Kabushiki Kaisha Daikin Seisakusho

Exedy Corporation

Daikin Clutch Corporation

Masaaki Asada

Yasunobu Fukatani

Seiichi Kitano

Hiroshi Takeuchi

Koji Kajitani

Hiroshi Teramae

Toshiya Kosumi

Kazuhiko Yoneda

Hiromi Tojima

Yoshio Nishimura

Takeo Shimizu

Hiroyuki Matsubara

Hiroshi Mizukami

Hideyuki Imanaka

Hirokazu Wakabayashi

Yoshinari Yoshimura

Kozo Uno

Michitomo Masaki

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

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 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

Reduced-dimension configuration for retaining a diaphragm spring release-load compensating conical spring in a push-type clutch. The clutch diaphragm spring is retained by a support mechanism that includes axially extending, circularly spaced supports, fixed to the clutch cover, that pass through holes formed at the inter-digital vertices of the diaphragm spring fingers. A diaphragm spring annular pivot is provided on the supports, on the clutch cover side of the diaphragm spring. One edge of the conical spring is supported on an engagement surface of the clutch cover, and the other edge is seated on the diaphragm spring. Engagement tabs project from the edge of the conical spring that is supported on the clutch cover. The engagement tabs are engaged into conical spring engagement holes formed in the clutch cover, or in an alternative embodiment, into inter-digital holes of the diaphragm spring not penetrated by the circularly spaced supports. The engagement tabs thus rigidly retain the conical spring against rotation relative to the clutch cover, or in the alternative embodiment, relative to the diaphragm spring. The configuration reduces the axial dimension of the assembly, on the clutch cover side of the diaphragm spring, to the axial height of the conical spring/diaphragm spring annular pivot, thereby reducing the bending moment on the supports when the clutch is operated.

Configuration for retaining clutch cover assembly release-load

The pull-type clutch 1 basically includes a clutch disc assembly 4, a clutch cover assembly 5, a cylindrical or tubular member 21 and a release mechanism 6. The pull-type clutch 1 is designed to restrain the rotational engagement between the release mechanism 6 and the input shaft 3 of the transmission. The cylindrical member 21 is fixedly coupled to the front cover 7 of the transmission and extends around the input shaft 3 in the radial direction spaced apart. The release mechanism 6 is a mechanism for releasing the biasing force by the diaphragm spring 14 of the clutch cover assembly 5. The release mechanism 6 has a sleeve 23 and a bearing 24. The sleeve 23 is supported on an outer surface of the cylindrical member 21 for axial movement. The bearing 24 is disposed within the clutch cover 11 and is located between the sleeve 23 and the retainer 13.

Clutch pressing assembly

in a clutch disk assembly, a pair of power output plates (3) and (4) are disposed on either side of a power input plate (2). The power output plates (3) and (4) arc fixed to a flange (27) of a power output hub (5). A torsion spring (6) is disposed between portions of the power input plate (2) and corresponding portions of the power output plates (3) and (4) such that the torsion spring (6) limits relative rotation between the power input plate (2) and power output plates (3) and (4) within a predetermined angular displacement range. A ring-like plate (33) is disposed between a portion of the power input plate (2) and the power output plate (4). The ring-like plate (33) is formed with a connecting part (36) which extends axially outward through a cutout (24) formed in the power output plate (4). A first friction washer (32) is disposed between a portion of the power input plate (2) and the ring-like plate (33). The first friction washer (32) contacts the power input plate (2). A second friction washer (34) is disposed between the ring-like plate (33) and the power output plate (4). The connecting part (36) has a circumferential length that is smaller that a circumferential length of the cutout (24). Therefore, the ring-lie plate (33) may undergo lied relative rotary displacement with respect to the power output plate (4).

Damper disk assembly

A release device (3) is arranged around a main input shaft of a transmission, is provided for pulling an inner peripheral portion of a diaphragm spring (9) toward a transmission so as to disengage a clutch (2), and includes a second sleeve (12), a first lever plate (16) and a second lever plate (17). The second sleeve (12) is axially movably. The first lever plate (16) is an annular member, which is fixed to an outer periphery of the second sleeve (12) and has a spherical convex surface (16a) opposed to a transmission. The second lever plate (17) is an annular member, which has a spherical concave surface (17a) in slidable contact with the spherical convex surface (16a) and is in contact with an inner peripheral end of the diaphragm spring (9).

Release device for a pull-type clutch

A clutch cover assembly (1) has release load characteristics which have been smoothed out or flattened by using a secondary conical spring (8) in combination with a diaphragm spring (7). To reduce the overall number of parts in the assembly 1, the pressure plate (6) includes axially extending pins (10) which extend through holes formed in the diaphragm spring (7). The pins (10) are also engaged with a portion of the conical spring (8).

Clutch cover assembly having a diaphragm spring and a secondary biasing

A clutch cover assembly 5 includes a clutch cover 14, a main pressure plate 15, a retaining collar 20, a diaphragm spring 21, a cone spring 16, and an intermediary lever 26. The diaphragm spring 21 presses the retaining collar 20 toward the flywheel 2. The cone spring 16 is placed between the main pressure plate 15 and the retaining collar 20 so as to be compressed axially. The intermadiary lever 26 multiplies the impelling force of the diaphragm spring 21 on the retaining collar 20 in transmitting the force to the main pressure plate 15, according to a predetermined lever ratio.

Pull-type clutch pressure plate actuating mechanism providing

Pull-type clutch

In a push-type clutch, a facing wear adjustment nearly annular adjust ring with which an outer peripheral part of a diaphragm spring contacts from a side opposite to a flywheel is screwed into an inside face of a pressure plate so as to be movable in a clutch axial direction, so that a worm wheel is rotated by a bracket moving in a clutch axial direction to rotate the adjust ring when a facing is worn out. The adjust ring position can thus be adjusted automatically to a diaphragm spring side by a wear amount of the facing.

Growing community of inventors

Neyagawa, Japan

Masaaki Asada