JP2001280444A - Driving device for vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a driving device for vehicle provided with a hydraulic coupling which can start an engine by driving a ring gear installed around a periphery of a clutch drive plate of a friction clutch, by making improvements to a lock-up clutch mounted on the hydraulic coupling. SOLUTION: The driving device for vehicle comprises a vehicle mounted engine, a hydraulic coupling operated by a crank shaft of the engine, and a friction clutch arranged between the hydraulic coupling and a speed change gear, wherein an elastic member which triggers a predetermined pressing force to engage a easing and a turbine of the hydraulic coupling to a clutch disc of the lock-up clutch arranged in the hydraulic coupling.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a vehicle drive device,
More particularly, the present invention relates to a vehicle drive device provided with a fluid coupling.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 55-164730 discloses a vehicle drive system in which a fluid coupling is provided in a drive system for the purpose of absorbing rotational fluctuations and vibrations of an engine. In a vehicle drive device provided with this fluid coupling, an engine mounted on a vehicle, a fluid coupling, a dry single-plate friction clutch and a transmission are arranged in series. The fluid coupling (fluid coupling) includes a pump having an annular pump shell and a plurality of impellers radially disposed in the pump shell, and an annular turbine shell and radially disposed in the turbine shell. A plurality of runners and a turbine disposed opposite to the pump, and a pump and a working fluid filled in the turbine. The pump is a crankshaft of an engine (an input as a fluid coupling). Shaft), and the turbine is mounted on an output shaft which is arranged coaxially with the input shaft. Then, the clutch drive plate of the friction clutch is mounted on the output shaft of the fluid coupling.

There has also been proposed a fluid coupling including a lock-up clutch for directly connecting an input shaft and an output shaft by frictionally engaging the casing with a turbine. The lock-up clutch includes a clutch disk disposed between the casing and the turbine, forming an outer chamber between the casing and the turbine, and forming an inner chamber between the turbine and the turbine.
The casing is configured to be engaged or disengaged by a pressure difference between the inner chamber side and the outer chamber side of the working fluid circulating through the fluid coupling.

[0004]

Generally, a flywheel is mounted on a crankshaft of an engine, and a ring gear is mounted on an outer periphery of the flywheel. A drive gear of a starter motor for starting the engine is mounted on the ring gear. It is configured to engage with. Then, by driving the starter motor and rotating the crankshaft via the ring gear and the flywheel,
The engine is started. In a drive device in which a friction clutch is disposed between the engine and the transmission, the flywheel functions as a clutch drive plate. However, in a vehicle drive device provided with a fluid coupling, the fluid coupling is disposed between the engine and the friction clutch. For this reason, the flywheel provided with the ring gear can be used as a clutch drive plate by connecting the flywheel to the output shaft of the fluid coupling.

However, in a vehicle drive device having a fluid coupling, when the engine is started by driving a ring gear mounted on the outer periphery of the clutch drive plate, the crankshaft of the engine is rotationally driven by slippage caused by the fluid coupling. The engine cannot be started. If the lock-up clutch can be operated to directly connect the input shaft and the output shaft, the clutch drive plate can be driven to start the engine, but when the engine is not operating, the working fluid is applied to the fluid coupling. Therefore, it is impossible to operate the lock-up clutch.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned circumstances, and its main technical problem is to improve the lock-up clutch mounted on the fluid coupling so that the lock-up clutch is mounted on the outer periphery of the clutch drive plate of the friction clutch. It is an object of the present invention to provide a vehicle drive device provided with a fluid coupling that can start an engine by driving a ring gear.

[0007]

According to the present invention, an engine mounted on a vehicle, a fluid coupling operated by a crankshaft of the engine, and the fluid coupling are provided to solve the above-mentioned main technical problems. And a friction clutch disposed between the transmission and the transmission, wherein the fluid coupling comprises a casing connected to the crankshaft, and a casing disposed opposite to the casing and provided in the casing. A pump mounted, a turbine disposed opposite the pump in a chamber formed by the pump and the casing, mounted on an output shaft, and disposed in an external chamber formed by the casing and the turbine A clutch disk defining an outer chamber between the casing and the turbine and an inner chamber between the casing and a fluid pressure between the outer chamber and the inner chamber. A lock-up clutch that engages or disengages the casing with the turbine, and elastic biasing means that applies a predetermined pressing force to the clutch disk to engage the casing with the turbine. The friction clutch has a clutch drive plate mounted on an output shaft of the fluid coupling, and a driven plate disposed between the clutch drive plate and the pressure plate and mounted on an input shaft of the transmission. And a ring gear meshing with a drive gear of a starter motor for starting the engine is mounted on an outer periphery of the clutch drive plate.

