown in  FIG. 3  and  FIG. 4 ) or a ring-shaped cutting groove (as shown in  FIG. 5 ) or can be distributed by way of heteromorphy to show plural cutting grooves. A path of the cutting groove  3021  can be defined according to different function curves. A width of the cutting groove  3021  can restrict magnitude of relative torsional displacement between the gear axle core  3022  and the gear teeth  3023 . The remaining junction  3024  adjacent to the cutting groove  3021  on the circumference of the buffer gear  302  can decide magnitude of relative torsional flexibility between the gear axle core  3022  and the gear teeth  3023 . 
     By utilizing the disclosure composed of the foregoing structures, with reference to  FIG. 7  and  FIG. 8 , when the power source  10  output rotation power through the power output shaft  101 , the first output gear  301  of the clutching unit  30  disposed in the power output shaft  101  will be driven to rotate. Since the first output gear  310  is disposed with the teeth missing portion  3011  and the wheel teeth portion  3012 , the power output shaft  101  is in rotation cycle. When the teeth missing portion  3011  of the first output gear  301  is tangential with and corresponds to the buffer gear  302  (as shown in Fig. 7 ), the buffer gear  302  and the first output gear  301  show non-mesh clutching state and are unable to be driven to rotate, and the clutching unit  30  is at clutch without working. Afterward the power output shaft  101  of the power source  10  continuously rotates, and the teeth missing portion  3011  of the first output gear  301  rotating in accordance with the power output shaft  101  will rotate and come off the buffer gear  302 , and the wheel teeth portion  3012  instantly re-meshes the buffer gear  302  (as shown in  FIG. 8 ) so that the buffer gear  302  is driven to rotate, and the loading end spindle  201  is also rotated. Moreover, the clutching unit  30  can re-work on the loading  20  by showing meshed state. 
     With the disclosure composed of the foregoing structures, when the power source  10  drives the first output gear  301  to rotate and the wheel teeth portion  3012  meshes the buffer gear  302  to enter meshed state, the clutching unit  30  will work on the loading  20  for outputting. When the power source  10  drives the first output gear  301  to rotate and the teeth missing portion  301  is tangential with and corresponds to the buffer gear  302  to enter clutching state, the clutching unit  30  is disconnected from the loading  20  to enable the loading  20  to freely rotate. 
     In another word, when the disclosure is applied to an automatic turning-off mechanism in a stove, with reference to  FIG. 9  and  FIG. 10 , when the loading  20  (a stove knob) is rotated to “off” state, the power source  10  (a motor assembly) sets the teeth missing portion  3011  of the first output gear  301  of the clutching unit  30  that is tangential with and corresponds to the buffer gear (as shown in  FIG. 7 ) so that the buffer gear  302  and the first output gear  301  show non-mesh clutching state to enable the clutching unit  30  to show clutch without working. Afterward when the loading  20  (the stove knob) disposed to the loading end spindle  201  is rotated to allow the stove to perform ignition motion (as shown in  FIG. 9 ), since the buffer gear  302  of the clutching unit 30  and the first output gear  301  are at non-mesh clutching state, the buffer gear  302  disposed to the loading end spindle  201  is at idle as free rotation state such that the loading  20  (the stove knob) can be easily rotated to perform ignition motion. Afterward when the ignited stove is used to reach set time without turning off (for example, a user forgets to turn off the stove while making soup or boiling water overtime), the power source  10  (the motor assembly) will be controlled and activated to drive the first output gear  301  of the clutching unit  30  to rotate. The teeth missing portion  3011  of the first output gear  301 , which rotates, will rotationally come off and correspond to the buffer gear  302 , and the wheel teeth portion  3012  then re-meshes the buffer gear  302  to allow the buffer gear  302  to be driven to reversely rotate. The loading end spindle  201 , which rotates together, can directly drive the loading  20  (the stove knob) to reversely rotate (as shown in  FIG. 10 ) to perform motion of automatically turning off the stove, thereby achieving safety effect of using the stove. 
     In the disclosure, the clutching unit  30  that enters meshed state from clutching state can be shown in  FIG. 11 ,  FIG. 12  and  FIG. 13 . When the first output gear  301  rotates to allow the teeth missing portion  3011  coming off the buffer gear  302 , and the wheel teeth portion  3012  re-meshes the buffer gear  302  to enable the clutching unit  30  to re-work, the probability of generating tooth top interference between the first tooth  30121  of the wheel teeth portion  3012  of the first output gear  301  and the buffer gear  302  is normally and relatively enhanced, and the power source  10  (the motor assembly) will easily occur block-turn to cause situation of damaging mechanism. However, the buffer gear  302  according to the disclosure has design of the cutting groove  3021  on the circumference to allow the gear axle core  3022  and the gear teeth  3023  to form non-rigid connection, and it will generate relative torsional displacement while receiving force. When tooth top interference happens and interference force exceeds in predetermined range, naturally, the buffer gear  302  will generate twist to eliminate tooth top interference so that the first tooth  30121  of the wheel teeth portion  3012  of the first output gear  301  and the gear teeth  3023  of the buffer gear  302  are guided to a correct meshing compartment to enable the power source  10  (the motor assembly) to successfully prevent block-turn from occurring, thereby achieving effect of protecting mechanism. 
