Patent ID: 7607526

Claim:
An anti-reverse input clutch comprising an input member and an output member that can rotate about a common axis, a torque transmitter for transmitting rotation of said input member to said output member with a slight angular delay, a stationary member having a radially inner or outer cylindrical surface, said output member having a radially inner or outer opposed surface radially opposed to said cylindrical surface, said output member having cam surfaces formed on said opposed surface, each of said cam surfaces and said cylindrical surface defining a wedge-shaped space that narrows from one circumferential end thereof toward another circumferential end thereof, a retainer rotationally fixed to said input member and including legs inserted between said output member and said stationary member, rolling elements each received in one of said wedge-shaped spaces, and an elastic member disposed between an adjacent pair of said rolling elements to bias said rolling elements toward said another circumferential end of said respective wedge-shaped spaces, whereby when said input member rotates, said legs of said retainer push at least some of said rolling elements against the force of said elastic member, thereby transmitting torque from said input member to said output member, said output member comprising an output shaft which is held so as to be rotatable about said common axis, and a cam member which is a separate member from said output shaft and on which said cam surfaces are formed, said cam member being rotationally fixed to said output shaft, wherein said cam member of said output member is coupled to said output shaft so as to be movable to an eccentric position relative to said output shaft, and wherein said cam surfaces are circumferentially uniformly arranged, and wherein said output shaft includes a flange, and wherein said stationary member includes flange restricting portions which sandwich said flange from both axial sides thereof.