CN107355488B

CN107355488B - Wet clutch, P2 type hybrid module

Info

Publication number: CN107355488B
Application number: CN201610304393.4A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 刘涛
Original assignee: Schaeffler Technologies AG and Co KG
Current assignee: Schaeffler Technologies AG and Co KG
Priority date: 2016-05-10
Filing date: 2016-05-10
Publication date: 2021-04-06
Anticipated expiration: 2036-05-10
Also published as: CN107355488A

Abstract

A wet clutch, P2 type hybrid module, wherein the wet clutch includes a first clutch part and a second clutch part which can be jointed or separated with each other, and a wet chamber for accommodating the first clutch part and the second clutch part, the wet chamber is filled with oil; the wet chamber is provided with a deformation part which can deform along the axial direction, and the deformation part expands along the axial direction along with the increase of the oil in the wet chamber to increase the volume of the wet chamber or contracts along the axial direction along with the decrease of the oil to reduce the volume of the wet chamber; the first clutch part is connected with the deformation part and can move along the axial direction along with the deformation of the deformation part so as to be connected with or separated from the second clutch part. The invention combines the clutch control system and the cooling system into a whole, does not need to be additionally provided with a control mechanism, and can simplify the structure of the whole hybrid module and reduce the volume of the whole hybrid module.

Description

Wet clutch, P2 type hybrid module

Technical Field

The invention relates to the field of automobiles, in particular to a wet clutch and a P2 type hybrid module.

Background

The hybrid module of the P2 type is an arrangement mode of the hybrid module, and the 'P2' means that the position of the electric machine is behind the engine and in front of the gearbox, and power switching between the electric machine and the engine is realized through a separate clutch.

In order to realize the power switching between the motor and the engine, a clutch is arranged between the motor and the engine, and the clutch can be a dry clutch or a wet clutch. If the dry clutch is selected, the maximum torque of the dry clutch is limited due to the limit of the self structure of the dry clutch, and the torque output of the hybrid module and the power performance of the whole vehicle are influenced. Therefore, the existing P2 hybrid module tends to adopt a wet clutch, but compared with a dry clutch cooling method using air, the wet clutch needs to be equipped with an oil cooling system separately, which results in a very complicated structure of the whole module. In addition, in the conventional clutch, a set of operation mechanism for controlling the operation of the clutch is required for both the dry clutch and the wet clutch, which results in a relatively large volume of the whole hybrid module.

Disclosure of Invention

The invention solves the problems that the structure of a wet clutch in the traditional P2 type hybrid module is complex and large in volume.

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides a wet clutch, including a first clutch part, a second clutch part, and a wet chamber for accommodating the first clutch part and the second clutch part, which can be engaged with or disengaged from each other, wherein the wet chamber is filled with oil; the wet chamber is provided with a deformation part which can deform along the axial direction, and the deformation part expands along the axial direction along with the increase of the oil in the wet chamber to increase the volume of the wet chamber or contracts along the axial direction along with the decrease of the oil to reduce the volume of the wet chamber; the first clutch part is connected with the deformation part and can move along the axial direction along with the deformation of the deformation part so as to be connected with or separated from the second clutch part.

Optionally, the first clutch part comprises a first clutch piece and a linkage piece which are connected with each other, and the first clutch part is connected with the deformation part through the linkage piece; the second clutch part comprises a second clutch piece which is axially arranged with the first clutch piece; the first clutch member moves with axial movement of the linkage member to engage or disengage the second clutch member.

Optionally, the first clutch part further comprises a first clutch shaft, the second clutch part further comprises a second clutch shaft, and the linkage is connected to the first clutch shaft; the first clutch shaft and the second clutch shaft are coaxially sleeved and provided with radial intervals, and the first clutch piece and the second clutch piece are positioned in the radial intervals and are fixedly arranged on the clutch shaft of the clutch part.

Optionally, the linkage member is in a ring shape coaxial with the first clutch shaft, sleeved outside the first clutch shaft through a bearing, and connected with the first clutch shaft through a bearing.

Optionally, the wet chamber is dynamically and hermetically connected with the first clutch shaft and the second clutch shaft through sealing parts.

Optionally, the first clutch piece and the second clutch piece are respectively provided with a plurality of pieces which are uniformly arranged along the axial direction, and the plurality of pieces are staggered along the axial direction.

Optionally, a return spring is connected between the first clutch part and the second clutch part, and the return spring deforms when the deformation part expands and deforms, so as to provide restoring force for contraction and deformation of the deformation part.

