Reduced drag clutch plate

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9841064-B2
Application number	US-201615065051-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 9, 2016
Priority date	Mar 12, 2015
Publication date	Dec 12, 2017
Grant date	Dec 12, 2017

Abstract

A clutch plate includes first and second axially offset annular surfaces, a first angled surface extending at an acute angle from the first annular surface in a first axial direction, and a second angled surface extending at an acute angle from the first annular surface in a second axial direction, opposite the first axial direction. In some example embodiments, the clutch plate has a wet friction material fixed to the first and second annular surfaces and at least one of the first and second angled surfaces. In an example aspect, the clutch plate has a low friction wet friction material fixed to the wet friction material of the at least one of the first and second angled surfaces. The low friction wet friction material may be fixed to the wet friction material by infusion or bonding. In an example embodiment, the clutch plate has a first wet friction material fixed to the first and second annular surfaces, and a second, low friction wet friction material fixed to at least one of the first and second angled surfaces.

First claim

What we claim is:

1. A clutch plate comprising: a first annular surface comprising a first outer diameter and a plurality of notches; a first angled surface extending radially outward between a first pair of notches at an acute angle from the first annular surface in a first axial direction, the first angled surface including a second outer diameter; a second angled surface extending radially outward between a second pair of notches at an acute angle from the first annular surface in a second axial direction, opposite the first axial direction, the second angled surface including a third outer diameter radially aligned with the first and second outer diameters; and, an inner spline including a first spline tooth extending circumferentially beyond the first pair of notches, a second spline tooth extending circumferentially beyond the second pair of notches, and a third spline tooth protruding outwardly from between the first and second spline tooth, wherein a circumferential length of the third spline tooth is less than a circumferential length of the first or second spline tooth.

2. The clutch plate of claim 1 further comprising a second annular surface axially offset from the first annular surface and a wet friction material fixed to the first and second annular surfaces and at least one of the first and second angled surfaces.

3. The clutch plate of claim 2 further comprising a low friction wet friction material fixed to the wet friction material of the at least one of the first and second angled surfaces, wherein the low friction wet friction material is fixed to the wet friction material by infusion or bonding.

4. The clutch plate of claim 1 further comprising a second annular surface axially offset from the first annular surface and a first wet friction material fixed to the first and second annular surfaces, and a second, low friction wet friction material fixed to at least one of the first and second angled surfaces.

5. The clutch plate of claim 1 further comprising respective bend portions connecting the first and second angled surfaces with the first annular surface, and the first and second pairs of notches extend radially beyond the respective bend portions.

6. The clutch plate of claim 1 wherein the first annular surface comprises a first circumferential edge that is discontinuous at the notches.

7. The clutch plate of claim 6 further comprising respective bend portions connecting the first and second angled surfaces with the first annular surface, and a radial distance between the first circumferential edge and the respective bend portions is less than a radial distance between the first circumferential edge and respective radiused ends of the notches.

8. The clutch plate of claim 1 further comprising a second annular surface axially offset from the first annular surface;
wherein:
the first and second annular surfaces comprise first and second circumferential edges, respectively; and,
the clutch plate comprises:
a circumferential surface joining the first and second circumferential edges.

9. A clutch pack assembly comprising:
the clutch plate of claim 1 ; and,
a pair of separator plates on opposite axial sides of the clutch plate.

10. The clutch pack assembly of claim 9 wherein the pair of separator plates comprise respective annular surfaces with outer diameters extending radially beyond the clutch plate angled surfaces.

11. A clutch plate for a transmission comprising:
a notched annular surface;
a plurality of angled surfaces extending radially outward between respective pairs of notches at an acute angle to the annular surface wherein an outer diameter of the annular surface and respective outer diameters of the angled surfaces are radially aligned; and,
an inner spline including a plurality of spline teeth, wherein a first one of the plurality of spline teeth extends circumferentially beyond a single pair of notches and a second one of the plurality of spline teeth extends circumferentially less than the first one of the plurality of spline teeth.

12. The clutch plate of claim 11 wherein a first one of the plurality of angled surfaces extends in a first axial direction and a second one of the plurality of angled surfaces extends in a second axial direction, opposite the first axial direction.

13. The clutch plate of claim 12 further comprising a friction material fixed to the annular surface and at least one of the first or second pluralities of angled surfaces.

14. The clutch plate of claim 13 further comprising a low friction material fixed to the friction material of the at least one of the first and second pluralities of angled surfaces, wherein the low friction material is fixed to the friction material by infusion or bonding.

15. The clutch plate of claim 11 further comprising a first friction material fixed to the annular surface, and a second, low friction material fixed to at least one of the first and second pluralities of angled surfaces.

Assignees

• Schaeffler Technologies Ag

Inventors

• Smith David
• Farahati Rashid

Classifications

• F16D2250/0069

  Adhesive bonding · CPC title

• F16D13/69 Primary

  Arrangements for spreading lamellae in the released state · CPC title

• F16D2300/14

  Clutches which are normally open, i.e. not engaged in released state · CPC title

• F16D2069/0466

  chemical, e.g. using adhesives, vulcanising · CPC title

• F16D13/648 Primary

  for clutches with multiple lamellae · CPC title