GB2379492A

GB2379492A - Hydraulic clutch

Info

Publication number: GB2379492A
Application number: GB0200573A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Alexander Orestovich Monfor; Philip Alexandrovich Monfor
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2002-01-10
Filing date: 2002-01-10
Publication date: 2003-03-12
Anticipated expiration: 2022-01-10
Also published as: GB2379492B; GB0200573D0

Abstract

A hydraulic clutch comprises a case 1 with an elliptical, oil filled internal chamber. A disc 2 rotates inside the chamber with two points in sealing contact with the case. A pair of seal shutters 3, 4 are selectively retractable radially within the disc against springs 12 for partitioning the remaining chamber such that torque may be transmitted between the case and disc by liquid trapped between the disc, shutter and chamber wall surface and the level of torque transmission is varied by adjusting the radial extension of the shutter. Core 5 has curved sloping surfaces (Fig. 2) engaging the shutters to limit their maximum outward travel which is adjusted by core axial movement following a control rod (6). Sprung seals 7, (10) provide sealing between disc, shutters and case. May be used as a transmission or brake.

Description

Hydraulic Clutch The invention relates to a clutch that may be used in power transmissions of cars, lorries, motorbikes, tractors, machine tools, farm machinery, mining machinery, printing presses and other devices for connecting, disconnecting or slipping connection of a drive shaft to a driven gear The existing types of the clutches are mainly based on mechanical friction principle and thus have a limited life due to wear.

The purpose of this invention is to make a clutch design based on non-friction principle in order to eliminate or reduce mechanical wear to a minimum and to extend its life.

Accordingly, this invention provides a hydraulic clutch comprising a disc case designed as a hollow disc of a rectangular or other peripheral cross section with an elliptic or similar internal chamber filled with lubrication oil or other type of fluid, a disc that rotates within the elliptical chamber of the disc case with two points of the disc in a seal contact with the disc case, one pair of seal shutters which may travel within slots located at opposite sides of the disc thus closing or opening completely or partially the space between the disc and the disc case, a core in a central cavity of the disc filled with lubrication oil that controls maximum travel of the shutters by means of sloping surfaces engaged with the shutters, a control rode inside the core that moves the core in axial direction in order to control position of the shutters and thus operation of the clutch, spring loaded sealing sliding vanes and rings which seal gaps between the disc case, the disc and the shutters in the points of their contact.

Some distinguishable signs of the invention also achieve the purpose of the design.

Spring loaded sealing sliding vanes of the shutters, spring loaded transversal sealing sliding vanes and spring loaded radial sealing sliding vanes are designed in'a way that allows them smoothly cross each other.

The clutch may be designed with the capability to operate as a hydraulic transmission or a hydraulic brake.

A preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 shows a transversal vertical cross section of the clutch with the shutters in the most outward positions.

Figure 2 is a central longitudinal vertical cross section of the clutch with the shutters in the most outward positions.

Figure 3 is an inclined cross section of the clutch showing details of the disc.

Figure 4 is similar to Fig. 2 but with the shutters in the most inward positionsFigure 5 is similar to Fig. 1 but with the shutters in the most inward positions.

Figure 6 illustrates central longitudinal horizontal cross section of the clutch with the shutters in the most outward positions.

As shown in Fig. 1, the clutch has the disc case 1 with the shape of a hollow disc of rectangular cross section with an elliptic internal chamber filled with lubrication oil. Inside the disc case 1 is located the disc 2 with its cross section similar to that of the disc case 1 and with its two points in a seal contact with the disc case 1 The disc 2 may rotate within the elliptical chamber of the disc case 1. The disc 2 has two shutters-shutter 3 and shutter 4-that are located at opposite sides of the disc 2 and may travel up and down within slots assisted by the shutter springs 12 thus closing or opening completely or partially the space between the disc 2 and the disc case 1. While outer end of each shutter provides seal contact with the disc case 1, the inner end of each shutter is engaged with the core 5 that is located in a central cavity of the disc 2. The core 5 has two curved sloping surfaces within it that control maximum travel of the shutter 3 and the shutter 4.

The disc case 1 has two the spring loaded transversal sealing sliding vanes 7 and four the spring loaded radial sealing sliding vanes 15 for sealing transversal and radial gaps between the disc 2 and the disc case 1- The disc case 1 also has two spring loaded sealing sliding rings 8 to seal side inner gaps between the disc 2 and the disc case 1 Further details of the clutch are shown in Fig. 2. The drive shaft 11 is spline connected to the disc 2. There are two the spring loaded sealing sliding vanes 10 on each the shutter 3 and the shutter 4 to seal the gap between side surfaces of the shutters and the disc case 1. To allow pressure of the lubrication oil 9 to equalize on outer and inner sides of each shutter while traveling, the oil pressure release holes 16 are provided. The disc case 1 sits on the bearings 14 and has the driven gear 13 to transmit power from the clutch The curved sloping surfaces of the core 5 are engaged with those of the shutters so with axial movements of the core 5 within the disc 2, the shutters'maximum outward travel is changed while they are rotating with the disc 2.

