Plural Coil Springs Spaced From Clutch Axis Patents (Class 192/89.26)
  • Patent number: 9581209
    Abstract: Spring pack for a clutch arrangement of a motor vehicle drivetrain. The spring pack has a first ring element, has a second ring element and has a multiplicity of individual springs which are coupled to the first and the second ring elements such that the first and the second ring elements are movable relative to one another in an axial direction in a manner coupled by the springs. The first and the second ring elements each have an inner circumferential section and an outer circumferential section. At least one of the first and the second ring elements has, in the region of at least one of its inner circumferential section and its outer circumferential section, a multiplicity of radially deformable elements which are designed so as to enable the spring pack to be centered in relation to a ring surface or so as to enable the spring pack to be mounted captively on the ring surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2017
    Assignees: GETRAG Getriebe- und Zahnradfabrik Hermann Hagenmeyer GmbH & Cie KG, Valeo Embrayages
    Inventors: Torsten Kramm, Gerhard Bellinger, Hansi Gremplini, Nicolas Depoilly, Pascal Dekydtspotter, Doremus Olivier
  • Patent number: 8997962
    Abstract: A clutch apparatus includes a clutch outer member for supporting friction discs, which are nonrotatable relative to the clutch outer member, and are axially slidable along a clutch axis; a clutch inner member for supporting clutch discs, which are nonrotatable relative to the clutch inner member, and are axially slidable along the clutch axis, and a pressure plate having a deep recess for accommodating a clutch spring engaged with the clutch inner member. The deep recess includes a bottom portion having a spring seat for receiving the clutch spring, and a partially cylindrical shape wall portion having an axis parallel to the clutch axis. The wall portion is oriented towards the clutch axis. The deep recess has a communicating portion formed therein for establishing the communication between the inner and outer surfaces of the wall portion so as to discharge oil towards the friction and clutch discs during operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2015
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masaya Yazaki, Atsushi Kobayashi, Akio Senda, Seiji Anzai
  • Patent number: 8919514
    Abstract: A brake assembly includes a mounting flange having a central opening to receive a shaft, a rotor disc mounted on the shaft and rotatable with the shaft, a float plate having a first friction surface engageable with one face of the rotor disc, and a pressure plate having a second friction surface engageable with another face of the rotor disc. The brake assembly also includes a spring housing, which operates as a piston, and a cylinder coupled to the spring housing to form a fluid pressure chamber. The spring housing moves in a first direction when pressurized fluid enters the fluid pressure chamber and in a second direction when pressurized fluid exits the fluid pressure chamber. The assembly further includes at least one sliding stud to allow axial movement of at least one of the float plate, the pressure plate, and the spring housing to allow axial movement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2014
    Assignee: Eaton Corporation
    Inventor: Shantaram Ashok More
  • Publication number: 20140209428
    Abstract: A decoupler that includes a drive member, a hub and an isolator that is configured to transmit rotary power between the drive member and the hub in a predetermined rotational direction. The isolator includes a wrap spring, a plurality of helical coil springs, and a carrier assembly. The wrap spring includes a plurality of helical coils and a proximal end. The helical coil springs are disposed between the hub and the carrier assembly. The carrier assembly includes a carrier plate and a spring shell. The carrier plate has a plate member with a rim and a spring groove. The rim abuts an axial end of the wrap spring. The proximal end of the wrap spring is received in the spring groove. The spring shell is assembled to the carrier plate and has a toric inner surface into which the helical coil springs are received.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 6, 2012
    Publication date: July 31, 2014
    Applicant: LITENS AUTOMOTIVE PARTNERSHIP
    Inventor: James W. Dell
  • Patent number: 8627938
    Abstract: A power transmitting apparatus can include a clutch housing, a plurality of driving and driven clutch plates, a clutch member, a pressure member, an intermediate member, a plurality of urging devices, and a back-torque limiting cam. The power transmitting apparatus can further include an urging force cut-off device for cutting-off the urging force applied to the pressure member from particular urging devices of the plurality of urging devices by separating the inner ends of the particular urging devices from the pressure member when the intermediate member is moved toward the pressure member by the action of the back-torque limiting cam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2014
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha F.C.C.
