CN220320146U - Torque limiter, transmission assembly and vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a torque limiter comprising a flywheel; a first axial bearing portion; a second axial bearing part fixed opposite to the first axial bearing part in the axial direction and at a certain distance; a torque input disc which is fixed relative to the flywheel in the circumferential direction and drives the flywheel to integrally rotate around the rotation axis; and the driven disc is used for outputting torque. The torque input disc and the driven disc are axially disposed between the first and second axial bearings, the torque input disc being closer to the first axial bearing and the driven disc being closer to the second axial bearing. The torque input disc and the driven disc are abutted against each other with a certain axial force, and the driven disc is driven to rotate around the rotation axis by friction force between the torque input disc and the driven disc. The present disclosure also relates to a transmission assembly including such a torque limiter and a vehicle including the transmission assembly.

Description

Torque limiter, transmission assembly and vehicle

Technical Field

The present disclosure relates to a torque limiter. In particular, the torque limiter comprises a flywheel integrated therein. The disclosure also relates to a transmission assembly including such a torque limiter and a vehicle including the transmission assembly.

Background

The torque produced by an engine of a motor vehicle is often not constant and fluctuates frequently. Such non-constant torque may be transferred into the gearbox, causing vibrations of the gearbox and thus producing particularly undesirable noise or shock etc. In order to reduce the adverse effects of vibrations and to improve the driving comfort of a vehicle, it is known to equip a torque ripple absorbing mechanism in a vehicle drive train. The torque ripple absorbing mechanism may allow for limiting and absorbing ripple in torque produced by the vehicle engine. It is known that torque ripple absorbing mechanisms may include torsional vibration dampers and torque limiters. Torsional vibration dampers typically absorb and mitigate fluctuations in torque through a spring structure, while torque limiters may limit torque fluctuations beyond the maximum torque that torsional vibration dampers can allow. Specifically, when the torque ripple exceeds the maximum torque, the torque limiter slips, thereby limiting the transmitted torque.

In the prior art, a flywheel fixed to a crankshaft of a vehicle engine is an upstream component of a torque limiter in a vehicle driveline. The torque limiter is fixed to and driven by the flywheel. The flywheel and the torque limiter are of a split structure. At the time of installation, the flywheel is first fixed to the engine crankshaft by a fastener such as a bolt, and the torque limiter is then fixed to the flywheel by a bolt. This split construction of the flywheel and torque limiter makes two steps necessary to mount the flywheel and torque limiter separately, adding to the assembly process. In addition, this split construction increases the number of parts of the torque limiter, resulting in an increase in material costs.

Therefore, the existing torque limiter and flywheel have the defects of high component number, high cost and complex assembly.

Disclosure of Invention

Accordingly, the present disclosure aims to solve the above-mentioned problems occurring in the existing torque limiter and flywheel, and an object thereof is to provide a torque limiter including a flywheel integrated in the torque limiter, having a compact and firm construction, capable of being manufactured and assembled in a simple and cost-effective manner.

The object is achieved by a torque limiter according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, comprising: a flywheel; a first axial bearing portion; a second axial bearing part fixed opposite to the first axial bearing part in the axial direction and at a certain distance; a torque input disc which is fixed relative to the flywheel in the circumferential direction and drives the flywheel to integrally rotate around the rotation axis; and the driven disc is used for outputting torque. The torque input disc and the driven disc are axially arranged between the first axial bearing and the second axial bearing, the torque input disc being arranged closer to the first axial bearing and the driven disc being arranged closer to the second axial bearing. The torque input disc and the driven disc are abutted against each other with a certain axial force, and the torque input disc drives the driven disc to rotate around the rotation axis through friction force between the torque input disc and the driven disc.

The torque limiter according to the present disclosure includes the flywheel integrated in the torque limiter, and thus the flywheel can be simultaneously installed through a single assembly operation of installing the torque limiter, omitting a single assembly process. In the present disclosure, the flywheel is driven by a torque input disc of a torque limiter. In the prior art, the flywheel is driven directly by the engine crankshaft, and the torque limiter is driven by the flywheel. The transmission assembly according to the present disclosure has a different power transmission path than the prior art. The torque input disc of the torque limiter also drives the driven disc for outputting torque by friction. Relative slip may occur between the torque input disc and the driven disc to limit the torque transferred. The torque input disc drives both the flywheel and driven disc components simultaneously, thereby reducing the number of components of the transmission assembly.

The transmission assembly according to the present disclosure may also have one or more of the following features, alone or in combination.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the torque limiter further comprises a resilient member axially disposed between the first axial bearing and the second axial bearing, the resilient member biasing one of the torque input disc and the driven disc toward the other of the torque input disc and the driven disc. The biasing force of the resilient member may increase the friction between the torque input disc and the driven disc to adjust the maximum torque that the torque limiter is capable of transmitting.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the torque input disc of the torque limiter comprises a plurality of drive teeth extending radially outwardly or axially from its outer periphery, through which the torque input disc drives the flywheel. The drive teeth of the torque input disc may be such that they are fixed circumferentially relative to the flywheel without impeding the placement of the torque input disc between the first axial bearing and the second axial bearing during assembly.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the torque input disc includes an inner disc and an outer disc secured together, the outer disc being located radially outward of the inner disc, and the drive teeth being located at an outer periphery of the outer disc.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the resilient member is arranged between the first axial bearing and the torque input disc; or the elastic member is arranged between the driven plate and the second axial bearing portion.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the torque limiter further comprises a friction lining disposed immediately adjacent at least one of the two axial sides of the driven disc. In operation of the torque limiter, the torque input disc, the first and second axial bearings and the flywheel rotate together, forming a torque input side. Torque is transferred from the input side to the driven disk via the friction lining. When the torque input through the torque input disc exceeds the maximum torque that can be transmitted by the torque limiter, slip occurs between the friction lining and the driven disc, thereby functioning to eliminate torque ripple.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the torque limiter further comprises an intermediate disc comprising: a first ring fixedly connected with the flywheel; a plurality of tie bars integrally formed with the first ring. At least a portion of the connection bars extend axially and the drive teeth of the torque input disc are insertable between two adjacent connection bars.

