Exedy Corporation

Kabushiki Kaisha Daikin Seisakusho

Daikin Clutch Corporation

Koji Kajitani

Hirotaka Fukushima

Hiroshi Takeuchi

Hiroshi Mizukami

Masaaki Asada

Hiroshi Teramae

Yasunobu Fukatani

Hiroyoshi Tsuruta

Masanobu Fukamachi

Kozo Yamamoto

Norihisa Uenohara

Mitsuhiko Takenaka

Naoki Yanagida

Mitsuo Touji

Yoshinobu Fukuda

Minoru Abe

Takeo Shimizu

Mamoru Okubo

Hiroyuki Matsubara

Hiroshi Uehara

Shinji Fujimoto

Yoshinari Yoshimura

Shinpei Fujiwara

Manoru Okubo

Keisuke Fujimoto

A power coupling mechanism includes a flexible disk-like plate, a ring element, first and second input plates and a driven plate. The ring element is coupled to an outer radial portion of the flexible plate. The input plates are formed of deformed sheet metal material to at least partially define a viscous fluid filled chamber that encloses a dampening mechanism. The input plates are fixed to the ring element and the flexible plate such that center and inner radial portions of the flexible plate are axially spaced from the input plates to permit axial flexing. The driven plate at least partially extends into an annular housing of the dampening mechanism and has grooves interfitting with protrusions of the annular housing to provide structural support against thrust and radial forces. An inertia element with a ring gear is preferably connected to the driven plate.

Power transfer apparatus having a vibration dampening mechanism which provides structural support for the apparatus

A power coupling mechanism having fluid dampening device with interfitting members which assist in the absorption and transmittance of stress due to torsion and thrust loads, thus reducing the size of a bearing supporting relatively rotatable parts.

Power transfer apparatus having a vibration dampening mechanism which

Modular clutch construction in which a clutch cover assembly, concentrically containing a pressure plate actuating a clutch disc assembly, is fixed to the flywheel of an engine as a modular unit. The construction improves the modular connection between the clutch cover peripheral wall and the flywheel; in particular through the use of pins to restrain the cover from whirling relative to the flywheel, and by a taking advantage of a method of starter ring-gear installation in which the gear is shrink-fitted over the flywheel with the clutch cover peripheral wall intervening, such that the circumferential end margin of the clutch cover is simultaneously clamped between the ring gear and the flywheel cylindrical surface. The clutch cover is thus secured onto the flywheel in an assembly stage of reduced steps, by comparison with methods employing bolts or other fasteners-as the primary connecting means. The modular connection can further be by matching mortise and tenon forms, or by mutually engaging threads, in corresponding portions of the flywheel and the clutch cover.

Modular clutch construction

In a twin-clutch, an intermediate plate is configured to be located reliably at a position intermediate a pressure plate and a flywheel. The annular intermediate plate 31 is disposed between first and second frictional coupling portions. A clutch cover assembly includes a clutch cover 4 fixed to the flywheel 1, a pressure plate 30 disposed near the second frictional coupling portion, and a diaphragm spring carried by the clutch cover 4 for biasing the pressure plate 30 toward the flywheel 1. Strap plates 35 couple the flywheel 1 to the intermediate plate 31, and bias the intermediate plate 31 away from the flywheel 1 when the clutch is engaged. Coil spring 42 is arranged in a compressed state between the pressure plate 30 and the intermediate plate 31, and has the substantially same spring constant as the strap plates 35.

Twin-clutch

A modular clutch includes a flywheel 2, a clutch cover assembly 3 and a clutch disk assembly 4, which form a single module that in one embodiment is installed directly onto the crankshaft of an engine, and in an alternate embodiment is attached to a flex plate. The modular clutch is configured to be installed and replaced as a unit. The clutch cover assembly 3 has a clutch cover 21, a pressure plate 22 and diaphragm spring 23. The clutch disk assembly 4 has a clutch engagement portion 31 made of a metallic sintered body.

Modular clutch

A lockup damper has a drive plate 3 and a driven plate 5 and a first coil spring 7 disposed between the plates 3 and 5, a second coil spring 8 disposed between the two plates 3 and 5 and the first coil spring 7, and an intermediate plate 4 having a support portion 21 and first and second intermediate limit portions 22a and 22b. The intermediate support portion 21 is disposed between the two coil springs 7 and 8 for supporting the springs in the circumferential direction. The first and second intermediate limit portions 22a and 22b extend in interiors of the first and second coil springs 7 and 8 from the intermediate support portion 21 for limiting the radially outward movement of the first and second coil springs 7 and 8.

