EP2064458A2

EP2064458A2 - Clutch

Info

Publication number: EP2064458A2
Application number: EP07802134A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Markus Albrecht
Original assignee: Ortlinghaus Werke GmbH
Current assignee: Ortlinghaus Werke GmbH
Priority date: 2006-09-05
Filing date: 2007-09-05
Publication date: 2009-06-03
Also published as: WO2008028639A2; CN101535674A; DE102006042078A1; KR101464235B1; WO2008028639A3; DE102006042078B4; KR20090046937A; NO20091404L

Abstract

The invention relates to a clutch (1) comprising a connection (2, 3) for a driving motor at the input end, a connection (3, 2) for an output shaft at the output end, and a set of disks (4) that is arranged therebetween and is brought into a frictional state by means of a piston-cylinder unit (7). As an essential feature, the set of disks (4) is impinged upon by two piston-cylinder units (7, 13) which additively complement each other.

Description

clutch

The present invention relates to a coupling according to the preamble of the main claim.

Such coupling is well known.

Typically, such a coupling is seated between a drive motor, e.g. an internal combustion engine and an output whose rotational movement is to be coupled via the clutch with the rotational movement of the drive motor or decoupled therefrom, or, if the clutch plates are in the steady state of sliding friction to transmit only a portion of the drive-side torque to the output side.

In such a coupling, for example, the output side is formed as a shaft, preferably as a hollow shaft, while the drive side is rotatably connected to the clutch housing.

Between the drive side and output side is the disk set, the number of slats used in each case influences the torques to be transmitted and the thermal performance of the clutch.

Higher torques also require a higher number of fins.

For the respective clutch states (open, closed, synchronization or trolling), a controllable contact pressure must be made possible with which the disk pack according to the basic law of the sliding friction state depending on the respective acting contact pressure only none, the maximum or a part of the maximum torque transmits.

In addition, there are also use cases, e.g. In the field of marine couplings, in which the speed of a propeller must be slower than the lowest possible speed caused by the machine speed.

This operating condition occurs e.g. on, when the ship's position is to be kept in the flow, and therefore the speed of the propeller must be adjustable regardless of the speed of the engine.

Although this requirement can be achieved by conventional couplings with the purpose of use in the marine sector, it is an object of the invention to reduce the effort to control such couplings.

This object is achieved by the invention with the features of the main claim.

The advantage of the invention is that higher torques can be transmitted virtually without changing the size of such couplings.

In particular, for use as a ship clutch, it is recommended to realize the trolling state via a control loop, which acts at preferably higher pressure level in the pressure chamber of the second piston-cylinder unit on the preferably smaller piston surface.

The invention is based on the following:

In principle, each clutch is loaded by two different operating states. In the first operating state, the clutch is in engagement, ie the rotational movement of the drive machine is slip-free transmitted to the rotational movement of the output shaft.

For a marine coupling, this operating condition corresponds to e.g. a ride from Hamburg to New York.

The other operating condition is when the marine clutch must operate with predetermined slip, e.g. to hold the ship's position.

In the first operating state, therefore, high contact forces are required in order to operate the disk pack without slip.

In the second operating state, a sensitive control behavior is required, which must take place at a contact pressure at which the clutch is in slip operation.

This is inventively realized in that the second piston-cylinder unit on the one hand can have smaller pressurized surfaces, on the other hand acted upon by a higher pressure.

Naturally, the higher pressure level can be controlled finer, while the smaller effective area of the piston-cylinder unit limits the contact force in the slip mode upwards despite the higher pressure levels.

It is therefore also a feature of the invention that the clutch is acted upon in the slip operation of a preferably smaller sized second piston-cylinder unit, while the clutch in the engagement mode, ie in a rigid connection between the drive and output through which ad- dierend compressive forces of both piston-cylinder units is applied.

Irrespective of this, however, the clutch can also be acted upon by a correspondingly large-dimensioned first piston-cylinder unit in the rigidly engaged operation, provided that the contact pressure necessary for the static friction can also be realized by a smaller pressure level due to the involved pressure surfaces.

However, the essential aspect of the invention is the possible advantage of being able to realize the slip-free clutch operation by acting on both piston-cylinder units.

This advantage is achieved in that the contact pressure acting on the disk set, taking into account the involved surfaces additively results from the contact pressure of the first piston-cylinder unit plus the contact pressure of the second piston-cylinder unit.

The contact forces of both piston-cylinder units are added using the invention.

