JP2002364675A - Electromagnetic clutch mechanism and coupling using the mechanism - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prevent an electromagnet from being increased in size, and accordingly consequently to prevent a device from being increased in size and weight, by reducing the loss of magnetic flux and an exciting current. SOLUTION: This electromagnetic clutch mechanism comprises: a pair of torque transmission members 3 and 5; a clutch 7 disposed between the transmission members; a clutch 15 engaged and disengaged by the electromagnet 19; and a cam mechanism 9 operated to engage the clutch 7 when the clutch 15 engaged. A permeability regulating means 21 for regulating the permeability of a magnetic path is disposed between a magnetic wall part 27 forming a part of the magnetic path and the member 3, and the core 91 of the electromagnet 19.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

The present invention relates to an electromagnetic clutch mechanism and a coupling formed by using the same.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A driving force transmission device 301 as shown in FIG.

[0003] The driving force transmission device 301 includes a rotating case 30.
3, inner shaft 305, main clutch 307,
It comprises a ball cam 309, a pressure plate 311, a cam ring 313, a pilot clutch 315, an armature 317, an electromagnet 319, and the like.

[0004] The driving force transmission device 301 is disposed by dividing a propeller shaft on the rear wheel side which is cut off during two-wheel driving in a four-wheel drive vehicle, and a rotating case 303 is connected to a front propeller shaft and an inner shaft. 3
05 is connected to the rear propeller shaft.

[0005] The rotating case 303 includes a main clutch 30.
7 is connected, a cylindrical member 323 to which the pilot clutch 315 is connected, a magnetic rotor 325, and the like.

The core 327 of the electromagnet 319 and the rotor 323
And the pilot clutch 315 constitute a magnetic path of the electromagnet 319, and the cylindrical member 323 is made of a non-magnetic material such as austenitic stainless steel in order to prevent magnetic flux leakage from the magnetic path. .

When the electromagnet 319 is excited, a magnetic loop is formed in the magnetic path, the armature 317 is attracted, and the pilot clutch 315 is pressed and engaged. When the pilot clutch 315 is engaged, a pilot torque is generated, a driving force of the engine is applied to the ball cam 309, and the main clutch 307 is pressed by the generated cam thrust force, whereby the driving force transmission device 301 is connected.

When the driving force transmission device 301 is connected, the driving force is transmitted to the rear wheels, and the vehicle is driven in a four-wheel drive state, so that the running performance on rough roads and the stability of the vehicle body are improved.

When the excitation of the electromagnet 319 is stopped,
The pilot clutch 315 is released and the ball cam 30 is released.
9, the main thrust force is released, the main clutch 307 is released, the connection of the driving force transmission device 301 is released, the rear wheel side is disconnected, and the vehicle enters a two-wheel drive state.

[0010]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Driving force transmission device 301
For example, there is a demand that the same model be used for various different types of vehicles, and a coupling force that can be transmitted even when used for the same type of vehicle. May need to be adjusted.

However, since the driving force transmission device 301 does not have such a function of adjusting the coupling force, it cannot meet the above-mentioned demands.

Also, in a coupling such as the driving force transmission device 301 that opens and closes a pilot clutch using an electromagnet and connects the main clutch, if the magnetic permeability of the magnetic path is low (the magnetic flux loss in the magnetic path is large). And) the required pilot torque cannot be obtained, and the desired driving force cannot be transmitted to the wheels.

Therefore, in the driving force transmitting device 301, as described above, the cylindrical member 323 of the rotating case 303 is made of stainless steel to prevent the leakage of magnetic flux and obtain a necessary pilot torque. Since austenitic stainless steel, which is stainless steel, is expensive,
The equipment is costly.

In order to increase the magnetic flux, it is necessary to increase the exciting current of the electromagnet or to increase the size of the electromagnet. In either case, the power consumption increases and the burden on the battery and the generator system increases. Would.