Optionally, the second clutch shaft is sleeved outside the first clutch shaft, and the return spring is a coil spring and is sleeved outside the second clutch shaft; the second clutch shaft has a connecting portion higher than an outer peripheral surface of the second clutch shaft; the linkage piece axially extends out of the second clutch shaft and the maximum radial size of the extending part is larger than the diameter of the second clutch shaft; the return spring is axially positioned between the connecting part and the linkage part, and two ends of the return spring in the axial direction are respectively connected to the connecting part and the linkage part.

Optionally, the connecting portion is disc-shaped and encloses one end of the second clutch shaft facing away from the linkage member.

Optionally, an oil pump is also included in communication with the wet chamber.

Optionally, a valve is arranged between the oil pump and the wet chamber and used for controlling the flow of the oil.

The invention also provides a P2 type hybrid module, which comprises an engine, a motor and a transmission which are sequentially arranged along the power transmission direction, wherein the input end of the transmission is connected with the output end of the motor, and the engine is connected with the motor through a clutch; the clutch is a wet clutch as described in any one of the above.

Optionally, the output end of the engine is connected with the second clutch portion, and the output end of the motor is connected with the first clutch portion.

Compared with the prior art, the technical scheme of the invention has the following advantages:

correspondingly, a deformation part connected with the first clutch part is arranged in the wet chamber, and the deformation part can generate axial deformation along with the increase and decrease of the oil liquid in the wet chamber, thereby driving the connection or the disconnection of the first clutch part and the second clutch part. The wet clutch of the invention does not need to be additionally provided with an operating mechanism, has more optimized structure, fewer components and smaller volume, and can simplify the structure and reduce the volume of the whole hybrid module when being used in a P2 hybrid module.

Drawings

FIG. 1 is a schematic structural view of a wet clutch according to an embodiment of the present invention;

fig. 2 is a schematic structural diagram of a P2 type mixing module according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Detailed Description

For a wet clutch, a cooling system and an operating mechanism are two parts which cannot be lost, wherein the cooling system adopts an oil cooling mode, the clutch is placed in an oil environment, and heat is conducted through oil; the operating mechanism is generally a hydraulic operating mechanism, and is driven by hydraulic oil to complete the engagement and disengagement actions.

The inventor combines the cooling system and the operating mechanism into a whole through creative work, and the cooling oil is simultaneously used as hydraulic oil to realize the functions of the cooling system and the operating mechanism, thereby simplifying the structure of the wet clutch, reducing the number of parts and reducing the volume.

In order to make the aforementioned objects, features and advantages of the present invention comprehensible, embodiments accompanied with figures are described in detail below.

The present invention provides a wet clutch 100, as shown in fig. 1, including a first clutch part 110 and a second clutch part 120 which can be engaged with or disengaged from each other, and a wet chamber 130 for accommodating the first clutch part 110 and the second clutch part 120, wherein the wet chamber 130 is filled with oil. The oil can serve as a coolant, and heat generated when the first clutch part 110 and the second clutch part 120 operate can be dissipated through the oil.

In the present invention, the oil in the wet chamber 130 can be increased or decreased, wherein the wet chamber 130 is provided with oil holes (not shown) through which the oil can flow into or out of the wet chamber 130.

The wet chamber 130 has a deformation portion 131 capable of being deformed in an axial direction, and the deformation portion 131 is expanded in the axial direction with an increase in oil in the wet chamber 130 to increase the volume of the wet chamber 130, or contracted in the axial direction with a decrease in oil to decrease the volume of the wet chamber 130. The first clutch part 110 is connected to the deformable part 131 and is movable in the axial direction according to the deformation of the deformable part 131 to be engaged with or disengaged from the second clutch part 120. As can be seen, the oil in the wet chamber 130 can also be used as a power source to drive the wet clutch 100 to engage or disengage.

Therefore, in the wet clutch, the oil in the wet chamber is simultaneously used as the hydraulic oil for driving the clutch to act, the deformation part connected with the first clutch part is additionally arranged in the wet chamber, and the axial deformation generated by the deformation part along with the increase and decrease of the oil is used for driving the first clutch part to move along the axial direction so as to realize the connection or the separation with the second clutch part. The wet clutch of the invention cancels the operating mechanism in the prior wet clutch, reduces the number of components, has simpler structure and correspondingly obviously reduces the volume. When the wet clutch is used in a P2 type hybrid module, the whole hybrid module is simpler in structure and smaller in volume.

