Jaw clutch

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10302146-B2
Application number	US-201515536850-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 19, 2015
Priority date	Dec 19, 2014
Publication date	May 28, 2019
Grant date	May 28, 2019

Abstract

A dog clutch (10) includes a piston (22) that is firmly connected to a sensor bolt (48) at one axial end of the sensor bolt (48). The piston (22) is coaxially aligned with the sensor bolt (48), and the sensor bolt (48) is configured as a sensor element for a position sensor (70) at a sensor section (52) of the sensor bolt (48) that is positioned on a free, piston-remote axial end (78) of the sensor bolt (48).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A dog clutch ( 10 ), comprising:
an axially fixed coupling element ( 12 ) and an axially movable coupling element ( 14 ) that are sleeve-shaped and disposed coaxially with each other;
a pressurizing medium-actuatable piston ( 22 ) for axially displacing the axially movable coupling element ( 14 ) in order to establish a positively locking connection between the axially fixed coupling element ( 12 ) and the axially movable coupling element ( 14 ); and
a cylinder housing ( 20 ) in which the piston ( 22 ) is disposed in a longitudinally displaceable manner, the cylinder housing ( 20 ) radially supporting the axially movable coupling element ( 14 ), the piston ( 22 ) connected to the axially movable coupling element ( 14 ) via a piston pin ( 26 ) in the cylinder housing ( 20 ), a pressurizing medium ( 40 ) suppliable into a cylinder space ( 60 ) of the cylinder housing ( 20 ) via a supply duct ( 38 ),
wherein the piston ( 22 ) is firmly connected to a sensor bolt ( 48 ) at one axial end of the sensor bolt ( 48 ), the piston ( 22 ) is coaxially aligned with the sensor bolt ( 48 ), and the sensor bolt ( 48 ) is configured as a sensor element for a position sensor ( 70 ) at a sensor section ( 52 ) of the sensor bolt ( 48 ) that is positioned on a free, piston-remote axial end ( 78 ) of the sensor bolt ( 48 ).

2. The dog clutch of claim 1 , wherein:
the piston ( 22 ) comprises a rotationally symmetric cup-shaped piston recess ( 56 ) about a longitudinal center axis ( 24 ) of the piston ( 22 );
a mounting section ( 50 ) of the sensor bolt ( 48 ) is disposed in the piston recess ( 56 );
the piston ( 22 ) defines a radial transverse bore ( 83 ) and the mounting section ( 50 ) of the sensor bolt ( 48 ) defines a radial transverse bore ( 82 ) proximate the piston recess ( 56 );
said radial transverse bores ( 82 , 83 ) are coaxial and oriented perpendicular to the longitudinal center axis ( 24 ) of the piston ( 22 ); and
the piston ( 22 ), the sensor bolt ( 48 ) and the axially movable coupling element ( 14 ) are connected to one another via the piston pin ( 26 ) by the piston pin ( 26 ) being inserted into the radial transverse bores ( 82 , 83 ) and connected to the axially movable coupling element ( 14 ).

3. The dog clutch of claim 2 , wherein the mounting section ( 50 ) of the piston ( 22 ) is sealed with respect to the piston recess ( 56 ) by a sealing element ( 58 ).

4. The dog clutch of claim 2 , wherein the cylinder housing ( 20 ) is fixed to or integrally formed with a pressurizing medium supply flange ( 34 ), and a cylindrical bearing section ( 46 ) of the sensor bolt ( 48 ) is disposed in a pilot bore ( 36 ) of the pressurizing medium supply flange ( 34 ) such that the cylindrical bearing section ( 46 ) of the sensor bolt ( 48 ) is longitudinally displaceable within the pilot bore ( 36 ).

5. The dog clutch of claim 4 , wherein a sleeve ( 44 ) is disposed in the pilot bore ( 36 ) of the pressurizing medium supply flange ( 34 ) such that the sleeve ( 44 ) is axially positioned on a collar ( 42 ) of the pilot bore ( 36 ), and the bearing section ( 46 ) of the sensor bolt ( 48 ) is positioned in the sleeve ( 44 ).

6. The dog clutch of claim 4 , wherein the bearing section ( 46 ) of the sensor bolt ( 48 ) is longitudinally displaceable within the pilot bore ( 36 ), and the bearing section ( 46 ) comprises a low friction material.