Taking into account the geometrical conditions, the force acting on the disk set thus results additively from the summation of the two individual forces, which respectively result from the individual piston-cylinder units.

Thus, however, the transferable torque is also increased accordingly with the same size of the coupling.

The total contact pressure of the disk pack that can be achieved from the available pressure level increases correspondingly and is combined with the smaller one

Piston area of the second piston-cylinder unit in particular for the specified purposes of the coupling in the maritime sector also better controllable at unconfirmed first piston-cylinder unit.

Essential to the invention is therefore the arrangement of two piston-cylinder units, each communicating with a pressure source, each of which acts in the direction of engagement on the disk set.

Either both piston-cylinder units are powered by a single pressure source or each one of its own.

In this way, the contact forces of both piston-cylinder units can be superimposed additively on the disk set without the size of such clutches must increase.

The power density of the coupling, as a parameter in the form of the quotient of transmittable power in relation to the volume of construction, increases.

For the sake of completeness it should be mentioned that the additive arrangement of more than two piston-cylinder units can also be included in the invention.

In this case, the statements made above apply accordingly.

Both piston-cylinder units can have separate pressure sources.

However, both piston-cylinder units can also be connected to the same pressure source.

In addition, if you want a wear-free coupling especially for the trolling operation in the maritime sector have, it is advisable to run the disk pack in an oil bath.

This is therefore a development of the invention which is particularly suitable for the maritime sector and in which the clutch arranged between the drive engine and the output shaft is deliberately driven in the grinding operation in order to achieve a rotational speed of the propeller lying below the minimum rotational speed of the engine.

The required for the standstill in the current speed of the propeller is set on the contact pressure of the disk set by means of only one of the two piston-cylinder units, preferably because of the better control behavior of the smaller piston-cylinder unit.

If the pistons of both piston-cylinder units are interconnected in such a way that displacement of only one piston of the piston of the other piston-cylinder unit is force-coupled, the simultaneous application of both pressure chambers without time delay instantly generates the additive contact force from both piston cylinders Units on the disk set exercised while the filling of only the smaller piston-cylinder unit allows the improved grinding operation.

Moreover, the connection can also be such that both pistons are only displaceable simultaneously and in the same direction in the disengaging direction.

In the disengagement, the two pistons must then also, as well as in the direction of engagement, be rigidly coupled together.

This can be realized in embodiments by a simple Axialverschraubung. The invention has also recognized that both piston-cylinder units can sit within the same coupling housing.

The overall size of such a clutch will therefore not exceed the size of a clutch with only a single piston-cylinder unit.

In this embodiment of the invention, therefore, the space available within the clutch housing anyway by the installation of the second piston-cylinder unit, and possibly other piston-cylinder units, better utilized to in this way the contact pressure on the Increase disc pack.

In principle, the invention thus involves a parallel connection of two piston-cylinder units in the sense that the piston surfaces acted upon by pressurized oil to produce the contact pressure additively complement each other, but the smaller piston surface of the second piston-cylinder unit also can be acted upon alone.

To achieve smaller sizes is also proposed to arrange the two piston-cylinder units axially behind one another, d. h., That both piston-cylinder units can sit on the same side of the disk set and act together with their pistons on the pressure ring, with which the contact pressure is applied to the disk set.

Both piston-cylinder units can be supplied together with pressure oil via the pressure oil channel usually provided in the hollow shaft.

For this purpose, radial channels communicating with the pressure chamber are provided for both piston-cylinder units. see, which can also be fed from one and the same source of pressure oil.

This development of the invention requires the least expenditure on construction, because only the already existing components must be supplemented in the sense of the invention.

In this case, the second piston-cylinder unit, which, like the first piston-cylinder unit, has an effective piston surface in the direction of engagement of the clutch, may well have a smaller overall size.

Then, the piston surface of the piston of the second piston-cylinder unit could lie within the piston surface spanned by the piston of the first piston-cylinder unit, in order to keep the housing diameter of the coupling small.

By simple Axialversatz the two piston surfaces can therefore be accommodated within the same coupling housing readily the two piston-cylinder units.

Advantageous design features also provide for both piston-cylinder units each one on the Innenmitnehmer firmly anchored support flange on which the respective cylinder is axially rigidly connected to the coupling shaft.

In addition, the support flange of the second piston-cylinder unit, which is structurally located between the first and the second piston-cylinder unit, also serve as Abstutzfläche for those force transmitter, which are responsible for the disengagement of the clutch.