As shown in fig. 1, the wet clutch of this embodiment further includes an oil pump 141 communicating with the wet chamber 130, and the oil pump 141 communicates with oil holes of the wet chamber 130 to pump oil into the wet chamber 130 or to pump oil out of the wet chamber 130. A valve 142 is provided between the oil pump 141 and the wet chamber 130, and the valve 142 controls the flow rate of the oil.

It should be noted that the axial deformation of the deformation portion 131 can be achieved in various ways, and some examples are given below. (1) The deformation is achieved by material properties, there are two ways: firstly, a material with elasticity is selected, and the surface area change of the material during expansion or contraction is utilized to realize the expansion and contraction of the material, namely the surface area of the material is increased during expansion and reduced during contraction, and the principle is similar to that of balloon blowing and deflation; and secondly, a flexible material, such as a soft leather material and the like, is selected, the flexible material can be protruded outwards along the axial direction during expansion and can be recessed inwards along the axial direction during contraction, and the surface area of the flexible material is not changed when the deformation part 131 of the flexible material is deformed, and the change is only the position of each part. (2) The deformation is achieved by structural features, such as the design of the deformation 131 as a corrugation or pleat that expands upon expansion and contracts upon contraction. Here, the deformation portion 131 may be disposed at any position of the wet chamber 130 in the axial direction, for example, at one end or a middle portion of the wet chamber 130 in the axial direction. One or more deformation portions 131 may be provided in the wet chamber 130, and the first clutch 110 may be connected to one of the deformation portions 131. Alternatively, the entire wet chamber 130 may be used as the deformation portion.

In the embodiment shown in fig. 1, the deformation portion 131 is one and is provided at one axial end of the wet chamber 130.

Further, as shown in fig. 1, the first clutch part 110 includes a first clutch member 111 and a linkage member 112 connected to each other, the first clutch part 110 is connected to the deformation part 131 through the linkage member 112, and when the deformation part 131 deforms in the axial direction, the linkage member 112 also moves axially along with the deformation part 131, so as to drive the first clutch member 111 to move axially. Specifically, when the deformation portion 131 is expanded, the first clutch member 111 is moved in one direction in the axial direction, and when the deformation portion 131 is contracted, the first clutch member 111 is moved in the opposite direction in the axial direction.

The second clutch part 120 includes a second clutch member 121 for engaging with or disengaging from the first clutch member 111, the second clutch member 121 is axially arranged with the first clutch member 111, and the first clutch member 111 approaches or departs from the second clutch member 121 by moving in the axial direction of the following link member 112 to engage with or disengage from the second clutch member 121.

As shown in fig. 1, the wet clutch 100 is normally closed, which is an example of a normally closed clutch. When the wet chamber 130 is not deformed, the first clutch 111 and the second clutch 121 are engaged, and the deformation portion 131 is in an initial state. When the oil in the wet chamber 130 increases, the deformation portion 131 deforms outward in the axial direction, and the linkage member 112 drives the first clutch member 111 to move away from the second clutch member 121 in the axial direction, so that the first clutch member 111 and the second clutch member 121 are separated. When the oil in the wet chamber 130 is reduced by being drawn out, the deformation portion 131 theoretically returns to the initial state, i.e., is deformed axially inward, and causes the first clutch member 111 to be re-engaged with the second clutch member 121. It should be appreciated that the wet clutch may also be a normally open clutch, the clutch principle being consistent with the present embodiment.

Further, the first clutch part 110 further includes a first clutch shaft 113 coaxially connected to the first clutch member 111, the second clutch part 120 further includes a second clutch shaft 122 coaxially connected to the second clutch member 121, and one of the first clutch shaft 113 and the second clutch shaft 122 serves as a power output end of the wet clutch, and the other serves as a power input end.

Wherein, the first clutch shaft 113 and the second clutch shaft 122 adopt a coaxial sleeving manner: one of the clutch shafts is sleeved outside the other clutch shaft and has a radial space therebetween, and the first clutch 111 and the second clutch 121 are located in the radial space and are fixedly arranged on the clutch shaft of the clutch portion.

In this embodiment, the second clutch shaft 122 is coaxially sleeved outside the first clutch shaft 113. The first clutch member 111 is fixed on the outer circumferential surface of the first clutch shaft 113, the second clutch member 121 is fixed on the inner circumferential surface of the second clutch shaft 122, and the linkage member 112 is disposed on the first clutch shaft 113.