Further, when the size of the electromagnet is increased, the device becomes large and heavy, which may affect the vehicle mountability.

Further, when the size of the electromagnet is increased, a controller for controlling the exciting current also needs to cope with the increase in the current, so that the cost tends to be further increased.

Therefore, the present invention is capable of adjusting the coupling force of the clutch coupled by the electromagnet, reducing the loss of the magnetic flux and the exciting current, and increasing the size of the electromagnet and the size and weight of the device associated therewith. It is an object of the present invention to provide an electromagnetic clutch mechanism capable of preventing the influence on the in-vehicle performance due to the electromagnetic force and a coupling constituted by using the electromagnetic clutch mechanism.

[0018]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an electromagnetic clutch mechanism including a case-shaped torque transmitting member, an axial torque transmitting member, a clutch disposed therebetween, and a clutch via a magnetic path. An electromagnet for opening / closing operation, wherein the case-shaped torque transmitting member has a magnetic wall constituting a part of the magnetic path, and adjusts the magnetic permeability of the magnetic path between the magnetic wall and the core of the electromagnet. Is characterized in that a permeability adjusting means is disposed.

As described above, in the electromagnetic clutch mechanism of the present invention, by arranging the permeability adjusting means between the core of the electromagnet and the magnetic wall, the permeability of the magnetic path is adjusted to increase the coupling force of the clutch. Can be adjusted.

Further, by adjusting the coupling force of the clutch, the same model can be used for various types of vehicles, and when used for the same type of vehicle, the coupling force can be adjusted in a wide range.

Further, if the magnetic permeability is increased by the magnetic permeability adjusting means, the necessary exciting current becomes smaller and the load on the battery and the generator system is reduced, and the size of the electromagnet and the battery does not need to be increased. In addition, the size of the electromagnetic clutch mechanism is reduced, and the on-board performance is improved.

Furthermore, since an increase in the exciting current is prevented, readjustment of the controller is not required, and an increase in cost due to this is also avoided.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided the electromagnetic clutch mechanism according to the first aspect, wherein the magnetic permeability adjusting means is an air gap provided between the magnetic wall and the core of the electromagnet. The magnetic permeability is adjusted by changing the thickness t of the air gap in the direction along, and the same operation and effect as the configuration of claim 1 can be obtained.

Further, this configuration in which the magnetic permeability is adjusted by changing the thickness t of the air gap along the magnetic flux can be implemented at low cost, and the magnetic permeability can be largely adjusted (changed).

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided the electromagnetic clutch mechanism according to the second aspect, wherein in addition to changing the air gap thickness t in the direction along the magnetic flux, the air gap width in the direction traversing the magnetic flux is changed. The magnetic permeability is adjusted by changing S, and the same operation and effect as the configuration of claim 2 can be obtained.

Further, the magnetic permeability can be largely adjusted by the air gap thickness t, and the magnetic permeability can be finely adjusted by changing the air gap width S in a direction crossing the magnetic flux, and the coupling force of the clutch can be precisely adjusted. Can be.

In this way, it is possible to greatly change the connecting force, and it is also possible to precisely adjust the connecting force.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided the electromagnetic clutch mechanism according to the second or third aspect, wherein a ring-shaped member is disposed between the magnetic wall portion and the core, and the size thereof is changed. , Air gap thickness t and air gap width S
Is adjusted, and the same operation and effect as the configuration of claim 2 or 3 can be obtained.

This configuration in which the thickness t and width S of the air gap are adjusted by changing the dimensions of the ring-shaped member can be implemented at low cost.

The method of supporting the ring-shaped member includes, for example, press-fitting, a screw mechanism, and support by positioning means such as a snap ring.

In particular, when the screw mechanism is used, the adjustment of the air gap width S becomes easy, and the magnetic permeability (the coupling force of the clutch) can be reduced without replacing the ring-shaped member (without disassembling the electromagnetic clutch mechanism). It becomes possible to adjust.