     A quantity of missing teeth in the teeth missing portion  3011  of the first output gear  301  takes a principle that avoids meshing the buffer gear  302 . The clutching motion between the first output gear  301  and the buffer gear  302  will be extremely reliable to further achieve smoothness effect of ensuring mechanical operation. 
     The way of delivering the power source  10  to the loading  20  in the gear two-way clutching mechanism according to the invention does not limit to the clutching unit  30  that is taken as transmission chain and can also take the clutching unit  30  as a basis in response to different use demands. A deceleration unit  40  can be selectively cascaded to a rear and/or front sections of the clutching unit  30  to change speed reduction ratio of the transmission chain so as to further achieve effect of enhancing or changing output torque. However, the clutching unit  30  co-composed of the first output gear  301  having design of the teeth missing portion  3011  and the buffer gear  302  having design of the cutting groove  3021  is a necessary composition for the transmission chain in the disclosure. 
     With reference to  FIG. 14  and  FIG. 15  for another better configuration that illustrates the implemented disclosure according to a second embodiment is provided, wherein the transmission chain connected between the power output shaft  101  of the power source  10  and the loading end spindle  201  of the loading  20  comprises the clutching unit  30  co-composed of the first output gear  301  having design of the teeth missing portion  3011  disposed to the power output shaft  101  and the buffer gear  302  having design of the cutting groove  3021  and connected to the first output gear  301 . Moreover, a deceleration unit  40  is connected to the rear section of the clutching unit  30 . The deceleration unit  40  is disposed with at least two deceleration gears (a first deceleration gear  401 , a second deceleration gear  401 ′, a third deceleration gear  401 ″ as shown in  FIG. 14 ). Each of the deceleration gears is meshed to each other to transmit power, wherein the deceleration gear  401  (the first deceleration gear  401 ) and the buffer gear  302  of the clutching unit  30  are co-axially fixed to the first stationary shaft  41  to allow it to synchronously rotate together with the buffer gear  302 , wherein the deceleration gear  401 ″ (the third deceleration gear  401 ″) is disposed to the loading end spindle  201 . The power outputted from the power source  10  can be transmitted to the loading end spindle  201  through the clutching unit  30  and the deceleration unit  40  since remaining deceleration gears  401 ′ (the second deceleration gears  401 ′) disposed to the second stationary shaft  42  mesh to each other, and the loading  20  is rotated together. 
     When the transmission chain composed of cascading the deceleration unit  40  to the rear section of the clutching unit  30  is applied to the stove automatic turning-off mechanism, with reference to  FIG. 16 ,  FIG. 17 ,  FIG. 18 ,  FIG. 19 . When the loading  20  (the stove knob) is rotated to turn-off state, the power source  10  (the motor assembly) sets the teeth missing portion  3011  of the first output gear  301  of the clutching unit  30  to be tangential with and corresponding to the buffer gear  302  (as shown in  FIG. 16  and  FIG. 17 ) so that the buffer gear  302  and the first output gear  301  are at non-meshed clutching state, and the clutching unit  30  is at non-work clutching state. By rotating the loading  20  (the stove knob) disposed to the loading end spindle  201 , when the stove performs ignition motion, the third deceleration gear  401 ″ disposed to the loading end spindle  201 , the second deceleration gear  401 ′ and the first deceleration gear  401 , which mesh to each other, of the deceleration unit  40  and the buffer gear  302  coaxially disposed with the first deceleration gear  401  will show idle as freedom rotation state since the buffer gear  302  and the first output gear  301  of the clutching unit  30  are at non-meshed clutching state (as shown in  FIG. 16  and  FIG. 17 ) so that the loading  20  (the stove knob) can be easily rotated to perform stove ignition motion. When the ignited stove is used to reach set time and not turned off (the user forgets to turn off the stove while cooking soup or boiling water as overcooking), the power source  10  (the motor assembly) will be controlled and activated to drive the first output gear  301  of the clutching unit  30  for rotating. The teeth missing portion  3011  of the first output gear  301  in rotating would rotate and come off the buffer gear  302 , and the wheel teeth portion  3012  instantly re-meshes the buffer gear  302  (as shown in  FIG. 18 ,  FIG. 19 ) so that the buffer gear  302  is driven to reversely rotate. At the same time, the first deceleration gear  401  of the deceleration unit  40  coaxially disposed together with the buffer gear  302  also drives the second deceleration gear  401 ′ and the third deceleration gear  401 ″ meshed to each other to reversely rotate in accordance with rotation of the buffer gear  302 , and the loading end spindle  301  provided for disposing the third deceleration gear  401 ″ would also rotate reversely. Accordingly, it can be directly driven to reversely rotate to perform a motion of automatically turning off the stove, thereby enhancing safety effect of using the stove. 
