192 clutches and power-stop control – Clutches – Automatic
Reexamination Certificate
2000-06-23
2002-11-26
Bonck, Rodney H. (Department: 3681)
192 clutches and power-stop control
Clutches
Automatic
C180S247000, C192S085060, C192S089260, C474S008000, C475S269000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06484858
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a friction clutch used for power transfer of various machines and an automatic transmission of an automobile using the friction clutch and a non-stage transmission of an automobile and a power distribution device of an automobile and a power transmission device of a motorcycle.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Previously, as a clutch used for various power transfer mechanisms, a so-called multiple disk clutch has been well known, in which a lot of clutch plates rotating integrally with a member on the input side and a lot of clutch plates rotating integrally with a member on the output side are alternately arranged, and the respective clutch plates are pressed onto each other, so that the torque on the input side may be transferred to the output side by frictional force of each clutch plate.
This multiple disk clutch is widely used for an automatic transmission of an automobile, a non-stage transmission of an automobile, a power distribution device of an automobile, and a power transmission device of a motorcycle or the like, since the respective fellow clutch plates can be connected while being properly slid.
For example, in a general automatic transmission of an automobile, the rotational ratio of the output shaft to the input shaft is changed step by step by changing the combination of a lot of gears making up the power transmission passage, and therefore, by using a plurality of multiple disk clutches as a mechanism for arbitrarily regulating the rotation of a specific gear at the time of changing speed, the shock of speed changing is relieved by utilizing sliding when connecting each multiple disk clutch.
Furthermore, a non-stage transmission which is put in practice in part of automobiles is configured so that the speed may be continuously changed by using a pair of variable diameter pulleys and a V-belt. In this case, by using a multiple disk clutch as a starting clutch, an effective creeping (state where a little power is transmitted to the drive wheel side without pressing down the accelerator) is generated at the starting time by utilizing sliding of the multiple disk clutch.
Furthermore, as a power distribution device of an automobile, a device is well known, in which normally, the power of an engine is transmitted to a drive shaft on the front wheel side or the rear wheel side to perform two-wheel drive, and according to the running state or the like, the drive force is transmitted to both drive shafts on the front wheel side and the rear wheel side, respectively to perform four-wheel drive. In this case, when performing four-wheel drive, each of the drive shafts on the front wheel side and the rear wheel side is connected by a multiple disk clutch, and by utilizing sliding of the multiple disk clutch, the torque distribution to the front wheel side or the rear wheel side is controlled.
Furthermore, in a power transmission device of a motorcycle, the weight of the vehicle body is light relative to the maximum power of the engine, and therefore, by using a so-called wet multiple disk clutch, a sudden transmission of the power when starting is prevented by sliding of the respective fellow clutch plates.
However, in the above described multiple disk clutch, there are many cases where each clutch plate is used while being slid, and therefore, in the sliding state, the oil film between the respective clutch plates is cut off so that the clutch plate may easily wear away, which is disadvantageous in durability. Therefore, in an automatic transmission using gears, the sliding state of the clutch plate is reduced in the connection of the clutch at the time of changing speed, but since the torque is transmitted suddenly according to the decrease of the state of sliding, there has been such a problem that the shock of speed changing cannot be sufficiently relieved. Furthermore, in a non-stage transmission using a multiple disk clutch for starting, in order to decrease the wear of the clutch plate, the thrust force of the fellow clutch plates when a creeping occurs is reduced, and therefore, when compared with an automatic transmission using a torque converter, at present, it is a limit to generate a creeping force of approximately half degree thereof, which has been practically disadvantageous. Furthermore, in a power distribution device of an automobile, it is also necessary to continuously slide the clutch plate when controlling the torque distribution, and therefore, there has been a problem of easily generating the wear of a clutch plate. Furthermore, in a power transmission device of a motorcycle, since the clutch operation is artificially performed, the life of a clutch plate is shortened in the situation of frequently performing half-clutch, and there has been a problem of increasing the frequency of replacement and repair.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is achieved due to the above described problems, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a friction clutch capable of decreasing the wear in the sliding state and an automatic transmission of an automobile using the friction clutch and a non-stage transmission of an automobile and a power distribution device of an automobile and a power transmission device of a motorcycle.
In order to attain the above described object, a friction clutch of the present invention comprises: a pair of clutch members which are coaxially and relatively rotatably arranged with the peripheral surfaces opposite to each other in the radial direction and in which the respective opposite surfaces are formed to be inclined from one end side toward the other end side in the axial direction; a lot of rollers which are arranged between the opposite surfaces of the respective clutch members; a holder which rotatably holds each roller mutually at intervals in the circumferential direction of each clutch member; and thrust means which can thrust in the axial direction at least one of the respective clutch members in the direction in which the opposite surfaces of the respective clutch members approach each other, wherein the turning axis of each roller is inclined to have a specific angle relative to the rotation axis of the clutch member and in the meantime, the inclination angle thereof is made more than 10° and less than 20°, and the turning axis of each roller is each inclined in the same direction to have a specific angle relative to the plane including the rotation axis of the clutch member and in the meantime, the inclination angle thereof is made more than 25° and less than 90°.
According to this configuration, when a load in the axial direction is applied to each clutch member by the thrust means and each clutch member is relatively rotated while being brought into contact with each roller, each roller which tends to turn in the direction inclined relative to the rotary track of the clutch member turns along the rotary track of the clutch member while being restricted by the holder, and therefore, a frictional force by the sliding and turning of each roller is generated between each roller and each clutch member. At that moment, in one rotational direction of the clutch member, each roller tends to turn in one axial direction of the clutch member, and in the other rotational direction of the clutch member, each roller tends to turn in the other axial direction of the clutch member, and therefore, different frictional forces are generated depending on the rotational direction of the clutch member, respectively. In this case, by making the inclination angle of the turning axis of each roller relative to the rotation axis of the clutch member more than 10° and less than 20° and the inclination angle of the turning axis of each roller relative to the plane including the rotation axis of the clutch member more than 25° and less than 90°, an effective and stable frictional force is generated at all times. As a result of this, the wear can be made extremely smaller than that of the structure in which the respective fellow clutch plat
Bonck Rodney H.
Lowe Hauptman & Gilman & Berner LLP
LandOfFree
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