The ring-shaped member may be arranged on the magnetic wall side or on the core side of the electromagnet.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the electromagnetic clutch mechanism according to the first aspect, the magnetic permeability adjusting means is a magnetic permeability adjusting member disposed between the magnetic wall and the core of the electromagnet. The characteristic is that the magnetic permeability is adjusted by selecting the magnetic permeability, and the same operation and effect as those of the first aspect can be obtained.

For example, it is known that the magnetic permeability of carbon steel changes when the content of carbon is changed. Inexpensive carbon steel for machine structural use is used for the magnetic permeability adjusting member.
If carbon steels having different carbon contents (magnetic permeability) such as C, S20C, etc. are selected, the magnetic permeability (coupling force) can be adjusted at low cost.

Various non-magnetic materials may be selected for the magnetic permeability adjusting member in accordance with the magnitude of the magnetic permeability (magnetic resistance). Adjustment range) is wide.

The permeability adjusting member may be arranged on the magnetic wall side or on the core side of the electromagnet.

The coupling according to the sixth aspect is the first to fifth aspects.
An electromagnetic clutch mechanism described in any of the above, a pilot mechanism operated by an electromagnet of the electromagnetic clutch mechanism, and a cam mechanism, when the pilot mechanism operates,
A torque is applied to the cam mechanism via the pilot mechanism, and the clutch of the electromagnetic clutch mechanism is connected by the generated connecting force, so that the same operation and effect as those of the first to fifth aspects can be obtained. .

In addition, the coupling having this configuration provides a large torque transmission capacity by the boosting function of the cam mechanism, and is therefore most suitable for a power transmission device for a vehicle.

Further, since the coupling force of the clutch can be adjusted by the magnetic permeability adjusting means and the necessary pilot torque can be obtained by the pilot mechanism, when the coupling is used for the power transmission system of the vehicle, the driving condition of the vehicle can be reduced. A desired driving force can be transmitted to the wheels according to the change.

When the magnetic permeability is increased, the loss of the exciting current is reduced, the size and weight of the electromagnet are prevented, and the mountability of the coupling is improved.

Further, in the coupling having this configuration in which the coupling force of the pilot mechanism is amplified by the boosting function of the cam mechanism, the effect of the present invention that the pilot torque can be adjusted by the magnetic permeability of the magnetic path is particularly large.

[0042]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An electromagnetic coupling 1 (one embodiment of the present invention) will be described with reference to FIGS.

The electromagnetic coupling 1 (coupling using the electromagnetic clutch mechanism of the present invention) is characterized in that:
Rear wheel side (rear differential side) that has the features of 3, 4, 5, and 6 and is separated during two-wheel drive traveling in a four-wheel drive vehicle
And the prime mover side (transfer) side. The left and right directions are the left and right directions of the vehicle,
The right side of FIGS. 1 and 2 corresponds to the front of this vehicle (the prime mover side). In addition, members and the like without reference numerals are not shown.

The electromagnetic coupling 1 and the rear differential (a differential device for distributing the driving force of the prime mover to the left and right rear wheels) are arranged in this order in the front-rear direction, and are accommodated in a differential carrier.

The electromagnetic coupling 1 includes a rotating case 3
(Case-shaped torque transmitting member), hollow inner shaft 5 (axial torque transmitting member), multi-plate type main clutch 7, ball cam 9 (cam mechanism), pressure plate 11, cam ring 13, multi-plate type pilot clutch 1
5 (clutch), armature 17, electromagnet 19, magnetic permeability adjusting ring 21 (magnetic permeability adjusting means: ring-shaped member: magnetic permeability adjusting member), controller and the like.

The pilot mechanism of the main clutch 7 is constituted by the ball cam 9, the pressure plate 11, the cam ring 13, the pilot clutch 15, the armature 17, the electromagnet 19 and the like.