    Inventors: Makoto Kataoka, Naoyuki Miwa, Satoru Kashiwagi
  • Publication number: 20130277168
    Abstract: A spring pack for a transmission includes first rotatable piston and a second rotatable piston. The first rotatable piston includes a first retainer plate, and the second rotatable piston includes a second retainer plate. The spring pack further includes a tabbed retainer plate that is stationary with respect to the first piston and the second piston and also includes a set of biasing members with a first subset of biasing members and a second subset of biasing members. The first subset of biasing members is disposed between the first retainer plate and the tabbed retainer plate, and the second subset of biasing members is disposed between the second retainer plate and the tabbed retainer plate. As the first and second pistons are activated, they stroke independently of each other as each retainer plate compresses its respective subset of biasing members against the tabbed retainer plate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 19, 2013
    Publication date: October 24, 2013
    Applicant: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventor: Douglas John Dwenger
  • Patent number: 8474588
    Abstract: The present invention provides a lever actuator rear pull dry clutch to connect an engine with a vehicle transmission. A spring retainer and/or pressure plate of the clutch assembly has a dry lubricant for sliding in pivotal engagement with the levers to maintain the efficiency of the actuation of the clutch over an extended life cycle of the clutch assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2013
    Assignee: Eaton Corporation
    Inventor: Brian William Franke
  • Patent number: 8297425
    Abstract: A motorcycle clutch utilizes a reduced clutch spring load with a corresponding reduction in lever effort by an operator to disengage the clutch. At higher speeds, and hence engine torque, the clutch clamp load increases by means of a centrifugal mechanism, supplementing the clamp load provided by the clutch springs, until a predetermined speed level is reached, at which point the centrifugal load is limited, and remains almost constant at all engine speed levels above the predetermined level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2012
    Assignee: Advanced Innovational Machinery Corporation
    Inventor: Philip S. le Roux
  • Patent number: 8151963
    Abstract: A power transmitting apparatus can comprise a clutch housing rotatable together with an input member and supporting a plurality of driving clutch plates. A clutch member can support a plurality of driven clutch plates alternately arranged between the driving clutch plates via spline fitting and connected to an output member. A pressure member can be mounted on the clutch member so as to be axially movable therealong so as to accommodate pressure-contact and release of the driving clutch plates and the driven clutch plates. Back-torque limiting cams can be configured to release the connection between the driving clutch plates and the driven clutch plates when the rotation speed of the output member has exceeded that of the input member. A rotational force input to the input member can be transmitted to the output member by pressure-contacting the driving clutch plates and the driven clutch plates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2012
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha F.C.C.
    Inventors: Makoto Kataoka, Shinji Furuhashi, Shunichi Itou
  • Patent number: 8011487
    Abstract: A clutch outer member (1) for a multi-plate clutch is provided that includes an end wall (7), a large number of fins (30) extending axially from the outer peripheral part of the end wall (7) and arranged at equal intervals in the peripheral direction so as to define spline grooves (20B) therebetween, and an annular connecting part (31) formed on the outer periphery at the extremity of this group of fins (30) and connecting the fins (30) integrally to each other, the fin (30) having an axially-extending weight-cutting bottomed groove (33) formed, wherein the annular connecting part (31) is provided, on a part of its outer end face corresponding to each of the spline grooves (20B), with a reference notch (32) indicating the position of the spline groove (20B), and spline teeth (20A) of a friction plate (3) are fitted into the spline grooves (20B) corresponding to the reference notches (32).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2011
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha F.C.C.
    Inventors: Yoshimichi Uchiyama, Tomoyasu Satou, Norihiro Sugita
  • Patent number: 7681705
    Abstract: A multiple disc friction clutch comprises a clutch outer for take in power, a clutch hub for take out power, friction plates, a clutch spring pressing a pressing member to the friction plates for connecting the clutch, a spring receiving member supporting the clutch spring, and a coupling hub coupled to the spring receiving member as to be integrally movable. A spline inclined against an output axis is formed in a fitting portion between the coupling hub and a tube shaft, and moves the clutch spring in an axial direction of the tube shaft to a compressing side while relatively rotating the coupling hub against the tube shaft, in the case that an engine drive torque is equal to or more than a predetermined value, thereby increasing a pressing load.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2010
    Assignee: Kawasaki Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yoshio Okada, Hiroyuki Kikuchi, Hiroyuki Watanabe, Waka Izumi, Takahiro Jozaki
  • Patent number: 7604104
    Abstract: A clutch-brake assembly transmits force to rotate a shaft and to retain the shaft against rotation. The assembly includes a plurality of force transmitting members which transmit force between a piston and a base member. A plurality of springs urge the piston to move relative to the base member. A plurality of spring retainers are disposed between the base member and the piston. Each of the spring retainers includes a plurality of projecting portions extending from the base portion. Each of the springs is telescopically disposed on one of the projecting portions. Each of the force transmitting members is disposed between adjacent spring retainers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2009
    Assignee: Eaton Corporation
    Inventor: Robert S. Tekesky
  • Patent number: 7591359