According to the technical scheme, the transmission teeth of the torque input disc can abut against the connecting strips of the middle disc, so that torque is transmitted to the middle disc, and then the torque is transmitted to the flywheel through the integrally formed first ring, so that torque transmission between the torque input disc and the flywheel is realized.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the first ring comprises a ring body and a plurality of first teeth, each first tooth being arranged between two adjacent connection bars in the circumferential direction.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the ring body is fastened to the flywheel, the first teeth are arranged at an inner periphery of the ring body and constitute one of a first axial bearing or a second axial bearing of the torque limiter.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the ring body is fastened to the flywheel, the first teeth are arranged at an outer periphery of the ring body, and fastened to the flywheel, the ring body constituting one of the first axial bearing or the second axial bearing of the torque limiter.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the first tooth is axially spaced from the ring body and is connected to the ring body by a bend.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the intermediate disc further comprises a second ring axially spaced from the first ring and integrally formed with the connecting strip, the second ring constituting the other of the first axial bearing and the second axial bearing of the torque limiter. That is, the elastic member, the torque input disc, and the driven disc are sandwiched between the ring body or the first teeth of the first ring and the second ring.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the connecting strip comprises a radially extending section at a distance from the first ring in the axial direction, the radially extending section constituting the other of the first and second axial bearing portions of the torque limiter. That is, the resilient member, torque input disc and driven disc are clamped between radially extending segments of the ring body or connecting strip of the first ring.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the flywheel includes a main body portion and a flange portion extending radially inward from the main body portion, the flange portion constituting one of a first axial bearing portion or a second axial bearing portion of the torque limiter.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the flywheel further comprises a support protrusion extending radially inwards from the main body portion, the support protrusion being axially distanced from the flange portion, and the support protrusion constituting the other of the first axial bearing portion or the second axial bearing portion of the torque limiter. That is, the elastic member, the torque input disc, and the driven disc are sandwiched between the flange portion of the flywheel and the support boss.

According to one embodiment of the disclosure, the torque limiter further comprises a carrier disc fastened with the flywheel, the carrier disc being axially at a distance from the flange portion, and the carrier disc constituting the other of the first axial carrier portion or the second axial carrier portion of the torque limiter. That is, the elastic member, the torque input disc, and the driven disc are sandwiched between the flange portion of the flywheel and the carrier disc.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the flywheel includes a coupling hole arranged on the flange portion, and the driving teeth axially extend from an outer periphery of the torque input disc and are insertable into the coupling hole such that the torque input disc is fixed relative to the flywheel in a circumferential direction. That is, the drive teeth of the torque input disc cooperate with the coupling holes to effect torque transfer between the torque input disc and the flywheel.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the flywheel includes a coupling groove arranged on an inner circumference of the main body portion, and the driving teeth radially extend from an outer circumference of the torque input disc and are insertable into the coupling groove such that the torque input disc is relatively fixed to the flywheel in a circumferential direction. That is, the drive teeth of the torque input disc cooperate with the coupling grooves to effect torque transfer between the torque input disc and the flywheel.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, at least one of the plurality of support protrusions is provided with an anti-rotation groove.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the elastic member has a plurality of peripheral teeth, each of which is supported by one of the supporting projections, and one of the plurality of peripheral teeth is pressed against the bottom surface of the anti-rotation groove. According to this technical scheme, if the relative slip of circumference direction takes place between elastic component and the flywheel, the peripheral tooth can support the lateral wall of anti-rotatory groove, prevents the excessive slip of elastic component. Thus, the anti-rotation groove functions to restrict relative sliding between the elastic member and the flywheel in the circumferential direction.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the peripheral teeth of the elastic member have a size that can pass between adjacent support protrusions in the axial direction, and the elastic member can be rotated by an angle in the circumferential direction during assembly such that the peripheral teeth are supported on the support protrusions.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the drive teeth extend radially from the outer periphery of the torque input disc, each drive tooth is supported by one support protrusion, and one of the plurality of drive teeth is pressed against the bottom surface of the anti-rotation groove. According to the technical scheme, the torque input disc is matched with the anti-rotation groove through the transmission gear, so that relative fixation between the torque input disc and the flywheel in the circumferential direction is realized. The transmission teeth of the torque input disc can be abutted against the side wall of the anti-rotation groove, so that torque transmission between the torque input disc and the flywheel is realized.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the drive teeth have a dimension that is capable of passing between adjacent support protrusions in an axial direction, and the torque input disc is capable of being rotated in a circumferential direction by an angle during assembly such that the drive teeth are supported on the support protrusions.

According to one embodiment of the disclosure, the torque limiter further comprises two carrier plates fastened together with the flywheel on both axial sides of the flywheel, respectively, the two carrier plates constituting a first carrier portion and a second carrier portion of the torque limiter, respectively. That is, the elastic member, the torque input disc, and the driven disc are sandwiched between the two carrier discs.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, at least one of the two carrier plates is provided with a transmission hole, and the transmission teeth axially extend from the outer circumference of the torque input plate and are insertable into the transmission hole such that the torque input plate is fixed with respect to the flywheel in the circumferential direction. Accordingly, the transmission teeth of the torque input disc are matched with the transmission holes, so that torque transmission between the torque input disc and the flywheel is realized.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the flywheel includes a coupling groove disposed on an inner circumference of a main body portion thereof, and the driving teeth radially extend from an outer circumference of the torque input disc and are insertable into the coupling groove such that the torque input disc is relatively fixed to the flywheel in a circumferential direction. Accordingly, the transmission teeth of the torque input disc are matched with the connecting grooves, so that torque transmission between the torque input disc and the flywheel is realized.