The core 5 is shown in its the extreme right position. With the core 5 in its extreme left position within the disc 2, the shutters will be in their most inward positions. Intermediate positions of the core 5 provide intermediate positions of the shutters. Axial movements of the core 5 are provided by the control rod 6 through the bearings 14.

Cross section D-D shows design of the spring loaded sealing sliding vanes 10 of the shutters that allows them to cross the spring loaded radial sealing sliding vanes 15 of the disc case 1 without a strike Fig. 3 illustrates further details of design through an inclined cross section B-B Positions of the details when the control rod 6 has pushed the core 5 into the extreme left position are shown in Fig. 4. Pushed by the curved sloping surfaces of the core 5 the shutter 3 and the shutter 4 are now at their most inward positions thus allowing the disc 2 rotate free within the disc case 1.

Further illustration of the most inward position of the shutters is presented in Fig. 5.

Cross section C-C shown in Fig. 6, provides details of the spring loaded transversal sealing sliding vanes 7 and the spring loaded radial sealing sliding vanes 15. As depicted in cross sections E-E and F-F, these sealing vanes are designed in such a way that allows the vanes to cross the shutters and their sealing vanes without a strike The clutch works in the following way With the shutter 3 and the shutter 4 at their most outward positions (see Fig. 1) and the core 5 at its extreme right position (see Fig. 2), the disc 2 cannot rotate within the disc case 1 as any movement of the disc 2 will have to decrease a volume of space between a forward moving side of a shutter, the disc case 1 and the disc 2 which is impossible as liquids (lubrication oil in this

case) are incompressible. The whole clutch rotates as a single part thus transmitting a torque through.

When the core 5 is pushed by the control rod 6 into its extreme left position (see Fig. 4), the shutter 3 and the shutter 4 are at their most inward positions (see Fig. 5) and the disc 2 rotates free within the disc case 1, as there is no impedance. The drive shaft 11 drives the disc 2, the shutter 3, the shutter 4, the core 5 but the disc case 1 and the driven gear 13 do not rotate thus a torque is not transmitted through the clutch.

With the core 5 and the shutters in intermediate positions, a part of the torque is transmitted and the closer the shutters to their most outward positions the more torque is transmitted through the clutch.

The clutch may be designed with the capability to operate as a hydraulic transmission. In this case the power applied to the drive shaft 11 is transmitted to the driven gear 13 in full or partially or not transmitted depending on position of the control rod 6.

The clutch may be designed with the capability to operate as a hydraulic brake. In this case the disc 2 operates within the disc case 1 like braking pads operate within a drum brake. There is neither drive shaft 11 nor the driven gear 13 in this case. The disc case 1 is a part of a wheel and the disc 2, the shutter 3, the shutter 4, the core 5 and the control rod 6 are parts of a hub. In usual free rotating mode of the brake the shutter 3 and the shutter 4 are in the most inward positions allowing free rotation of the disc case 1 around the disc 2. When the control rod 6 pushes the shutter 3 and the shutter 4 in the most outward positions, rotation of the disc case 1 is fully blocked. With intermediate positions of the control rod 6, the core 5, the shutter 3 and the shutter 4, the disc case 1 is partially braked.

Claims

CLAIMS 1. A hydraulic clutch comprising a disc case designed as a hollow disc of a rectangular or other peripheral cross section with an elliptic or similar internal chamber filled with lubrication oil or other type of fluid, a disc rotating within the elliptical chamber of the disc case with two points in seal contact with the disc case, one pair of seal shutters which may travel within the slots located at opposite sides of the disc thus closing or opening completely or partially the space between the disc and the disc case, a core located in a central cavity of the disc filled with lubrication oil that controls maximum travel of the shutters by its sloping surfaces engaged with the shutters, a control rode inside the core that moves the core in axial direction in order to control position of the shutters and thus operation of the clutch, spring loaded sealing sliding vanes and rings which seal gaps between the disc case, the disc and the shutters in the points of their contact.
2. A hydraulic clutch as claimed in Clam 1 wherein the disc may be designed with the capability to allow the clutch to operate as a hydraulic brake.