[0008]

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a vehicular drive system constructed in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of a vehicular drive device constructed in accordance with the present invention. The illustrated vehicle drive device includes an internal combustion engine 2 as a prime mover, a fluid coupling (fluid coupling) 4, a friction clutch 8, and a transmission, which are arranged in series. The internal combustion engine 2 comprises a diesel engine in the illustrated embodiment.

Next, the fluid coupling will be described. The fluid coupling 4 is provided in a fluid coupling housing 40 attached to a housing 22 mounted on the diesel engine 2 by fastening means such as bolts 23. The fluid coupling 4 in the illustrated embodiment includes a casing 41, a pump 42, and a turbine 43.

A casing 41 has a bolt 44 on the outer periphery of a drive plate 44 having an inner periphery attached to the crankshaft 21 of the diesel engine 2 by bolts 24.
1, mounted by fastening means such as nut 442.

The pump 42 is disposed to face the casing 41. The pump 42 includes a bowl-shaped pump shell 421 and a plurality of impellers 422 radially arranged in the pump shell 421. The pump shell 421 is fixed to the casing 41 by welding or the like. Installed. Accordingly, the pump shell 421 of the pump 42 is connected to the crankshaft 21 via the casing 41 and the drive plate 44. For this reason, the crankshaft 21 functions as an input shaft of the fluid coupling 4.

The turbine 43 is disposed in a chamber formed by the pump 42 and the casing 41 so as to face the pump 42. The turbine 43 includes a bowl-shaped turbine shell 431 disposed to face the pump shell 421 of the pump 42, and a plurality of runners 432 radially disposed in the turbine shell 431. . The turbine shell 431 is attached to a turbine hub 47 spline-fitted to an output shaft 46 disposed on the same axis as the crankshaft 21 as the input shaft by welding or other fixing means.

The fluid coupling 4 in the illustrated embodiment has a lock-up clutch 50 for directly transmitting and connecting the casing 41 and the turbine 43. The lock-up clutch 50 includes the casing 41 and the turbine 4
3 and an outer chamber 40 between the casing 41 and the outer chamber 40.
a and between the inner chamber 40 and the turbine 43.
The clutch disk 51 for forming b is provided. The clutch disc 51 has an inner peripheral edge that is the same as that of the turbine hub 4.
7 is supported so as to be relatively rotatable and slidable in the axial direction, and a clutch facing 52 is attached to a surface facing the casing 41 on an outer peripheral portion thereof.
Further, the inner chamber 4 in the outer peripheral portion of the clutch disk 51
On the 0b side, an annular concave portion 53 is formed, and a plurality of damper springs 55 supported by support pieces 54 are arranged at predetermined intervals in the concave portion 53. On both sides of the plurality of damper springs 55, an input-side retainer 56 attached to the clutch disk 51 is provided so as to protrude therefrom, and between the damper springs 55 is attached to a turbine shell 431 of the turbine 43. The output side retainer 57 is provided to protrude. The lock-up clutch 50 in the illustrated embodiment has elastic biasing means 58 for pressing the clutch disk 51 toward the casing 41 and frictionally engaging the clutch facing 52 with the casing 41. The elastic biasing means 58 comprises a disc spring 581 disposed between the turbine hub 47 and the clutch disk 51 in the illustrated embodiment. When the pressure of the working fluid in the outer chamber 40a becomes higher than the pressure of the working fluid in the inner chamber 40b by a predetermined value or more, the frictional engagement between the clutch facing 52 of the clutch disc 51 and the casing 41 is released. Is set to Therefore, the disc spring 581 functions as elastic biasing means for applying a predetermined pressing force to the clutch disk 51 to engage the casing 41 with the turbine 43.

