EP1989460A1

EP1989460A1 - Clutch housing with apertures for receiving a clutch disk

Info

Publication number: EP1989460A1
Application number: EP07702400A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Todd Sturgin; Adam Uhler; Philip George
Original assignee: LuK Lamellen und Kupplungsbau Beteiligungs KG; LuK Lamellen und Kupplungsbau GmbH
Current assignee: Schaeffler Technologies AG and Co KG
Priority date: 2006-02-22
Filing date: 2007-01-31
Publication date: 2008-11-12
Also published as: EP1989457A1; DE112007000159A5; WO2007095910A1; DE112007000258A5; EP1989457B1; ATE536489T1; CN101389877A; WO2007095883A1; EP1989459A1; WO2007095884A1; JP2009527704A; DE112007000249A5; KR101336369B1; CN101389877B; KR20080097173A; JP2009527700A

Abstract

The invention relates to a mechanically actuated automatic dual wet clutch unit to be operated in a liquid-tight housing for a transmission comprising two input shafts, said clutch having an interstice with narrow tolerances between the surfaces of the friction disks, the average interstice in an open position ranging from approximately 0.05 mm to approximately 0.25 mm. The clutch comprises at least one first clutch part (22) and a second clutch part (24), independently actuated from the first, and at least one clutch pack in the first or second clutch part. At least one mechanical device displaces the friction disks (16d, 18d) in relation to each other in at least one of the clutch parts for engaging the friction disks. The invention also relates to a device and a method for adjusting and maintaining the interstices between the surfaces of the friction disks.

Description

Clutch housing with openings for receiving a clutch disc

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to improvements in a device for transmitting power between a rotary drive unit (for example, the engine of a motor vehicle) and a rotationally driven unit (for example, the automatic transmission in the motor vehicle). In particular, the invention relates to a clutch housing for transmitting torque from the drive unit to clutch plates in a clutch assembly. In particular, the invention relates to openings in the housing for receiving the clutch discs.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2005/0139442, filed on December 23, 2004, and published on Jun. 30, 2005, which is incorporated herein by reference, cites an example of the use of a coupling housing in a clutch assembly of a vehicle for transmitting torque from the vehicle engine to clutch discs in the clutch assembly. The housing is connected in some way to the crankshaft of the engine, and the housing is adapted to receive the clutch plates. For example, a barrel-shaped housing having a substantially cylindrical portion with an inner surface (which faces a longitudinal axis of the clutch assembly) may be used. On the inner surface keyways are formed, which receive at least some of the clutch discs. The remaining clutch plates are typically connected to an output side of the clutch assembly. In the clutch assembly, a fluid pressure is controlled to actuate the clutch discs so that the discs mounted on the keyways engage the discs connected to the output side. Thus, the engine transmits torque to the clutch plates. The keyways are formed by the profile rolling process. The roll forming process is a relatively expensive process, at least as far as the additional processing stations required in the process are concerned. Thus, a clutch assembly could be improved by using a more cost effective method of manufacturing the housing. Thus, there has long been a need for a clutch housing that can be made quickly and cost effectively. Furthermore, there has long been a need for a simplified means for mounting a clutch housing and clutch plates of a clutch assembly.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention generally includes a clutch housing having a substantially cylindrical housing wall and at least one opening in the housing wall operatively disposed to receive at least a portion of a clutch plate of a clutch assembly. In some aspects, the openings are in the form of slots that are substantially parallel to a longitudinal axis of the housing. In some aspects, the housing wall further includes an end, and the at least one opening communicates with the end, or the housing wall further includes a radial step near the end. In some aspects, the clutch housing is an inner housing or housing for the clutch assembly. In some aspects, the housing is stamped or machined.