    Abstract: To provide a clutch release mechanism which can restrain vibrations of a ball while allowing the ball to be loosely fitted when it is not in operation to ensure the engaged state of a clutch. A clutch release mechanism is configured in such a manner that a gap is defined between a clutch cam plate or a receiving plate and a ball unit so that the ball unit can slide between the clutch cam plate and the receiving plate. An urging spring is provided for urging the ball unit in the direction of being slid toward the clutch cam plate. A C-ring for restricting the ball unit from coming out from a boss member is attached to the peripheral portion of the boss member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2009
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shinya Koyama, Hitoshi Yokotani, Hiroatsu Inui
  • Patent number: 7559417
    Abstract: A multi-spring system pressure plate member is provided for a spring biased clutch. The pressure plate member has a spring side and an opposed clutch side. The spring side of the pressure plate member includes spring confinement members for at least two clutch spring systems. The spring confinement members serve to hold spring members on said spring side in operative association with said pressure plate member. The spring confining members are provided to confine at least a diaphragm spring element and a compression coil spring element. The pressure plate member is configured to accept without modification either a diaphragm spring element or a set of compression coil spring elements. The clutch can be converted from one spring system to another by simply changing the spring elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2009
    Inventor: Steven Robert Yetzke
  • Publication number: 20040256191
    Abstract: A clutch assembly selectively transfers rotational energy from a rotatable drive shaft to a wheel. The clutch assembly includes a drive transmitting member rotationally coupled to the drive shaft, a clutch member rotationally coupled to the drive transmitting member and movable relative to the drive transmitting member, and a wheel drive member adapted to receive a rotational energy from the clutch member. In one aspect, the clutch assembly is for selectively transmitting drive force from a rotational drive source to a single wheel of a multi-wheeled power driven device. The clutch assembly includes a member axially movable relative to the rotational drive source to transmit rotational energy toward the wheel when the member is in one axial position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 17, 2003
    Publication date: December 23, 2004
    Inventors: Norman Buckhouse, Michael Scott
  • Patent number: 6619458
    Abstract: A pivot point release load adjuster assembly for use in a pull type angle spring clutch pressure plate assembly having a pair of pins connected to the housing end, a cradle swivelingly disposed on the pins, a pressure spring seat swivelingly disposed on release sleeve retainer pins and a pressure spring located between the cradle on the housing end and the pressure spring seat on the release sleeve retainer end. The cradle is operatively positioned on the pins thereby enabling the cradle to swivel about a pivot axis at a distance, between the pressure spring seat and the pivot axis. The assembly is adapted to operatively adjust the pivot axis away from the seat of the pressure spring towards the sleeve retainer end of the pressure spring whereby a desired lever ratio is achieved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 16, 2003
    Assignee: M/S. Clutch Auto Limited
    Inventors: Vijay Krishan Mehta, Ram Phal Dalal, Ashok Kumar Singh
  • Publication number: 20030038012
    Abstract: A clutch outer has a cylindrical portion, and slits defined in the cylindrical portion at a plurality of points circumferentially equally spaced apart from one another to extend in an axial direction of the cylindrical portion so that engagement claws on outer peripheries of a plurality of friction plates are slidably engaged into the slits. Each of the slits includes a wide portion which is defined on the side of an inner periphery of the cylindrical portion and into which the engagement claws are engaged, and a narrow portion defined on the side of an outer periphery of the cylindrical portion with a width in a circumferential direction of the cylindrical portion being smaller than that of the wide portion. The wide portion and the narrow portion are connected to each other through a step facing a radially inward direction of the cylindrical portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 23, 2002
    Publication date: February 27, 2003
    Applicant: KABUSHIKI KAISHA F.C.C.
    Inventors: Kouichi Kumagai, Takashi Kodama
  • Patent number: 6484858
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a friction clutch having a pair of clutch members opposite to each other in a radial direction with a plurality of rollers held between them, an angle of a turning axis of each roller relative to the rotation axis of a clutch member is made more than 10° and less than 20°, and in the meantime, the angle of the turning axis of each roller relative to the plane including the rotation axis of the clutch member is made more than 25° and less than 90°, so that a stable frictional force may be generated at all times. In this case, when a load in an axial direction is added to the clutch member, each roller generates sliding friction while turning, and therefore, a wear is extremely smaller than that of a structure of bringing the respective fellow clutch plates into surface contact with each other like a multiple disk clutch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2000
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2002
    Inventor: Kenji Mimura
  • Publication number: 20020130009
    Abstract: Pivot point release load adjuster assembly for use in a pull type angle spring clutch pressure plate assembly having a pair of pins connected to the housing end, a cradle swivelingly disposed on the said pins, a pressure spring seat swivelingly disposed on the release sleeve retainer pins and a pressure spring located between the cradle on said housing end and the pressure spring seat on said release sleeve retainer end. The cradle is operatively positioned on the said pins thereby enabling the cradle to swivel about a pivot point at a distance, between the said pressure spring seat and the said pivot point. The assembly is adapted to operatively adjust such pivot point away from the seat of the pressure spring towards the sleeve retainer end of the pressure spring whereby the desired lever ratio is achieved.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 13, 2001
    Publication date: September 19, 2002
    Inventors: Vijay Krishan Mehta, Ram Phal Dalal, Ashok Kumar Singh