Between Diaphragm Spring And Pressure Plate Patents (Class 192/111.2)
  • Patent number: 11441615
    Abstract: A friction clutch for a motor vehicle includes an adjustment mechanism compensating for wear of a friction disk. The adjustment mechanism (40) includes a first cam ring (52) rotatably fixed and a second cam ring (54) rotatable relative to the first cam ring (52). Both cam rings (52,54) have a plurality of cam surfaces configured such that rotation of the second cam ring (54) relative to the first cam ring (52) varies a height of the adjustment mechanism (40). A torsion spring (60) applies a biasing force to the second cam ring (54). A back drive prevention assembly (70) includes a back drive spring (80) attached to the pressure plate and first cam ring (52) to prevent back drive of the second cam ring (54) through a baffle (62) including a plurality of cam teeth (72) formed on a bottom surface of the baffle (62). The cam teeth (72) are formed at an angle A relative to a bottom surface of the baffle (62) decreasing displacement and loads of the back drive spring (80).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2022
    Assignee: Eaton Intelligent Power Limited
    Inventor: Mark Charles Barnholt
  • Patent number: 10036430
    Abstract: A clutch device comprising a counterplate, a pressure plate displaceable to a limited extent in an axial direction to frictionally clamp a clutch disc between the pressure plate and the counterplate, a lever element acting on the pressure plate to displace the pressure plate in an axial direction, a central flange at least partially disposed between the pressure plate and the lever element and having at least one opening for the pressure plate and/or the lever element to pass through, and a wear compensation device for automatically adapting to clutch wear, wherein to prevent any undesired wear compensation, the lever element is engageable with the central flange.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2018
    Assignee: Schaeffler Technologies AG & Co. KG
    Inventors: Florian Nachtmann, Felix Vogel, Willi Ruder
  • Patent number: 9810270
    Abstract: A clutch device having at least one counter-pressure plate, a contact plate that is movable relative to the counter-pressure plate to a limited extent in an axial direction of the clutch device to frictionally clamp a clutch plate between the counter-pressure plate and the contact plate, and a wear adjustment device to compensate for wearing of the clutch plate, where the wear adjustment device has at least one drive ring which is rotatable and is clampable in the axial direction and at least one ramp ring which is rotatable and is clampable in the axial direction, which is connected to the drive ring by means of a torque-transferring link which permits limited relative travel in the circumferential direction of the clutch device, where the rigidity of the connection in the circumferential direction is dependent on the direction, is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2017
    Assignee: Schaeffler Technologies AG & Co. KG
    Inventor: Christoph Raber
  • Patent number: 9574620
    Abstract: A clutch for a vehicle may include a pressing member configured to interwork with a clutch pedal and move in one direction when the clutch pedal is stepped on; and an elastic member having an end portion in contact with the pressing member, and configured to apply elastic force to the pressing member in the other direction when the pressing member moves in one direction, and exert elastic force in one direction when the pressing member passes through a preset point to restrain the pressing member from being restored to its original condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2017
    Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company
    Inventors: Soon Ki Eo, Chon Ok Kim, Ki Jong Park, Dong Won Kim
  • Patent number: 8973729
    Abstract: A coupling device including at least one torque transmitting device, which can be engaged and/or disengaged in the axial direction by a lever element and which is frictionally engaged in the engaged state, and including at least one wear compensation device, which has at least one rotatable ramp ring that can be clamped by the lever element at least temporarily and which has at least one rotatably mounted spindle drive with a spindle shaft, the spindle drive acting on the ramp ring. The wear compensation device has at least two continuously variable free running units which act in different rotational directions, a first free running unit being designed to rotate the spindle shaft when a wear state of the torque transmitting device is sensed and a second free running unit being designed to prevent a reverse rotation of the spindle shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2015
    Assignee: Schaeffler Technologies GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventor: Christoph Raber
  • Patent number: 8967354
    Abstract: In a clutch cover assembly, accurate abrasion compensation is constantly enabled by stabilizing the actuation of an abrasion amount detecting mechanism. The present clutch cover assembly includes a clutch cover fixed to a flywheel, a pressure plate, a diaphragm spring, an abrasion amount detecting mechanism and an abrasion tracking mechanism. The abrasion amount detecting mechanism is a mechanism having a plurality of meshing positions and includes a mobile detecting member configured to release meshing in a first meshing position and move to a second meshing position when the abrasion amount of a friction member reaches a predetermined amount. The abrasion tracking mechanism moves the diaphragm spring to an initial posture side thereof in accordance with the displacement of the mobile detecting member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2015
    Assignee: EXEDY Corporation