In general, the present invention also includes a clutch assembly having a clutch housing having at least one opening with at least a portion of a clutch disk disposed in the at least one opening. The clutch housing further includes a cylindrical housing wall, wherein the at least one opening is disposed in the housing wall and, in some aspects, the at least one opening consists of at least one slot aligned substantially parallel to an axis of the housing. The housing wall includes an edge proximate at least a portion of the at least one opening, and the coupling housing is disposed so that the portion of the clutch disc contacts the edge when torque is applied to the clutch housing. In some aspects, the clutch housing is an inner housing or an outer housing of the clutch assembly.

In general, the present invention further includes a dual clutch assembly having an outer clutch housing with at least one first opening and an inner clutch housing having at least a second opening includes. The inner housing is secured to the outer housing, and the at least one first and second openings are operatively arranged to receive at least a portion of a first and second clutch plate of the clutch assembly, respectively.

The present invention generally also includes a method of transmitting torque from a clutch housing to a clutch plate.

A general object of the present invention is to provide a clutch housing, a clutch assembly, and a dual clutch assembly to minimize the number of manufacturing steps required to manufacture the housing and, in particular, the number of manufacturing stations used.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a clutch housing, a clutch assembly, and a dual clutch assembly that can be manufactured without the use of profile rolling.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a clutch housing, a clutch assembly, and a dual clutch assembly that can be manufactured from stamped components.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a clutch housing, a clutch assembly, and a dual clutch assembly that can be manufactured from machined components.

These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description of preferred embodiments of the invention and the accompanying drawings and claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the following, the nature and mode of operation of the present invention will be described in detail in the course of the following detailed description of the invention in conjunction with the accompanying figures, wherein: - A -

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an outer clutch housing according to the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of an inner clutch housing according to the present invention;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a dual clutch assembly in which the spring washers are removed and incorporating the clutch housings of Figs. 1 and 2;

Fig. 4 is a bottom view of the assembly of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a cross-section of an exploded view of the outer housing and corresponding clutch plates of Fig. 4 taken along section line 5.7-5.7;

Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the outer housing and corresponding clutch plates of Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the inner housing of Fig. 4 taken along section line 5.7-5.7 in Fig. 4;

Fig. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the inner housing and corresponding clutch plates of Fig. 4 taken along section line 7-7 in Fig. 4;

Fig. 9 is a perspective view of a dual clutch assembly according to the present invention;

Fig. 10 is an exploded view of the assembly of Fig. 9;

Fig. 11 is a side view of the assembly of Fig. 9;

Fig. 12 is a perspective view of an outer clutch housing according to the present invention; Fig. 13 is a perspective view of an inner clutch housing according to the present invention;

Fig. 14 is a perspective view of a dual clutch assembly in which the spring washers are removed and incorporating the clutch housings of Figs. 12 and 13;

Fig. 15 is a bottom view of the assembly of Fig. 14;

Fig. 16 is a partial cross-sectional view of the inner housing and corresponding clutch plates of Fig. 15 taken along section line 16-16 in Fig. 15;

Fig. 17 is an exploded view of a dual clutch assembly according to the present invention; and

FIG. 18 is a side view of the assembly of FIG. 17. FIG.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

It should be understood in advance that like reference numerals in different drawing views designate identical or functionally similar structural elements of the invention. While the present invention will be described in terms of the preferred aspects, it should be understood that the claimed invention is not limited to the aspects described.

It is also to be understood that the present invention is not limited to the particular methods, materials, and modifications described, and thus, of course, may vary. It is further understood that the terms used herein are for the purpose of describing particular aspects only and are not to be construed as limiting the scope of the present invention, which are limited only by the appended claims.

Unless otherwise stated, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood to one of ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention pertains. Although to run or In testing the invention, any methods, devices or materials similar or equivalent to those described herein can be used, the preferred methods, devices and materials are described below.

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an outer clutch housing 10 according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an inner clutch housing 100 according to the present invention. FIG.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a dual clutch assembly 200 in which the spring washers are removed and incorporating the clutch housings of FIGS. 1 and 2.

FIG. 4 is a bottom view of the assembly of FIG. 3. FIG.