Lockup damper for torque converter

A multi-plate clutch 1 includes a flywheel ring 2, a hub flange 6, drive plates 7 driven plates 8, clutch cover assembly 10, and a conical spring 90. The driven plates 8 are contactable with the drive plates 7. The clutch cover assembly 10 presses the plates 7 and 8 so as to be pressed into contact with each other and releases the pressure therebetween. The conical spring 90 has spring reaction force smaller than the pressure load of the diaphragm spring and absorbs the axial deformation of each of the members due to thermal expansion.

Multi-plate clutch having thermal expansion compensation means

A first flywheel and a second flywheel in a flywheel assembly are configured to be connected to each other such that they rotate together with generally no relative rotation therebetween in a predetermined low RPM region. The flywheel assembly (1) includes the first flywheel (2), the second flywheel (3), a damper mechanism (5) and a lever mechanism (7). The second flywheel (3) is disposed rotatable relative to the first flywheel (2). The damper mechanism (5) elastically connects the first flywheel (2) and the second flywheel (3) to allow for limited relative rotary displacement therebetween. The lever mechanism (7) is mounted on the first flywheel (2) and pivots about a pivot bolt connected to the first flywheel (2). The lever mechanism (7) pivots between an engaged state and a disengaged state. In the engaged state, the lever mechanism (7) connects the first flywheel (2) and the second flywheel (3) such that the two flywheels may not undergo relative rotary displacement with respect to each other.

Dual flywheel assembly with lockup mechanism between two flywheels

A first flywheel and a second flywheel in a flywheel assembly are configured to be connected to each other such that they rotate together with generally no relative rotation therebetween in a predetermined low RPM region. The flywheel assembly (1) includes the first flywheel (2), the second flywheel (3), a damper mechanism (5) and a lever mechanism (7). The second flywheel (3) is disposed rotatably relative to the first flywheel (2). The damper mechanism (5) elastically connects the first flywheel (2) and the second flywheel (3) to allow for limited relative rotary displacement therebetween. The lever mechanism (7) is mounted on the first flywheel (2) and pivots about a pivot bolt connected to the first flywheel (2). The lever mechanism (7) pivots between an engaged state and a disengaged state. In the engaged state, the lever mechanism (7) connects the first flywheel (2) and the second flywheel (3) such that the two flywheels may not undergo relative rotary displacement with respect to each other. The lever mechanism (7) moves to the disengaged state in response to rotation of the flywheel mechanism at a rotational speed greater than a predetermined RPM.

Flywheel assembly

Modular clutch construction in which a clutch cover assembly, concentrically containing a pressure plate actuating a clutch disc assembly, is fixed to the flywheel of an engine as a modular unit. The construction improves the modular connection between the clutch cover peripheral wall and the flywheel; in particular through the use of pins to restrain the cover from whirling relative to the flywheel, and by a taking advantage of a method of starter ring-gear installation in which the gear is shrink-fitted over the flywheel with the clutch cover peripheral wall intervening, such that the circumferential end margin of the clutch cover is simultaneously clamped between the ring gear and the flywheel cylindrical surface. The clutch cover is thus secured onto the flywheel in an assembly stage of reduced steps, by comparison with methods employing bolts or other fasteners as the primary connecting means. The modular connection can further be by matching mortise and tenon forms, or by mutually engaging threads, in corresponding portions of the flywheel and the clutch cover.

A flywheel assembly comprises a first flywheel connectable to an engine, a second flywheel, and an inter-flywheel viscous damping mechanism, providing viscous damping through a fluid of flywheel torsional vibrations. The second flywheel is rotatably supported on the first flywheel and has a friction facing on which a friction material presses. The second flywheel includes an annular capturing channel provided radially inward of the friction facing for capturing fluid from leakage driven on the friction facing side by centrifugal force, and a plurality of through-holes, extending from the capturing channel to a space between the flywheels, for guiding fluid captured by the capturing channel to the space.

Growing community of inventors

Neyagawa, Japan

Koji Kajitani