Clutch apparatus, systems, and related methods for use with vehicle stabilizer bars

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11280376-B2
Application number	US-202016903669-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 17, 2020
Priority date	Jun 17, 2020
Publication date	Mar 22, 2022
Grant date	Mar 22, 2022

Abstract

Clutch apparatus, systems, and related methods for use with vehicle stabilizer bars are disclosed. A disclosed stabilizer bar disconnect system includes a fluidic clutch configured to control torque transferred between first and second bar members during a driving event to control a roll stiffness of a vehicle. The fluidic clutch includes: a housing, a fluid chamber in the housing; a fluid reservoir in fluid communication with the fluid chamber; first and second fluid control members in the fluid chamber and connected to the first and second bar members, and fluid valves configured to control a flow of a fluid through the fluid chamber and the fluid reservoir. The fluidic clutch is changeable between a connected state in which the fluidic clutch couples the first bar member to the second bar member and a disconnected state in which the fluidic clutch decouples the first bar member from the second bar member.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A stabilizer bar disconnect system for a vehicle, comprising:
a stabilizer bar on the vehicle; and
a fluidic clutch operatively interposed between first and second bar members of the stabilizer bar, the fluidic clutch configured to control torque transferred between the first and second bar members during a driving event to control a roll stiffness of the vehicle, the fluidic clutch including:
a housing rotatably coupled to the first and second bar members,
a fluid chamber in the housing to receive a fluid,
a fluid reservoir external to the fluid chamber and in fluid communication with the fluid chamber, wherein the housing includes a first portion defining the fluid chamber and a second portion defining the fluid reservoir, the first portion being internal to the second portion,
first and second fluid control members in the fluid chamber and connected to respective ones of the first and second bar members, relative rotation of the first or second fluid control member about an axis changing a parameter of the fluid,
fluid valves operatively coupled to the housing and configured to control a flow of the fluid through the fluid chamber and the fluid reservoir,
a spool centrally disposed in the fluid chamber, each of the first and second fluid control members interposed between an outer sealing surface on the spool and an inner sealing surface on a portion of the housing, and
a wall attaching the spool to the portion of the housing, the wall extending away from the inner sealing surface radially inward relative to the axis toward the spool,

wherein the fluidic clutch is changeable between (a) a connected state in which the fluidic clutch couples the first bar member to the second bar member and (b) a disconnected state in which the fluidic clutch decouples the first bar member from the second bar member.

2. The stabilizer bar disconnect system of claim 1 , wherein energy input to the fluidic clutch is transmittable through the fluid from the first fluid control member to the second fluid control member when the fluidic clutch is in the connected state, and wherein the energy input to fluidic clutch is dissipated therein when the fluidic clutch is in the disconnected state.

3. The stabilizer bar disconnected system of claim 1 , wherein the connected state of the fluidic clutch activates in response to the fluid valves changing from a powered state to an unpowered state.

4. The stabilizer bar disconnect system of claim 1 , wherein:
the first fluid control member and the wall, together, partially define a first section of the fluid chamber,
the second fluid control member and the wall, together, partially define a second section of the fluid chamber adjacent the first section,
the first and second fluid control members, together, partially define a third section of the fluid chamber between the first and second sections, and
the fluid is flowable between at least two sections of the fluid chamber.

5. The stabilizer bar disconnect system of claim 4 , wherein;
a first fluid valve of the fluid valves is fluidly interposed between the first section of the fluid chamber and the fluid reservoir,
a second fluid valve of the fluid valves is fluidly interposed between the second section of the fluid chamber and the fluid reservoir,
a third fluid valve of the fluid valves is fluidly interposed between the first and second sections of the fluid chamber, and
the fluidic clutch includes an orifice on the portion of the housing and fluidly interposed between the third section of the fluid chamber and the fluid reservoir.

6. The stabilizer bar disconnect system of claim 4 , wherein the fluid clutch includes fluid seals positioned at inner and outer radial portions of the respective first and second fluid control members to prevent the fluid from leaking between the first, second, and third sections of the fluid chamber.

7. The stabilizer bar disconnect system of claim 1 , wherein the fluidic clutch includes travel stops coupled to the housing and radially distributed relative to the axis, the travel stops configured to limit relative rotation of the first and second fluid control members.

8. The stabilizer bar disconnect system of claim 1 , wherein the first portion defining the fluid chamber is cylindrically-shaped, and the second portion defining the fluid reservoir is cylindrically-shaped.

9. The stabilizer bar disconnect system of claim 1 , wherein the fluid includes a magnetorheological (MR) fluid, and wherein the fluidic clutch including means for applying an electric current to the MR fluid to change a characteristic of the MR fluid.

10. The stabilizer bar disconnect system of claim 1 , further including control circuitry communicatively coupled to the fluid valves, wherein the control circuitry is configured to operate one or more of the fluid valves to change the state of the fluidic clutch between the connected state and the disconnected state.

11. The stabilizer bar disconnected system of claim 10 , wherein the control circuitry is configured to operate the fluid valves to change the fluidic clutch to a partially connected state in which the fluidic clutch partially couples the first bar member to the second bar member.

12. The stabilizer bar disconnect system of claim 10 , further including one or more sensors in the fluidic clutch, wherein the control circuitry is configured to:
determine, via the one or more sensors, a gap between the first and second fluid control members, and
in response to determining that a size of the gap is less than a threshold gap size, disable the disconnected state of the fluidic clutch until the size of the gap is greater than or equal to the threshold gap size.

13. The stabilizer bar disconnect system of claim 12 , wherein the control circuitry is configured to selectively open and close one or more of the fluid valves to urge the first or second fluid control member to move toward or to an initial position thereof.

14. A vehicle stabilizer bar assembly, comprising:
a first bar member connectable to a first side of a vehicle;
a second bar member connectable to a second side of a vehicle; and
a clutch mechanism operatively coupling the first bar member to the second bar member, the clutch mechanism configured to control torque transferred between the first and second bar members during a driving event to control a roll stiffness of the vehicle, the clutch mechanism including:
a housing interposed between the first and second bar members,
a fluid chamber in the housing to receive a fluid,
a fluid reservoir external to the fluid chamber and in fluid communication with the fluid chamber, wherein the housing includes a first portion defining the fluid chamber and a second portion defining the fluid reservoir, the first portion being internal to the second portion,
first and second fluid control members connected to the respective first and second bar members and extending through the fluid chamber along an axis, relative rotation of the first or second fluid control member about the axis changing a parameter of the fluid,
fluid valves operatively coupled to the housing to control a flow of the fluid through the fluid chamber and the fluid reservoir,
a spool centrally disposed in the fluid chamber, each of the first and second fluid control members interposed between an outer sealing surface on the spool and an inner sealing surface on a portion of the housing, and
a wall attaching the spool to the portion of the housing, the wall extending away from the inner sealing surface radially inward relative to the axis toward the spool,

wherein one or more of the fluid v

Assignees

• Toyota Eng & Mfg North America

Inventors

• Baskin Bradley S

Classifications

• B60G2400/0511

  Roll angle · CPC title

• B60G21/0556

  including a releasable coupling (B60G21/0555 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F16D48/066

  Control of fluid pressure, e.g. using an accumulator (F16D48/062, F16D48/068 take precedence) · CPC title

• B60G17/0152

  characterised by the action on a particular type of suspension unit (B60G17/01941 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B60G2206/427

  Stabiliser bars or tubes · CPC title