The present disclosure also relates to a transmission assembly comprising a torque limiter and a torsional vibration damper as described above. The torsional vibration damper comprises an input portion, an output portion and a spring arranged to be compressed in circumferential direction between the input portion and the output portion. The input portion of the torsional vibration damper is fastened together with the driven disk of the torque limiter or the input portion of the torsional vibration damper is integrally formed with the driven disk of the torque limiter.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the torsional vibration damper includes a through-hole from which a fastener may be passed to fasten the torque input disc of the torque limiter to an upstream component of the transmission assembly.

The present disclosure also relates to a vehicle comprising a transmission member as described above.

Drawings

The above and other features and advantages of the present disclosure will become more apparent from the following detailed description of exemplary embodiments in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which are provided for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure in any way. The following drawings are not intended to be drawn to scale on actual dimensions, emphasis instead being placed upon illustrating the principles of the disclosure. In the figure:

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a transmission assembly according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of a transmission assembly according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a transmission assembly according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged view of a portion of fig. 3, showing the torsion limiter in detail.

Fig. 5 shows a portion of the intermediate disc of the torsion limiter in the embodiment of fig. 3 in detail.

FIG. 6 illustrates the torque input disc of the embodiment shown in FIG. 3.

FIG. 7 is a schematic illustration of the engagement of the drive teeth of the torque input disc with the connecting strips of the intermediate disc.

Fig. 8 is a partial cross-sectional view of a torque limiter according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.

Fig. 9 shows a part of the flywheel in the embodiment shown in fig. 8 in detail.

Fig. 10 shows the elastic member of the embodiment shown in fig. 8.

FIG. 11 illustrates the torque input disc of the embodiment of FIG. 8.

Fig. 12 is a partial cross-sectional view of a torque limiter according to yet another embodiment of the present disclosure.

Fig. 13 shows the flywheel in the embodiment shown in fig. 12.

In the various figures, identical or similar parts are denoted by identical reference numerals.

Detailed Description

In order to make the objects, technical solutions and advantages of the embodiments of the present disclosure more apparent, the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present disclosure will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings of the embodiments of the present disclosure.

Unless defined otherwise, technical or scientific terms used herein should be given the ordinary meaning as understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure belongs. The terms "a," "an," or "the" and similar referents used in the specification and claims of the present disclosure are not to be construed to limit the number of equivalents, but rather to mean that there is at least one. The word "comprising" or "comprises", and the like, means that elements or items preceding the word are included in the element or item listed after the word and equivalents thereof, but does not exclude other elements or items. The directions "axial", "radial", "circumferential", etc. are defined with respect to the rotational axis X of the torque limiter, the axial direction being the direction in which the rotational axis X extends, the radial direction being the direction perpendicular to the rotational axis X, and the circumferential direction being the circumferential direction around the rotational axis X.

Fig. 1 is a schematic view of a transmission assembly 1 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. Fig. 2 is an exploded view of the transmission assembly shown in fig. 1.

The transmission assembly 1 may be used to transfer torque between an engine and a gearbox of a motor vehicle. The transmission assembly 1 can be divided into two parts: torque limiter 100 and torsional vibration damper 200. The torque limiter 100 is connected to and driven by a crankshaft of a vehicle engine to transmit torque about an axis of rotation X. Torsional vibration damper 200 is located entirely inside torque limiter 100 and outputs the torque transmitted by torque limiter 100 to the gearbox of the motor vehicle. The torque limiter 100 has a predetermined maximum torque that is not exceeded by the torque transmitted to the torsional vibration damper 200 even when the torque generated by the engine exceeds the maximum torque.

Referring to fig. 3, the torsional vibration damper 200 has an input portion 210, an output portion 220, and four springs 230 arranged to be compressed in a circumferential direction between the input portion 210 and the output portion 220. The input portion 210 is fixed to the driven plate 20 of the torque limiter 100 or integrally formed with the driven plate 20 to receive the torque transmitted from the torque limiter 100. The spring 230 is a coil spring, one end of which is acted upon by the input portion 210 and the other end of which acts upon the output portion 220 to transfer torque from the input portion 210 to the output portion 220. The spring 230 is capable of absorbing and mitigating fluctuations in torque by compression and extension. It is contemplated that driven disk 20 of torque limiter 100 may also be secured to output portion 220 of torsional vibration damper 200. Torsional vibration damper 200 includes a through-hole 201 through which a fastener, such as a bolt, can pass from the through-hole 201 to fasten the torque input disc 10 of the torque limiter 100 to an upstream component of the transmission assembly 1, such as a crankshaft of an engine.

With further reference to fig. 1 and 2 in conjunction with fig. 3-7, the torsion limiter 100 includes a flywheel 60, a torque input disc 10, a driven disc 20, an elastic member 30, and an intermediate disc 40. The torque input disc 10 is connected on its radially inner side to an upstream component such as the engine crankshaft. Thus, the torque limiter 100 receives torque from the engine through the torque input disc 10. The torque input disc 10 needs to be connected to the engine crankshaft and is thus closer to the engine side (lower side in fig. 4) than the driven disc 20 for outputting torque.

