Patent ID: 8757343

Claim:
A clutch mechanism adapted for a drive source, the clutch mechanism comprising: a driving side rotating body that is rotated by rotational driving force from the drive source; a driven side rotating body that is joined to the driving side rotating body in a direction of a rotation axis of the driving side rotating body so that the rotational driving force is transmitted to the driven side rotating body, the driven side rotating body including a joining portion; an electromagnet that generates attracting magnetic force, which attracts the driven side rotating body in a joining direction in which the driven side rotating body is joined to the driving side rotating body; a damper that is made of a resilient member and includes an impact mitigation part and a contact portion, the impact mitigation part being configured to mitigate impact when the driven side rotating body collides with the driving side rotating body, and the contact portion being configured to reduce vibration of the driven side rotating body; a plate spring that is configured to generate resilient force, which urges the driven side rotating body in an opposite direction from the joining direction, the plate spring including a pressing part that is configured to press the contact portion of the damper with a predetermined crushing allowance on the driven side rotating body both at a time when the electromagnet is energized and the driven side rotating body and the driving side rotating body are joined together and at a time when the electromagnet is deenergized and the driven side rotating body and the driving side rotating body are not joined together, and the joining portion of the driven side rotating body integrally joining the spring plate with the driven side rotating body; a hub member that is joined to the driven side rotating body via the plate spring and a joining portion; and the driving side rotating body, the driven side rotating body, the damper, and the plate spring being arranged in this order in the direction of the rotation axis; the contact portion of the damper being adjacent the joining portion of the driven side rotating body and contacting a part of the driven side rotating body in the direction of the rotation axis, and the impact mitigation part of the damper being arranged between the hub and the pressing part of the spring plate; and the damper further including a flexure applying part that is placed between the plate spring and the driven side rotating body that provides an initial flexure to the plate spring, the flexure applying part being adjacent the joining portion joining the hub member and the driven side rotating body together, and the contact portion being closer than the flexure applying part to the joining portion joining the driven side rotating body and the plate spring together.