The lock-up clutch 50 in the illustrated embodiment is configured as described above, and its operation will be described. When the working fluid supplied to the fluid coupling 4 does not reach the predetermined pressure, such as when starting the engine, the friction of the clutch facing 52 of the clutch disc 51 and the casing 41 is caused by the action of the disc spring 581 as described above. Engaged (lock-up clutch engaged). Therefore, the casing 41 and the turbine 43 are directly connected to each other via the clutch facing 52, the clutch disk 51, the input side retainer 56, the damper spring 55, and the output side retainer 57. When the pressure of the working fluid in the inner chamber 40b is higher than the pressure of the working fluid in the outer chamber 40a, that is, the working fluid supplied by the lock-up clutch operating means described later is formed by the pump 42 and the turbine 43. When the clutch disk 51 flows from the working chamber 4a to the outer chamber 40a through the inner chamber 40b to the outer chamber 40a, the clutch facing 52 mounted on the clutch disk 51 is pressed by the casing 41 because the clutch disc 51 is pressed to the left in FIG. Engage frictionally (lock-up clutch engagement). Therefore, the casing 41
And the turbine 43, as described above, the clutch facing 52, the clutch disc 51, the input side retainer 56,
The power transmission is directly connected via the damper spring 55 and the output side retainer 57. On the other hand, when the pressure of the working fluid in the outer chamber 40a is higher than the pressure of the working fluid in the inner chamber 40b, that is, the working fluid supplied by the working fluid circulating means described later passes from the outer chamber 40a to the pump 42 and the turbine 43 and the working chamber 4a formed by
When the clutch disk 51 circulates through the disc spring 5
1, the clutch facing 52 mounted on the clutch disc 51 does not frictionally engage with the casing 41 (lock-up clutch is disconnected). The direct transmission connection with 43 has been released.

The driving device in the illustrated embodiment includes a hydraulic pump 60 as a fluid pressure source of a lock-up clutch operating means described later. The hydraulic pump 60 is mounted on the fluid coupling housing 40 by a fixing means such as a bolt 61 and is disposed on the pump housing 62. The hydraulic pump 60 is configured to be rotationally driven by a pump hub 48 attached to a pump shell 421 of the pump 42. The pump hub 48 is mounted on the cylindrical support portion 620 of the pump housing 62 which protrudes and surrounds the output shaft 46.
It is rotatably supported by zero. In addition, as shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, a working fluid passage 460 is provided on the output shaft 46 in association with a lock-up clutch operating means described later, and the output shaft 46 and the cylindrical support portion 620 are provided.
A passage 461 for the working fluid is provided between the two. One end of the passage 460 communicates with the outer chamber 40a at one end thereof and opens at the left end face in the drawing of the output shaft 46, and the other end thereof communicates with a radial passage 462 opening at the outer peripheral surface of the output shaft 46. . Further, the passage 461 is configured to communicate the working chamber 4 a formed by the pump 42 and the turbine 43 with the communication hole 621 provided in the cylindrical support 620.

Next, the lock-up clutch operating means for circulating the working fluid through the fluid coupling 4 will be described with reference to FIGS. The lock-up clutch actuating means has a reserve tank 65 for containing a working fluid, and the working fluid in the reserve tank 65 is discharged to a passage 66 by the hydraulic pump 60. The working fluid discharged into the passage 66 is supplied to a passage 68 communicating with the communication hole 621 or a passage 69 communicating with the passage 462 via an electromagnetic direction control valve 67 that controls a circulation path of the working fluid. The electromagnetic direction control valve 67 is controlled based on the operating state of the vehicle drive device, the running speed of the vehicle, and the like.

As in the case of starting the engine, the hydraulic pump 60
When is not operating, the working fluid does not circulate as shown in FIG. In this state, since the pressure of the working fluid in the outer chamber 40a and the pressure of the working fluid in the inner chamber 40b are the same,
The clutch facing 52 of the clutch disk 51 and the casing 41 are frictionally engaged by the action of the disc spring 581 (contact with the clutch up).

