Vehicle provided with an engine at the rear and having an improved clutch system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9604538-B2
Application number	US-201314412575-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 8, 2013
Priority date	Jul 3, 2012
Publication date	Mar 28, 2017
Grant date	Mar 28, 2017

Abstract

A vehicle including an engine at a rear, and a clutch system including a hydraulic conduit passing below the vehicle and connecting a master cylinder placed at the front of the vehicle and a slave cylinder located at the rear thereof. The hydraulic conduit is positioned in a vicinity of a pre-existing heat source in the vehicle, to be heated by the heat source.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A vehicle comprising:
an engine at a rear of the vehicle;
a clutch system comprising a hydraulic conduit including a portion passing below bodywork of the vehicle and connecting a master cylinder placed at a front of the vehicle and a slave cylinder located at the rear the vehicle;
a pre-existing heat source positioned below the bodywork of the vehicle,
wherein the portion of the hydraulic conduit passing below the bodywork of the vehicle is positioned in a vicinity of the pre-existing heat source such that there is a small gap between the heat source and the portion of the hydraulic conduit to heat the portion of the hydraulic conduit by the heat source.

2. A vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the pre-existing heat source is a fluid circulation pipe.

3. A vehicle according to claim 2 , wherein the pipe forms part of a cooling circuit of the engine and connects a radiator to the engine.

4. A vehicle according to claim 2 , wherein the pipe forms part of an air-conditioning circuit and is placed at an outlet of a compressor.

5. A vehicle according to claim 2 , wherein the pipe forms the small gap with the portion of the hydraulic conduit.

6. A vehicle according to claim 5 , wherein the gap between the pipe and the hydraulic conduit is 1 cm.

7. A vehicle according to claim 2 , wherein the pipe is in contact with the portion of the hydraulic conduit.

8. A vehicle according to claim 2 , wherein the pipe and the portion of the hydraulic conduit are coaxial.

9. A vehicle according to claim 2 , wherein the portion of the hydraulic conduit and the pipe extend below the vehicle along a longitudinal axis of the vehicle in the heating zone.

10. A vehicle according to claim 2 , wherein the pipe is made of plastics material.

11. A vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the hydraulic conduit is made of plastics material.

12. A vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the pre-existing heat source is brought to a temperature that is greater than or equal to 50° C. during operation of the vehicle.

13. A vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the pre-existing heat source is brought to a temperature that is between 100° C. and 120° C. during operation of the vehicle.

14. A vehicle according to claim 2 , wherein water circulates through the pipe.

15. A vehicle comprising:
an engine at a rear of the vehicle;
a clutch system comprising a hydraulic conduit including a portion passing below bodywork of the vehicle and connecting a master cylinder placed at a front of the vehicle and a slave cylinder located at the rear the vehicle;
a pre-existing heat source positioned below the bodywork of the vehicle,
wherein the portion of the hydraulic conduit passing below the bodywork of the vehicle is positioned in a vicinity of the pre-existing heat source such that the heat source is in contact with the portion of the hydraulic conduit to heat the portion of the hydraulic conduit by the heat source.

Assignees

• Renault Sas

Inventors

• Janier Benoit
• Blondeau Vincent

Classifications

• B60K23/02 Primary

  for main transmission clutches · CPC title

• B60K5/00

  Arrangement or mounting of internal-combustion or jet-propulsion units (B60K7/00 takes precedence; arrangement or mounting of plural diverse prime-movers for mutual or common propulsion B60K6/00) · CPC title

• B60K11/02

  with liquid cooling · CPC title

• F16D2048/0224

  Details of conduits, connectors or the adaptors therefor specially adapted for clutch control · CPC title