The rotary case 3 includes a power transmission shaft 23 and a cylindrical member 25, each of which is made of a strong material such as steel for machine structural use, and a rotor 27 (a part of a magnetic path is made of a ferromagnetic material). (A magnetic wall portion).

The power transmission shaft 23 has a flange portion 28 and a ring-shaped convex portion 29 formed thereon. The convex portion 29 is arranged concentrically outside the front end of the inner shaft 5. The power transmission shaft 23 and the cylindrical member 25 (convex portion 29) are connected by a screw portion 30 therebetween, and the power transmission shaft 23 (flange portion 28) and the cylindrical member 25 are
Has been fixed by. Further, the power transmission shaft 23 (convex portion 29) and the cylindrical member 25 are connected to each other by the fitting portion 3 provided between each other.
Centered at 2.

Power transmission shaft 23 (convex portion 29) and cylindrical member 2
An O-ring 33 is arranged between the holes 5 to prevent oil leakage.

The rotor 27 is screwed to a rear opening of the cylindrical member 25 by a screw portion 34 provided therebetween, and is centered by a fitting portion 35 provided therebetween. A nut 37 is screwed onto the screw of the screw portion 34 on the rotor 27 side, and the double nut function applies a thrust force to the screw portion 34 (the cylindrical member 25 and the rotor 27) to prevent loosening, thereby securing the fixing function. Is increasing.

An O-ring 39 is arranged between the cylindrical member 25 and the rotor 27 to prevent oil leakage.

The power transmission shaft 23 projects forward from the differential carrier, and is connected to the transfer side via a companion flange connected to the spline portion 41, a joint, a propeller shaft and the like. The driving force of the prime mover is transmitted to the rotating case 3 via these power transmission systems.

The inner shaft 5 penetrates the rotating case 3 from the rear, and its front end is supported by the projection 29 of the power transmission shaft 23 via a ball bearing 43 and is centered.

The front end of the inner shaft 5 is axially positioned with respect to the rotating case 3 (the power transmission shaft 23) via ball bearings 43 by snap rings 45 and 47.

The rear end of the inner shaft 5 is supported on the inner periphery of the rotor 27 via a needle bearing 49.
9 and is axially positioned with respect to the rotor 27 via the center ring 9.

As described above, the centering function of the ball bearing 43 and the needle bearing 49 prevents the vibration of the inner shaft 5 and the vibration of the electromagnetic coupling 1 caused by the vibration of the inner shaft 5.

Further, between the inner shaft 5 and the rotor 27, a cross section X
An X-ring 53, which is a letter-shaped seal, is arranged to prevent oil leakage.

A drive pinion shaft is connected to a spline portion 55 formed on the inner periphery of the inner shaft 5. A drive pinion gear is formed integrally with the drive pinion shaft, and the drive pinion gear meshes with a ring gear on the rear differential side. The rotation of the inner shaft 5 is transmitted to the rear differential via these power transmission systems.

The rotary case 3 is hermetically sealed by the O-ring 39 and the X-ring 53, and has an oil hole 5 formed in the flange 28 of the power transmission shaft 23 inside.
Oil is injected from 7. After oil is injected, the oil hole 57 is sealed by press-fitting a steel ball 59.

The hollow inner shaft 5 is defined by a wall 61, and a capacity increasing space 63 for increasing the amount of oil to be filled is formed. Like the other portions inside the rotating case 3, the injected oil and air are stored in the capacity increasing space 63.

The capacity increasing space 63 is provided with the inner shaft 5
Through a gap 65 provided between the power transmission shaft 23 (flange 28) and the ball bearing 43;
Three radial flow paths 6 formed in the inner shaft 5
7, each communicates with the main clutch 7 side.

The main clutch 7 is disposed between the rotating case 3 (cylindrical member 25) and the inner shaft 5, and its outer plate 69 is connected to a spline portion 71 formed on the inner periphery of the cylindrical member 25. The inner plate 73 is connected to a spline portion 75 formed on the outer periphery of the inner shaft 5. Further, spacers 77 and 79 are disposed in front of the main clutch 7 to adjust the gap between the plates 69 and 73 to an optimum value.