When the electromagnetic direction control valve 67 is de-energized (OFF)
In the state shown in FIG. 3, the working fluid discharged into the passage 66 flows through the passage 69 and the passage 46 as indicated by arrows.
2, a passage 460, an outer chamber 40a, an inner chamber 40b, a working chamber 4a formed by the pump 42 and the turbine 43,
Passage 461, communication hole 621, passage 68, return passage 70,
Reserve tank 65 through cooler 71 and passage 72
Circulated to When the working fluid circulates as shown by the arrow in FIG.
Since the fluid pressure is higher than b, the frictional engagement between the clutch facing 52 of the clutch disc 51 and the casing 41 is released against the spring force of the disc spring 581. Therefore, the lock-up clutch 50 is disconnected.

On the other hand, the electromagnetic direction control valve 67 is energized (ON).
Then, the working fluid discharged into the passage 66 is brought into the state shown in FIG.
Circulating to the reserve tank 65 through the passage 461, the working chamber 4a formed by the pump 42 and the turbine 43, the inner chamber 40b, the outer chamber 40a, the passage 460, the passage 462, the passage 69, the return passage 70, the cooler 71 and the passage 72. Is done. When the working fluid circulates as shown by an arrow in FIG. 4, the fluid pressure of the inner chamber 40b is higher than the fluid pressure of the outer chamber 40a, so that the lock-up clutch 50 frictionally engages as described above (the lock-up clutch). Contact).

The relief circuit 7 connecting the passage 66 and the reserve tank 65 is provided in the fluid circuit in the illustrated embodiment.
The relief valve 74 is provided in the relief passage 73. The relief valve 74 is set at a valve opening pressure of, for example, 6 kg / cm 2, which is a fluid pressure required for the clutch facing 52 mounted on the clutch disk 51 to be pressed by the casing 41 and frictionally engaged when the lock-up clutch is ON. Passage 6
When the working fluid pressure in 6 exceeds 6 kg / cm 2, the working fluid is returned to the reserve tank 65 via the relief passage 73.

Next, the friction clutch 8 will be described with reference to FIG. The friction clutch 8 is formed of a dry single-plate friction clutch, and a clutch housing 80 mounted on the fluid coupling housing 40 by bolts 81.
It is arranged in. The friction clutch 8 in the illustrated embodiment is spline-fitted to a clutch drive plate 82 mounted on the output shaft 46 of the fluid coupling and an input shaft 101 of the transmission 10 disposed on the same axis as the output shaft 46. Clutch hub 83, a clutch driven plate 85 attached to the clutch hub 83 and having a clutch facing 84 mounted on an outer peripheral portion, and a clutch drive plate 82
, A diaphragm spring 87 for urging the pressure plate 86 toward the clutch drive plate 82, and an intermediate portion of the diaphragm spring 87 engaged with an inner end of the diaphragm spring 87 to support a fulcrum 871. And a clutch release fork 89 for operating the release bearing 88 in the axial direction. This clutch release fork 89
It is operated by friction clutch operating means (not shown). In the illustrated embodiment, a ring gear 90 is press-fitted and mounted on the outer periphery of the clutch drive plate 82, and a drive gear of a starter motor (not shown) for starting an engine meshes with the ring gear 90. It is configured as follows.