5 is the cross-section of an exploded view of the outer housing and corresponding clutch plates of FIG. 4 taken along section line 5.7-5.7 in FIG. 4. FIG.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the outer housing and corresponding clutch plates of FIG. 5. The following description will be seen in conjunction with FIGS. 1 and 3-6. In Fig. 1, the coupling housing 10 includes a housing wall 12, slots 14 in the wall 12 and a longitudinal axis 15. The wall 12 is disposed radially about the axis 15 around. That is, the wall has a generally cylindrical shape. It should be understood, however, that the wall 12 is not limited to the shape shown in the figures, but other shapes of the wall 12 are included within the spirit and scope of the claimed invention. For example, the wall 12 is not limited to a certain height 16 or diameter 18.

As shown in Figures 1, 5 and 6, the slots 14 are arranged to receive clutch plates 20 of a clutch assembly. That is, in the slots 14 at least a part of the discs 20 is arranged. The slots 14 are not limited to the shape shown in the figures. Other slots 14 are possible and included within the spirit and scope of the claimed invention. For example For example, the depth 22 and the width 24 of the slots 14 can be varied. Furthermore, the housing 10 is not limited to the illustrated number of slots 14.

The slots 14 include openings 26 at the end 28 of the wall 12. The openings serve to receive disks in the slots 14 without bending or warping them. In some aspects, the wall 12 includes a radial step 30 that allows the insertion of the discs 20 through openings 26 in the slots.

An end wall 32 is arranged so that the disks 20 touch the wall. In some aspects, a clutch disc stop 34 is formed in the wall 32 against which the discs 20 abut. The stop 34 projects a distance 36 beyond the wall 32 and forms a slot 38 between the discs 20 and the wall 32. In some aspects, the stop is only in the parts due to clearance and accessibility requirements of the systems used to form the slots 14 formed of the wall 32, which are not radially aligned with the slots 14. The wall 32 is shown as an integral part of the wall 12, however, it should be understood that other arrangements of the walls 12 and 32 are possible. Furthermore, other cross-sectional shapes and arrangements of the wall 32 are possible.

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the inner housing of FIG. 4 taken along section line 5-7 in FIG. 4. FIG.

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the inner housing and corresponding clutch plates of FIG. 4 along section line 5, 7-5, 7 in FIG. 4. The following description will be seen in conjunction with FIGS. 1-8. In Fig. 2, the housing 100 includes a housing wall 112, slots 114 in the wall 112, and a longitudinal axis 115. The wall 112 is disposed radially about the axis 115. That is, the wall 112 has a generally cylindrical shape. It should be understood, however, that the wall 112 is not limited to the shape shown in the figures, and that other forms of the wall 112 are included within the spirit and scope of the claimed invention. For example, the wall is not limited to a particular height 116 or diameter 118.

In Figs. 2, 7 and 8 are shown slots 114 arranged to receive clutch plates 120 of a clutch assembly. This means, at least a portion of the discs 120 is disposed in the slots 114. The slots 114 are not limited to the shape shown in the figures. Other shapes for the slots 114 are possible and included within the spirit and scope of the claimed invention. For example, the depth 122 and the width 124 of the slots 114 can be varied. Furthermore, the housing 100 is not limited to the illustrated number of slots 114.

The slots 114 include openings 126 at the end 128 of the wall 112. The openings serve to receive disks 120 in the slots 114 without bending or warping them. In some aspects, the wall 112 includes a radial step 130 that allows the insertion of the discs 120 through openings 126 in the slots.

The end wall 132 is arranged so that the disks 120 contact the wall. In some aspects, a clutch disc stop 134 is formed in the wall 132 against which the discs 120 abut. The stop 134 projects a distance 136 beyond the wall 132, and forms a slot 138 between the discs 120 and the wall 132. The wall 132 is shown as an integral part of the wall 112, however, it should be understood that other arrangements of the walls 112 and 132 are possible. Furthermore, other cross-sectional shapes and arrangements of the wall 132 are possible.

