192 clutches and power-stop control – Clutches – Axially engaging
Patent
1997-05-15
1999-03-30
Lorence, Richard M.
192 clutches and power-stop control
Clutches
Axially engaging
192111A, F16D 1375
Patent
active
058876898
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
The present invention relates to automatically adjusting clutches, and in particular to clutches for use on motor vehicles.
Known automatically adjusting clutches are complicated and expensive to produce.
It is an object of the present invention to produce a simple and cheap automatically adjusting clutch which is reliable in operation.
An automatically adjusting clutch in which a pressure plate is biased axially towards a flywheel by a main clutch engaging spring means to clamp a driven plate between the pressure plate and flywheel to engage the clutch, a first part of the pressure plate which is moveable by adjuster means relative to a second part of the pressure plate to increase the effective axial thickness of the pressure plate to compensate for the wear of the driven plate, the adjuster-means having an array of adjuster teeth which are disposed circumferentially around a component which is rotatable about an axis parallel to the axis of rotation of the clutch and pawl means which moves relative to and in contact with the array as the pressure plate moves relative to the flywheel, the pawl means and array being arranged so that if movement of the pressure plate towards the flywheel during clutch engagement exceeds a predetermined distance, indicating a predetermined amount of wear of the driven plate, the pawl means moves sufficiently over the array to engage behind a tooth of the array so that subsequently the pawl means moves the first part of the pressure plate relative to the second part to make said wear adjustment.
The adjuster teeth of the array may be disposed at an angle inclined to an axis about which the array rotates during adjustment for example the teeth may be helical teeth.
Other dependent and independent aspects of the invention are defined in the accompanying claims.
The invention will be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:
FIG. 1 is an axial partially cutaway view of an automatically adjusting clutch according to the present invention looking towards an associated engine;
FIG. 1A is an enlarged cutaway view of part of FIG. 1;
FIG. 2 is a cross section view of the clutch of FIG. 1 taken along the line AA of FIG. 1A;
FIG. 3 is an exploded developed view of part of the pressure plate of FIG. 1 taken in the direction of arrows BB of FIG. 1A;
FIG. 3A is an enlarged view of a modified form of the first portion 30 of FIG. 3 taken in the direction of arrows BB of FIG. 1A;
FIG. 4 is an isometric exploded view of a pawl mechanism and associated components of the clutch of FIG. 1;
FIG. 5 is a radial view of part of the clutch of FIG. 1 in the direction of arrow C with bracket 51A not shown for clarity;
FIGS. 5A to 5E are a series of schematic radial views of the clutch of FIG. 1 in the direction of arrow C of FIG. 1A showing the following
FIG. 5F is a schematic view taken in the direction of arrow H of FIG. 5B showing the adjuster teeth;
FIG. 6 is a schematic developed view similar to the views of FIGS. 5A to 5E showing the relationship of the pawl teeth to the adjuster teeth of the clutch of FIG. 1;
FIG. 7 is a view similar to FIG. 5 of a modified form of the clutch of FIG. 1;
FIG. 8 is an axially partially cutaway view of a second embodiment of an automatically adjusting clutch according to the present invention looking towards an associated engine;
FIG. 9 is an enlarged cutaway view of part of FIG. 8;
FIG. 10 is a radial view of the clutch of FIG. 8 taken in the direction of the arrow J of FIG. 9;
FIG. 11 is a cross section view of the clutch of FIG. 8 taken along the line KK of FIG. 9;
FIG. 12 is an axial view of part of a third embodiment of an automatically adjusting clutch according to the present invention looking towards an associated engine;
FIG. 13 is a cross section view of the clutch of FIG. 12 taken along the line DD of FIG. 12; and
FIG. 14 is a radial view of the clutch of FIG. 12 taken in the direction of arrow E of FIG. 12 with the adjuster wheel 190 and annular mass 130 shown dotted so as not to obscure the pawl 160.
FIG. 15
REFERENCES:
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patent: 5069322 (1991-12-01), Mizukami et al.
patent: 5090536 (1992-02-01), Asada
patent: 5251737 (1993-10-01), Flotow et al.
patent: 5513735 (1996-05-01), Uenohara
Automotive Products plc
Germain Lee A
Lorence Richard M.
Milliken Paul E
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