The ball cam 9 is mounted on the pressure plate 1
1 and the cam ring 13.

The pressure plate 11 has an inner periphery connected to a spline portion 75 of the inner shaft 5.
The main clutch 7 receives the thrust force of the ball cam 9.
Is pressed and fastened to the rotating case 3 via the spacers 77 and 79.

The cam ring 13 is disposed on the outer periphery of the inner shaft 5 so as to be relatively rotatable.
A thrust bearing 81 and a washer 83 that receive the cam reaction force of the ball cam 9 are disposed between the rotor 27 and the rotor 27.

The pilot clutch 15 is
The outer plate 85 is connected to the spline portion 71 of the cylindrical member 25, and the inner plate 87 is connected to a spline portion 89 formed on the outer periphery of the cam ring 13. Have been.

The armature 17 is disposed between the pressure plate 11 and the pilot clutch 15 and has its outer periphery movably connected to the spline portion 71 of the cylindrical member 25.

The core 91 of the electromagnet 19 penetrates through an appropriate air gap G into a ring-shaped recess 93 formed in the rotor 27, and is supported on the rotor 27 by a double-sided seal type ball bearing 95. Is centered.

The core 91 is connected to the differential carrier via a support member and is prevented from rotating.

The lead wire 97 of the electromagnet 19 is drawn out of the differential carrier through the grommet and connected to a controller (not shown) mounted on the vehicle.

The magnetic path of the electromagnet 19 is constituted by the rotor 27, the pilot clutch 15 and the armature 17.

The rotor 27 is divided into a radially outer side and an inner side by a stainless steel ring 99 which is a non-magnetic material. Also, each plate 8 of the pilot clutch 15
5, 87 are provided with a plurality of cutouts 101 at a radial position corresponding to the ring 99 and a bridge portion connecting these cutouts 101 in the circumferential direction. The ring 99 and the notch 101 prevent a short circuit of the magnetic flux on the magnetic path.

The controller detects the turning traveling from the vehicle speed, the steering angle, the lateral G, and the like, or performs the excitation of the electromagnet 19, the control of the excitation current, the stop of the excitation, and the like according to the road surface condition.

When the electromagnet 19 is excited, a magnetic flux loop 103 is formed in the above-described magnetic path, the armature 17 is attracted, and the pilot clutch 15 is pressed and fastened with the rotor 27 to generate pilot torque.

When a pilot torque is generated, a transmission torque is applied to the ball cam 9 from the cam ring 13 connected to the rotating case 3 via the pilot clutch 15 and the pressure plate 11 on the inner shaft 5 side, and the generated cam thrust force is received. Pressure plate 1
1 moves forward and presses the main clutch 7 to fasten it.

When the electromagnetic coupling 1 is connected in this manner, the driving force of the prime mover for rotating the rotating case 3 rotates the rear differential from the inner shaft 5 via the power transmission system such as the drive pinion shaft, and the rear differential rotates from the rear differential. The vehicle is distributed to the left and right rear wheels to be in a four-wheel drive state, so that the running performance on a rough road and the stability of the vehicle body are improved.

At this time, if the exciting current of the electromagnet 19 is controlled, the slip of the pilot clutch 15 changes, the cam thrust force of the ball cam 9 changes, and the pressing force of the main clutch 7 changes, and the driving force sent to the rear wheels changes , The driving force distribution ratio between the front and rear wheels can be controlled.

For example, if such a control of the driving force distribution ratio is performed during a turning operation, the controllability and stability of the vehicle can be greatly improved.

When the excitation of the electromagnet 19 is stopped, the pilot clutch 15 is released, the cam thrust force of the ball cam 9 disappears, the main clutch 7 is released, the connection of the electromagnetic coupling 1 is released, and the rear differential is disconnected. Then, the vehicle enters a two-wheel drive state of front-wheel drive.