In some aspects, the housing 10 of FIG. 1 includes a hub 40. The end wall 32 extends to the hub 40, and in some aspects, the end wall 32 is connected to the hub by a low cost process using press rivets 42. It should be understood, however, that other methods such as single rivets or mechanical fasteners or welds may be used to attach the end wall 32 to the hub 40. In some aspects, torque is transmitted from a drive unit to the housing 10 via the hub 40.

Figures 5 and 6 illustrate the disks 20 stacked in the housing 10. Figure 5 is an exploded view showing an outer clutch disk stack 44 with alternating disks 20 and disks 46. It should be understood that the present invention is not limited to the use of a particular number of disks 20 and 46 or a particular arrangement of the stack 44. From the outer periphery of the discs 20 protrude tongues 48, the be absorbed by the slots 14. In general, the tabs 48 correspond in number, location, shape and arrangement to the slots 14. That is, each tab 48 corresponds to a corresponding slot 14. However, it should be understood that other arrangements of slots are within the spirit and scope of the claimed invention are included.

Figures 7 and 8 illustrate the stacking of the disks 120 in the housing 100. Figure 8 shows an inner clutch disk stack 144 having alternating disks 120 and disks 146. It should be understood that the present invention does not imply the use of a particular number of disks 120 and 146 or a particular arrangement of the stack 144 is limited. From the outer periphery of the discs 120, tabs 148 protrude, which are received through the slots 114. Generally, the tabs 148 correspond in number, location, shape, and arrangement to the slots 114. That is, each tab 148 corresponds to a corresponding slot 114. However, it should be understood that other slot arrangements are within the spirit and scope of the claimed invention are included.

The following description will be seen in conjunction with FIGS. 1-8. Although generally two or more slots 14 or 114 are preferred, any number of slots 14 or 114 are possible, and such number of slots are within the spirit and scope of the claimed invention. Further, the present invention is not limited to any particular arrangement or spacing of the slots 14 or 114. In general, the walls 12 and 112 and the slots 14 and 114, respectively, are parallel to the axis 15 and 115, respectively. It should be understood that the present invention is not limited to use with the number and arrangement of the disks 20, 46 , 120 or 146 is limited. That is, in the present invention, other numbers and arrangements of slices may be used.

The housings 10 and 100 are stamped, thus reducing manufacturing costs and complexity. It should be understood, however, that other manufacturing techniques may be used to form the packages 10 or 100. In some aspects, after the formation process, the slots 14 and 114, respectively, are stamped on the walls 12 and 112 so that roll forming is not required with the associated complexities and costs. Furthermore, because the slots are created after the formation process, possible deformations and dimensional deviations are reduced. The housing 10 is also formed with an edge 49 which forms an uninterrupted support over the edge 28 of the housing 10, in particular against circumferential stresses to which the housing is exposed during use. In some aspects, due to spacing and accessibility requirements of the equipment used to form the slots 14, the margin is not formed until the slots 14 have been punched.

9 is a perspective view of a dual clutch assembly 300 according to the present invention.

FIG. 10 is an exploded view of the assembly of FIG. 9. The following description will be seen in conjunction with FIGS. 1-10. To form the assembly 300, the stack 44 is stacked in the housing 10 and then a support ring 302 and a pin 303 inserted into the housing 10. The stack 144 is stacked in the housing 100, and then the flow barrier 304 and the support ring 306 are inserted into the housing 100. The housing 100 is inserted into the housing 10, the spring washer 308 is connected to the stack 144 and the spring washer 310 is connected to the stack 44. It should be understood, however, that the present invention is not limited to use with the number, type, and arrangement of components shown in FIG. 10, but that other numbers, types, and arrangements of components may be used in the present invention.

