Patent ID: 8776975

Claim:
A one-way clutch comprising an outer race and an inner race having a common axis of rotation with the outer race, wherein one of the outer race and the inner race includes a plurality of ratchet teeth, each of the ratchet teeth including a ratchet tooth contact surface, the other of the outer race and the inner race includes at least one pawl recess with at least a portion of at least one pawl received in the pawl recess and an engagement member for urging the at least one pawl away from the other of the outer race and the inner race, the at least one pawl including a pawl support surface, an engagement member contact surface for engaging the engagement member, and a pawl contact surface for engaging the ratchet tooth contact surface of one of the ratchet teeth, the pawl contact surface being disposed between the pawl support surface and the engagement member contact surface, and wherein at least one of the ratchet tooth contact surface and the pawl contact surface is an arcuate surface that has a cross-sectional shape that is arcuate as viewed along the axis of rotation, the arcuate surface having a radius of curvature that is greater than a radius of curvature at corners adjacent to the arcuate surface; wherein the arcuate surface is the ratchet tooth contact surface, and wherein the arcuate surface is a convex surface.