Patent ID: 6889808

Claim:
A positive locking overrunning clutch mechanism comprising: an inner clutch member adapted to rotate about a clutch axis; an outer clutch member adapted to rotate about the clutch axis; a locking mechanism having a plurality of lock portions adapted to transfer torque load from one of the inner and outer clutch members to the other of the inner and outer clutch members, said one of the inner and outer clutch members comprising a drive clutch member and said other of the inner and outer clutch members comprising a driven clutch member, the locking mechanism being moveable between a locked position and an unlocked position, the locked position being a position in which the lock portions simultaneously engage the drive clutch member and the driven clutch member in a manner to cause the driven clutch member to rotate with the drive clutch member upon rotation of the drive clutch member about the clutch axis in a first rotational direction, the unlocked position being a position in which the lock portions are positioned relative to the drive and driven clutch members in a manner to permit rotation of the driven clutch member relative to the drive clutch member in the first rotational direction, each lock portion being a first radial distance from the clutch axis when the locking mechanism is in the locked position, each lock portion being a second radial distance from the clutch axis when the locking mechanism is in the unlocked position; one of the drive and driven clutch members having a plurality of retaining portions adapted to engage the lock portions of the locking mechanism in a manner to positively maintain the locking mechanism in the unlocked position, wherein said one of the drive and driven clutch members and the retaining portions are a single, unitary member.