Patent ID: 6889809

Claim:
A one-way clutch for transmitting only one-way rotation about an axial direction thereof; said one-way clutch comprising: a first member having a first engagement face formed with a plurality of teeth, and a second member having a second engagement face formed with a plurality of pieces, said first and second members being disposed in a series along said axial direction; wherein each of said teeth comprises a sharply sloping face and a gently sloping face with respect to said first engagement face; each of said pieces is mounted on said second member so that the angle in the lengthwise direction thereof with respect to said second engagement face is variable; each of said pieces is engaged with the sharply sloping faces of the teeth to prevent relative rotation between said first and second members and the angle of each of said pieces with respect to said second engagement face increases causing the first and second members to move away from each other, resisting elasticity, when either one of said first member or said second member is rotated in said one-way rotation; and each of said pieces comes into abutment with the gently sloping face of said tooth to enable the relative rotation between said first and second members and the angle of each of said pieces with respect to said second engagement face decreases causing the first and second members to move closer to each other by the elasticity, when either one of said first member or said second member is rotated in a direction opposite to said one-way rotation.