Clutch actuation device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10006501-B2
Application number	US-201514963748-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 9, 2015
Priority date	Dec 9, 2015
Publication date	Jun 26, 2018
Grant date	Jun 26, 2018

Abstract

A clutch actuation device includes two plates that can selectively extend and compress relative to one another to selectively engage or disengage a clutch. Each plate includes a plurality of grooves, each groove having a deep end portion, a shallow end portion, and a ramped or inclined surface between the end portions. Each groove on the first plate corresponds with a respective groove on the second plate to define a plurality of pockets. Within each pocket is an elongated member having a pair of curved ends and an elongated shaft therebetween. The curved ends sit in the deep end portions of the grooves. To extend the plates relative to one another, the first plate is rotated relative to the second plate. This causes the curved ends of the elongated members to pivot within the deep end portions, and the elongated shaft extends away from the ramped surface, separating the plates.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A clutch actuation device comprising:
a first plate defining a plurality of first grooves spaced apart from each other;
a second plate coupled to the first plate, the second plate defining a plurality of second grooves spaced apart from each other, wherein each of the first grooves overlaps with a respective one of the plurality of second grooves to form a pockets; and
a plurality of elongated members, each disposed in one of the pockets, and each of the elongated members having first and second curved ends and an elongated shaft extending therebetween.

2. The clutch actuation device of claim 1 , wherein each of the first and second grooves are ramped grooves that include a deep end portion, a shallow end portion, and a ramped surface therebetween.

3. The clutch actuation device of claim 2 , wherein the first and second plates are configured to be selectively spaced apart from each other in a compressed state and an extended state.

4. The clutch actuation device of claim 3 , wherein the elongated shaft of each elongated member is parallel to the ramped surfaces of the ramped grooves of a respective one of the pockets when the first and second plates are in the compressed state.

5. The clutch actuation device of claim 3 , wherein the elongated shaft of each of the elongated members is transverse to the ramped surfaces of the ramped grooves of a respective one of the pockets when the first and second plates are in the extended state.

6. The clutch actuation device of claim 3 , wherein the ramped surfaces of the ramped grooves are spaced apart from each other by a first distance in the compressed state and a second distance in the extended state, and the second distance is greater than the first distance.

7. The clutch actuation device of claim 3 , wherein the ramped grooves are situated with respect to each other in a first rotational configuration in the compressed state and a second rotational configuration in the extended state, and the first and second rotational configurations are offset from each other by an offset angle.

8. The clutch actuation device of claim 1 further comprising third and fourth elongated members disposed within third and fourth pockets, respectively.

9. A clutch actuation device comprising:
a first plate defining a first plurality of ramped grooves spaced apart from one another and each having a deep end portion, a shallow end portion, and a ramped surface therebetween;
a second plate coupled to the first plate, the second plate defining a second plurality of ramped grooves spaced apart from one another and each having a deep end portion, a shallow end portion, and a ramped surface therebetween, the first and second plates being selectively spaced apart from each other in a compressed state and an extended state; and
a plurality of elongated members disposed between the first and second plates, each elongated member contacting one of the deep end portions of the first plurality of ramped grooves and one of the deep end portions of the second plurality of ramped grooves while the first and second plates are in the compressed and extended states;
wherein each elongated member has first and second curved ends and an elongated shaft extending therebetween.

10. The clutch actuation device of claim 9 , wherein each of the elongated shafts is generally parallel to one of the ramped surfaces of the first and second plurality of ramped grooves when the first and second plates are in the compressed state.

11. The clutch actuation device of claim 9 , wherein each of the elongated shafts is generally transverse to one of the ramped surfaces of the first and second plurality of ramped grooves when the first and second plates are in the extended state.

12. The clutch actuation device of claim 9 , wherein each of the elongated shafts contacts at least one of the ramped surfaces of the first and second plurality of ramped grooves when the first and second plates are in the compressed state.

13. The clutch actuation device of claim 9 , wherein each of the elongated shafts is spaced apart from and angularly offset from one of the ramped surfaces of the first and second plurality of ramped grooves when the first and second plates are in the extended state.

14. The clutch actuation device of claim 9 , wherein each of the elongated shafts includes a longitudinal axis, each of the longitudinal axes extends from the first plate by a first angle when the first and second plates are in the compressed state, and each of the longitudinal axes extends from the first plate by a second angle when the first and second plates are in the extended state, wherein the first and second angles differ.

15. A clutch actuation device comprising:
a first plate defining a plurality of first grooves spaced apart from one another, each of the plurality of first grooves including a first ramped groove having a deep end portion, a shallow end portion, and a ramped surface therebetween; and
a second plate defining a plurality of second grooves spaced apart from one another, the plurality of second grooves including a second ramped groove having a deep end portion, a shallow end portion, and a ramped surface therebetween and each of the plurality of second grooves corresponding to one of the first grooves to form a pair of ramped grooves, each pair of ramped grooves generally overlapping to define a pocket, for each of the pockets, the deep end portion of the first ramped groove is aligned closer to the shallow end portion of the second ramped groove than the deep end portion of the second ramped groove.

16. The clutch actuation device of claim 15 , wherein the first and second plates are configured to be spaced apart from each other in a compressed state and an extended state, and for each of the pockets, the first ramped groove is situated with respect to the second ramped groove in (i) a first rotational configuration when the first and second plates are in the compressed state, and (ii) a second rotational configuration when the first and second plates are in the extended state.

17. The clutch actuation device of claim 16 , wherein the first and second rotational configurations are offset from each other by an offset angle.

18. The clutch actuation device of claim 15 , wherein the first and second plates are configured to be spaced apart from each other in a compressed state and an extended state, and for each of the pockets, the deep end portion of the first ramped groove is separated from the deep end portion of the second ramped groove (i) by a first distance when the first and second plates are in the compressed state and (ii) by a second distance when the first and second plates are in the extended state, and the second distance is less than the first distance.

19. The clutch actuation device of claim 15 , wherein each of the pockets is configured to receive an elongated member.

Assignees

• Schaeffler Technologies Ag

Inventors

• Carr Stephen

Classifications

• F16D23/12 Primary

  Mechanical clutch-actuating mechanisms arranged outside the clutch as such (specific for combined clutches F16D21/00; mechanisms specific for synchronisation F16D23/02) · CPC title

• F16D27/115

  with more than two discs, e.g. multiple lamellae · CPC title

• F16D2023/123

  Clutch actuation by cams, ramps or ball-screw mechanisms · CPC title