The flywheel 60 has the form of an inertia ring which is fixed circumferentially relative to the torque input disc 10 and is driven in rotation about the rotation axis X by the torque input disc 10. The flywheel 60 has a large moment of inertia and can be used for absorbing the fluctuation of the torque output of the engine, so that the torque output is more uniform. Referring to fig. 6, the torque input disc 10 is provided with a plurality of radially outwardly extending drive teeth 11 on its outer periphery for driving the flywheel 60. Referring also to fig. 11, there is shown a torque input disc 10 comprised of an inner disc 10a and an outer disc 10b secured together. The outer disc 10b is located radially outward of the inner disc 10a, and the drive teeth 11 are located at the outer periphery of the outer disc 10 b. The inner disc 10a and the outer disc 10b may have different material properties. For example, the inner tray 10a may be subjected to heat treatment to have high strength.

The radially inner portion of the driven disc 20 is fixedly connected to the input portion 210 of the torsional vibration damper 200, while the radially outer portion thereof abuts against the torque input disc 10 with a certain axial force. In the embodiment shown in fig. 4, the friction linings 21 are arranged adjacent to the driven plate 20 on both axial sides of the driven plate 20. Thus, the driven disk 20 contacts and interacts with the friction lining 21 at both axially opposite surfaces thereof. In other embodiments, which are not shown in the drawings, it is also possible to arrange the friction linings 21 at only one of the two axial sides of the driven disk 20. Another conceivable solution is to not provide the friction lining 21 at all, but to treat the surface of the torque input disc 10 or driven disc 20 with a certain amount of treatment, which is suitable for transmitting a certain amount of torque.

In operation of the transmission assembly, the engine of the vehicle drives the torque input disc 10, which torque input disc 10 in turn drives the flywheel 60 through the gear teeth 11 to rotate together about the axis of rotation X. The torque input disc 10 may also drive the driven disc 20 and the input portion 210 of the torsional vibration damper 200 to rotate about the rotational axis X by direct friction between the torque input disc 10 and the driven disc 20 or indirect friction generated by the friction lining 21, achieving torque transmission to the torsional vibration damper 200. When the torque transmitted from the engine to the torque limiter 100 reaches or exceeds the maximum torque of the torque limiter 100, slip occurs between the driven disk 20 and the torque input disk 10, thereby limiting the torque transmitted to the torsional vibration damper 200 to the maximum torque of the torque limiter 100.

In order to enable the torque input disc 10 and the driven disc 20 to abut against each other, the torque limiter 100 needs to comprise two axial bearings between which the torque input disc 10 and the driven disc 20 are axially arranged. Without loss of generality, the axial bearing closer to the torque input disc 10 may be referred to in this disclosure as a first axial bearing, and the axial bearing closer to the driven disc 20 as a second axial bearing.

The greater the friction between the torque input disc 10 and the driven disc 20, the greater the maximum torque that the torque limiter 100 can transmit. Increasing the axial force of the torque input disc 10 and driven disc 20 against each other increases the friction therebetween. To this end, the torsion limiter 100 comprises an elastic member 30 axially arranged between the first axial bearing and the second axial bearing. The resilient member 30 may be in the form of a disc spring supported by the first axial bearing or the second axial bearing and pressed axially against the torque input disc 10 towards the driven disc 20 or against the driven disc 20 towards the torque input disc 10. Alternatively, the torque input disc 10 may be formed of an elastomeric material such that the torque input disc 10 itself may generate an axial force that urges the driven disc 20 toward the second ring 42, thereby eliminating the need to provide a special elastomeric member.

In the embodiment shown in fig. 4-7, the first axial bearing and the second ring 42 of the torsion limiter 100 are provided by the intermediate disc 40. As will be described in detail below, the intermediate plate 40 is also capable of passing a torque transfer function from the torque input plate 10 to the flywheel 60.

Referring to fig. 4 and 5, the intermediate plate 40 is integrally formed, and includes a first ring 41, a second ring 42, and a plurality of connection bars 43 connecting the two to each other. The first ring 41 is secured to the flywheel 60 and includes a ring body 41a and a plurality of first teeth 44. The ring body 41a includes a plurality of through holes uniformly distributed thereon. The through holes are used to fasten the first ring 41 to the flywheel 60 by screws (not shown) or the like. The second ring 42 is integrally formed with the first ring 41, and thus rotates together with the first ring 41 about the rotation axis X. The second ring 42 is spaced apart from the first ring 41 by a predetermined distance in the axial direction. Further, the inner diameter of the ring body 41a of the first ring 41 is larger than the outer diameter of the second ring 42, so that the projection of the main body portion 41a of the first ring 41 in the axial direction is outside the second ring 42.

The driven plate 20 is slidably clamped between the second ring 42 and the torque input plate 10 by a resilient member 30 axially arranged between the first ring 41 and the torque input plate 10. The torque input disc 10 and the driven disc 20 are axially located between the first teeth 44 of the first ring 41 and the second ring 42. The first tooth 44 and the second ring 42 constitute two axial bearings of the torque limiter 100. In the embodiment shown in fig. 4, the first teeth 44 constitute a first axial bearing of the torque limiter 100 and the second ring 42 constitutes a second axial bearing of the torque limiter 100.

