Clutch arrangement for a vehicle and method for operating a vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016017938-A1
Application number	US-201414771926-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jan 21, 2014
Priority date	Mar 14, 2013
Publication date	Jan 21, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A clutch arrangement for a vehicle for the purpose of detachably connecting two shafts ( 1, 2 ), characterized in that at least one shift sleeve ( 3 ) arranged in coaxially displaceable fashion on a shaft ( 1, 2 ) can, under centrifugal force actuation as a function of the increase in the rotational speed of a shaft ( 1, 2 ), be displaced from a position in which it provides rotationally locked coupling for the purpose of connecting the shafts ( 1, 2 ) into a position in which it decouples the shafts ( 1, 2 ). The invention also relates to a method for operating a vehicle.

First claim

1 . A clutch arrangement for a vehicle for detachable connection of two shafts, comprising at least one shift sleeve that can move coaxially on one of the shafts is movable by centrifugal force actuation as a function of an increase of a rotational speed of the shafts from a position locking the shafts in rotation into a position decoupling the shafts.

2 . The clutch arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein for the centrifugal force actuation of the shift sleeve, one or more centrifugal force weights locked in rotation with one of the shafts are provided for generating a centrifugal force and the one or more centrifugal force weights engage followers in the shift sleeve.

3 . The clutch arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the shift sleeve is arranged to move coaxially on an end area of a first one of the shafts and at least partially encloses a coaxially arranged end area of second one of the shafts so that it can move coaxially relative to said second shaft and one or more centrifugal weights are locked in rotation with the end area of the second shaft and coaxially engage the followers for centrifugal force actuation in the end section of the shift sleeve enclosing an end area of the second shaft.

4 . The clutch arrangement according to claim 1 wherein the first shaft is formed by an engine shaft of an electric motor and the second shaft is formed by a transmission shaft of a vehicle transmission.

5 . The clutch arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the shift sleeve is arranged with an inner diameter thereof on a first one of the shafts for movement between a position forming a positive, rotationally locked fit with the first shaft and a position where it can rotate freely on the first shaft and is locked in rotation with the second shaft by an outer diameter of the shaft sleeve.

6 . The clutch arrangement according to claim 3 , wherein the shift sleeve is connected with a positive, rotationally locked fit on an outer diameter thereof with a hub-shaped end section of a clutch housing locked in rotation with the second shaft and is movably axially.

7 . The clutch arrangement according to claim 6 , wherein the shift sleeve has, on an inner diameter thereof, multiple projections that extend in a shape of tabs radially inward one behind the other in a circumferential direction and engage locked in rotation and axially displaceable in the position of the shift sleeve coupled with the first shaft in opposing, corresponding longitudinal recesses on an outer diameter of the first shaft, wherein said recesses are limited in the axial direction by an annular recess that surrounds the outer diameter of the first shaft and in which the projections can engage in a position of the shift sleeve where it can rotate freely on the first shaft.

8 . The clutch arrangement according to claim 2 , wherein the followers of the centrifugal force weights and the shift sleeve are in areal contact on corresponding inclined surfaces for transmitting an axial adjustment force.

9 . The clutch arrangement according to claim 8 , wherein several of the centrifugal force weights arranged to move orthogonal to an end area of the second shaft and one behind the other in a circumferential direction are integrated in a pot-shaped section of a clutch housing arranged coaxial to the end area of the second shaft.

10 . The clutch arrangement according to claim 2 , wherein for restoring a centrifugal force-actuated displacement of the shift sleeve, a restoring spring element is arranged coaxial to a first one of the shafts and the spring element axially pretensions the shift sleeve against the followers of the centrifugal force weights.

11 . A method for operating a vehicle with a clutch arrangement for the detachable connection of two shafts, the clutch arrangement is transferred out of a state locking the shafts in rotation as a function of an increase of the rotational speed of the shafts at a predetermined rotational speed by centrifugal force actuation into a state decoupling the shafts.

Assignees

• Schaeffler Technologies Ag

Inventors

• Mehlis Thomas
• Kinigadner Andreas

Classifications

• F16D2011/002

  using an external and axially slidable sleeve for coupling the teeth of both coupling components together · CPC title

• F16D43/10

  the centrifugal masses acting directly on the pressure ring, no other actuating mechanism for the pressure ring being provided · CPC title

• F16D43/06 Primary

  with centrifugal masses actuating axially a movable pressure ring or the like · CPC title