The vehicle drive device in the illustrated embodiment is configured as described above, and its operation will be described below. First, a case where the diesel engine 2 is started will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. When the engine is started, the transmission 10 is positioned in the neutral state. When starting the engine, since the hydraulic pump 60 is not operating, the working fluid does not circulate as shown in FIG. 2, so that the pressure of the working fluid in the outer chamber 40a and the pressure of the working fluid in the inner chamber 40b are the same. It is. Therefore, the clutch facing 52 of the clutch disc 51 and the casing 41 are actuated by the action of the disc spring 581 as described above.
Are frictionally engaged (lock-up clutch contact). In this state, when a starter motor (not shown) that meshes with the ring gear 90 mounted on the outer periphery of the clutch drive plate 82 is driven, the clutch drive plate 82 is driven via the ring gear 90. As a result, the output shaft 4 of the fluid coupling 4 connected to the clutch drive plate 82
6, the crankshaft 21 is rotationally driven via the turbine hub 47, the output side retainer 57, the damper spring 55, the input side retainer 56, the clutch disk 51, the clutch facing 52, the casing 41 and the drive plate 44, and starts the diesel engine 2. can do. When the diesel engine 2 is started, the hydraulic pump 60 is driven via the pump 42 and the pump hub 48 of the fluid coupling 4.
Is deenergized (OFF), the working fluid is circulated in the direction indicated by the arrow as shown in FIG. At this time, the engine rotation becomes equal to or higher than the predetermined value, and the hydraulic pump 60
Outer working chamber 40 by the working fluid circulated by
When the pressure of the working fluid a becomes higher than the pressure of the working fluid in the inner chamber 40b by a predetermined value or more, the clutch disc 51 is displaced rightward in FIGS. 1 and 3 against the spring force of the disc spring 581, The friction engagement between the clutch facing 52 mounted on the clutch disc 51 and the casing 41 is released (lock-up clutch is disconnected). As described above, after the engine is started, the diesel engine 2 is operated in an idling state with the lock-up clutch 50 disconnected.

Next, a case where power is transmitted by the action of the working fluid by the fluid coupling 4 will be described. In this case, the electromagnetic direction control valve 67 of the lock-up clutch operating means is deenergized (OFF), and the working fluid is circulated in the direction indicated by the arrow in FIG. 3 as described above. In a state where the working fluid is circulated in the direction indicated by the arrow in FIG. 3, the pressure of the outer chamber 40 a is higher than the pressure of the inner chamber 40 b as described above, and the clutch disk 51 is subjected to the spring force of the disc spring 581. Figure 1 against
3 is displaced to the right in FIG.
2 does not frictionally engage with the casing 41 (lock-up clutch is disconnected). As a result, the driving force generated on the crankshaft 21 (input shaft) of the diesel engine 2 is transmitted to the casing 41 of the fluid coupling 4 via the drive plate 44 as described above. Since the casing 41 and the pump shell 421 of the pump 42 are integrally formed, the pump 42 is rotated by the driving force. When the pump 42 rotates, the working fluid in the pump 42 flows toward the outer periphery along the impeller 422 due to centrifugal force, and flows into the turbine 43 as indicated by an arrow. The working fluid flowing into the turbine 43 flows toward the center side and is returned to the pump 42 as indicated by an arrow. Thus, the pump 4
When the working fluid in the working chamber 4a formed by the turbine 2 and the turbine 43 circulates in the pump 42 and the turbine 43, the driving torque of the pump 42 is transmitted to the turbine 43 via the working fluid. The driving force transmitted to the turbine 43 is transmitted to the output shaft 46 via the turbine shell 431 and the turbine hub 47, and further transmitted to the transmission 10 via the friction clutch 8.

Next, a state in which the lock-up clutch 50 is operated to directly connect the casing 41 and the turbine 43 to transmit the driving torque will be described. In this case, the electromagnetic direction control valve 67 of the lock-up clutch operating means is energized (ON), and the working fluid is circulated in the direction indicated by the arrow in FIG. In the state where the working fluid is circulated in the direction indicated by the arrow in FIG.
As described above, the pressure in the inner chamber 40b is higher than the pressure in the outer chamber 40a, and the clutch disc 51
At the left side, the clutch disc 51
The clutch facing 52 mounted on the casing 4
1 and frictionally engaged (lock-up clutch engagement). As a result, the casing 41, the pump 42, and the turbine 43 are directly driven by the clutch facing 52, the clutch disc 51, the input side retainer 56, the damper spring 54, and the output side retainer 57. Therefore, the crankshaft 21 of the diesel engine 2
The driving force generated on the (input shaft)
4, transmitted to the output shaft 46 via the casing 41, the lock-up clutch 50, the turbine 43, and the turbine hub 47, and further transmitted to the transmission 10 via the friction clutch 8.