For this purpose, embodiments are given.

In the following, the invention will be discussed in greater detail on the basis of exemplary embodiments. Show it:

Fig.l clutch according to the invention in axial section; Fig.2 Detail view of the two piston-cylinder units;

3 Detail view of the lubricating oil supply of

Plate packs.

Unless otherwise stated below, the following description applies to all figures.

The figures show a coupling 1.

The coupling 1 is provided with an input-side terminal for a drive motor and with an output-side terminal for an output shaft.

Input-side terminal and output-side terminal are not differentiated here in detail.

Usually, one of the two connections is connected to the clutch housing 3 and the other to the inner driver 2.

Between the clutch housing 3 and the inner cam 2, the individual disks of the disk set 4 are arranged in the present case, of which every second disk is seated with an external toothing in a corresponding internal toothing of the coupling housing 3 and the respective other lamination with an internal toothing on an external toothing of the inner cam 2 ,

The disk set 4 is subjected to pressure in the direction of engagement 5, so that a circumferentially acting between the respective adjacent disks of the disk set Resulting frictional force arises whose size is dependent on the respective coefficient of friction of adjacent lamellae and acting in the direction of engagement 5 axial force.

In the disengaging 6 a separately acting force transmitter 12 is provided to open the plate pack.

In the direction of engagement acts a piston-cylinder unit 7, which is acted upon via a channel system with pressurized fluid.

In the present case, the channel system consists of e.g. from an axial passage 17, which is introduced into the inner driver 2 and the radial channels 18 coming from this, which are in the pressure chamber

9 of this piston-cylinder unit 7 open, which is also referred to as a "first" piston-cylinder unit.

The radial passage 18 thus opens in the first pressure chamber 9, and acts on the piston surface 10 of the piston 8 of the piston-cylinder unit 7 in the direction of engagement. 5

As a result, the piston 8 of the piston-cylinder unit 7 is displaced in the direction of the disk pack 4 until the disk pack 4 facing abutting surface 25 of the piston 8 abuts the opposite outer surface of the disk set 4.

Thereafter, the disk set is more and more compressed with further pressure build-up and built the required torque-transmitting friction between the input side and output side of the clutch 1.

It is essential that in addition to this first piston-cylinder unit 7, a second separate piston-cylinder unit 13 is provided.

The further piston-cylinder unit 13 also has a piston 14, which, however, closes the second pressure chamber 15 and when filled with a suitable pressure fluid the piston 14 also in the direction of the disk pack 4 to shift is able.

For this purpose, the second pressure chamber 15 is also communicatively connected via a duct system with a pressure source.

Here, in a first embodiment, the channel system consists of an introduced into the hollow shaft 2 Axialka- channel 17, from which a radial channel 18a goes off, which ultimately communicates with the second pressure chamber 15.

This means that the radial outer end of the radial channel 18a is connected directly to the second pressure chamber 15 via a suitable channel system.

Alternatively, the radial duct 18a, which serves to fill the second piston-cylinder unit 13, can communicate with the pressure source 11, 11a via its own axial duct 17a. It may be its own pressure source IIa, preferably with a higher pressure level than the pressure source 11 of the first piston-cylinder unit. 7

It can be understood that when filling the first piston-cylinder unit 7, the associated piston 8 is displaced in the direction of the disk pack 4. However, this applies in the same way when acting on the piston surface 16 of the piston 14 of the second piston-cylinder unit 13, so that ultimately the end face 25 abuts with sufficient displacement to the left in the direction of the disk pack 4 in front of the associated counter surface of the outermost lamella and this Way with further pressure build-up the entire disc pack is compressed accordingly.

Since the present coupling 1 is particularly suitable for operation in the abrasive state, it is additionally provided that the plate pack 4 runs in an oil bath. For this purpose, some additional radial channels 26a-g are provided in the axial longitudinal region of the disk set 4, which are likewise supplied with lubricating oil via an axial channel 17 introduced into the rotary driver 2.

The lubricating oil passes in this way via the radial channels 26a-g in that region of the coupling 1, where the individual slats of the disk pack 4 to be lubricated sit.

As can be further seen from Fig.l, the pistons

8 and 14 of the two piston-cylinder units 7 and 13 are connected to one another in such a way that upon displacement of only a single one of the two pistons 8 or 14, the other piston 14 or 8 is also displaced in the direction of engagement 5.

In the present case, the two pistons 8 and 14 are clamped together via the coupling screw 27, so that both pistons 8 and 14 are as it were synchronously movable as a unit.

