FR3032503A1 - VEHICLE CLUTCH SYSTEM OPTIMIZED - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a vehicle clutch system (1) comprising a clutch housing (2), a clutch cable (4) and a concentric mechanical receiver (3) comprising a connected rotating part (6). said cable (4), said receiver (3) being mounted on said housing (2). The main characteristic of a clutch system according to the invention is that an end of said cable (4) terminates in an enlarged end piece (14), and in that a holding tube (7) is secured to the housing (2) so that said tip (14) is inserted into said tube (7) for holding said cable (4) on said housing (2).

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION The invention relates to an optimized vehicle clutch system.

Improved clutch systems exist and have already been patented. For example, patent FR2973461, which describes a clutch system whose control device is coupled to a management means for improving the operating conditions of said device while controlling the level of wear of the device. clutch system.

Conventionally, a clutch system schematically comprises a clutch pedal, transmission means, a clutch housing, a clutch cable and a mechanical concentric receiver or RCM mounted on said housing. The RCM comprises a guide tube and a rotating part to which the cable is secured, said tube being inserted into the housing and the rotating part being able to rotate around said tube. Thus, a pressure on the clutch pedal to disengage, causes a pulling of the cable, via the transmission means, and a rotation of the rotating portion of the RCM on the housing, around said guide tube. However, generally, when mounting a clutch system, the cable is not properly maintained and requires an operator to use a bulky tool and long manipulations that can be random . The clutch systems according to the invention overcome the disadvantages noted in the state of the art. The invention relates to a vehicle clutch system comprising a clutch housing, a clutch cable and a mechanical concentric receiver having a rotating portion connected to said cable, said receiver being mounted on said housing. The main characteristic of a clutch system according to the invention is that one end of said cable terminates in an enlarged endpiece, a holding tube being secured to the housing so that said endpiece is inserted into said tube. to maintain said cable on said housing. In other words, the holding tube allows said cable to be oriented in the same direction relative to the casing by means of a simple insertion of the widened endpiece into said holding tube. An operator acting for example along a production line of a vehicle then no longer needs to use a specific tool to fix the cable, thus sparing additional costs and mounting time. Preferably, the insertion of the tip into the tube is done manually by means of a certain effort, so that said tip can not easily and simply out of said tube. The holding tube may constitute an insert which is inserted into the housing or constitute with said housing a single part manufactured simultaneously during the same operation. It is assumed that the end of the cable which is opposite to that terminating in the enlarged tip is directly connected to the rotating part of the mechanical concentric receiver. The holding tube is advantageously made of plastic. Preferably, the enlarged tip is also made of plastic. The enlarged tip can take any shape and be for example cylindrical, spherical or frustoconical.

Advantageously, the holding tube has an opening for the passage of the widened tip and a slot for the passage of the cable. Preferably, the slot is intended for the passage of a section of the cable directly extending the enlarged end piece. Preferably, the enlarged tip and the holding tube are cylindrical. In this way, said tip and said holding tube are easy and quick to manufacture, and insertion of the tip into the tube is found simplified. Advantageously, the holding tube is clipped on the housing. Thus, fixing the tube in the housing and easy and fast, because it does not require 3032503 3 or the use of specific tools, nor the use of long manipulations. Preferably, the enlarged endpiece has a movable part and a fixed base, a spring being inserted between said base and said movable part. Advantageously, the spring is wound around a cylindrical body secured to the base and on which is mounted the movable part. Preferably, the moving part is constituted by a magnet, and at least a portion of the holding tube is constituted by a ferrite, said ferrite being supplied with an electric current so that the assembly constituted by the tube and the moving part forms a permanent displacement sensor. In this way, such a sensor in relation with a computer, makes it possible to measure the conditions and the amplitude of displacement of the widened tip in the holding tube and thus to have access to certain physical parameters related to the system. clutch. It is assumed that an electronic connection plug is implanted in the housing near the holding tube. Preferably, the sensor is able to measure at least one parameter to be chosen from a re-engagement point, a disengaged position, an engaged position and a level of wear of the clutch. Advantageously, a temperature sensor is implanted at one end of the holding tube so as to measure the temperature of a clutch plate. In this way, if the temperature of said platen exceeds a predetermined threshold value, a computer will immediately command closing the clutch to prevent degradation of said platen and thus preserve the disengagement / clutch function of the vehicle. Another object of the invention is a method of mounting a clutch system according to the invention.

