Fichtel & Sachs Ag

Mannesmann Sachs Ag

Zf Sachs Ag

Herbert Voit

Wolfgang Grosspietsch

Manfred Wehner

Thomas Otto

Karl Muller

Gottfried Mader

Angelika Ebert

Boleslaw Tulaczko

Joachim Lindner

Frank Hirschmann

Hans-Jurgen Drexl

Klaus Steinel

Bernhard Limbacher

Barbara Ester

Jorg Willert

Bernd F&ouml;rster

Matthias Brunner

Andreas Konrad

Nikolaus Rudolph

A release mechanism for actuating a friction clutch is concentric to a center axis of a guide sleeve mounted in turn on a transmission shaft. The release mechanism includes a clutch release bearing and a device for compensating for the tilt of the center axis of the friction clutch with respect to the center axis of the guide sleeve and/or for the wobbling eccentricity of the release spring. The clutch release bearing includes an inner ring, an outer ring, and an adjusting sleeve. One of the inner ring or outer ring communicates with a release spring of the friction clutch. The device for compensating for the tilt of the center axis of the friction clutch with respect to the center axis of the guide sleeve and/or for the wobbling eccentricity of the release spring includes a release ring and a load ring. The release ring is in contact with a finger of the release spring of the friction clutch and includes a spherical surface having a center on the axis of the transmission shaft. A load ring cooperates with the spherical surface of the release ring and communicates with the adjusting sleeve for placing the one of the inner ring and outer ring in communication with the release spring. Preferably the release ring is curved and the load ring is a circular cross-sectioned wire to reduce wear.

Release mechanism with a device for compensating for inaccuracies in a friction clutch of a motor vehicle

An actuation device for a shiftable clutch includes a pressure supply for providing a pressure of a pressure medium for actuating the clutch, and a first and a second workspace independently in communication with the pressure supply for receiving the pressure. A first piston surface is disposed in the first workspace and is operably displaceable in a first direction responsive to the pressure. A second piston surface is disposed in the second workspace and is operably displaceable in a second direction responsive to the pressure. The second direction is oriented opposite to the first direction. One of the first or second piston surfaces is responsive to an application of the pressure in the respective workspace displacing in the respective first or second direction to exert the actuation force.

Clutch actuation device

A friction clutch, particularly for a motor vehicle, including a clutch disk which can be coupled in frictional engagement with the crankshaft of an internal combustion engine and which is connected by a hub to a transmission input shaft so as to be fixed with respect to rotation relative to it and can revolve with the latter around a common axis of rotation. The clutch further includes an actuation system for engaging or disengaging the frictional engagement of the clutch disk which is arranged concentric to the transmission input shaft, and a transmission brake for reducing the rotational speed of the transmission input shaft during determined shifting processes of the transmission. The transmission brake can be controlled independent from the actuation system of the friction clutch, and all component parts of the transmission brake are integrated in the actuation system of the friction clutch.

Friction clutch with separately controllable transmission brake

A release system for a clutch assembly comprises a release slide, which is or can be connected to a stored-energy element of the clutch assembly to execute release movements, and at least one brake element, which can move along with the release slide during the execution of release movements. This brake element can be brought into braking interaction with an opposing brake element which is or can be connected in an essentially nonrotatable manner to a clutch output shaft, where the release slide and the minimum of one brake element form a piston/cylinder unit with at least one fluid chamber. Pressure fluid is introduced into the minimum of one fluid chamber to produce a force which preloads or moves the minimum of one brake element relative to the release slide.

Release system for a clutch assembly

A release slide is or can be connected to a stored-energy element of the clutch assembly for executing a release movement, and at least one brake element can move along with the release slide during the execution of a release movement, which brake element can be brought into braking interaction with a counter-braking element, which is or can be connected in essentially nonrotatable fashion to a clutch output shaft, where the minimum of one brake element can shift position relative to the release slide at least to compensate for the wear which occurs in the area of the clutch assembly. A latching arrangement includes a set of latching teeth on either the release slide or on the brake element, and a latching element on the other of the brake element and the release slide. The latching arrangement allows relative motion between the release slide and the brake element when wear occurs, but allows essentially no relative motion between the release slide and the brake element when the release slide moves in the release direction and a braking interaction occurs between the minimum of one brake element and the counter-braking element.

The actuation device includes a pressure medium force cylinder arrangement by means of which the friction clutch can be actuated via a release member. A measuring member of a measuring arrangement detecting an actual release is in tractive force driving engagement with an associated mating member whose position represents the actual release along a measurement path, which engagement is essentially free from play.

Actuation device for a friction clutch

An operation device for a friction clutch arranged in the drive train of a motor vehicle. The operation device includes a positioning servo arrangement with a pneumatic power cylinder arrangement. The pneumatic power cylinder arrangement acts on a clutch release sleeve arrangement. The positioning servo arrangement can be operated with a control valve that is connected to a pneumatic source depending on a command variable representing a desired position and an actual variable representing the axial position of the clutch release sleeve arrangement. The pneumatic power cylinder arrangement is arranged inside of the bell-shaped housing and the control valve is arranged outside of the bell-shaped housing or the bell-shaped housing is arranged at least partially inside of the bell-shaped housing, but is accessible from the outside and/or can be removed when the bell-shaped housing is attached to the combustion engine.