Since the first and

second clutch shafts

113 and 122 need to be connected to an external device as a power output end or an input end, the first and

second clutch shafts

113 and 122 need to extend out of the wet chamber 130. In order to ensure the sealing performance of the environment in the wet chamber 130 and not affect the operation of the first clutch shaft 113 and the second clutch shaft 122, the wet chamber 130 is dynamically and hermetically connected with the first clutch shaft 113 and the second clutch shaft 122 through the sealing members, so that the relative movement between the wet chamber 130 and the first clutch shaft 113 and between the wet chamber 130 and the second clutch shaft 122 is not affected.

The linkage 112 may be disposed at any axial location on the first clutch shaft 113, such as a portion of the first clutch shaft 113 extending into the second clutch shaft 122 or a portion extending out of the second clutch shaft 122. However, since the link 112 needs to be connected to the deformation portion 131, it is preferable that the link 112 partially protrudes from the second clutch shaft 122 if the link 112 is provided in a portion of the first clutch shaft 113 that protrudes into the second clutch shaft 122. In this embodiment, the linkage member 112 is disposed on the protruding portion of the first clutch shaft 113, i.e., the linkage member 112 is entirely disposed outside the second clutch shaft 122.

The connection between the linkage 112 and the first clutch shaft 113 may be various, as long as the synchronous movement of the linkage 112 and the first clutch shaft 113 in the axial direction is satisfied, and for example, the connection may be a fixed connection or another connection. It should be noted that the linkage 111 is disposed on the first clutch shaft 113, and when the first clutch shaft 113 rotates, if the linkage 112 rotates together with the first clutch shaft 113, the linkage 112 will generate resistance to the rotation of the first clutch shaft 113, which affects the power transmission of the clutch. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the linking member 112 is configured in a ring shape and is sleeved outside the first clutch shaft 113, and the linking member 112 is connected with the first clutch shaft 113 through a bearing (not shown). The bearing can be selected from a thrust bearing and the like.

In addition, the number of the first clutch member 111 and the second clutch member 121 may be one or more as needed. As shown in fig. 1, the first clutch member 111 and the second clutch member 121 are respectively provided with a plurality of first clutch members 111 and a plurality of second clutch members 121 which are uniformly arranged along the axial direction, and the plurality of first clutch members 111 and the plurality of second clutch members 121 are arranged in a staggered manner along the axial direction. The first clutch pieces 111 are arranged at equal intervals, the second clutch pieces 121 are also arranged at equal intervals, and the spacing distance between every two adjacent first clutch pieces 111 is equal to the spacing distance between every two adjacent second clutch pieces 121.

In other embodiments, the sleeving manners of the first clutch shaft 113 and the second clutch shaft 122 may be interchanged, that is, the first clutch shaft 113 is sleeved outside the second clutch shaft 122, so that the first clutch 111 is fixed on the inner circumferential surface of the first clutch shaft 113, and the second clutch 121 is fixed on the outer circumferential surface of the second clutch shaft 122.

As described above, when the oil in the wet chamber 130 is reduced, the deformation portion 131 is theoretically deformed inward in the axial direction to return to the initial state. However, in practice, the effect of the oil driving the deformation portion 131 to expand is better than the effect of the oil driving the deformation portion 131 to contract. In other words, when the oil is increased, the deformation portion 131 can be driven to expand effectively, but when the oil is decreased, the deformation portion 131 cannot be driven to contract as effectively.

In view of this, the present embodiment is further provided with a return spring 150 having one end connected to the first clutch part 111 and the other end connected to the second clutch part 121, wherein the return spring 150 is used to help the deformation part 131 return to the initial position when the oil is reduced. That is, the return spring 150 is deformed when the deformation portion 131 is expanded to provide a restoring force for the contraction deformation of the deformation portion 131.

Specifically, the return spring 150 is a coil spring and is sleeved outside the second clutch shaft 122. The second clutch shaft 122 has a connection portion 123 higher than an outer circumferential surface thereof, and the return spring 150 is connected to the connection portion 123 and the link 112. Wherein the maximum radial dimension of the linkage 112 is larger than the radial dimension of the second clutch shaft 122. The return spring 150 is axially located between the connecting portion 123 and the linkage 112, and is connected to the connecting portion 123 and the linkage 112 at two axial ends.

The connecting portion 123 may be a boss disposed on the outer peripheral surface of the second clutch shaft 122, or the connecting portion 123 may be an annular member and is sleeved on the outer peripheral surface of the second clutch shaft 122, or the connecting portion 123 may also be a disk-shaped member and is located at one axial end of the second clutch shaft 122.