The main characteristic of a mounting method according to the invention is that it comprises the following steps: a step of snap-fitting implantation of the holding tube in the casing, a step of insertion of the expanded end of the cable in the holding tube, a step of fixing the concentric mechanical receiver on said housing. A clutch system according to the invention has the advantage of being easy and quick to assemble because it does not require the use of specific tools or long and complicated manipulations. It also has the advantage of having a device for holding the clutch cable which is capable of performing measurements of parameters characteristic of the clutch / clutch function, in particular to detect any wear of the clutch. The following is a detailed description of two preferred embodiments of a clutch system according to the invention, with reference to FIGS. 1 to 8. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a housing. 2 is a perspective view of a housing and a tube for holding a clutch system according to the invention. invention, showing a snap of said tube in said housing, Figure 3 is an enlarged view of an enlarged end of a clutch cable of a clutch system according to the invention, - Figure 4 is a view front view of a housing, a mechanical concentric receiver, a tdbe holding and a clutch cable of a clutch system according to the invention, Figure 5 is an enlarged view of the figure 4, 3032503 FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a housing of a clutch system according to the invention, showing an electronic connection plug. Referring to Figures 4 and 5, a clutch system 1 according to the invention comprises a clutch housing 2, a mechanical concentric receiver 3 and a clutch cable 4. Schematically, said receiver 3 comprises a guide tube and a rotating part 6 mounted on said tube, the clutch cable 4 being fixed to said rotating part 6. The guide tube and the rotating part 6 can constitute either two separate parts 10 which mount on the clutch housing 2 independently of one another, is a single piece which mounts in a single operation on said housing 2. Referring to Figures 1 and 2, a system of The clutch 1 according to the invention comprises a cylindrical and hollow holding tube 7 which is snapped into the clutch housing 2. This snapping is achieved by means of lugs 8 belonging to the casing 2 and placed around a circular opening of said casing 2, intended to receive said holding tube 7. This tube 7 comprises a hollow upstream portion 9, adapted to be retracted into the casing 2, and a hollow downstream portion 10, intended to emerge from said casing 2. This downstream portion 20 is delimited by a cylindrical side wall 11 and by an end face 12, which is circular and flat. The side wall 11 delimits the downstream portion 10 on an angular sector between 180 ° and 360 °, and more particularly between 180 ° and 270 °, so that said wall 11 reveals a lateral opening which extends over the entire length of this wall 10. The end face 12 of the downstream portion 10 comprises a radial groove 13 extending from the center of said face 12 to the peripheral edge thereof. This holding tube is preferably made of plastic. Referring to FIGS. 3, 4 and 5, the clutch cable 4 has a first end, which is secured to the rotating part 6 of the mechanical concentric receiver 3, and a second end which ends with an enlarged endpiece 14. This tip 14 comprises a first cylindrical base 15 extended by a cylindrical body 17 of smaller diameter, the axis of revolution of said body 17 coinciding with that of the first base 15. The tip 14 also comprises a moving part having a second cylindrical base 16, extended by four parallel rods 18, originating on a peripheral edge of said second base 16, said rods 18 being evenly distributed around said edge. Otherwise, the two radial planes joining two successive rods 18 make an angle of 90 ° between them. The four rods 18 have the same length and their free ends are interconnected by an annular face 19 having an outer diameter substantially equal to the diameter of the second base 16.

