By utilizing the self-locking property of belt, a novel one-way clutch was developed. This device uses a steel belt. It can transmit torque even under off-centered conditions. Some experiments were carried out under several off-centered conditions. The relation between the angular velocities ratio
and the magnitude of off-centered distance δ was investigated. Here, the subscripts i and P denote the inner shaft and the power ring, respectively. The angular velocities obtained from the experiments were compared with the theoretical values. The experimental results almost corresponded to the theoretical calculations. When there is a parallel misalignment between input and output shafts, the belt is automatically coiled or uncoiled around the shaft with rotation. Some endurance tests on the clutch were also carried out by changing the magnitude of off-centered distance δ under a constant brake torque. The fatigue life of the belt was shortened by an increment of the off-centered distance.