7. The dog clutch of claim 4 , wherein the mounting section ( 50 ) of the sensor bolt ( 48 ) and the bearing section ( 46 ) of the sensor bolt ( 48 ) are connected to one another by a cylindrical connecting section ( 54 ), and the cylindrical connecting section ( 54 ) has a reduced diameter relative to the mounting section ( 50 ) and the bearing section ( 46 ) of the sensor bolt ( 48 ).

8. The dog clutch of claim 4 , wherein the supply duct ( 38 ) in the pressurizing medium supply flange ( 34 ) is at least partially inclined at an angle (α) to a common longitudinal center axis ( 24 ) of the piston ( 22 ) and the sensor bolt ( 48 ), and the supply duct ( 38 ) opens tangentially into the pilot bore ( 36 ).

9. The dog clutch of claim 4 , wherein the pressurizing medium supply flange ( 34 ) is connected with a transmission housing wall ( 68 ) in a pressure-tight manner.

10. The dog clutch of claim 4 , wherein a cup-shaped additional space ( 92 ) is formed in a transmission housing wall ( 68 ) centrically to a common longitudinal center axis ( 24 ) of the sensor bolt ( 48 ) and the piston ( 22 ) and adjacent to the pilot bore ( 36 ), and the sensor section ( 52 ) of the sensor bolt ( 48 ) partially projects into the cup-shaped additional space ( 92 ).

11. The dog clutch of claim 1 , wherein the position sensor ( 70 ) and the sensor section ( 52 ) of the sensor bolt ( 48 ) are configured and disposed in relation to one another such that the axial position of the piston-remote axial end ( 78 ) of the sensor bolt ( 48 ) and thereby the axial position of both the piston ( 22 ) and the axially movable coupling element ( 14 ) are measurable in a continuous manner.

12. The dog clutch of claim 1 , wherein the sensor section ( 52 ) of the sensor bolt ( 48 ) has a geometry that differs from a cylindrical outer surface geometry such that a distance ( 76 ) between the sensor ( 70 ) and the sensor section ( 52 ) of the sensor bolt ( 48 ) varies as a function of the axial position of the sensor bolt ( 48 ).

13. The dog clutch of claim 12 , wherein the sensor section ( 52 ) of the sensor bolt ( 48 ) has a circumferential recess ( 74 ) that is V-groove-shaped in a longitudinal section plane.

14. The dog clutch of claim 1 , wherein the position sensor ( 70 ) is disposed proximate a transmission housing wall ( 68 ) and radially above the sensor section ( 52 ) of the sensor bolt ( 48 ), and a longitudinal center axis ( 71 ) of the position sensor ( 70 ) is inclined at a setting angle ( 13 ) of no less than thirty degrees and no more than ninety degrees to a common longitudinal center axis ( 24 ) of the sensor bolt ( 48 ) and the piston ( 22 ).

15. The dog clutch of claim 1 , wherein the sensor bolt ( 48 ) comprises a plurality of flat areas ( 80 ) on the piston-remote axial end ( 78 ) of the sensor bolt ( 48 ).

16. The dog clutch of claim 1 , wherein a mounting section ( 50 ) of the sensor bolt ( 48 ) comprises a lead-in chamfer ( 86 ) on a piston-side end ( 84 ) of the mounting section ( 50 ).

17. The dog clutch of claim 1 , wherein the supply duct ( 38 ) in a pressurizing medium supply flange ( 34 ) is connected with a peripheral connecting duct ( 66 ) in a transmission housing wall ( 68 ).

Assignees

• Zahnradfabrik Friedrichshafen
• Zp Friedrichshafen Ag

Inventors

• Doepfert Hagen
• Bayer Oliver
• Tiesler Peter
• Stier Harald

Classifications

• F16D2300/18

  Sensors; Details or arrangements thereof · CPC title

• F16D25/061 Primary

  the clutch having interengaging clutch members · CPC title

• F16D11/14 Primary

  with clutching members movable only axially (F16D11/02, F16D11/08 take precedence) · CPC title

• F16D2011/006

  Locking or detent means, i.e. means to keep the clutch in engaged condition · CPC title