Clutch arrangement

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10132363-B2
Application number	US-201314376071-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 8, 2013
Priority date	Feb 2, 2012
Publication date	Nov 20, 2018
Grant date	Nov 20, 2018

Abstract

A clutch arrangement for a drivetrain of a vehicle comprises a first component, a second component, and a conveying component. The first component has an at least partially disk-shape and has a first friction surface at the disk-shaped portion. The second component has an at least partially disk-shape and has a second friction surface at the disk-shaped portion. The first friction and second friction surfaces are configured and arranged to be brought into a frictional engagement with each other and contact a fluid medium in operation. The conveying component comprises a conveying surface for the fluid medium and coupled to a drive component to be substantially fixed with respect to rotation relative to it such that the conveying surface causes a flow of the fluid medium during a rotation relative to the fluid medium.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A clutch arrangement for a drivetrain of a vehicle, comprising:
an at least partially disk-shaped first component part formed by an inner plate having a first friction surface;
an at least partially disk-shaped second component part having a second friction surface, wherein the first friction surface and the second friction surface are configured and arranged to be brought into a frictional engagement with each other and contact a fluid medium in operation; and
a conveying component comprising a conveying surface for the fluid medium and coupled to a drive component to be substantially fixed with respect to rotation relative to the drive component such that the conveying surface causes a flow of the fluid medium during a rotation relative to the fluid medium, the inner plate disposed radially outward of the conveying component;
a piston constructed to form a pressing element configured and arranged to bring the first friction surface and the second friction surface in frictional engagement with each other;
an input shaft;

wherein the inner plate comprises a portion having a driver surface at a lateral face, the inner plate engaging with the conveying surface of the conveying component via the driver surface so that, when the conveying component rotates, the respective inner plate is also set in rotation for transferring a torque from the drive component to the inner plates; and
wherein the conveying component is annular;
wherein the pressing element has a starting position and is configured and arranged radially outward of the input shaft and to bring the first friction surface and the second friction surface into frictional engagement with each other and to sever the frictional engagement when actuated, wherein the pressing element has a passage extending through the pressing element into a first volume for the fluid medium, said passage being located at a same radial distance to an axis of rotation as a radial distance from the conveying surface to the axis of rotation, and wherein fluid medium can flow through at least one of the first and second component parts and a support in an operating condition in which frictional engagement is present, so that during a rotation of the conveying surface relative to the fluid medium, a flow of fluid medium radially outward through or along at least one of the first friction surface and the second friction surface is brought about by the conveying surface;
wherein the drive component is a housing of the clutch arrangement configured to be filled with the fluid medium, and wherein the conveying component is connected to the housing of the clutch arrangement so as to be fixed with respect to rotation relative to the housing of the clutch arrangement; and
additionally comprising a sealing element arranged and constructed for separating the first volume for the fluid medium from a second volume for the fluid medium and for exerting a force on the pressing element so as to return the pressing element back to the starting position when the pressing element is not actuated.

2. The clutch arrangement of claim 1 , wherein the first component part engages with the conveying component via the driver surface such that a contacting surface between the driver surface and the conveying surface is at most 50% of a surface area of the conveying surface.

3. The clutch arrangement of claim 1 , wherein the conveying surface is contiguous and flat.

4. The clutch arrangement of claim 1 , wherein the conveying surface is oriented substantially perpendicular to a tangential direction, said tangential direction being perpendicular to an axis of rotation of the first component part and a radial direction facing away perpendicularly from the axis of rotation.

5. The clutch arrangement of claim 1 , wherein the first component part comprises a disk-shaped component part with a central recess, wherein the first friction surface is arranged at a main surface of the disk-shaped component part oriented substantially perpendicular to an axis of rotation of the first component part, wherein the engagement with the conveying component takes place at the lateral surface of the portion of the disk-shaped component part projecting into the central recess, wherein the second component part comprises an additional disk-shaped component part with a central recess, and wherein the additional disk-shaped component part engages at an outer radius thereof with the support.

6. The clutch arrangement of claim 5 , wherein the pressing element is configured and arranged to bring the first friction surface and the second friction surface into frictional engagement with each other and/or to sever the frictional engagement when actuated, wherein the pressing element at least partially limits the first volume that is filled with fluid medium and comprises, when viewed in a cross-sectional plane in which an axis of rotation extends, a cross-sectional area which corresponds to at most twenty times the cross-sectional area of the conveying surface.

7. The clutch arrangement of claim 1 , wherein the sealing element is connected to the housing of the clutch arrangement and to the conveying component.

8. The clutch arrangement of claim 1 , wherein the sealing element is connected to the housing of the clutch arrangement and the piston.

9. The clutch arrangement of claim 1 , wherein the conveying component comprises a ring segment-shaped portion having a plurality of teeth arranged at regular, equally spaced intervals, each one of the plurality of teeth having two axially extending opposed conveying surfaces connected by a top surface.

10. A clutch arrangement for a drivetrain of a vehicle, comprising:
an at least partially disk-shaped first component part formed by an inner plate having a first friction surface;
an at least partially disk-shaped second component part having a second friction surface, wherein the first friction surface and the second friction surface are configured and arranged to be brought into a frictional engagement with each other and contact a fluid medium in operation; and
a conveying component comprising a conveying surface for the fluid medium and coupled to a drive component to be substantially fixed with respect to rotation relative to the drive component such that the conveying surface causes a flow of the fluid medium during a rotation relative to the fluid medium, the inner plate disposed radially outward of the conveying component;
a piston constructed to form a pressing element configured and arranged to bring the first friction surface and the second friction surface in frictional engagement with each other;
an input shaft;

wherein the inner plate comprises a portion having a driver surface at a lateral face, the inner plate engaging with the conveying surface of the conveying component via the driver surface so that, when the conveying component rotates, the respective inner plate is also set in rotation for transferring a torque from the drive component to the inner plates; and
wherein the conveying component is annular;
wherein the pressing element has a starting position and is configured and arranged radially outward of the input shaft and to bring the first friction surface and the second friction surface into frictional engagement with each other and to sever the frictional engagement when actuated, wherein the pressing element has a passage extending through the pressing element into a first volume for the fluid medium, said passage being arranged on the level of the conveying surface; and wherein fluid medium can flow through at least one of the first and second component parts and a support in an operating condition in which frictional engagement is present, s

Assignees

• Schroeder Arthur
• Sudau Joerg
• Pittner Daniel
• Zahnradfabrik Friedrichshafen

Inventors

• Schröder Arthur
• Sudau Jörg
• Pittner Daniel

Classifications

• F16D13/72 Primary

  Features relating to cooling · CPC title

• F16D13/74

  Features relating to lubrication · CPC title

• F16D25/123

  in view of cooling and lubrication · CPC title

• F16D13/40 Primary

  in which the or each axially-movable member is pressed exclusively against an axially-located member · CPC title

• F16D25/0638

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