Claims:I claim:
1. A clutch mechanism (10) for a supercharger (12) comprising at least a central shaft (14), said clutch mechanism (10) comprising:
- a flange (16) having an axial hole and adapted to be mounted onto said central shaft (14);
- a clutch shaft (18) extending into at least a part of the axial hole of said flange (16);
- a flywheel (20) with at least a plurality of spring (22) supported flyweights (24) mounted on said flywheel (20), said flywheel (20) adapted to be mounted on said clutch shaft (14); and
- a drive pulley (26) fitted to one end of the clutch shaft (18).
2. The clutch mechanism (10) as claimed in claim 1, wherein said flange (16) is mounted onto said central shaft (14) by a press fit connection.
3. The clutch mechanism (10) as claimed in claim 1, wherein said flywheel (20) is mounted on said clutch shaft (18) by a press fit connection.
4. The clutch mechanism (10) as claimed in claim 1, wherein in the operative configuration of the clutch mechanism said flange (16) and said flywheel (20) are not in contact with each other.
5. The clutch mechanism (10) as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one pin (27) is located at one end of said flange (16) in a manner such that in the operative configuration of said clutch mechanism (10), said pin (27) restrict the axial movement of said flange.
6. The clutch mechanism (10) as claimed in claim 1, wherein in the operative configuration of said clutch mechanism (10) said flyweights (24) have a neutral position or an engaged position.
7. A supercharger (12) comprising at least,
- a housing (28) adapted to house rotor blades (30) mounted on a central shaft (14), said central shaft (14) extending throughout the length of the housing (28);
- a gear (32) mounted at one end of the central shaft (14);
characterized in that,
a clutch mechanism (10), at least a part of said clutch mechanism (10) fitted to said central shaft (14) of said supercharger (12), said clutch mechanism (10) comprising:
- flange (16) – flywheel (20) assembly and a clutch shaft (18) extending across the length of the clutch mechanism (10);
- a gear plate cover (34) adapted to support said clutch mechanism (10) to said housing (28);
- a drive pulley (26) fitted to said clutch shaft (18) at one end of said clutch shaft (18) away from said flange (16) – flywheel (20) assembly.
8. The supercharger (12) as claimed in claim 7, wherein at least a plurality of spring (22) supported flyweights (24) are provided on the flywheel (20).
9. The supercharger (12) as claimed in claim 7, wherein at least one pin (27) in located on said flywheel (20) in proximity of one end of the said flange (16), said pin (27) adapted to restrict axial movement of the said flange (16).
, Description:Field of the invention
[0001] This disclosure relates to a clutch mechanism for a supercharger and a supercharger thereof.
Background of the invention:
[0002] A published Japanese patent application numbered 2002-227783 discloses a mechanical supercharger comprising a roots blower, a timing-gear group, an input pulley, an electromagnetic clutch amongst other components. The roots blower comprises at least a casing and a pair of rotor. Each rotor is located in the rotor chamber of the casing, and the admission port and discharge port of the fluid are provided by the rotor chamber. The input pulley is connected with a pulley on the engine side via a belt. It is supported movably via the bearing at the casing side. The casing has an admission port and discharge port of a rotor chamber and this rotor chamber, and the fluid that communicates. The input pulley which the driving force of a motor inputs, has a centrifugal clutch between the input pulley and a rotor. In particular the centrifugal clutch is built into the input pulley and having carried out unitization only by attaching an input pulley with this centrifugal clutch to the unit which consists of a rotor and a casing, or the unit which consists of a rotor, a casing, and a gear group. The centrifugal clutch, at the rotational speed below a specified value, if it is connected by the energizing member, driving force is transmitted and rotational speed exceed a specified value, it is characterized by releasing connection and cutting driving force.
Brief description of the accompanying drawings:
[0003] An embodiment of the disclosure is described with reference to the following accompanying drawings;
[0004] Figure 1 illustrates a supercharger with a clutch mechanism in accordance with this disclosure; and
[0005] Figure 2 illustrates a detailed view of the clutch mechanism.
Detailed description of the embodiments:
[0006] Figure 1 illustrates a supercharger 12 with a clutch mechanism as seen in figure 2. The clutch mechanism 10 comprises at least a central shaft 14. The clutch mechanism 10 comprises a flange 16 having an axial hole and adapted to be mounted onto the central shaft 14. A clutch shaft 18 extending into at least a part of the axial hole of the flange 16. A flywheel 20 with at least a plurality of spring 22 supported flyweights 24 mounted on the flywheel 20. The flywheel 20 adapted to be mounted on the clutch shaft 14 and a drive pulley 26 fitted to one end of the clutch shaft 18.
[0007] The supercharger 12 comprises at least, a housing 28 adapted to house rotor blades 30 mounted on a central shaft 14. The central shaft 14 extends throughout the length of the housing 28 and a gear 32 mounted at one end of the central shaft 14. The supercharger is characterized such that it has a clutch mechanism 10, at least a part of the clutch mechanism 10 is fitted to the central shaft 14 of the supercharger 12. The clutch mechanism 10 comprises a flange 16 – flywheel 20 assembly and a clutch shaft 18 extending across the length of the clutch mechanism 10, a gear plate cover 34 adapted to support the clutch mechanism 10 to the housing 28; a drive pulley 26 fitted to the clutch shaft 18 at one end of the clutch shaft 18 away from the flange 16 – flywheel 20 assembly.
