Integrated cooling system for a dry dual clutch of a dual clutch transmission

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9631680-B2
Application number	US-201414440709-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 29, 2014
Priority date	Jan 29, 2013
Publication date	Apr 25, 2017
Grant date	Apr 25, 2017

Abstract

A dual clutch transmission for motor vehicles, has two transmission sections, a dry dual clutch ( 1 ), which transmits the torque from the engine selectively to one of the two transmission sections, and a cooling system having a fan impeller system for active air cooling of the dual clutch ( 1 ). To optimize the individual functional parts of the cooling system and to reduce the clutch masses, it is proposed that the central disk ( 3 ) and/or at least one contact pressure plate ( 4, 5 ) is/are designed as a fan impeller of the fan impeller system ( 21 ). The central disk ( 3 ) and/or at least one of the contact pressure plates ( 4, 5 ) has/have passages which extend radially or have a radial component.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A dual clutch transmission system for motor vehicles, comprising:
a transmission having two transmission sections; and
a dry dual clutch transmitting a torque from an engine of the vehicle selectively to one of the two transmission sections, wherein the dual clutch is comprised of a central disk and a pair of pressure plates;
wherein the dual clutch includes a cooling system comprised of an embedded fan impeller system for active air cooling of the dual clutch;
wherein the fan impeller system is comprised of a plurality of internal passages formed in at least one of the central disk and the pressure plates.

2. The dual clutch transmission system of claim 1 wherein the internal passages extend at least partially radially within a respective central disk or pressure plate.

3. The dual clutch transmission system of claim 1 wherein the internal passages extend parallel to an outer frictional surface of a respective central disk or pressure plate.

4. The dual clutch transmission system of claim 1 wherein the internal passages are configured to provide internal fan blades having entry angles and exit angles to create a desired air flow speed and direction.

5. The dual clutch transmission system of claim 1 wherein the central disk and pressure plate having the internal passages is integrally formed as a homogeneous casting.

6. The dual clutch transmission system of claim 1 wherein cooling islands are provided within the internal passages in order to increase the cooling surface area.

7. The dual clutch transmission system of claim 1 wherein transverse cooling openings are formed between the internal passages and an outer frictional surface.

8. The dual clutch transmission system of claim 1 wherein the dual clutch includes a housing, and wherein the system further comprises:
an outer cooling system that carries heat from the clutch housing into an external environment.

9. The dual clutch transmission system of claim 8 wherein the outer cooling system a fan connected mechanically to a driving disk of the dual clutch.

10. The dual clutch transmission system of claim 8 wherein the clutch housing includes an inlet region receiving a cooling air from the outer cooling system and an outlet region for returning a heated air to the outer cooling system, wherein the inlet region and the outlet region are is situated at opposite ends of the clutch housing.

11. The dual clutch transmission system of claim 10 wherein the inlet and outlet regions are connected by a conduit system to a front radiator of the vehicle.

12. The dual clutch transmission system of claim 10 further comprising an air filter arranged in at least one of the inlet region and the outlet region.

13. The dual clutch transmission system of claim 10 wherein the outer cooling system controls a cooling of the cooling air flow in accordance with a temperature of the clutch housing.

14. The dual clutch transmission system of claim 10 further comprising an adjustable air flap system to control the cooling of the cooling air flow.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Kirchhoffer Johann

Classifications

• F16D13/72 Primary

  Features relating to cooling · CPC title

• F16D2300/0212

  Air cooling · CPC title

• F16D2021/0615

  the central input plate is supported by bearings in-between the two clutches · CPC title

• F16D21/06

  at least two driving shafts or two driven shafts being concentric · CPC title

• F16D13/70

  Pressure members, e.g. pressure plates, for clutch-plates or lamellae; Guiding arrangements for pressure members {(clutch flywheels comprising two or more masses with a rotational damper F16F15/12)} · CPC title