Overrunning coupling and control assembly including an electromechanical actuator subassembly

1. An overrunning coupling and control assembly comprising:

first and second coupling members supported for rotation relative to one another about a common rotational axis, the first coupling member having a coupling first face oriented to face axially in a first direction along the rotational axis and the second coupling member having a coupling second face opposed to the first face and oriented to face axially in a second direction along the rotational axis, the second coupling member having a third face spaced from the second face and oriented to face axially in the first direction; the second face having a set of pockets spaced about the rotational axis, each pocket of the set having a strut received thereby; the first face having a set of locking formations that are engaged by the struts upon projecting outwardly from the set of pockets to prevent relative rotation of the first and second coupling members with respect to each other in at least one direction about the axis; the third face having a set of passages spaced about the rotational axis and in communication with their respective pockets;

a support member; and

an electromechanical actuator subassembly including:

an electromagnetically inductive coil to create a magnetic flux when the coil is energized, wherein one of the support member and the second coupling member is an armature member of the subassembly, the armature member being mounted for controlled shifting movement along the rotational axis relative to the first coupling member between a first position which corresponds to a first mode of the assembly and a second position which corresponds to a second mode of the assembly;

a set of actuators supported by the support member, each passage of the set of passages having an actuator received thereby to actuate its respective strut within its respective pocket so that its respective strut moves into contact with the locking formations to couple the first and second coupling members for rotation with each other in at least one direction about the rotational axis in one of the positions of the armature member; and

at least one biasing member exerting a biasing force on the armature member along the rotational axis wherein a control force is applied to the armature member when the coil is energized to cause the armature member to move from its first position to its second position along the rotational axis against the biasing force of the at least one biasing member and wherein in the absence of the control force the at least one biasing member moves the armature member from the second position back to the first position along the rotational axis.

2. The assembly as claimed in claim 1 , wherein each of the struts has an end that is pivotally movable outwardly of its respective pocket.

3. The assembly as claimed in claim 2 , further comprising a set of biasing members that bias their respective struts against pivotal movement of their respective ends out of their respective pockets toward the locking formations wherein the set of actuators pivot the ends of their respective struts against the bias of the set of biasing members and into contact with the locking formations to couple the first and second coupling members for rotation with each other in the at least one direction about the rotational axis and wherein the set of biasing members are configured to move the ends of each respective strut back into their respective pockets to permit relative rotation of the coupling members in the at least one direction about the rotational axis.

4. The coupling assembly as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the support member is the armature member and wherein the at least one biasing member is disposed between the second coupling member and the support member to urge the support member towards its first position.

5. The assembly as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first position as an overrun position, the first mode is an overrun mode, the second position is a locked position and the second mode is a locked mode.

6. The assembly as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first position is a locked position, the first mode is a locked mode, the second position is an overrun position and the second mode is an overrun mode.

7. The assembly as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the struts include at least one forward strut.

8. The assembly as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the set of actuators includes spring actuators.

9. The assembly as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first, second and third faces are generally annular and extend generally radially with respect to the rotational axis.

10. The assembly as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the subassembly includes a stationary housing having a cavity in which the coil is housed, the housing having an opening at which the armature member moves along the rotational axis when the control force is applied.

11. The assembly as claimed in claim 10 , the armature member moves into the cavity at the opening.

12. The assembly as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the armature member moves transverse the opening.

13. The assembly as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the support member is the armature member and wherein the subassembly further includes a bearing for rotatably supporting the support member.

14. The assembly as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the second coupling member is the armature member and wherein the at least one biasing member is disposed between the second coupling member and the support member to urge the second coupling member towards its first position.

15. The assembly as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the support member is the armature member and wherein the at least one biasing member urges the support member towards its first position.

16. An overrunning clutch and control assembly comprising:

first and second clutch members supported for rotation relative to one another about a common rotational axis, the first clutch member having a coupling first face oriented to face axially in a first direction along the rotational axis and the second clutch member having a coupling second face opposed to the first face and oriented to face axially in a second direction along the rotational axis, the second clutch member having a third face spaced from the second face and oriented to face axially in the first direction; the second face having a set of pockets spaced about the rotational axis, each pocket of the set having a strut received thereby; the first face having a set of locking formations that are engaged by the struts upon projecting outwardly from the set of pockets to prevent relative rotation of the first and second clutch members with respect to each other in at least one direction about the axis; the third face having a set of passages spaced about the rotational axis and in communication with their respective pockets;

a support member; and

an electromechanical actuator subassembly including:

an electromagnetically inductive coil to create a magnetic flux when the coil is energized, wherein one of the support member and the second clutch member is an armature member of the subassembly, the armature member being mounted for controlled shifting movement along the rotational axis relative to the first clutch member between a first position which corresponds to a first mode of the assembly and a second position which corresponds to a second mode of the assembly;

a set of actuators supported by the support member, each passage of the set of passages having an actuator received thereby to actuate its respective strut within its respective pocket so that its respective strut moves into contact with the locking formations to couple the first and second clutch members for rotation with each other in at least one direction about the rotational axis in one of the positions of the armature member; and

at least one biasing member exerting a biasing force on the armature member along the rotational axis wherein a control force is applied to the armature member when the coil is energized to cause the armature member to move from its first position to its second position along the rotational axis against the biasing force of the at least one biasing member and wherein in the absence of the control force the at least one biasing member moves the armature member from the second position back to the first position along the rotational axis.

17. The assembly as claimed in claim 16 , wherein each of the struts has an end that is pivotally movable outwardly of its respective pocket.

18. The assembly as claimed in claim 17 , further comprising a set of biasing members that bias their respective struts against pivotal movement of their respective ends out of their respective pockets toward the locking formations wherein the set of actuators pivot the ends of their respective struts against the bias of the set of biasing members and into contact with the locking formations to couple the first and second clutch members for rotation with each other in the at least one direction about the rotational axis and wherein the set of biasing members are configured to move the ends of each respective strut back into their respective pockets to permit relative rotation of the clutch members in the at least one direction about the rotational axis.

19. The coupling assembly as claimed in claim 16 , wherein the support member is the armature member and wherein the at least one biasing member is disposed between the second clutch member and the support member to urge the support member towards its first position.

20. The assembly as claimed in claim 16 , wherein the first position as an overrun position, the first mode is an overrun mode, the second position is a locked position and the second mode is a locked mode.

21. The assembly as claimed in claim 16 , wherein the first position is a locked position, the first mode is a locked mode, the second position is an overrun position and the second mode is an overrun mode.

22. The assembly as claimed in claim 16 , wherein the struts include at least one forward strut.

23. The assembly as claimed in claim 16 , wherein the set of actuators includes spring actuators.

24. The assembly as claimed in claim 16 , wherein the first, second and third faces are generally annular and extend generally radially with respect to the rotational axis.

25. The assembly as claimed in claim 16 , wherein the subassembly includes a stationary housing having a cavity in which the coil is housed, the housing having an opening at which the armature member moves along the rotational axis when the control force is applied.

26. The assembly as claimed in claim 25 , the armature member moves into the cavity at the opening.

27. The assembly as claimed in claim 25 , wherein the armature member moves transverse the opening.

28. The assembly as claimed in claim 25 , wherein the support member is the armature member and wherein the subassembly further includes a bearing for rotatably supporting the support member.

29. The assembly as claimed in claim 16 , wherein the second clutch member is the armature member and wherein the at least one biasing member is disposed between the second clutch member and the support member to urge the second clutch member towards its first position.

30. The assembly as claimed in claim 16 , wherein the support member is the armature member and wherein the at least one biasing member urges the support member towards its first position.