The permeability adjusting ring 21 is press-fitted into a notch 105 formed on the large-diameter side of the concave portion 93 of the rotor 27, and is arranged across the magnetic flux loop 103.

As described above, the permeability adjusting ring 21 has both the function of the ring-shaped member and the function of the permeability adjusting member.

[Function of Ring-shaped Member] The thickness t of the air gap G in the direction along the magnetic flux loop 103 (FIG. 2)
The width S of the air gap G in the direction crossing the magnetic flux loop 103 (FIG. 2) changes, and the wrap width between the air gap G and the magnetic flux loop 103 is changed. be able to.

Since the air gap (air) has a high magnetic resistance, the magnetic permeability of the magnetic path increases when the thickness t, which is the dimension in the magnetic flux direction, increases, and decreases when the thickness t decreases.

A graph 151 in FIG. 3 shows a correlation between the thickness t of the air gap G and the attraction force of the electromagnet 19.

As shown in the graph 151, the suction force increases as the thickness t of the air gap G decreases, and the suction force sharply decreases as the thickness t increases.

When the magnetic permeability of the magnetic permeability adjusting ring 21 is larger than the magnetic permeability of the rotor 27, the magnetic flux loop 103
When the width S, which is the amount of wrap, is increased, the magnetic permeability of the magnetic path increases, and when the width S is reduced, the magnetic permeability decreases.

If the magnetic permeability of the magnetic permeability adjusting ring 21 and the magnetic permeability of the rotor 27 are opposite to each other, the magnetic permeability of the magnetic path increases when the width S is reduced, and the magnetic permeability decreases when the width S is increased.

As described above, the permeability adjusting ring 2
1 is centered on the rotating case 3 (cylindrical member 25) by the fitting portion 35, and the rotor 27 and the core 91 are centered by the ball bearing 95.
The magnetic permeability does not fluctuate, and is kept at the adjusted value over a long period of time.

Further, since the rotor 27 is positioned on the cylindrical member 25 by the double nut function of the nut 37, the width S and the magnetic permeability of the air gap G do not change, and the values adjusted over a long period of time are not changed. Is kept.

When the magnetic permeability of the magnetic path is increased, the attraction force of the actuator 17 by the electromagnet 19 is increased, and the pilot torque (connection force) of the pilot clutch 15 is increased. The driving force transmitted to the wheel side increases.

When the magnetic permeability of the magnetic path is reduced, the attractive force of the electromagnet 19 is reduced, and the pilot torque is reduced.
The driving force to the rear wheel side is reduced.

Further, the magnetic permeability can be largely changed by the thickness t of the air gap G, and the magnetic permeability can be finely adjusted by the width S, and the clutch torque can be precisely adjusted.

[Function of Permeability Adjusting Member] For the permeability adjusting ring 21, for example, a steel for machine structural use is used.
By selecting carbon steels having different carbon contents (permeability) such as C, S12C, S15C, etc., the permeability (pilot torque) can be adjusted at low cost.

Various non-magnetic materials may be selected for the magnetic permeability adjusting member according to the magnitude of the magnetic resistance.

FIG. 4 shows the correlation between the exciting current (A) of the electromagnet 19 and the pilot torque by adjusting the permeability by the permeability adjusting ring 21 before adjusting the permeability of the magnetic path and as described above. It is a graph to be compared with later, graph 1
53 shows the characteristics before the permeability is adjusted, and graph 155 shows the characteristics after the permeability is adjusted to be high.

When the magnetic permeability is adjusted to reduce the magnetic flux loss in the magnetic path, the exciting current loss of the electromagnet 19 is reduced, and the magnetic flux is efficiently guided to the armature 17.

As a result, as shown in graphs 153 and 155, the pilot torque obtained at the same exciting current value becomes larger than before the adjustment of the magnetic permeability, and the difference may become wider as the exciting current becomes larger. I understand.