In the illustrated embodiment, as described above, when the engine is not operating (the hydraulic pump 60 is not operating), the clutch facing 52 of the clutch disk 51 is actuated by the action of the disc spring 581. The casing 41 frictionally engages and the lock-up clutch 50
, The so-called gear parking becomes possible by putting the transmission 10 in the gear position when the vehicle stops.

Although the present invention has been described based on the illustrated embodiments, the present invention is not limited to only the embodiments, and various modifications can be made within the technical idea of the present invention. For example, in the illustrated embodiment, an example is shown in which elastic biasing means and a disc spring are used to apply a predetermined pressing force to the clutch disk to engage the casing with the turbine, but other elastic members are used. You may.

[0028]

The vehicle drive device according to the present invention is constructed as described above, and has the following effects.

That is, according to the present invention, an engine mounted on a vehicle, a fluid coupling operated by a crankshaft of the engine, and a friction clutch disposed between the fluid coupling and the transmission are provided. In the vehicle drive device provided with the elastic drive means for applying a predetermined pressing force to the clutch disc of the lock-up clutch disposed in the fluid coupling to apply a predetermined pressing force to engage the casing of the fluid coupling and the turbine, When the engine is stopped, the crankshaft and the clutch drive plate of the friction clutch are transmission-connected via the lock-up clutch. Accordingly, the ring gear mounted on the outer periphery of the clutch drive plate of the friction clutch mounted on the output shaft of the fluid coupling is driven by the starter motor to rotate the crankshaft via the lock-up clutch to start the engine. can do. Also, as described above, when the engine is stopped, the engine crankshaft and the clutch drive plate of the friction clutch are transmission-coupled via the lock-up clutch. By doing so, so-called gear parking becomes possible.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing an embodiment of a vehicle drive device configured according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing an operating state of a lock-up clutch operating means provided in the vehicle drive device shown in FIG. 1 and showing a lock-up clutch contact state when the engine is stopped.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing an operating state of a lock-up clutch operating means provided in the vehicle drive device shown in FIG. 1, and showing a lock-up clutch disconnected state during engine operation.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory view showing an operating state of a lock-up clutch operating means provided in the vehicle drive device shown in FIG. 1 and showing a lock-up clutch contact state when the engine is operating.

[Explanation of symbols]

 2: Internal combustion engine 21: Crankshaft 4: Fluid coupling 40: Fluid coupling housing 41: Casing 42: Pump 421: Pump shell 422: Impeller 43: Turbine 431: Turbine shell 432: Runner 44: Drive plate 45: Ring gear 46: Output Shaft 47: Turbine hub 48: Pump hub 50: Clutch up clutch 51: Clutch disk 54: Supporting piece 55: Damper spring 56: Input side retainer 57: Output side retainer 58: Elastic urging means 581: Disc spring 60: Hydraulic pump 62 : Pump housing 65: Reserve tank 67: Electromagnetic directional valve 71: Cooler 74: Relief valve 75: Restrictor 8: Scratch clutch 80: Clutch housing 82: Clutch drive plate 83: Clutch hub 84: Clutch facing 5: driven plate 86: pressure plate 87: the diaphragm spring 88: the release bearing 89: clutch release fork 90: ring gear

Claims (1)

[Claims] An engine mounted on a vehicle, a fluid coupling operated by a crankshaft of the engine,
A vehicle drive device including a friction clutch disposed between the fluid coupling and a transmission, wherein the fluid coupling is disposed to face a casing connected to the crankshaft and to the casing. A pump mounted on the casing, a turbine disposed opposite to the pump in a chamber formed by the pump and the casing, mounted on an output shaft, and an outer chamber formed by the casing and the turbine A clutch disk that forms an outer chamber between the casing and the turbine and that forms an inner chamber between the casing and the turbine by a fluid pressure difference between the outer chamber and the inner chamber. A lock-up clutch for engaging or disengaging,
Resilient biasing means for applying a predetermined pressing force to the clutch disk to engage the casing with the turbine. The friction clutch includes a clutch drive mounted on an output shaft of the fluid coupling. A starter for starting the engine, the driven plate being provided between the clutch drive plate and the pressure plate and mounted on the input shaft of the transmission. A vehicle drive device, wherein a ring gear meshing with a drive gear of a motor is mounted.