192 clutches and power-stop control – Clutches – Torque responsive
Reexamination Certificate
2000-03-09
2002-06-04
Bonck, Rodney H. (Department: 3681)
192 clutches and power-stop control
Clutches
Torque responsive
C192S070120, C192S070170, C192S085060, C192S212000, C192S113340
Reexamination Certificate
active
06397996
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a starting clutch which can be used in place of a torque converter in a motor vehicle or the like.
2. Related Background Art
FIG. 2
is an axial sectional view of a conventional starting clutch. Now, a conventional technique will be described with reference to
FIG. 2. A
starting clutch
100
includes a multi-plate clutch
101
. Within a clutch case
106
of the multi-plate clutch
101
, friction plates
102
which are output side friction engaging elements, and separator plates
103
and a backing plate
104
, which are input side friction engaging elements, are alternately arranged. A left side (in
FIG. 2
) of the backing plate
104
is supported by a stop ring
105
. At a right side of the friction engaging elements, there is disposed a piston
108
arranged within the clutch case
106
with an O-ring
107
therebetween. The piston is biased toward the right (in
FIG. 2
) by a return spring
116
so that the friction engaging elements are normally brought to a non-engaged condition. Further, an oil chamber
109
is defined between the piston
108
and the clutch case
106
.
The starting clutch
100
comprises the multi-plate clutch
101
having the above-mentioned arrangement, a housing
110
covering an outer periphery of the multi-plate clutch
101
, and a damper
117
disposed between the clutch case
106
and the housing
110
. The housing
110
is connected to an output shaft
111
of an engine (not shown). A retainer plate
113
is disposed in the damper
117
. The retainer plate
113
holds a spring
130
and is attached to an outer periphery of the clutch case
106
. A pawl portion
114
elastically engages the spring
130
and is secured to an inner wall of the housing
110
.
When oil pressure is supplied to the oil chamber
109
through an oil passage for supplying oil to the starting clutch
100
, the piston
108
is operated to achieve a friction engaging condition.
However, in the conventional starting clutch, since the retainer plate
113
for holding the spring
130
is a relatively heavy member and is attached to the outer periphery of the clutch case
106
, a weight of a clutch side portion of a wet type multi-plate clutch is increased. Thus, a bearing having a relatively great size must be used and a wider attachment space must be reserved accordingly. Further, since an oil passage for supplying cooling oil to the wet type clutch is formed in the shaft, a disadvantageous condition regarding strength occurs.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a starting clutch which is compact and in which a weight of a clutch side portion is reduced and a disadvantageous condition regarding strength is eliminated.
To achieve the above object, the present invention provides a starting clutch comprising a wet type multi-plate clutch having a clutch case, a housing attached to an output shaft of an engine and adapted to cover the wet type multi-plate clutch, and a damper disposed between the wet type multi-plate clutch and the housing, and wherein the damper is constituted by a spring, a retainer plate for holding the spring, and a pawl portion elastically engaging the spring, and the retainer plate is attached to the housing and the pawl portion is attached to the clutch case. Further, in the starting clutch, the pawl portion may be spline-connected to the clutch case.
Among the structural elements of the damper, the retainer plate for holding the spring may be attached to an inner wall of the housing, and the pawl portion may be attached to outer periphery of the clutch case by spline fitting. In this way, a weight acting on the clutch side can be reduced.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5261516 (1993-11-01), Friedmann
patent: 5533815 (1996-07-01), Schierling et al.
patent: 5762172 (1998-06-01), Tsukamoto et al.
patent: 5813508 (1998-09-01), Shoji et al.
patent: 5927452 (1999-07-01), Freise et al.
patent: 6142280 (2000-11-01), Koike
patent: 6179106 (2001-01-01), Masuda
patent: 10-131983 (1998-05-01), None
Bonck Rodney H.
Miles & Stockbridge P.C.
NSK-Warner K.K.
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