In this way, a necessary pilot torque can be obtained by the pilot clutch 15, so that a desired driving force according to a change in the running conditions of the vehicle can be transmitted to the rear wheel through the electromagnetic coupling 1. it can.

The oil sealed in the rotating case 3 is
Due to the centrifugal force caused by the rotation of the electromagnetic coupling 1, it circulates through the inside, and the inner circumference of the main clutch 7, ball cam 9, pilot clutch 15, spline portions 71, 75, 89, thrust bearing 81, washer 83, cam ring 13. Is supplied to the sliding surface of the inner shaft 5 and the outer periphery of the inner shaft 5, the X-ring 53, and the like to sufficiently lubricate and cool them.

The oil in the capacity increasing space 63 is separated from the radial flow path 67 of the inner shaft 5 by centrifugal force.
It flows into the main clutch 7 via the gap 65 and the ball bearing 43 and is provided to the sliding surface between the outer plate 69 and the inner plate 73 to further improve the lubrication and cooling effects.

An oil hole 107 is formed in each inner plate 73 of the main clutch 7 to promote the movement of oil to the sliding surfaces of the plates 69 and 75, and to improve the lubrication and cooling effects thereof. ing.

A through-hole 109 is formed in the pressure plate 11 to reduce the movement resistance due to oil to improve the operation response of the main clutch 7, and the through-hole 109 serves as an oil flow path, and serves as a ball cam. 9. The movement of oil to the pilot clutch 15 side is promoted, and these lubrication and cooling effects are improved.

Thus, the electromagnetic coupling 1 is configured.

As described above, the electromagnetic coupling 1
The permeability adjusting ring 21 arranged in the magnetic flux path between the core 91 of the electromagnet 19 and the rotor 27 can adjust the magnetic permeability of the magnetic path and adjust the pilot torque.

Since the pilot torque can be adjusted in this manner, the same model (electromagnetic coupling 1) can be used for various types of vehicles, and when used for the same type of vehicle, the pilot torque can be adjusted over a wide range. Can be adjusted.

Further, since the magnetic permeability is increased by the magnetic permeability adjusting ring 21, the loss of the exciting current is reduced.
The burden on the battery and the generator system is reduced, and the electromagnet 19
It is not necessary to increase the size of the battery or the battery, so that the electromagnetic coupling 1 is made compact and the on-board performance is improved.

Also, since an increase in the exciting current is prevented,
This eliminates the need for readjustment of the controller, thereby avoiding an increase in cost.

The configuration of changing the size of the permeability adjusting ring 21 and changing the thickness t and the width S of the air gap G can be implemented at low cost.

The magnetic permeability (pilot torque) can be largely adjusted by the thickness t, and the magnetic permeability (pilot torque) can be finely adjusted by the width S.

If carbon steel having different carbon content (magnetic permeability) is selected for the magnetic permeability adjusting ring 21, the magnetic permeability (pilot torque) can be adjusted at low cost.

Further, the electromagnetic coupling 1 can obtain a large torque transmission capacity by the boosting function of the ball cam 9, and is therefore most suitable for a power transmission device for a vehicle.

Further, by adjusting the pilot torque with the magnetic permeability adjusting ring 21, the pilot clutch 15
Thus, the required pilot torque can be obtained, so that a desired driving force according to the change in the running conditions of the vehicle can be transmitted to the rear wheels.

In the electromagnetic coupling 1 in which the pilot torque is amplified by the boosting function of the ball cam 9, the effect of the present invention that the pilot torque can be adjusted by the magnetic permeability of the magnetic path is particularly large.

In the above embodiment, the main clutch 7 is a case-shaped torque transmitting member (rotating case 3).
This is a mechanism for transmitting the driving force between the shaft and the shaft-shaped torque transmitting member (the inner shaft 5). The outer plate 69 and the inner plate 73 alone have no meaning. Similarly, the rotating case 3 and the inner shaft 5 to which are connected are also essential components of the main clutch 7.

