초록 ▼

The adjustable clutch hinge assembly includes a shaft, an adjustment member connected to one end of the shaft, a metal inner cone member, and a metal outer cone member. The end of the shaft to which the adjustment member is connected is inserted into an aperture in the inner cone member, which is sp

The adjustable clutch hinge assembly includes a shaft, an adjustment member connected to one end of the shaft, a metal inner cone member, and a metal outer cone member. The end of the shaft to which the adjustment member is connected is inserted into an aperture in the inner cone member, which is split, to allow a decrease of the internal diameter thereof, and has protruding key features, such that a threaded portion of the adjustment member protrudes out the opposite end of the inner cone member. The inner cone member resides within the outer cone member, which has receptive features for the inner cone member and its protruding key features to prevent rotation of the inner cone member within the outer cone member. When the threaded portion of the adjustment member protruding out the end of the inner cone member is drawn through the outer cone member, an outer surface of the inner cone member is forced against an inner surface of the outer cone. This forces the inner diameter of the inner cone member to decrease, increasing the force on the shaft. The shallow pitch of the inner cone member allows relatively large displacements to produce small increases in force, making the torque applied to the shaft controllable.

대표청구항 ▼

[ What is claimed is:] [1.] An apparatus for mounting two components for relative rotational movement, the apparatus comprising:a housing connected to one of the components,a shaft connected to the other component and disposed in the housing,a sleeve disposed between the shaft and the housing in fri

[ What is claimed is:] [1.] An apparatus for mounting two components for relative rotational movement, the apparatus comprising:a housing connected to one of the components,a shaft connected to the other component and disposed in the housing,a sleeve disposed between the shaft and the housing in frictional engagement therewith, thus preventing rotation between the housing and the shaft, and therefore between the components in the absence of a predetermined torque applied to one of the components, andmeans for varying the frictional engagement and the amount of the predetermined torque,wherein the housing has a conical inner surface, and the sleeve has a conical outer surface and an axial slot; and wherein the varying means comprises means for moving the sleeve axially relative to the housing, wherein the sleeve is compressed between the housing and the shaft, and wherein the axial movement of the sleeve varies the compression and therefore the frictional engagement with the shaft.