192 clutches and power-stop control – Elements – Lubricating – insulating – or cooling
Reexamination Certificate
2001-02-06
2003-03-11
Bonck, Rodney H. (Department: 3681)
192 clutches and power-stop control
Elements
Lubricating, insulating, or cooling
Reexamination Certificate
active
06530464
ABSTRACT:
This application claims the benefits of Japanese Applications No. 2000-029283 and No. 2000-398959 which are hereby incorporated by reference.
BACKGROUD OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a one-way clutch device for constituting an automatic transmission, or the like, for a car, and more specifically, to the technology for achieving appropriate lubrication, or the like, in sliding parts.
2. Related Background Art
Generally, an automatic transmission for a car is provided with a sun and planet gear mechanism of three to five speed levels, in addition to a torque converter serving as a fluid coupling, so as to change the speed by properly fixing or releasing constituent elements (such as a sun gear or a planet gear) of the sun and planet gear mechanism by means of frictional engagement means such as a clutch or a brake. As the frictional engagement means to be assembled in an automatic transmission, there is employed a wet-type multiple disc means in which friction plates and separator plates are alternately arranged, except in a specific type of a band brake, and the pressure oil supplied from a transmission control oil pressure circuit is used for the pressure contact (frictional engagement) between the both plates. Some of such frictional engagement means employ a structure in which a one-way clutch device is assembled therein, and a gear shaft, and the like, are freely rotated in one direction of rotation, thereby facilitating the transmission control.
FIG. 16
shows a longitudinal cross section of a conventional one-way clutch device which is incorporated in the frictional engagement means. Such one-way clutch device
1
is composed of an inner race
5
which is formed with an oil path
31
to be open on the outer peripheral surface thereof, an outer race
9
which is supported to be coaxial and to be rotatable relatively with this inner race
5
, a one-way clutch mechanism
51
interposed between the inner race
5
and the outer race
9
, etc. The one-way clutch mechanism
51
is composed of a large number of sprags
55
serving as torque transmitting members, ribbon springs
57
for retaining and, at the same time, for biasing the sprag
55
in the direction of engagement, an outer retainer
59
for retaining the ribbon springs
57
annularly, an inner retainer
61
for suppressing an excessive inclination of each sprag
55
together with the outer retainer
59
, a pair of end bearings
63
for retaining the both retainers
59
and
61
with a predetermined gap therebetween so as to secure an operation of the sprag
55
, and a synthetic resin washer
64
which is in a sliding contact with the outer side surface of the left end bearing
63
shown in FIG.
16
.
In this one-way clutch device
1
, while the inner race
5
is fixed, the outer race
9
is rotated, whereby the one-way clutch mechanism
51
is rotated together with the outer race. In
FIG. 16
, the member denoted by reference numeral
65
is a snap ring, the member denoted by reference numeral
67
is a latching plate which is fixed by the snap ring
69
. Both members are adapted to restrict a movement of the one-way clutch mechanism
51
in the axial direction.
In the one-way clutch device
1
described above, since the inner race
5
is fixed, the lubrication using the centrifugal force can not be conducted, so that lubricating oil is sent with pressure to the oil path
31
of the inner race
5
by a forcible lubrication means such as an oil pressure pump. As indicated by the arrow in
FIG. 16
, the lubricating oil supplied from the inner peripheral side of the inner race
5
flows into the inner peripheral side of the sprag
55
through the oil path
31
and then flows out from gaps between the end bearing
63
, the snap ring, and a side plate
65
and the inner race
5
. Then, since the sprag
55
and the end bearing
63
are rotated integrally with the outer race
9
, the sliding surfaces between these members and the inner race
5
are lubricated by the supplied lubricating oil. However, an opening portion of the oil path
31
is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the inner race
5
which is in sliding contact with the sprag
55
. Thus, there arises a problem that a surface pressure generated in the sprag
55
partially increases when the torque is transmitted (when the one-way clutch mechanism
51
is operated).
On the other hand, in the one-way clutch device described above, since the torque transmitting members (sprags) rotating with the outer race are brought into sliding contact with the outer peripheral surface of the inner race, the lubrication described above can be conducted in the manner as described above even if the inner race is an element on the fixed side. However, when the torque transmitting members (such as steel balls) serve as elements on the fixed side together with the inner race, the lubricating oil hardly reaches a sliding surface between the outer race and the torque transmitting member, so that the lubrication between the inner peripheral surface of the rotating outer race and the torque transmitting members can not be conducted smoothly. Particularly, when there is a small gap between the one-way clutch mechanism and the surrounding members, it is very difficult to secure an oil path for supplying the lubricating oil in a required amount to the sliding surfaces.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention has been contrived to take the above circumstances into consideration, and an object thereof is to provide a one-way clutch for providing appropriate lubrication for sliding portions.
In order to solve the above problems, according to a primary aspect of the invention, there is provided a one-way clutch device comprising a plurality of torque transmitting members interposed between an inner race and an outer race for transmitting a rotating force between the inner race and the outer race through the torque transmitting members only in one direction of rotation, in which a side part of the inner race is formed with a plurality of oil paths for supplying the lubricating oil. According to this one-way clutch of the primary aspect of the invention, since no lubricating oil outflow port, or the like, is formed on the inner race, the lubricating oil is supplied without increase of the surface pressure of the torque transmitting member.
Also according to a second aspect of the invention in the one-way clutch device of the primary aspect, an annular member may be provided to face the inner race and the torque transmitting members to be fixed with respect to the inner race and the torque transmitting members, and the oil paths are formed through the annular member. According to this feature of the second aspect of the present invention, the lubricating oil passing through the oil paths reaches the inner peripheral side of the outer race since, for example, the oil paths are formed to be extended to the outer side of the torque transmitting members.
Also according to a third aspect of the present invention, in the one-way clutch device of the primary aspect of the present invention, an annular member may be formed to face the inner race and the torque transmitting members to be fixed with respect to the inner race and the torque transmitting members, and the oil paths are formed between the torque transmitting members and the annular member.
According to the third aspect of this invention, the oil paths can be formed comparatively easily to easily cope with a change of the form of the oil paths.
Also, according to a fourth aspect of the present invention, the one-way clutch device of the primary aspect of the present invention may be provided with an annular member which is provided to face the inner race and the torque transmitting members to be fixed with respect to the inner race and the torque transmitting members and a latching plate which is rotated relatively to the annular member together with the outer race, wherein the oil paths are formed on the annular member to be open to the latching plate. According to the fourth aspect of t
Ando Tomoharu
Ogata Hirofumi
Shirataki Hirobumi
Bonck Rodney H.
NSK-Warner K.K.
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