192 clutches and power-stop control – Clutches – Axially engaging
Reexamination Certificate
2000-12-11
2002-07-30
Lorence, Richard M. (Department: 3681)
192 clutches and power-stop control
Clutches
Axially engaging
C192S111400, C029S446000, C029S469000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06425470
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to a thrust plate assembly for a friction clutch with automatic wear compensation. The thrust plate assembly includes a housing which is connected or connectable to a flywheel for rotation with the flywheel about an axis of rotation, a pressure plate arranged in the housing so that the pressure plate is fixed with respect to rotation relative to the housing and axially displaceable relative to the housing, an energy accumulator having one side supported at the housing and another side supported at the pressure plate, a wear adjustment device having at least two adjustment elements pretensioned relative to one another for carrying out a relative adjusting movement arranged in the support path of the energy accumulator between the energy accumulator and a first component of one of the housing and pressure plate, and at least one play sensor arrangement for detecting wear including a detection element which acts upon the wear adjustment device to prevent a relative adjusting movement of the adjustment elements and which includes a detection portion that interacts with a second component to detect wear, the second component being displaceable with respect to the pressure plate when wear occurs, and wherein the detection element is movable into a position for releasing the adjustment elements for carrying out the relative adjusting movement when wear occurs by the interaction with the second component.
2. Description of the Related Art
Thrust plate assemblies for friction clutches with automatic wear compensation are known with play sensor arrangements having a detection portion that penetrates an axial through-opening in a pressure plate. The detection portion can easily be tilted in the through-opening and a free end of the detection portion can come into contact with the flywheel. A leaf spring element is fixedly arranged at one end of this detection portion situated at a distance from the flywheel. The leaf spring element extends toward the wear adjustment device and overlaps it so that the wear adjustment device is clamped between the pressure plate and the leaf spring element. Since the leaf spring element is supported at the wear adjustment device, the spring elasticity of the leaf spring causes the detection portion to be tilted in the through-opening and the detection portion is accordingly pretensioned in a friction clamping fit. When wear occurs, the pressure plate moves toward the flywheel causing the detection portion to strike the flywheel. Further movement of the pressure plate causes the detection portion to be displaced with respect to the pressure plate. As a result, the leaf spring element is somewhat relaxed, thereby diminishing its action upon the wear adjustment device. During a subsequent releasing process in which the diaphragm spring releases the wear adjustment device, this wear adjustment device, due to the fact that it is pretensioned for carrying out a wear adjustment movement, executes a wear compensating movement until the pretensioning force of the wear adjustment device for carrying out its wear compensating movement and the counter-force generated by the leaf spring element balance one another.
However, a fundamental problem in the operation of systems of this type is that occurring vibrations or shaking movements can generate a relative vibration between the wear adjustment device and, for example, the pressure plate. It must then be ensured in the disengaged state through the action of the leaf spring element that these vibrations cannot cause the wear adjustment device to be lifted from the pressure plate, which could result in spontaneous execution of a wear adjusting movement. Therefore, it must be ensured that the leaf spring force is sufficiently large to hold the wear adjustment device firmly at the pressure plate in every movement state or operating state. This in turn requires a correspondingly large pretensioning force in the wear adjustment device to pretension the same for carrying out a wear compensating movement. Consequently, these two spring areas or pretensioning areas must finally be overdimensioned with respect to the pretensioning function that is actually to be performed by them.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide a thrust plate assembly for a friction clutch with automatic wear compensation such that the components provided therein for carrying out wear compensation are designed in an optimal manner with respect to their actual function and overcome the problems of the prior art.
According to an embodiment of the present invention, the object is met by a thrust plate assembly for a friction clutch with automatic wear compensation having a housing which is fixed or fixable to a flywheel for rotation with the flywheel about an axis of rotation, a pressure plate arranged in the housing so that the pressure plate is fixed with respect to rotation relative to the housing and axially displaceable relative to the housing, an energy accumulator such as a diaphragm spring having one side supported at the housing and another side supported at the pressure plate, and a wear adjustment device arranged in a support path of the energy accumulator between the energy accumulator and a first component of one of the housing and the pressure plate. The wear adjustment device has first and second adjustment elements which are pretensioned relative to one another for carrying out a relative adjusting movement. The thrust plate assembly further includes at least one play sensor arrangement for detecting wear, wherein the play sensor arrangement comprises a detection element which acts upon the wear adjustment device to prevent a relative adjusting movement of the adjustment elements. The detection element also includes a detection portion arranged for interacting with a second component for detection of wear. The second component is displaceable with respect to the pressure plate when wear occurs. The detection element can be brought into a position for releasing the adjustment elements for carrying out the relative adjusting movement when wear occurs by the interaction with the other component.
The thrust plate assembly according to the present invention further includes a stopping element for stopping the detection element in its position for releasing the adjustment elements. Moreover, the detection element has a first application area for acting upon the first adjustment element and a second application area for acting upon the second adjustment element, wherein the adjustment elements are prevented from carrying out the relative adjusting movement when the first adjustment element and the second adjustment element are acted upon by the respective application portions.
An essential characteristic of the thrust plate assembly according to the present invention is that the detection element alone blocks of the wear adjustment device for preventing an unwanted relative adjusting movement , i.e., a force loop or force feedback is provided within the detection element. The wear adjustment elements and the respective detection element accordingly form a self-enclosed unit with respect to forces and there is low risk that individual components will vibrate against one another due to the relatively small masses. Relative movements of the wear adjustment elements and/or the detection element, for example, relative to the pressure plate, do not produce an unwanted wear adjustment because the detection element is not fixedly tied to the pressure plate, as is the case in the prior art. Rather, the detection element according to the present invention is supported at the wear adjustment device.
According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the first application area and the second application area of the detection element are pretensioned toward one another. To provide the above-mentioned function of generating a force feedback in a simple manner via the detection element, the detection element may comprise a spr
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