The movement of the two pistons 8 and 14 is therefore always the same direction and synchronously, so that even with entry small amounts of pressure fluid in only one or both pressure chambers, the entire unit of the two piston-cylinder units is displaced in the direction of the disk pack 4 ,

Moreover, it is also achieved by means of the coupling screw 27 that both pistons 8 and 14 can also be moved synchronously and simultaneously as well as rectilinearly in the disengagement direction 6.

However, of particular advantage is also the embodiment shown, in which both piston-cylinder units 7 and 13 sit within the same coupling housing 3. In this way, namely, the available space of the coupling housing is optimally utilized and increases the power density of the coupling without changing the outer dimensions in the sense of the invention.

The arrangement of the two piston-cylinder units 7 and 13 in the axial direction one behind the other, the outer diameter of conventional clutch housing 3 can be easily taken.

Although the piston-cylinder units are then ring-shaped, but this corresponds well with the prior art, with the addition of the advantage of a relatively low pressure levels is to mention, which nevertheless due to the additively supplemented pressure surfaces of the pistons 8 and 14 to a corresponding higher contact pressure leads.

Nevertheless, the control behavior in grinding operation is improved due to the smaller area of the second piston-cylinder unit.

Both piston-cylinder units can be connected in accordance with FIG. 1 with one or with separate pressure sources.

Since it also follows that the two piston surfaces of the first and second piston-cylinder unit can be substantially equal, it is proposed to connect both piston-cylinder units to a single pressure source.

Each piston-cylinder unit consists of a firmly connected to the Innenmitnehmer 2, for example, connected by suitable screw connection, component and a movable thereto in the axial direction component. To support the piston-cylinder units 7 and 13 on the inner driver 2 serve here support flanges 19 and 22, which sit immovably in the axial direction on the inner driver 2.

In particular, the support flange 19 may be rigidly connected to the Innenmitnehmer 2 via a screw connection.

The embodiment shown differs from this solution variant.

In the case of the right support flange 19, a Seegering 20 is inserted into a corresponding circumferential groove of the Innenmitnehmers 2 for this purpose.

Thus, the support flange 19 would be secured in the direction of the disk pack 4 away against slipping.

To hold the support flange 19 also in the opposite direction, a clamping ring 21 is provided, which engages on the other side of the whip ring 20 and is screwed against the support flange 19.

The second support flange 22 is supported in the direction of the lamellae package 4 against a diameter step in the Innenmitnehmer 2 and, in particular as Figure 3 shows, screwed against the inner cam 2.

In this case, the second support flange forms an extension which extends in the direction of the disk pack 4 and which is tightly guided on its outer circumference in the front region.

The sealing zone is here formed by the inner circumference of a ring rigidly connected to the second piston 14 and extending away from the disk pack 4, so that the piston 14 of the second piston-cylinder unit 13 is practically on the outer diameter of the support flange 22 is sealingly guided, wherein the clamping screws 23, which are preferably distributed on the circumference of the support flange 22, so to speak fix the relative to the Innenmitnehmers 2 stationary component of the second piston-cylinder unit 13.

In addition, it can be seen that in the support flange 22 of the second piston-cylinder unit 13 circumferentially distributed guide holes 24 are introduced in the axial direction, so that the force transmitter 12 can be attached to this axially immovable component of the second piston-cylinder unit 13 , with the aid of which the piston 8 of the first piston-cylinder unit 7 is moved in the release direction 6, as soon as the pressurization decreases.

By way of the axial coupling of the two pistons 8 and 14 by means of the coupling screw 27, the piston 14 of the second piston-cylinder unit 13 is simultaneously displaced in the same direction as the piston 8 of the first piston-cylinder unit 7 in the release direction 6.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

1 clutch

2 inner driver

3 coupling housing

4 plate pack 5 direction of engagement

6 release direction

7 first piston-cylinder unit

8 pistons from 7

9 first pressure chamber 10 piston surface in the direction of the fifth

11 Pressure source IIa Pressure source

12 force transmitter

13 second piston-cylinder unit 14 piston of 13

15 second pressure chamber

16 piston area in direction 5

17 Axial channel 17a Axial channel 18 Radial channel

18a radial channel

19 first support flange

20 seagull ring

21 clamping ring 22 second support flange

23 clamping screw

24 pilot hole

25 end face 26a-g radial channel 27 coupling screw

M actuator

GPS Global Positioning System

Claims

claims

1. Coupling (1) with an input-side terminal (2, 3) for a drive motor and an output-side terminal (3, 2) for an output shaft and with interposed plate set (4), which in Einrückrich- direction (5) by the piston (8) of a piston-cylinder unit (7) via a channel system (17,18) can be acted upon by pressure fluid and acting in the release direction (6) on the piston (8) of the piston-cylinder unit (7) Force transmitter (12) and with the following features:

a second piston-cylinder unit (13) is provided,

- The piston (14) has a further in the direction of engagement (5) of the clutch (1) acted upon with pressurized fluid second piston surface (16),

the second piston surface (16) closes off a further second pressure chamber (15),