Friction clutch for a motor vehicle and an operation device for the

A seal element, in particular an elastomer gasket for use in hydraulic annular cylinders, such as in clutches, with a radially outer and a radially inner seal lip, characterized by the fact that the seal lips are axially offset in relation to one another.

Clutch with a sealing element, in particular an elastomer seal for use

A slave cylinder for the operation of a friction clutch, especially in motor vehicles, with a housing, an inner portion, an annular or cylindrical piston which annular piston is positioned between the housing and the inner portion, a clutch release sleeve or clutch throwout sleeve or coupling socket joint which clutch release sleeve is in contact with the annular piston and can be axially displaced with respect to the housing, as well as a spring or pressure spring or compression spring which is supported by both the clutch release sleeve and the housing, and radial shoulders or steps or reliefs provided at the clutch release sleeve and at the housing to secure against torsion. The pressure spring may be characterized as a sinuous spring or zig-zag or no-sag spring. The ends of the pressure spring are positioned to make contact at the ends of the shoulders which shoulders act in the opposite direction to secure against torsion.

Friction clutch and a slave cylinder for the operation of a friction

A cylinder for hydraulic systems, in particular for motor vehicles, generally includes a housing having an axial hole in which a piston is guided so that the piston can be displaced axially. One end surface of the piston can be pressurized by means of hydraulic fluid. The cylinder is provided with at least one connection designed as a plug-in connection, for the insertion of at least one pressure medium line having a radially expanded portion on its outside diameter. The plug-in connection of the cylinder is designed so that both the expense for components and for labor required to fasten the pressure medium line to the connection of the cylinder can be minimized.

Hydraulically operated clutch assembly for a motor vehicle having a

A hydraulically actuated clutch release system for a motor vehicle friction clutch, including a piston-cylinder unit oriented concentrically to a transmission input shaft, whereby the cylinder is fastened to the transmission housing, and has the cylinder chamber for the piston between an inner and an outer cylinder shell. The piston itself is guided inside a guide element surrounded by the outer cylinder shell. The outer cylinder shell, next to the guide element, has at least one retaining member which can be brought into contact with the guide element, and through which retaining member the guide element can be secured against participation in the movement of the piston during the engagement and release of the clutch. In this case, when there is a change in the axial position of the piston caused by wear in the friction clutch, the action of the retaining member can be suppressed for a displacement of the guide element.

Hydraulically actuated clutch release system

The invention relates to a fluid-actuable releaser in which an annular piston (6) is guided in a casing (3) which is provided with a sleeve (10) for guiding the annular piston (6) radially internally and for sealing purposes, the sleeve (10) being axially fixed by partial plastic deformation after insertion into the casing (3) with its external diameter in a bore (16) in the casing (3).

Fluid-actuable releaser for a friction clutch

The invention relates to a hydraulically actuable releaser with an annular piston. The supporting ring co-operating with the annular piston and the groove sealing ring co-operating with the supporting ring have, at least in their radially outer region facing one another, an encircling supporting shoulder on the supporting ring and an encircling recess on the groove sealing ring. This measure prevents the groove sealing ring from being pressed into a possible gap between supporting ring and the external wall of the housing under pressure loading.

Hydraulically actuable releaser for a motor vehicle friction clutch

A slave cylinder of the annular cylinder type is proposed, whereof the annular piston (45) able to slide axially between an outer cylinder wall (29) and an inner cylinder wall (33) is sealed by a grooved sealing ring (53) with respect to the pressure chamber (37). In order to be able to evacuate by means of a suction pump a hydraulic actuating system for a motor vehicle friction clutch, constructed using a slave cylinder of this type, before filling with hydraulic fluid, means are provided on the annular cylinder or in addition to the sealing lips (57) on the grooved sealing ring, which increase the sealing action of the sealing lips (57) when applying a vacuum to the hydraulic pressure chamber (37). The said means may be conical surfaces (61, 63) on the cylinder walls or a conical ring engaging in an annular groove (59) of the sealing ring (53). Additional sealing beads having a cross-sectional contour in the shape of a circular sector may be formed if necessary on the grooved sealing ring.

Slave cylinder for a hydraulic actuating system of a motor vehicle

A pulled-type motor vehicle clutch to be used between a combustion engine and a gear box comprises a clutch release ring, axial movement of which results in releasing or opening the clutch. A clutch release sleeve is insertable into the clutch release ring and is connectable to the clutch release ring by a wire clip. The wire clip has a circular basic wire ring and two end portions. The wire ring extends over nearly 360.degree.. A gap is defined between the ends of the circular basic wire ring. The end portions are adjoined to the ends of the circular basic wire ring. These end portions can be engaged by hand or by a tool for widening the circular basic wire ring. The end portions cross each other. The gripping faces are directed in opposite circumferential directions away from each other such that mutually approaching said gripping faces results in widening the circular basic wire ring. By widening the circular basic wire ring the connection between the clutch release ring and the clutch release sleeve is interrupted.

Growing community of inventors

Schweinfurt, Germany

Herbert Voit