The second ring 42 and the first ring 41 are connected to each other by a plurality of connection bars 43. Specifically, referring to fig. 5, one end of the connection bar 43 is connected to the radially inner side of the first ring 41 and extends axially to the height of the second ring 42, being connected to the radially outer side of the second ring 42. The inner diameter of the first ring 41 is larger than the outer diameter of the second ring 42. The plurality of connection bars 43 of the first ring 41 are uniformly distributed in the circumferential direction, and the first teeth 44 are located between two adjacent connection bars 43 at the inner periphery of the ring body 41a, which are axially spaced apart from the ring body 41a, and are connected to the ring body 41a by the bent portions 45 so as to be located inside the ring body 41a in the radial direction. The first teeth 44 may be axially extending from the ring body 41a prior to assembly of the torque limiter 100, and the bend 45 is formed by bending the first teeth 44 through a workpiece during assembly of the torque limiter 100. In this way, the first teeth 44 do not hinder assembly of the torque input disc 10, driven disc 20 and/or elastic member 30, etc. in the axial direction, but can support the elastic member 30 after assembly is completed, thereby sandwiching the torque input disc 10, driven disc 20 and/or elastic member 30 between the first teeth 44 and the second ring 42.

Fig. 7 illustrates the engagement of the torque input disc 10 with the intermediate disc 40. As shown, in the assembled configuration of the torque limiter 100, the drive teeth 11 of the torque input disc 10 extend radially and are interposed between adjacent two of the connecting bars 43. In other words, the angular position of the driving tooth 11 substantially coincides with the first tooth 44. If relative sliding occurs between the torque input disc 10 and the intermediate disc 40, the driving teeth 11 will abut against the side walls of the connecting strips 43, preventing further sliding of the torque input disc 10. The gear 11 thus makes the torque input disc 10 circumferentially fixed with respect to the intermediate disc 40 and with respect to the flywheel 60 by a secure connection between the intermediate disc 40 and the flywheel 60. This also enables torque transfer from the torque input disc 10 to the flywheel 60. In the embodiment shown in fig. 7, the width of the driving teeth 11 is approximately equal to the width of the space between two adjacent connecting bars 43 to eliminate relative sliding as much as possible. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the width of the drive teeth 11 may also be less than the width of the space between the two connecting bars 43.

With the above-described configuration, the torque input disc 10, the intermediate disc 40, and the flywheel 60 of the torque limiter 100 are circumferentially fixed to rotate together, which together constitute the input side of the torque limiter 100. The torque output from the torque limiter 100 to the torsional vibration damper 200 is achieved by the driven disk 20.

The intermediate disk 40 shown in fig. 4 provides two axial bearings for the torque limiter 100 via the first ring 41 and the second ring 42 and allows the torque input disk 10 to drive the flywheel 60 in rotation via the connecting bars 43. It is contemplated that the intermediate disk 40 may have a different configuration than that shown in fig. 4. For example, the positions of the first ring 41 and the second ring 42 in the axial direction may be reversed such that the first ring 41 is connected to the flywheel 60 on the axially upper side, the elastic member 30 is supported on the second ring 42, and the driven plate 20 is pressed against the first teeth 44 of the first ring 41. At this time, the second ring 42 constitutes a first axial bearing portion of the torque limiter 100, and the first teeth 44 constitute a second axial bearing portion of the torque limiter 100.

The intermediate disk 40 may not include the second ring. In this configuration, the connection strip 43 comprises a radially extending section located at the end of the connection strip 43 remote from the first ring 41, so as to be at a distance from the first ring 41 in the axial direction. The radially extending sections of the plurality of connecting strips 43 are not connected by a ring body. The torque input disc 10, the resilient member 30 and the driven disc 20 may be sandwiched between the first teeth 44 and the radially extending segments. At this time, the first teeth 44 and the radially extending segments constitute a first axial bearing and a second axial bearing, respectively, of the torque limiter 100.

Furthermore, for the embodiment in which the connecting bar 43 includes the radially extending section, the radial positional relationship of the ring body 41a of the first ring 41 and the first teeth 44 may also be different. That is, the first teeth 44 may be disposed at the outer circumference of the ring body 41a and fastened to the flywheel 60, and the ring body 41a is located radially inward of the flywheel 60. With this configuration, the radially extending section of the connecting strip 43 can be formed by bending the connecting strip 43 by a work during the assembly of the torque limiter 100, so that the assembly of the torque input disc 10, the driven disc 20, the elastic member 30, etc. in the axial direction is not hindered. At this time, the ring body 41a and the radially extending section constitute a first axial bearing portion and a second axial bearing portion of the torque limiter 100, respectively.

The axial bearing and torque transfer functions of the torque limiter 100 may also be provided by other components, thereby eliminating the intermediate disk 40. Fig. 8-13 illustrate various embodiments of the torque limiter 100 that do not include the intermediate disk 40. The following description will focus mainly on aspects different from the embodiments shown in fig. 4-7.

In the embodiment shown in fig. 8, the flywheel 60 of the torque limiter 100 includes a main body portion 61, a flange portion 62 extending radially inward from the main body portion 61, and a support protrusion 63. With further reference to fig. 9, the support protrusion 63 is axially spaced from the flange portion 62. The torque input disc 10 and the driven disc 20 are arranged between the support boss 63 and the flange portion 62 in the axial direction. The support projection 63 and the flange portion 62 constitute two axial bearing portions of the torque limiter 100. In the embodiment shown in fig. 8, the support projection 63 constitutes a first axial bearing portion of the torque limiter 100, and the flange portion 62 constitutes a second axial bearing portion of the torque limiter 100. It is contemplated that the flange portion 62 and the support protrusion 63 of the flywheel 60 may also be reversed in axial position, i.e., the flange portion 62 constitutes a first axial bearing portion of the torque limiter 100 and the support protrusion 63 constitutes a second axial bearing portion of the torque limiter 100.

The flywheel 60 may also include a coupling directly coupled with the drive teeth 11 of the torque input disc 10 such that the torque input disc 10 directly transfers torque to the flywheel 60.