[0008] The constructional details of the supercharger 12 and clutch mechanism 10 can be explained in the following manner. The rotor blades 30 are press fitted onto the central shaft 14. The central shaft 14 is supported either with journal or ball bearing inside the housing 28 of the supercharger 12. At least a part of the central shaft 14 has a conical connection onto which the gear 32 is mounted. At least a part of the clutch mechanism 10 i.e. the flange 16 is mounted onto the central shaft 14. The flange 16 is mounted onto said central shaft 14 by a press fit connection. The clutch shaft 18 is supported by the gear plate cover 34. The flywheel 20 is press fitted onto the clutch shaft 18. At least one flyweight 24 are held onto the flywheel 20, the flyweights 24 are spring supported onto the flywheel 20. When all the components of the supercharger 12 are constructed and the clutch mechanism is in position and when the supercharger is not in operation the flyweights 24 are said to be in a neutral position. The neutral position of the flyweights 24 can be defined as a position of the flyweights 24, wherein the flyweights do not engage any part of the flange 16.
[0009] The working of the supercharger 12 and the clutch mechanism 10 can be explained as follows. For better understanding of the working of the supercharger 12 in accordance with this disclosure is it important to understand some basic terminology. The operative configuration of the supercharger is a configuration where the supercharger 12 is installed and is driven by an engine through a belt drive. In this operative configuration of the supercharger 12, the flange 16 and the flywheel 20 are not in contact with each other. The flyweights which are mounted on the flywheel 20 are said to be in a neutral position. Neutral position of the flyweights 24 is a position of the flyweights 24 wherein there is no contact between the flyweights 24 and the part of the flange 16 which is proximity of the flyweights 24. A belt is fitted to a pulley on the engine side and a drive pulley 26 on the supercharger 12 side. The rotational motion on the pulley on the engine side is transferred to the drive pulley 26 on the supercharger 12 side. As the drive pulley 26 rotates, the clutch shaft 18 also starts to rotate. The rotation of the clutch shaft 18 causes rotation of the flywheel 20 which is fitted to the clutch shaft 18. However, rotation of the flywheel 20 does not cause any rotation of the flange 16. Since that clutch shaft 18 and the central shaft 14 are separate from each other the engine drive is not directly transmitted to the rotor blades 30 of the supercharger 12. As the engine speed increases, the speed of rotation that is transmitted to the flywheel 20 increases, the increase in the speed of rotation of the flywheel 20 causes the flyweights 24 to move away from the flywheel 20 in the direction of the flange 16. This movement of the flyweights 24 in the direction of the flange is defined as movement of the flyweights 24 from a neutral position to an engaging position. As the speed of rotation of the flywheel 20 increases the flyweights 24 engage at least a part of the flange 16 which is in proximity of the flyweights 24. When the flyweights 24 engage the flange 16, it causes the rotation of the flange 16, which in turn causes the rotation of the central shaft 14. The rotation of the central shaft is transmitted to the rotor blades 30. During rotation of the flange there is a possibility that the flange 16 may be displaced in a direction along the axis of the supercharger, however, a pin 27 is provided at the part of the flywheel 20 which is proximity of one part of the flange 16. The pin 27 is located in a manner such that during the engaged position of the flyweights 24 in the operative configuration of the clutch mechanism, the pin 27 restricts the axial movement of the flange 16. The spring 22 which supports the flyweights 24 ensures that when the engine speed reduces the flyweights return back to a neutral position there by disengaging the flange 16 from the flyweights.
[00010] A working example of this type of supercharger 12 and the clutch mechanism 10 as described above can be explained with regard to a single cylinder naturally aspirated engines. For single cylinder naturally aspirated engines particularly which are used in 3-4 wheeler applications to fulfill the upcoming stringent emission legislation there is a need of increased air fuel ratio at higher speed. The supercharger 12 and the clutch mechanism 10 in accordance with this disclosure works in a manner such that at lower engine speeds the flyweights 24 of the clutch mechanism 10 does not engage the flange 16 thereby the air that is sent of the engine is not highly pressurized. This also reduces the load on the single cylinder naturally aspirated engine thereby reducing emissions. Also at higher engine speeds where the amount of air required would be high, the higher engine speed causes the flyweights 24 to engage with the flange 16 thereby inducing rotation into the rotor blades 30. The rotation of the rotor blades ensures that pressurized air is sent to the engine thereby increasing the lambda.
[00011] It should be understood that embodiments explained in the description above are only illustrative and do not limit the scope of this invention in terms of the type of flyweights, type of spring and the like. Many such embodiments and other modifications and changes in the embodiment explained in the description are envisaged. The scope of the invention is only limited by the scope of the claims.