192 clutches and power-stop control – Vortex-flow drive and clutch – Including drive-lockup clutch
Reexamination Certificate
2000-03-07
2001-09-25
Lorence, Richard M. (Department: 3681)
192 clutches and power-stop control
Vortex-flow drive and clutch
Including drive-lockup clutch
C192S070170, C192S070180, C192S212000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06293380
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention concerns a hydrokinetic coupling apparatus, notably for a motor vehicle, of the type described and depicted for example in the document WO-A-93/13339.
2. Description of Related Art
This document describes and depicts a hydrokinetic coupling apparatus, notably for a motor vehicle, of the type having:
a casing provided with a wall, of transverse orientation overall, able to be connected with respect to rotation to a driving shaft;
a turbine wheel fixed with respect to rotation to a hub able to be connected with respect to rotation to a driven shaft;
a lock-up clutch, acting between the turbine wheel and the transverse wall, which has, arranged axially from front to rear between the turbine wheel and the transverse wall:
a damper plate, fixed with respect to rotation to a turbine wheel, in the form of an annulus with a roughly transverse orientation and which has at its external periphery an annular portion, of roughly axial orientation, which circumferentially guides and holds circumferentially acting elastic members, and which has areas, of roughly transverse orientation, of abutment for the circumferential ends of the elastic members;
a piston in the form of an annulus, of transverse orientation overall, movable axially and connected with respect to rotation to the casing;
and at least one flat annular friction disc, of roughly transverse orientation, which carries, on its front and rear opposite faces, two annular friction linings which are able to clamped axially by the piston between respectively itself and the opposite internal face of the transverse wall of the casing, the friction disc having at its external periphery drive lugs which extend axially towards the rear inside the peripheral annular portion of the damper plate in order each to be received between the circumferential ends of two consecutive circumferentially acting elastic members, and which is able to move axially with respect to the damper plate.
In the document FR-A-2.634.849, the lock-up clutch has a set of flat annular parallel friction discs, of roughly transverse orientation, which is able to be clamped axially by the piston between effectively itself and the opposite internal face of the transverse wall of the casing and which includes on the one hand two radially external front and rear discs which are here connected with respect to rotation directly to the turbine wheel and on the other hand a radially internal intermediate disc which is disposed axially between the front and rear discs and which is connected with respect to rotation to the piston, annular friction linings being interposed between the opposite annular faces of the friction discs, the piston and the internal face of the transverse wall. As a result the solution is noisy.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The object of the present invention is to mitigate this drawback.
The invention proposes a hydrokinetic coupling apparatus of the type mentioned above which is the subject of the document FR-A-2.634.849, characterised in that the piston and the wall of the casing are connected with respect to rotation by tongues substantially elongated tangentially to a circumference of the apparatus and whose opposite ends are coupled to these two elements, and in that the intermediate friction disc is driven in rotation by means for coupling the ends of the tongues, to one of the two elements.
By virtue of the tongues, the piston is formed and moves easily axially. The solution is not noisy. The friction discs can be made to slip more easily in order, for example, to filter the vibrations at a given vehicle engine speed.
Preferably it is the means of coupling the ends of the tongues to the transverse wall which drive the intermediate disc.
As a result the piston undergoes less stress than in the prior art and can move rapidly in a quiet manner.
The drive washer described in the document FR-A-2 726 620 is for example used.
This washer forms part of the coupling means.
According to other characteristics of the invention:
the tongues are coupled by their first ends to a first one of the two elements which they connect with respect to rotation, by means of a drive washer common to all the tongues and which is coupled to this first element, and the intermediate friction disc is driven in rotation by the common drive washer;
the drive washer can be distinct from the tongues or be in a single piece with them;
the external radial periphery of the common drive washer has a ferrule of roughly axial orientation having at least one notch through which there extends, radially inwards, a drive lug belonging to the intermediate friction disc;
the ferrule of the common drive washer has a series of notches distributed angularly in a regular manner, through each of which there extends, radially inwards, a corresponding drive lug in a series of lugs belonging to the intermediate friction disc;
each notch is open axially in the axial end edge of the ferrule of the common drive washer;
each drive lug is received with circumferential clearance in a corresponding notch in the ferrule of the common drive washer;
each drive lug of the intermediate friction disc lies in the plane of the disc;
the ferrule of the common drive washer is an axially oriented cylindrical ferrule;
the ferrule of the common drive washer is a frustoconical ferrule;
the common drive washer is coupled to the first element by gluing or welding or riveting;
the common drive washer is coupled to the transverse wall of the casing;
the front and rear friction discs each have at least one drive lug which extends radially outwards in order to be received in a notch in an axially oriented cylindrical annular skirt connected with respect to rotation to the turbine wheel;
the front and rear friction discs each have a series of drive lugs distributed angularly in a regular manner in order to be received in corresponding notches in an axially oriented cylindrical annular skirt connected with respect to rotation to the turbine wheel;
each notch is axially open;
each drive lug extends in the plane of its friction disc;
one of the front or rear friction discs has at least one drive lug which extends radially outwards in order to be received in a notch in an axially oriented cylindrical annular skirt connected with respect to rotation to the turbine wheel, and the other one of the rear and front friction discs has at least one drive lug which cooperates with a driving lug of said at least one disc;
the drive lug of said other disc extends radially outwards and then axially in the direction of the other disc;
the drive lug of said other disc is angled at 90°, and the drive lug of said disc extends in the plane of this disc;
the drive lugs of the front and rear friction discs are angled twice so that their free end portions, radially external and of transverse orientation, are substantially coplanar;
one of the front or rear friction discs has at least one drive lug angled at 90° which extends radially outwards and then axially in the direction of the other disc opposite a drive lug which extends radially outwards from the periphery of the other one of the rear or front friction discs and whose free end extends radially in a notch formed in an annular cylindrical skirt, of roughly axial orientation, connected with respect to rotation to the turbine wheel.
As a variant, supplementary axially elastic tongues connect the intermediate disc to the drive washer with respect to rotation.
As a variant it is the tongues which are extended for driving the intermediate disc. These extensions affect the ends of the tongues.
the lock-up clutch has a torsion damper interposed between the turbine wheel and the piston, and the said skirt belongs to an input part of the torsion damper.
The front and rear friction discs can be connected with respect to rotation, with axial mobility, to a piece attached to an input part coupled rigidly or elastically to the turbine wheel and therefore fixed to the turbine wheel.
For example, a ring can be attached to a first guide washer
Liniak Berenato Longacre & White
Lorence Richard M.
Valeo
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