Patent ID: 7766317

Claim:
A clutch apparatus for connecting or disconnecting power transmission from a drive side gear, which is driven by a drive motor for rotation, to a driven system, the clutch apparatus comprising: a clutch member that has an engaging pawl and a toothed portion that is engageable with the drive side gear, and that is switchable between a clutch engaged state between the toothed portion and the drive side gear and a clutch non-engaged state therebetween as the clutch member swings; an arm that is pivotable about a lever shaft; a clutch engaging portion that is provided on the arm and engageable with the engaging pawl; a lever member that switches the clutch member and the driven system from the clutch engaged state to the clutch non-engaged state in such a manner that the engaging pawl engages the clutch engaging portion to swing the clutch member; and a lever pivot gear that is provided coaxially with the lever shaft and branched from a drive transmission system to the drive side gear to be driven for transmission, wherein the lever pivot gear and the lever shaft are coupled through a differential gear, wherein the differential gear, when an engagement between the engaging pawl and the clutch engaging portion is released, pivots the lever member in a direction away from the clutch member and, when the engaging pawl is engaged with the clutch engaging portion, pivots the lever member in a direction to approach toward the clutch member, and wherein power is transmitted after the clutch member is pivoted to a position at which the clutch engaging portion does not re-engage the engaging pawl even when the lever member is pivoted to approach, and wherein a differential device is configured so that an engaging projecting portion is partially formed on the lever pivot gear in a circumferential direction thereof, while an engaged projecting portion that is engageable with the engaging projecting portion is partially formed around the lever shaft in a circumferential direction thereof, wherein, when an engagement between the engaging pawl and the clutch engaging portion is released, the engaging projecting portion engages the engaged projecting portion thereby to pivot the lever member in a direction away from the clutch member and, when the engaging pawl is engaged with the clutch engaging portion, the lever member is pivoted in a direction in which the lever member approaches toward the clutch member, and wherein the engaging projecting portion does not engage the engaged projecting portion before the clutch member is swung to a position at which the clutch engaging portion does not re-engage the engaging pawl even when the lever member is pivoted.