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An electromechanical system for controlling the operating mode of a selectable clutch assembly and an overrunning coupling and electromechanical control assembly are provided. The system includes a control member mounted for controlled movement and a bi-directional, electrically-powered, actuator as

An electromechanical system for controlling the operating mode of a selectable clutch assembly and an overrunning coupling and electromechanical control assembly are provided. The system includes a control member mounted for controlled movement and a bi-directional, electrically-powered, actuator assembly coupled to the control member for selective, small-displacement, control member movement between different positions which correspond to different modes of the clutch assembly. The actuator assembly holds the control member in a desired one of the positions after electrical power to the actuator assembly has been purposefully terminated. Control logic is operative to determine a system failure and to generate a failsafe position command signal in the event of the system failure. The actuator assembly moves the control member to a failsafe position based on the failsafe position command signal to prevent inadvertent engagement of the clutch assembly.

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1. An electromechanical system for controlling the operating mode of a selectable clutch assembly, the system comprising: a control member mounted for controlled movement;a bi-directional, electrically-powered, actuator assembly coupled to the control member for selective, small-displacement, contro

1. An electromechanical system for controlling the operating mode of a selectable clutch assembly, the system comprising: a control member mounted for controlled movement;a bi-directional, electrically-powered, actuator assembly coupled to the control member for selective, small-displacement, control member movement between different positions which correspond to different operating modes of the clutch assembly, the actuator assembly holding the control member in a desired one of the positions after electrical power to the actuator assembly has been purposefully terminated; andcontrol logic operative to determine a system failure and to generate a failsafe position command signal in the event of the system failure, the actuator assembly moving the control member to a failsafe position based on the failsafe position command signal to prevent inadvertent engagement of the clutch assembly. 2. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the control logic determines the desired position of the control member based on a command signal received from a remote electronic control unit through a bus. 3. The system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the electronic control unit is a transmission electronic control unit of a vehicle and the bus is a vehicle-based bus. 4. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the actuator assembly includes a servomotor having an output shaft for driving the control member. 5. The system as claimed in claim 4, wherein the actuator assembly includes at least one non-contact position sensor to provide a position feedback signal as a function of the position of the control member, the control logic controlling the servomotor based on the position feedback signal. 6. The system as claimed in claim 5, wherein each sensor includes at least one magnetic or ferromagnetic magnet mounted for movement and at least one magnetic field sensing element disposed adjacent and stationary with respect to the at least one magnet for sensing magnetic flux to produce the position feedback signal. 7. The system as claimed in claim 6, wherein each magnetic field sensing element is a Hall effect sensor. 8. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the system failure is an unexpected loss of electrical power to the actuator assembly. 9. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the actuator assembly includes a rotary output shaft and a latch mechanism including a self-locking worm gear drive coupled to the output shaft to convert rotary motion of the output shaft to linear motion. 10. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the actuator assembly includes a sector gear coupled to the control member for the selective, small displacement, control member movement. 11. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the actuator assembly includes a rotary output shaft and a lead screw flexibly coupled to the output shaft to convert rotary motion of the output shaft to linear motion. 12. The system as claimed in claim 4, wherein the system failure is an unexpected loss of electrical power to the actuator assembly and wherein the actuator assembly includes a failsafe power circuit to controllably store electrical power and supply the stored electrical power to the servomotor in the event of the unexpected loss of electrical power. 13. The system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the system failure is a loss of communication with the remote electronic control unit. 14. An overrunning coupling and electromechanical control assembly comprising: a coupling subassembly including first and second coupling members having first and second coupling faces, respectively, in close-spaced opposition with one another, at least one of the members being mounted for rotation about a rotary axis;a control member mounted for controlled shifting movement between the coupling faces;a bi-directional, electrically-powered, actuator subassembly coupled to the control member for selective, small-displacement, control member movement between different positions which correspond to different operating modes of the coupling subassembly, the actuator subassembly holding the control member in a desired one of the positions after electrical power to the actuator subassembly has been purposefully terminated; andcontrol logic operative to determine a power or communication failure and to generate a failsafe position command signal in event of the failure, the actuator subassembly moving the control member to a failsafe position between the coupling faces based on the failsafe position command signal to prevent inadvertent engagement of the coupling subassembly. 15. The assembly as claimed in claim 14, wherein the control logic determines the desired position of the control member between the coupling faces based on a command signal received from a remote electronic control unit through a bus. 16. The assembly as claimed in claim 15, wherein the electronic control unit is a transmission electronic control unit of a vehicle and the bus is vehicle-based. 17. The assembly as claimed in claim 14, wherein the actuator subassembly includes a servomotor having an output shaft for driving the control member. 18. The assembly as claimed in claim 17, wherein the actuator subassembly includes at least one non-contact position sensor to provide a position feedback signal as a function of the position of the control member, the control logic controlling the servomotor based on the position feedback signal. 19. The assembly as claimed in claim 18, wherein each sensor includes at least one magnetic or ferromagnetic magnet mounted for movement and at least one magnetic field sensing element disposed adjacent and stationary with respect to the at least one magnet for sensing magnetic flux to produce the position feedback signal. 20. The assembly as claimed in claim 19, wherein each magnetic field sensing element is a Hall effect sensor. 21. The assembly as claimed in claim 14, wherein the failure is an unexpected loss of electrical power to the actuator subassembly. 22. The assembly as claimed in claim 14, wherein the actuator subassembly includes a rotary output shaft and a latch mechanism including a self-locking worm gear drive coupled to the output shaft to convert rotary motion of the output shaft to linear motion. 23. The assembly as claimed in claim 14, wherein the actuator subassembly includes a sector gear coupled to the control member for the selective, small displacement, control member movement. 24. The assembly as claimed in claim 17, wherein the failure is an unexpected loss of electrical power to the actuator subassembly and wherein the actuator subassembly includes a failsafe power circuit to controllably store electrical power and supply the stored electrical power to the servomotor in the event of the unexpected loss of electrical power. 25. The assembly as claimed in claim 15, wherein the failure is a loss of communication with the remote control unit. 26. The assembly as claimed in claim 14, wherein the coupling members are clutch members, the coupling faces are clutch faces and the control member is a selector plate. 27. The assembly as claimed in claim 14, wherein the actuator subassembly includes a rotary output shaft and a lead screw flexibly coupled to the output shaft to convert rotary motion of the output shaft to linear motion.