The springs 310 and 308 may be connected to the housing 10 and 100, respectively, using any means known in the art. In addition, in some aspects, an assembly of spring tongues and slots in the housing may also be used, as described in the commonly owned US Patent Application entitled "CLUTCH HOUSING WITTH LEVER SPRING RETENTION SLOTS AND METHOD OF INSTALLING A LEVER SPRING" by Todd Sturgin and Adam Uhler, filed the same day as the present application. For example, the tongues 320 of the spring 310 project into the openings 26 in the housing 10.

It should be understood that any means known in the art, such as each corresponding wedges and grooves or welds, may be used to connect the housing 10 to the housing 100. In addition, in some aspects, an array of tongues and slots, such as those described in commonly assigned U.S. Patent Application entitled "CLUTCH HOUSING WITH WIDE LEVER SPRING RETENTION SLOTS AND CLUTCH HOUSING WITH AXIALLY OFFSET TEBS "by Adam Uhler, filed the same day as this application, for example, the tabs 160 project into the openings 26 in the housing 100 to secure the coupling housing 10 in FIG Direction of rotation with the housing 100 to lock.

When torque acts on the hub 40 in the direction 312, the housing 10 moves in the direction 312, and the housing 10, in particular the wall 12 engages with the discs 20 in one another. In particular, the edges 50 of the slots 14 formed as part of the wall 12 engage the edges 314 of the tongues and rotate the discs 20 in the direction 312. The torque is transmitted to the housing 100. In the same manner, the edges 150 of the slots 114 engage the tongues 148 and rotate the disks 120 in direction 312. In a neutral state (when no external pressure is applied to springs 308 and 310), discs 20 and 46 and discs 120 and 146, respectively, are disengaged. For example, the discs 20 may rotate freely and have little or no contact with the discs 46. When a force is applied to the spring 310, the discs 20 and 46 are brought into frictional contact with each other, rotate together and transmit the torque to the carrier ring 302. When a force is applied to the spring 308, the discs 120 and 146 are in frictional contact with each other In addition, in some aspects, additional slots are provided in the housings 10 and 100, such as the slots 52 and 152, respectively, to permit passage of cooling fluids and receive spring tongues. It should be understood that assembly 300 may also be moved in a direction opposite to direction 312.

FIG. 11 is a side view of the assembly of FIG. 9. FIG.

Fig. 12 is a perspective view of an outer clutch housing 400 according to the present invention.

Fig. 13 is a perspective view of an inner clutch housing 500 according to the present invention. FIG. 14 is a perspective view of a dual clutch assembly 600 with the spring washers removed and incorporating the clutch housings of FIGS. 12 and 13. Figures 12 to 14 show a coupling housing and a coupling assembly with a similar function as the housing shown in Figures 1 to 3 and the coupling housing. While the housings in Figures 1 and 2 are stamped, the housings in Figures 12 and 13 are, however, made by machining.

Fig. 15 is a bottom view of the assembly of Fig. 14;

FIG. 16 is a partial cross-sectional view of the inner housing 500 and corresponding clutch plates of FIG. 15 taken along section line 16--16 in FIG. 15. FIG.

FIG. 17 is an exploded view of a dual clutch assembly 700 in accordance with the present invention. FIG.

Fig. 18 is a side view of the assembly of Fig. 17. The following description will be seen in conjunction with Figs. 12-18. In general, the descriptions of the housings 10 and 100 also apply to the housings 400 and 500. In particular, the descriptions of the housing walls, the slots and the slot heights and widths in the description of FIGS. 1 to 11 also apply to the walls 402 and 502 and 500, respectively for the slots 404 and 504 in Figs. 12 and 13. It should be understood that the walls 402 and 502 are not limited to the shape shown in the figures and the walls include other shapes within the spirit and scope of the claimed invention ,