    Inventors: Hirokazu Wakabayashi, Norihiko Tanigawa, Nobuhiko Matsumoto
  • Patent number: 8789675
    Abstract: A clutch device having at least one torque transfer device that can be engaged and disengaged in the axial direction and is frictionally engaged in the engaged state, and at least one wear adjustment device, which has at least one rotatable adjusting ring, at least one rotatably supported spindle drive with a drive pinion, which acts on the adjusting ring, and at least one drive assembly which may be made to engage with the drive pinion and which is pre-tensioned in the axial direction, to turn the spindle drive in the case of wear, the pre-tensioning force of the drive assembly being stepped.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2014
    Assignee: Schaeffler Technologies AG & Co. KG
    Inventors: Gerd Ahnert, Christophe Acker
  • Patent number: 8733525
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an adjusting device for a friction clutch of a motor vehicle, having a spindle, a spindle nut screwed onto the spindle to carry along an adjusting element to adjust a wear-related incorrect gap between a counter plate and a pressure plate for pressing a clutch plate between the pressure plate and the counter plate, and an essentially frictionally engaged and/or essentially stepless means of swiveling for swiveling the spindle to adjust the wear-related incorrect gap, as well as to a friction clutch having such an adjusting device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2014
    Assignee: Schaeffler Technologies AG & Co. KG
    Inventors: Christoph Raber, Christian Asal
  • Patent number: 8245829
    Abstract: A wear compensating device, including: at a first axial end, an annularly-shaped base element; an index trigger element connected to the base element; a first annularly-shaped element, at least partially rotatable with respect to the base element, engaged with the index trigger element, and at least partially rotatable with respect to the index trigger element; and at a second axial end, opposite the first axial end, a second annularly-shaped element with a first ramp, the second annularly-shaped element engaged with the first annularly-shaped element and rotatable with respect to the first annularly-shaped element. In response to a specified amount of displacement by a portion of the index trigger element, the first and second annularly-shaped elements are rotatable to change a circumferential position of the first ramp.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2012
    Assignee: Schaeffler Technologies AG & Co. KG
    Inventors: Mavinkal Jayaram, Philip George
  • Patent number: 8172062
    Abstract: A device for actuating a friction clutch with automatic adjustment. An actuating movement for engaging and disengaging the clutch is transmitted to a pressing component. The adjusting device includes a sensing component that is biased in the direction of an adjusting movement and compensates for sensing play that occurs as a result of wear when the clutch is engaged, and that compensates for play that occurs when the clutch is disengaged after compensation of the sensing play in the movement transmission between the actuating component and the transmission component. When the clutch is engaged and wear is present, the sensing component moves out of contact against a spring component which, when the clutch is engaged and wear is present, comes into contact against a stop before the fully engaged state of the clutch is reached.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2012
    Assignee: Schaeffler Technologies AG & Co. KG
    Inventors: Götz Rathke, Klaus Dussel
  • Publication number: 20120067687
    Abstract: A pivot ring for a clutch assembly which has a first annular segment, a second annular segment, and a radial segment. The first annular segment has a first face on a front side of the pivot ring and the second annular segment has a second face, predominately opposing the first face, on a back side of the ring. The radial segment is disposed between the first annular segment and the second annular segment, connecting the first annular segment and the second annular segment. The first annular segment, the second annular segment, or both the first annular segment and the second annular segment can include axial protrusions with arcuately shaped pivot portions. Preferably, in the clutch assembly, the pivot ring is disposed between the diaphragm spring and the pressure plate, allowing for rotational freedom between the pressure plate and the diaphragm spring.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 22, 2011
    Publication date: March 22, 2012
    Applicant: SCHAEFFLER TECHNOLOGIES GMBH & CO., KG
    Inventors: Michael HODGE, Jeffrey HEMPHILL
  • Patent number: 7364026
    Abstract: A pressure plate assembly for a friction clutch includes a housing, a pressing plate arranged to rotate with the housing, and a force accumulator arranged to exert an axial force on the pressing plate. A wear take-up element between the accumulator and the pressing plate moves to adjust for wear, and an adjusting member is brought into a take-up starting position when wear occurs and is acted on by centrifugal force in order to carry out an adjusting movement wherein the adjusting member moves out of the take-up starting position. The adjusting member cooperates with the wear take-up element by way of a transmission member which moves with respect to the wear take-up element when the adjusting member is brought into the take-up starting position. During the adjusting movement, the transmission member is acted upon by the adjusting member and moves jointly with the wear take-up element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2008
    Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
    Inventor: Reinhold Weidinger