Specifically, referring to fig. 9 and 11, the flywheel 60 includes a coupling hole 64 disposed on the flange portion 62. The drive teeth 11 of the torque input disc 10 extend axially from its outer periphery and are insertable into said coupling holes 64. If relative sliding occurs between the torque input disc 10 and the flywheel 60, the drive teeth 11 will abut against the side walls of the coupling holes 64, preventing further sliding of the torque input disc 10. Thus, the cooperation of the drive teeth 11 and the coupling holes 64 causes the torque input disc 10 to be fixed circumferentially relative to the flywheel 60 and enables torque transfer from the torque input disc 10 to the flywheel 60. The width of the driving teeth 11 is approximately equal to the width of the coupling hole 64 to eliminate relative sliding as much as possible. Alternatively, the width of the driving teeth 11 may be smaller than the width of the interval between the coupling holes 64.

Referring to fig. 8 to 10, the elastic member 30 has a plurality of peripheral teeth 31 on the outer periphery thereof. Each peripheral tooth 31 is supported by one support protrusion 63. The support protrusion 63 is provided with an anti-rotation groove 66. In the assembled configuration of the torque limiter 100, the peripheral teeth 31 of the resilient member 30 are pressed against the bottom surface of the anti-rotation slot 66, i.e., the bottom surface of the anti-rotation slot 66 provides axial support for the resilient member 30. On the other hand, the anti-rotation slots 66 define the angular position of the elastic member 30. Upon occurrence of relative sliding in the circumferential direction between the elastic member 30 and the first ring 41, the outer peripheral teeth 31 will abut against the side walls of the anti-rotation groove 66, preventing excessive sliding of the elastic member 30. In the illustrated example, the anti-rotation slots 66 have a width approximately equal to the width of the peripheral teeth 31 to eliminate relative slippage as much as possible.

In order to be able to support the elastic member 30 on the support protrusion 63, the size of the support protrusion 63 needs to be specially designed. Specifically, in fig. 8, the diameters of the torque input disc 10 and the driven disc 20 should be smaller than the diameters corresponding to the radially innermost portions of the support protrusions 63 so as to be adapted to pass axially through the support protrusions 63. The diameter of the main body portion of the elastic member 30 is also smaller than the diameter corresponding to the radially innermost portion of the support projections 63, and the peripheral teeth 31 thereof have a size capable of passing between adjacent support projections 63 in the axial direction. Thus, during the assembly of the torque limiter, the angular position of the elastic member 30 is first adjusted so that the peripheral teeth 31 correspond to the gaps between the support protrusions 63 in the circumferential direction, and then the elastic member 30 is moved in the axial direction. Due to the above-mentioned sizing, the outer peripheral teeth 31 are not hindered by the supporting projections 63. In this way, the elastic member 30 passes over the supporting projection 63 in the axial direction and abuts against the torque input disc 10. Then, the elastic member 30 may be rotated to adjust the angular position of the elastic member 30 such that the peripheral teeth 31 are pressed against the bottom surface of the anti-rotation groove 66.

In an embodiment not shown, the elastic member 30 may also be supported on the flange portion 62 of the flywheel 60. At this time, the torque input disc 10 may include a plurality of driving teeth 11 extending radially from its outer circumference. Each of the gear teeth 11 is supported by one of the supporting projections 63, and one gear tooth 11 of the plurality of gear teeth 11 is pressed against the bottom surface of the anti-rotation groove 66. Upon relative sliding in the circumferential direction between the torque input disc 10 and the flywheel 60, the drive teeth 11 will abut against the side walls of the anti-rotation slots 66, preventing excessive sliding of the torque input disc 10. Thus, the cooperation of the gear teeth 11 and the anti-rotation slots 66 causes the torque input disc 10 to be circumferentially fixed relative to the flywheel 60 and enables torque transfer from the torque input disc 10 to the flywheel 60. Similarly, the driving teeth 11 have a size that can pass between adjacent support projections 63 in the axial direction. The torque input disc 10 is moved axially over the support protrusions 63 during assembly and then rotated in the circumferential direction by an angle such that the driving teeth 11 are supported on the support protrusions 63.

The flywheel 60 of the torque limiter 100 may also not include support protrusions, but rather provide an axial bearing function by the bearing disk 50 being fastened to the flywheel 60. This is illustrated in the embodiment shown in fig. 12-13. In the embodiment shown in fig. 12, the torque limiter 100 comprises a carrier disc 50 fastened together with a flywheel 60 at a distance in the axial direction from the flange portion 62. The torque input disc 10 and the driven disc 20 are axially arranged between the carrier disc 50 and the flange portion 62. The carrier plate 50 and the flange portion 62 constitute two axial bearing portions of the torque limiter 100. In the embodiment shown in fig. 12, the carrier plate 50 constitutes a first axial carrier portion of the torque limiter 100, and the flange portion 62 constitutes a second axial carrier portion of the torque limiter 100. It is contemplated that the carrier plate 50 and flange portion 62 may also be reversed in axial position, i.e., flange portion 62 constitutes a first axial carrier portion of torque limiter 100 and carrier plate 50 constitutes a second axial carrier portion of torque limiter 100. The carrier plate 50 may be an integrally formed annular plate or may be comprised of a plurality of discrete arcuate ring segments.