In this embodiment, the connecting portion 123 is disc-shaped and encloses one end of the second clutch shaft 122 facing away from the linkage 112. The wet chamber 130 is sealingly connected to the second clutch shaft 122 at the location of the connection 123. Wherein the connection portion 123 is at least partially located outside the wet chamber 130 and serves as a connection portion of the second clutch shaft 122 with an external device.

The invention also provides a P2 type hybrid module, which comprises an engine 1, a motor 2 and a transmission 3 which are sequentially arranged along the power transmission direction, wherein the input end of the transmission 3 is connected with the output end of the motor 2, and the engine 1 is connected with the motor 2 through a clutch, as shown in figure 2. The clutch is the wet clutch 100, the wet clutch 100 is disposed in the rotor of the motor 2, and the rotor holder 2a of the motor 2 is connected to one of the first clutch part 110 and the second clutch part 120 as an output end of the motor 2.

In the present embodiment, the output end of the engine 1 is connected to the connection portion 123 of the second clutch portion 120, and the rotor holder 2a is connected to the first clutch shaft 113 of the first clutch portion 110.

Although the present invention is disclosed above, the present invention is not limited thereto. Various changes and modifications may be effected therein by one skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Claims

1. A wet clutch comprises a first clutch part, a second clutch part and a wet chamber, wherein the first clutch part and the second clutch part can be mutually jointed or separated, the wet chamber is used for accommodating the first clutch part and the second clutch part, and oil liquid is filled in the wet chamber;

the wet chamber is characterized by comprising a deformation part which can deform along the axial direction, and the deformation part expands along the axial direction along with the increase of oil in the wet chamber to increase the volume of the wet chamber or contracts along the axial direction along with the decrease of the oil to reduce the volume of the wet chamber;

the first clutch part is connected with the deformation part and can move along the axial direction along with the deformation of the deformation part so as to be connected with or separated from the second clutch part.

2. The wet clutch according to claim 1, wherein the first clutch portion includes a first clutch member and a link member connected to each other, the first clutch portion being connected to the deforming portion through the link member;

the second clutch part comprises a second clutch piece which is axially arranged with the first clutch piece;

the first clutch member moves with axial movement of the linkage member to engage or disengage the second clutch member.

3. The wet clutch of claim 2, wherein the first clutch portion further comprises a first clutch shaft, the second clutch portion further comprises a second clutch shaft, and the linkage is coupled to the first clutch shaft;

the first clutch shaft and the second clutch shaft are coaxially sleeved and provided with radial intervals, and the first clutch piece and the second clutch piece are positioned in the radial intervals and are fixedly arranged on the clutch shaft of the clutch part.

4. The wet clutch of claim 3, wherein the linkage member is annular and coaxial with the first clutch shaft, is sleeved outside the first clutch shaft through a bearing, and is connected with the first clutch shaft through a bearing.

5. The wet clutch of claim 3, wherein the wet chamber is in dynamic sealing engagement with the first clutch shaft and the second clutch shaft via a seal.

6. The wet clutch of claim 3, wherein the first clutch member and the second clutch member each have a plurality of axially uniform clutch members, and the plurality of first clutch members and the plurality of second clutch members are axially staggered.

7. The wet clutch according to claim 3, wherein a return spring is connected between the first clutch portion and the second clutch portion, and the return spring is deformed when the deformation portion is expanded to provide a restoring force for contraction deformation of the deformation portion.

8. The wet clutch of claim 7, wherein the second clutch shaft is disposed outside the first clutch shaft, and the return spring is a coil spring disposed outside the second clutch shaft;

the second clutch shaft has a connecting portion higher than an outer peripheral surface of the second clutch shaft;

the linkage piece axially extends out of the second clutch shaft and the maximum radial size of the extending part is larger than the diameter of the second clutch shaft;

the return spring is axially positioned between the connecting part and the linkage part, and two ends of the return spring in the axial direction are respectively connected to the connecting part and the linkage part.

9. The wet clutch of claim 8, wherein the connecting portion is disc-shaped and encloses an end of the second clutch shaft facing away from the linkage.

10. The wet clutch of claim 1, further comprising an oil pump in communication with the wet chamber.

11. The wet clutch of claim 10, wherein a valve is disposed between the oil pump and the wet chamber for controlling the flow of oil.

12. A P2 type hybrid module comprises an engine, a motor and a transmission which are sequentially arranged along a power transmission direction, wherein the input end of the transmission is connected with the output end of the motor, and the engine is connected with the motor through a clutch;

characterized in that the clutch is a wet clutch according to any one of claims 1-11.

13. The hybrid module of claim 12, wherein the output of the engine is connected to the second clutch, and the output of the electric machine is connected to the first clutch.