Axial bearing bridge for ball ramp

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10030697-B2
Application number	US-201514706477-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 7, 2015
Priority date	May 7, 2015
Publication date	Jul 24, 2018
Grant date	Jul 24, 2018

Abstract

A ball ramp plate and a ball ramp assembly including the ball ramp plate are provided. The ball ramp plate comprises a stamped metal plate formed with ramped ball pockets on a first side at a ball ramp pitch radius and a thrust bearing support on a second side of the plate. The thrust bearing support has a first support surface at a first pitch radius greater than the ball ramp pitch radius and a second support surface at a second pitch radius less than the ball ramp pitch radius.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A ball ramp plate comprising:
a plate with ramped ball pockets formed on a first side at a ball ramp pitch radius; and
a thrust bearing support on a second side of the plate having a first support surface that is planar and defined on the second side of the plate at a first pitch radius greater than the ball ramp pitch radius and a second support surface that is planar and defined on the second side of the plate at a second pitch radius less than the ball ramp pitch radius, and the first support surface is spaced radially outward and away from the ramped ball pockets, and the second support surface is spaced radially inward and away from the ramped ball pockets,
wherein the first support surface and the second support surface are integrally formed with the plate, the first support surface and the second support surface are coplanar, and the first support surface is configured to support a first thrust bearing and the second support surface is configured to support a second thrust bearing.

2. The ball ramp plate of claim 1 , wherein the plate is a stamped metal plate.

3. The ball ramp plate of claim 1 , wherein the plate is formed from chromium steel.

4. A ball ramp assembly comprising:
a dynamic ball ramp plate with ramped first ball pockets formed on a first side of the plate at a ball ramp pitch radius and a thrust bearing support on a second side of the plate;
a static ball ramp plate with ramped second ball pockets corresponding in number with the first ball pockets, the static ball ramp plate and the dynamic ball ramp plate coaxially aligned so that the first and second ball pockets are opposed;
a plurality of rolling elements disposed in the opposing first and second ball pockets;
a first thrust bearing disposed on a first support surface of the thrust bearing support at a first pitch radius greater than the ball ramp pitch radius; and
a second thrust bearing disposed on a second support surface of the thrust bearing support at a second pitch radius less than the ball ramp pitch radius,
wherein the first support surface is a planar surface and defined on the second side of the plate spaced radially outward and away from the ramped first ball pockets, and the second support surface is a planar surface and defined on the second side of the plate spaced radially inward and away from the ramped first ball pockets, and the first support surface and the second support surface are coplanar.

5. The ball ramp assembly of claim 4 , wherein the dynamic ball ramp plate is a stamped metal plate.

6. The ball ramp assembly of claim 4 , wherein the static ball ramp plate is a stamped metal plate.

7. The ball ramp plate assembly of claim 4 , wherein the dynamic ball ramp plate and the static ball ramp plate are formed from chromium steel.

8. The ball ramp assembly of claim 4 , wherein the first support surface and the second support surface are integrally formed with the plate.

9. The ball ramp assembly of claim 4 , wherein the first thrust bearing comprises rolling elements disposed in a first bearing cage.

10. The ball ramp assembly of claim 4 , wherein the second thrust bearing comprises rolling elements disposed in a second bearing cage.

Assignees

• Schaeffler Technologies Ag

Inventors

• Carr Stephen
• Tate Shaun

Classifications

• F16C19/30

  for axial load mainly · CPC title

• F16D2125/36

  Helical cams, Ball-rotating ramps · CPC title

• F16D2023/123

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

• F16H25/186

  with reciprocation along the axis of oscillation · CPC title

• F16C19/54

  Systems consisting of a plurality of bearings with rolling friction (spindle bearings F16C35/08) · CPC title