Centrifugal Spring Actuated Magnetic Clutch

摘要

This disclosure provides a mechanism with a centrifugal spring (2) and coaxially placed permanent magnets (3 & 5), which function as a coupling between an engine and transmission for low torque applications. Input shaft (1) is connected to a centrifugal spring (2) on which permanent magnets are placed circumferentially (3). As engine speed increases the centrifugal spring (2) expands radially, reducing air gap between inner (3) and outer (5) magnets, thus coupling them. This mechanism helps to avoid engine stalling, as at low engine speeds the engine would be cut off from the transmission. Outer array of permanent magnets (5) is tangentially constrained, thus forcing a shell containing pole pieces (4) to rotate (connected to output shaft (8)). The presence of pole pieces (4) in this design helps to improve radial magnetic flux density, thus increasing pull out torque of the system. To perform gear shifts the outer array of magnets (5) are displaced out of the plane (with the help of 6 & 7), so that magnets cannot interact with each other, which decouples the system.