     With reference to  FIG. 20  for a third embodiment according to the disclosure, wherein the first output gear  301  of the clutching unit  30  is disposed to the power output shaft  101  of the power source  10  and connected to the buffer gear  302  to compose the transmission chain. The rear section of the clutching unit  30  can be also connected to the deceleration unit  40  composed of more deceleration gears (such as the first deceleration gear  401 , the second deceleration gear  401 ′, the third deceleration gear  401 ″ and a fourth deceleration gear  401 ′″). Accordingly, by utilizing the clutching unit  30  connected between the power source  10  and the loading  20  and collaborating the deceleration unit  40 , which has a plurality of deceleration gears, connected to the rear section of the clutching unit  30 , the composed transmission chain according to the disclosure can achieve anticipated clutching effect and effect of enhancing or changing speed reduction ratio. 
     With reference to  FIG. 21  for a fourth embodiment according to the disclosure and  FIG. 22  for a fifth embodiment according to the disclosure, the transmission chain connected between the power output shaft  101  of the power source  10  and the loading end spindle  201  of the loading  20  can also connect the deceleration unit  40  at a front section of the clutching unit  40 . For example, the first deceleration gear  401  of the deceleration unit  40  is firstly disposed to the power output shaft  101  of the power source  10 . The second deceleration gear  401 ′ of the deceleration unit  40  is disposed to the first stationary shaft  41 . The first deceleration gear  401  and the second deceleration gear  401 ′ remain meshing. The clutching unit  30  disposed to the rear section of the deceleration unit  40  can coaxially dispose the first output gear  301  having the teeth missing portion  3011  and any other deceleration gear of the deceleration unit  40  (as shown in  FIG. 21 , the first output gear  301  and the second deceleration gear  401 ′ are coaxially disposed to the first stationary shaft  41 ). The buffer gear  302 , which is disposed with the cutting groove  3021 , disposed connected to the first output gear  301  can be disposed to the loading end spindle  201  (as shown in  FIG. 21 ), or the buffer gear  302  can be also disposed to any other stationary shaft (as shown in  FIG. 22 , the buffer gear  302  is disposed to the second stationary shaft  42  and transmits power to the fourth deceleration gear  401 ′″ of the loading end spindle  201  through the coaxially disposed third deceleration gear  401 ″) between the power output shaft  101  and the loading end spindle  201 . Accordingly, by utilizing the clutching unit  30  connected between the power source  10  and the loading  20  and the deceleration unit  40  connected to the front section of the clutching unit  30 , the transmission chain composed of mutually collaborating the clutching unit  30  and the deceleration unit  40  can achieve anticipated clutching effect, purpose and effect of enhancing or changing speed reduction ratio at the same time. 
     Since the clutching unit  30  and the deceleration unit  40  are connected between the power source  10  and the loading  20 , the transmission chain can achieve clutching and effect of enhancing or changing speed reduction ratio. When the power source  10  drives the first output gear  301  of the clutching unit  30  to rotate and the wheel teeth portion  3012  of the first output gear  301  stops at meshed state, externally rotation force of the loading  20  is difficult to transmit back to the power source  10  through the deceleration unit  40  having high speed reduction ratio, thereby achieving purpose of self-locking. In another word, when the disclosure is applied to operation of automatically turning off the stove, the loading  20  (the stove knob) is rotated to turn-off state (as shown in  FIG. 17 ). The first output gear  301  of the clutching unit  30  originally takes the teeth missing portion  3011  to be tangential with and corresponding to the buffer gear  302  so that the loading  20  (the stove knob) can freely rotate. However, upon use demand, the user can additionally operate and control activation of the power source  10  (the motor assembly) to enable the first output gear  301  to rotate and to immediately stop the first output gear  301  when the gear portion  3012  meshes the buffer gear  302 . Under high reduction ratio of the deceleration unit  40 , rotation force imposed to the loading  20  (the stove knob) will be difficult to transmit back to the power source  10  (the motor assembly) so that the loading  20  (the stove knob) is unable to be randomly rotated. Accordingly, it can exactly prevent the stove knob from being randomly rotated by children to cause ignition motion, thereby achieving safety effect of using the stove. The timing of controlling activation and stopping movement of the power source 10  (the motor assembly) can be controlled by a timer in the control circuit or different sensors or micro-switch. 
     In other words, using the disclosure has the following advantages:
         1. The design is simple, manufacture costs is low, and it has implementation economy.   2. Structure is pure, assembling is convenient, and it has implementation convenience.   3. The space used by mechanism can be saved to achieve effect of expanding use range.   4. The operation efficiency and use safety of mechanism clutching and meshing can be enhanced.       

     While the present invention has been described by means of specific embodiments, numerous modifications and variations could be made thereto by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention set forth in the claims.