Thus, the second base 16, the rods 18 and the annular face 19 constitute the moving part. It should be noted that the outer diameters of the first base 15, the second base 16 and the annular face 19 are substantially equal. A spiral spring 20 is placed around the cylindrical body 17 of the nozzle 14 between the first fixed base 15 and the second base 16 of the moving part. In this way, to approach the first base 15, the moving part must overcome the forces developed by the spring 20. The widened tip 14 is advantageously made of plastic. In this way, with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5, a method of mounting a clutch system according to the invention comprises the following steps: a step of snap-fitting the holding tube into the housing; 2 using the lugs 8 of said housing 2, - a step of insertion of the widened end 14 of the clutch cable 4 25 in the holding tube 7. More specifically, the insertion of said enlarged tip 14 is effected by the opening of the side wall 11 of the downstream portion 10 of the holding tube 7, the section of the cable 4 directly extending the enlarged tip 14 being inserted simultaneously into the groove 13 of the end face 12 of said tube 7 to abut at the bottom of said groove 13, 3032503 7 a step of fixing the concentric mechanical receiver 3 on said housing 2. This step can be carried out either by means of screws, either by snapping. It should be noted that the step of insertion of the enlarged tip 14 in the holding tube 7 takes place, either just before the step of fixing the concentric mechanical receiver 3 or concomitantly with it. According to a second preferred embodiment of a clutch system according to the invention, the movable part 16, 18, 19 of the widened tip 14 is constituted by a magnet and the side wall 11 of the downstream part 10 of the 10 holding tube 7 is constituted by a ferrite. In this way, the assembly constituted by said lateral wall 11 and by said movable part 16, 18, 19 forms a displacement sensor of the PLCD (Permanent Linear Contactless Displacement) type. Referring to FIG. 6, for this second preferred embodiment, the housing 2 is provided with an electronic connection plug 21. When the lateral wall 11 of the downstream portion 10 of the tube 7 is traversed by an electric current and the displacement sensor 11, 16, 18, 19 is connected to a gearbox computer via an electronic architecture of CAN type R2 or CAN T4 and a suitable algorithm, the displacement of the magnet 16, 18, 19 in the ferrite makes it possible to access a certain number of parameters of the clutch system, such as, for example, the level of wear of the clutch, the engaged position, the disengaged position and the re-clutch point. In the engaged position the signal flattens, while it increases in the disengaged position. The more the clutch wears out, the more the signal flattens out. For a robotic gearbox type application, a temperature sensor 22 can also be placed at the end face 12 of the holding tube 7, so that a computer can close the clutch more rapidly 3032503 when the plateau temperature punctually exceeds a certain threshold.

Claims (10)

REVENDICATIONS1. Vehicle clutch system (1) comprising a clutch housing (2), a clutch cable (4) and a concentric mechanical receiver (3) having a rotating part (6) connected to said cable (4), said receiver (3) being mounted on said housing (2), characterized in that one end of said cable (4) terminates in an enlarged end piece (14), and in that a holding tube (7) is secured to the housing (2) so that said tip (14) is inserted into said tube (7) for holding said cable (4) on said housing (2). Vehicle clutch system according to Claim 1, characterized in that the holding tube (7) has an opening for the passage of the widened end piece (14) and a slot (13) for the passage of the cable ( 4). 3. clutch system according to any one of claims 1 or 2, characterized in that the widened tip (14) and the tube (7) for holding are cylindrical. 4. clutch system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the tube (7) for holding is clipped on the housing (2). 5. clutch system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the widened tip (14) has a movable piece (16, 18, 19) and a fixed base (15), and in that a spring (20) is inserted between said base (15) and said movable part (16, 18, 19). 6. clutch system according to claim 5, characterized in that the spring (20) is wound around a cylindrical body (17) secured to the base (15) and on which is mounted the movable part (16, 18 , 19). Clutch system according to one of claims 5 or 6, characterized in that the moving part (16, 18, 19) is constituted by a magnet, and in that at least a part of the tube (7 ) is formed by a ferrite, said ferrite being supplied with an electric current so that the assembly constituted by the tube (7) and the moving part (16, 18, 19) form a displacement sensor permanent. Clutch system according to Claim 7, characterized in that the sensor is capable of measuring at least one parameter to be chosen from a re-engagement point, a disengaged position, an engaged position and a wear level of the clutch. clutch. 9. clutch system according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that a temperature sensor (22) is implanted at one end of the tube (7) for holding so as to measure the temperature of 10 a clutch plate. 10.A method of mounting a clutch system (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that it comprises the following steps, - a snap-fitting step of the tube (7) holding in the housing (2), - a step of insertion of the widened tip (14) of the cable (4) in the tube (7) of maintenance, - a step of fixing the receiver (3) concentric mechanical on said housing (2).