Abstract
A floating-opposing-arm (FOA) centrifugal clutch is presented that uses compliant segments to reduce the part count and increase manufacturability. The clutch performs all of the functions of a centrifugal clutch, but consists of only two pieces. Torque is increased by connecting aggressive and non-aggressive contact surfaces in connected pairs. This arrangement increases the torque output of the FOA clutch by over 100% relative to a commercial one-piece compliant centrifugal clutch design of the same size and material. Yet, since this design is compliant, it remains simple to manufacture. This clutch is presented and modeled using the pseudo-rigid-body-model (PRBM) technique. The model predictions are compared to test data from five prototypes. The FOA clutch is also demonstrated in a gasoline-powered string trimmer.