In the embodiment shown in fig. 12 and 13, the flywheel 60 includes a coupling groove 65 on the inner periphery of the main body portion 61, and the drive teeth 11 extend radially from the outer periphery of the torque input disc 10 and are insertable into the coupling groove 65 so that the torque input disc 10 is fixed relative to the flywheel 60 in the circumferential direction. If relative sliding occurs between the torque input disc 10 and the flywheel 60, the drive teeth 11 will abut against the side walls of the coupling groove 65, preventing further sliding of the torque input disc 10. Thus, the cooperation of the drive teeth 11 and the coupling grooves 65 causes the torque input disc 10 to be fixed circumferentially relative to the flywheel 60 and enables torque transfer from the torque input disc 10 to the flywheel 60. The width of the driving teeth 11 is approximately equal to the width of the coupling groove 65 to eliminate relative sliding as much as possible. Alternatively, the width of the driving teeth 11 may be smaller than the width of the interval between the coupling holes 64. In an embodiment not shown, a transmission hole may also be provided in the carrier plate 50, the transmission teeth 11 extending axially from the outer periphery of the torque input plate 10 and being insertable into the transmission hole, so that the torque input plate 10 is fixed circumferentially opposite the flywheel 60 and torque transmission from the torque input plate 10 to the flywheel 60 is achieved.

Although not shown in the drawings, the axial load bearing function of the torque limiter 100 may also be provided by the load bearing plate 50 fastened to the flywheel 60 only. In such an embodiment, the flywheel 60 may not include a flange portion, but the torque limiter 100 includes two carrier plates 50 fastened to the flywheel 60 on both axial sides of the flywheel 60, respectively, the two carrier plates 50 constituting the first and second carrier portions of the torque limiter 100, respectively. The torque transmission between the torque input disk 10 and the flywheel 60 can then be achieved by the axially extending transmission teeth 11 being inserted into transmission holes provided on the carrier disk 50 or by the radially extending transmission teeth 11 being inserted into coupling grooves 65 provided on the flywheel 60, which are not described in detail here.

Certain features, structures, or characteristics of one or more embodiments of the present disclosure may be combined as suitable.

The foregoing is illustrative of the present disclosure and is not to be construed as limiting thereof. Although a few exemplary embodiments of this disclosure have been described, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that many modifications are possible in the exemplary embodiments without materially departing from the novel teachings and advantages of this disclosure. Accordingly, all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of this disclosure as defined in the claims. It is to be understood that the foregoing is illustrative of the present disclosure and that the present disclosure is not to be construed as limited to the specific embodiments disclosed, and that modifications to the disclosed embodiments, as well as other embodiments, are intended to be included within the scope of the disclosure.

Claims (29)

1. A torque limiter (100), characterized in that the torque limiter (100) comprises a flywheel (60);

a first axial bearing portion;

a second axial bearing part fixed opposite to the first axial bearing part in the axial direction and at a certain distance;

a torque input disc (10) which is fixed in the circumferential direction relative to the flywheel (60) and drives the flywheel (60) to integrally rotate about the rotation axis (X);

a driven plate (20) for outputting torque,

wherein the torque input disc (10) and the driven disc (20) are arranged axially between the first axial bearing and the second axial bearing, the torque input disc (10) being arranged closer to the first axial bearing and the driven disc (20) being arranged closer to the second axial bearing and,

wherein the torque input disc (10) and the driven disc (20) are abutted against each other with a certain axial force, and the torque input disc (10) drives the driven disc (20) to rotate around the rotation axis (X) by friction force between the torque input disc (10) and the driven disc (20).

2. The torque limiter (100) of claim 1, wherein,

the torque limiter (100) further comprises an elastic member (30) axially arranged between the first axial bearing and the second axial bearing, the elastic member (30) biasing one of the torque input disc (10) and the driven disc (20) towards the other of the torque input disc (10) and the driven disc (20).

3. The torque limiter (100) of claim 2, wherein,

the torque input disc (10) comprises a plurality of drive teeth (11) extending radially outwards or axially from its outer periphery, the torque input disc (10) driving the flywheel (60) via the drive teeth (11).

4. The torque limiter (100) of claim 3, wherein,

the torque input disc (10) comprises an inner disc (10 a) and an outer disc (10 b) fastened together, the outer disc (10 b) being located radially outside the inner disc (10 a), and the transmission teeth (11) being located at the outer periphery of the outer disc (10 b).

5. The torque limiter (100) of claim 3, wherein,

the elastic member (30) is arranged between the first axial bearing and the torque input disc (10); or alternatively

The elastic member (30) is arranged between the driven disc (20) and the second axial bearing.

6. The torque limiter (100) of claim 3, wherein,

the torque limiter (100) further includes a friction lining (21) disposed immediately adjacent to at least one of the two axial sides of the driven disk (20).

7. The torque limiter (100) of any one of claims 3 to 6, wherein the torque limiter (100) further comprises an intermediate disc (40), the intermediate disc (40) comprising:

A first ring (41), the first ring (41) being in a secure connection with the flywheel (60),

a plurality of connection strips (43), the connection strips (43) being formed integrally with the first ring (41),

wherein at least a portion of the connection bars (43) extends axially and the drive teeth (11) of the torque input disc (10) can be inserted between two adjacent connection bars (43).

8. The torque limiter (100) of claim 7, wherein,

the first ring (41) comprises a ring body (41 a) and a plurality of first teeth (44), each first tooth (44) being arranged between two adjacent connecting strips (43) in the circumferential direction.

9. The torque limiter (100) of claim 8, wherein,

the ring body (41 a) is fastened to the flywheel (60), and the first teeth (44) are arranged at an inner periphery of the ring body (41 a) and constitute one of a first axial bearing or a second axial bearing of the torque limiter (100).

10. The torque limiter (100) of claim 8, wherein,

the first teeth (44) are arranged at the outer periphery of the ring body (41 a) and fastened to the flywheel (60), the ring body (41 a) constituting one of a first axial bearing or a second axial bearing of the torque limiter (100).