The arrangement of the housings 400 and 500 with respect to the clutch disk stacks is similar to the arrangement described above for the housings 10 and 100 and the stacks 44 and 144, respectively. For example, the slots 404 and 504 are arranged to receive the clutch plates 702 and 506 of a clutch assembly, respectively. That is, at least a portion of the disks 506 and 702 are located in the slots 504 and 404, respectively. The slots 404 and 504 include openings 410 and 508, respectively. The openings serve to receive disks 506 and 702 into the slots 504 and 404, respectively can be used without bending or warping them. Each wall or rim 510 of the housing 500 is arranged so that the disks 506 contact the wall. In some aspects, a clutch disc stop 512 is formed in the wall 510 against which the discs 506 abut. The stopper 512 projects beyond the wall 502 and forms a slot 514 between the discs 506 and the wall 510. The wall 510 is shown as integral to the wall 502, however, it should be understood that other arrangements of the walls 502 and 510 are possible , In some aspects, the end wall 412 is also provided with a stop and forms a slot between the discs 702 and the stop, which is analogous to the function of the stop and the associated slot of the housing 10. Other cross-sectional shapes and arrangements of the walls 412 and 510 are possible.

Although generally two or more slots 404 or 504 are preferred, any number of slots 404 or 504 are included that are within the spirit and scope of the claimed invention. Further, the present invention is not limited to any particular arrangement or spacing of the slots 404 or 504. In general, walls 402 and 502 and slots 404 and 504, respectively, are parallel to axis 604. Discussion of stacks 44 and 144 in the descriptions of FIGS. 1 to 11 also applies to stacks 706 and 708, respectively. It should be understood that the present invention is not limited to use with the number and arrangement of disks shown for stacks 706 and 708.

In some aspects, the housing 400 of FIG. 12 includes a hub 414. The discussion of the hub 40 in the descriptions of FIGS. 1-11 also applies to the hub 414. The end wall 412 extends to the hub 414 and is joined thereto by welding or any means known in the art, such as rivets. In particular, the laser welding can be used.

FIG. 16 illustrates the stacking of the stack 708 in the housing 500. In general, the description regarding the clutch plates in the housing 100 also applies to the housing 500 and the stack 708. From the outer periphery of the discs 506, tabs 710 protrude, which are received through the slots 504. In general, the tabs 710 correspond in number, location, shape, and arrangement to the slots 504. That is, each tab 710 corresponds to a corresponding slot 504. However, it should be understood that other arrangements of slots are in the spirit and Scope of the claimed invention are included. The discussion of the clutch plates, slots, and lamination in the description of FIGS. 5 and 6 also applies to the housing 400 and stack 706.

To form the assembly 600, the stack 706 is layered into the housing 400 and the support ring 712 and the flow barrier / pin 714 in the housing 400 are interlocked. In the housing 500, the stack 708 layered and flow barrier / pin 714, support ring 716 and pump drive / pin 718 used. The housing 500 is connected to the housing 400. The leaf spring 720 is set against the stack 708 and the spring washer 722 against the stack 706. It should be understood, however, that the present invention is not limited to the use of the number, type, and arrangement of components shown in FIG. 17, and that a different number, type, and arrangement of components may be used in the present invention.

When torque is applied to hub 414 in direction 624, housing 400 moves toward 624 and disks 702 couple to housing 400, and in particular to wall 402. In particular, edges 418 of FIG formed slots 404 in the edges 724 of the tongues 726 and move the discs 702 in the direction 624 in rotation. The torque is transmitted to the housing 500. In the same manner, the edges 522 of the slots 504 engage the tabs 710, thereby rotating the discs 506 in the direction 624. In a neutral state (when no external pressure is applied to the springs 720 and 722), the disks 702 are not engaged with the remaining disks of the stack 706 and the disks 506 are not engaged with the disks 524. For example, the disks 506 are free to rotate, touching the disks 524 only slightly or not at all. When a force is applied to the spring 722, the discs in the stack 706 are frictionally engaged, rotate together and transmit the torque to the carrier ring 712. When a force is applied to the spring 720, the discs 506 and 524 are brought into frictional contact with each other , rotate together and transmit the torque to the carrier ring 716. In some aspects, additional openings, for example, the openings 420 and 526, respectively, are provided in the housings 400 and 500 to permit the passage of cooling fluids. It should be understood that assembly 600 may also be displaced in a direction opposite to direction 624. Clutch housings according to the present invention have been shown in a dual clutch assembly in FIGS. 9 and 17. It should be understood, however, that the clutch housings according to the present invention are not limited to dual clutch assemblies. For example, a clutch housing according to the present invention may also be used in a single clutch arrangement (not shown), for example in a starting clutch.