- The second pressure chamber (15) communicates via a second channel system (17, 18a, 17a, 18a) with a pressure source (11, IIa).

2. clutch (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the disk set (4) runs in an oil bath.

3. clutch (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the pistons (8,14) of both piston-cylinder Units (7, 13) connected to each other (27) are such that the piston (14) of the second piston-cylinder unit (13) of the piston (8) of the first piston-cylinder unit (7) at least in the direction of engagement (5) mitverlagert.

4. clutch (1) according to claim 3, characterized in that the pistons (8,14) of both piston-cylinder units (7,13) connected to each other (27) are such that the piston (14) of the second piston Cylinder unit (13) of the piston (8) of the first piston-cylinder unit (7) is also mitverlagert in the disengaging direction (6).

5. clutch (1) according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that both piston-cylinder units

(7,13) sit inside the same coupling housing (3).

6. Coupling (1) according to claim 5, characterized in that both piston-cylinder units (7, 13) are arranged axially one behind the other.

7. clutch (1) according to claim 5 or 6, characterized in that both piston-cylinder units (7,13) sit annularly on a Innenmitnehmer (2) and that the Innenmitnehmer (2) has a pressure oil passage (17), of which both piston-cylinder units (7,13) via respective radial channels (18,18a) are pressurized oil.

8. clutch (1) according to claim 5 or 6, characterized in that the Innenmitnehmer (2) for each piston-cylinder unit (7,13) each having a separate pressure oil passage (17,17a) of which in each case one of the two pistons -Zylinder units (7,13) via respective radial channels (18,18a) is pressurized oil.

9. clutch (1) according to claim 7 or 8, characterized in that both piston-cylinder units (7,13) communicate with the same pressure source (11).

10. clutch (1) according to claim 8, characterized in that for each piston-cylinder unit (7,13) another pressure source (11,11a) is provided.

11. clutch (1) according to claim 10, characterized in that the pressure source (IIa) of the second piston-cylinder unit (7,13) has a higher pressure level than the pressure source (11) of the first piston-cylinder unit.

12. Coupling (1) according to one of claims 5 to 11, characterized in that the piston surface (16) of the piston

(14) of the second piston-cylinder unit (13) is smaller than the area of the piston (8) of the first piston-ZyIinder- unit (7) spanned surface (10).

13. clutch (1) according to claim 12, characterized in that both piston-cylinder units (7,13) of one on the Innenmitnehmer (2) fixed in both axial directions (5,6) anchored support flange (19,22) be completed.

14. Coupling (1) according to claim 13, characterized in that the support flange (22) of the second piston-cylinder unit (13) between the piston (8) of the first piston-cylinder unit (7) and the piston (14 ) of the second piston-cylinder unit (13) is arranged and that between the disc pack (4) facing away from this support flange (22) and the disc pack (4) facing side of the first piston-cylinder unit (7) in the release direction (6) of the clutch (1) acting force transmitter (12) are supported.

15. Coupling (1) according to claim 14, characterized in that the force transmitters (12) are formed by over the circumference of the support flange (22) of the second piston-cylinder unit (13) distributed compression springs.

16. Coupling (1) according to claim 15, characterized in that the compression springs in guide bores (24) of the support flange (22) of the second piston-cylinder unit (13) or on the disc pack (4) facing side te of the piston (8) of the first piston-cylinder unit (7) sit.

17. Coupling (1) according to one of claims 1 to 16, characterized in that the second piston-cylinder unit (13) is integrated into a control loop, wherein the pressurizing pressure is a function of an actuator (M) whose setting position in Dependent on deviations from a given global vehicle rolling position is changeable.

18. clutch (1) according to one of claims 1 to 17, characterized in that the second piston surface (16) of the piston-cylinder unit (13) within the piston surface (10) of the piston-cylinder unit (7).