Aisin Seiki Kabushiki Kaisha

Toyota Jidosha Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha

Hideichi Hori

Ryoichi Kudo

Mototaka Nakane

Akio Yoshida

Hiroshi Ban

Hisao Murase

A clutch releasing device for positively releasing a clutch disc assembly from a flywheel of automotive vehicles which includes a first member disposed between the clutch disc assembly and a pilot bearing for receiving the extreme end of the transmission input shaft and which is in contact with the side face of an inner race of the pilot bearing, a second member operatively connected to the clutch disc assembly with respect to axial movement thereof and an annular resilient member disposed between the first member and the second member so as to cause the deformation of the annular resilient member when clutch is engaged. When the clutch is released, the clutch disc assembly is released by the resiliency of the annular resilient member from the flywheel until the annular resilient member returns to its original shape. The annular resilient member is axially slidably mounted on either the first member or the second member with a predetermined sliding resistance so as to cause slippage according to the wear of the friction facing of the clutch disc assembly, therebetween. The connection between the second member and the clutch disc assembly is radially outwardly positioned above spacer rivets of the clutch disc assembly so as to reduce the erroneous axial movement of the second member in assembling of the clutch.

Clutch releasing device

A clutch releasing device for positively releasing a disc assembly from a flywheel and for providing a predetermined value of a distance between an engagement surface of the flywheel and a friction surface of the disc assembly, comprises a cylindrical member disposed between the disc assembly and an antifriction bearing supported on the drive shaft and the flywheel, and an annular resilient member disposed between the cylindrical member and the clutch hub.

A clutch assembly for use with a vehicle's internal combustion engine, including a driving flywheel connected to an engine output, a driven flywheel rotatably mounted on the driving flywheel through a flanged bush, coil springs provided between the driving flywheel and the driven flywheel for imparting the rotational torque therebetween, and damping elements provided therebetween for absorbing vibration due to the fluctuating torque produced by the engine. The damping elements comprise a thrust washer, a friction plate and a dish spring which normally urges the driven flywheel toward the driving flywheel.

Growing community of inventors

Tokai, Japan

Hideichi Hori