It should be understood that any means known in the art may be used to adjust the coupling assemblies shown in the figures. In addition, in some aspects, the method disclosed in U.S. Patent Application entitled "DUAL CLUTCH PACK DUAL OPERATING CLUTCH AND METHOD FOR ADJUSTING SAME" assigned to the same assignee by Uhler et al., Filed on the same date as the present patent application, may be used , is described.

Thus, it will be appreciated that the objects of the present invention are effectively attained, although those skilled in the art should be aware of the modifications and variations of the invention that are within the spirit and scope of the claimed invention. It is also to be understood that the foregoing description is intended to be illustrative of the present invention and is not to be considered as limiting. Therefore, other embodiments of the present invention are possible without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

Claims

claims

A clutch housing comprising:

a substantially cylindrical housing wall; and

at least one opening in the housing wall, wherein the at least one opening is operatively arranged to receive at least a portion of a clutch disc in a clutch assembly.

2. The housing of claim 1, further comprising: a longitudinal axis, wherein the at least one opening further comprises at least one slot which is aligned substantially parallel to the axis.

3. Housing according to claim 1, wherein the housing wall further comprises an end and the at least one opening communicates with the end.

The housing of claim 3, wherein the housing wall further comprises a radial step proximate the end.

5. Housing according to claim 1, wherein the housing is an inner coupling housing of the assembly.

6. Housing according to claim 1, wherein the housing is an outer coupling housing of the assembly.

7. Housing according to claim 1, wherein the housing is stamped.

8. Housing according to claim 1, wherein the housing is machined.

9. A coupling assembly comprising:

a clutch housing having at least one opening; and at least a portion of a clutch disc, which is arranged in the at least one opening.

10. The clutch assembly of claim 9, further comprising: a longitudinal axis, the clutch housing further comprising a cylindrically shaped housing wall having at least one opening disposed in the housing wall and the at least one opening including at least one slot substantially parallel to the axis is aligned.

11. The clutch assembly of claim 10, wherein the housing wall includes an edge located at least near a portion of the at least one opening, and the clutch housing is arranged so that the at least a portion of the clutch disc contacts the edge when on the clutch housing a Torque acts.

12. A clutch assembly according to claim 9, wherein the clutch housing is an inner clutch housing.

13. Coupling assembly according to claim 9, wherein the coupling housing is an outer clutch housing.

14. A dual clutch assembly comprising:

an outer clutch housing having at least a first opening; and

an inner clutch housing having at least one second opening, the inner housing being attached to the outer housing and the at least one and second openings being operatively arranged to receive at least a portion of the first and second clutch plates of a clutch assembly, respectively.

15. A method of transmitting torque from a clutch housing to a clutch plate, the method comprising the steps of:

Forming at least one opening in a substantially cylindrical housing wall of a coupling housing; and Arranging at least a part of at least one clutch disc of a clutch assembly in the at least one opening.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the housing wall further comprises an end and a part of the at least one opening communicates with the end; and wherein the method further comprises:

Insert the at least one clutch disc through this part.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein inserting at least a portion of at least one clutch disk into the at least one opening further comprises stacking the at least one portion of at least one clutch disk in the at least one opening.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the housing wall comprises an edge formed by the at least one opening; and

the method further comprising:

Engaging the at least one part of at least one clutch disc in the edge.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the clutch housing is an inner clutch housing of the assembly.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the clutch housing is an outer clutch housing of the assembly.

21. The method of claim 15, further comprising: stamping or machining the housing.