11. The torque limiter (100) of any one of claims 8 to 10,

the first tooth (44) is axially distanced from the ring body (41 a) and is connected to the ring body (41 a) by a fold (45).

12. The torque limiter (100) of claim 8 or 9, wherein,

the intermediate disc (40) further comprises a second ring (42), which second ring (42) is axially at a distance from the first ring (41) and is integrally formed with the connecting strip (43), which second ring (42) constitutes the other of the first axial bearing and the second axial bearing of the torque limiter (100).

13. The torque limiter (100) of claim 10, wherein,

the connecting strip (43) comprises a radially extending section at a distance in the axial direction from the first ring (41), which constitutes the other of the first and second axial bearing of the torque limiter (100).

14. The torque limiter (100) of any one of claims 3 to 6,

the flywheel (60) includes a main body portion (61) and a flange portion (62) extending radially inward from the main body portion (61), the flange portion (62) constituting one of a first axial bearing portion or a second axial bearing portion of the torque limiter (100).

15. The torque limiter (100) of claim 14, wherein,

the flywheel (60) further comprises a support protrusion (63) extending radially inwards from the main body portion (61), the support protrusion (63) being axially at a distance from the flange portion (62), and the support protrusion (63) constituting the other of the first axial bearing portion or the second axial bearing portion of the torque limiter (100).

16. The torque limiter (100) of claim 14, wherein,

the torque limiter (100) further comprises a carrier disc (50) fastened with the flywheel (60), the carrier disc (50) being axially at a distance from the flange portion (62), and the carrier disc (50) constituting the other of the first axial carrier portion or the second axial carrier portion of the torque limiter (100).

17. The torque limiter (100) of claim 14, wherein,

the flywheel (60) includes a coupling hole (64) arranged on the flange portion (62), and the drive teeth (11) extend axially from the outer periphery of the torque input disc (10) and are insertable into the coupling hole (64) such that the torque input disc (10) is fixed relative to the flywheel (60) in the circumferential direction.

18. The torque limiter (100) of claim 14, wherein,

the flywheel (60) includes a coupling groove (65) arranged on an inner periphery of the main body portion (61), and the drive teeth (11) extend radially from an outer periphery of the torque input disc (10) and are insertable into the coupling groove (65) such that the torque input disc (10) is fixed relative to the flywheel (60) in a circumferential direction.

19. The torque limiter (100) of claim 15, wherein,

at least one of the plurality of support protrusions (63) is provided with an anti-rotation groove (66).

20. The torque limiter (100) of claim 19, wherein,

the elastic member (30) has a plurality of peripheral teeth (31), each peripheral tooth (31) is supported by one supporting projection (63), and one peripheral tooth (31) of the plurality of peripheral teeth (31) is pressed against the bottom surface of the anti-rotation groove (66).

21. The torque limiter (100) of claim 20, wherein,

the peripheral teeth (31) of the elastic member (30) have a size that can pass between adjacent support protrusions (63) in the axial direction, and the elastic member (30) can be rotated by an angle in the circumferential direction during assembly such that the peripheral teeth (31) are supported on the support protrusions (63).

22. The torque limiter (100) of claim 19, wherein,

the drive teeth (11) extend radially from the outer periphery of the torque input disc (10), each drive tooth (11) is supported by one support protrusion (63), and one drive tooth (11) of the plurality of drive teeth (11) is pressed against the bottom surface of the anti-rotation groove (66).

23. The torque limiter (100) of claim 22, wherein,

the gear teeth (11) have a dimension that can pass between adjacent support projections (63) in the axial direction, and the torque input disc (10) can be rotated in the circumferential direction by an angle during assembly such that the gear teeth (11) are supported on the support projections (63).

24. The torque limiter (100) of any one of claims 3 to 6,

the torque limiter (100) further comprises two bearing discs (50) fastened with the flywheel (60) at both axial sides of the flywheel (60), respectively, the two bearing discs (50) constituting a first bearing portion and a second bearing portion of the torque limiter (100), respectively.

25. The torque limiter (100) of claim 24, wherein,

at least one of the two carrier plates (50) is provided with a transmission hole, and the transmission teeth (11) axially extend from the periphery of the torque input plate (10) and can be inserted into the transmission hole, so that the torque input plate (10) is fixed relative to the flywheel (60) in the circumferential direction.

26. The torque limiter (100) of claim 24, wherein,

the flywheel (60) includes a coupling groove (65) arranged on an inner periphery of a main body portion (61) thereof, and the drive teeth (11) radially extend from an outer periphery of the torque input disc (10) and are insertable into the coupling groove (65) such that the torque input disc (10) is relatively fixed to the flywheel (60) in a circumferential direction.

27. A transmission assembly (1), characterized in that the transmission assembly (1) comprises:

the torque limiter (100) of any one of claims 1 to 26, and

a torsional vibration damper (200), the torsional vibration damper (200) comprising an input portion (210), an output portion (220) and a spring (230) arranged to be compressed circumferentially between the input portion (210) and the output portion (220),

wherein the input part (210) of the torsional vibration damper (200) is fastened together with the driven plate (20) of the torque limiter (100) or the input part (210) of the torsional vibration damper (200) is integrally formed with the driven plate (20) of the torque limiter (100).

28. The transmission assembly (1) according to claim 27, characterized in that,

the torsional vibration damper (200) comprises a through-going bore (201) from which a fastener can be passed through to fasten a torque input disc (10) of the torque limiter (100) to an upstream component of the transmission assembly.

29. A vehicle, characterized in that it comprises a transmission assembly (1) according to claim 27 or 28.