Further, for the same reason, the pilot clutch 15 includes the rotating case 3, the cam ring 13, the outer plate 85, and the inner plate 87 as essential components.

The ball cam 9 (cam mechanism) is a mechanism for converting the transmitted drive torque into a pressing force of the main clutch 7, and includes a pressure plate 11, a cam ring 13, a cam surface formed on these, The pressure plate 1 as well as the ball placed between
The essential components include an inner shaft 5 for transmitting the driving force to the motor 1, a rotating case 3 for transmitting the driving force to the cam ring 13, and a pilot clutch 15.

If the screw mechanism is used in the method of supporting the ring-shaped member in the configuration of claim 4, the adjustment of the air gap width S is easy, and the electromagnetic clutch mechanism is disassembled without replacing the ring-shaped member. Without adjusting the magnetic permeability (coupling force of the clutch) of the magnetic path.

A ring-shaped member having the structure of claim 4 is provided.
The magnetic permeability adjusting member having the configuration of claim 5 may be disposed on the magnetic wall side as in the embodiment, or may be disposed on the core side of the electromagnet.

Further, the ring-shaped member and the permeability adjusting member may be the same member as in the embodiment.

The pilot mechanism constituting the coupling according to claim 6 is not only a pilot clutch mechanism using a friction clutch such as a multi-plate clutch, a single-plate clutch, and a cone clutch, but also an electromagnet without using a clutch. A known pilot mechanism that performs a pilot function may be used.

The main clutch and the pilot clutch may be any type of clutch other than the multi-plate clutch as long as it is a friction clutch such as a single-plate clutch or a cone clutch. These may be wet or dry.

Further, the electromagnetic clutch mechanism and the coupling of the present invention can be used for a differential limiting mechanism by being arranged between differential rotating members of a differential device.

[0123]

According to the electromagnetic clutch mechanism of the present invention, the magnetic permeability of the magnetic path can be adjusted by the magnetic permeability adjusting means disposed between the core of the electromagnet and the magnetic wall, and the coupling force of the clutch can be adjusted. .

By adjusting the coupling force of the clutch, the same model can be used for various types of vehicles, and when used for the same type of vehicle, the coupling force can be adjusted in a wide range.

Further, if the magnetic permeability of the magnetic path is increased, the loss of the exciting current and the load on the battery and the generator system are reduced, so that it is not necessary to increase the size of the electromagnet and the battery, and the electromagnetic clutch mechanism becomes compact. The on-board performance is improved.

In addition, readjustment of the controller is not required, and an increase in cost associated with the readjustment can be avoided.

[0127] The electromagnetic clutch mechanism of the second aspect is the first aspect.
The same effect as the configuration described above can be obtained.

This configuration in which the magnetic permeability is adjusted by changing the thickness t of the air gap can be implemented at low cost, and the magnetic permeability can be largely changed.

The electromagnetic clutch mechanism according to claim 3 is based on claim 2
The same effect as the configuration described above can be obtained.

The magnetic permeability can be largely adjusted by the thickness t of the air gap, and the magnetic permeability can be finely adjusted by the width S of the air gap.

The electromagnetic clutch mechanism according to the fourth aspect is the second aspect.
Alternatively, an effect equivalent to that of the configuration of claim 3 can be obtained.

This configuration in which the thickness t and width S of the air gap are adjusted by changing the dimensions of the ring-shaped member can be implemented at low cost.

Further, if the screw mechanism is used as a method of supporting the ring-shaped member, the width S can be easily adjusted, and the magnetic permeability can be adjusted without replacing the ring-shaped member.

The electromagnetic clutch mechanism according to the fifth aspect is characterized by the first aspect.
The same operation and effect as the configuration described above can be obtained.

Further, if carbon steel for machine structural use having a different carbon content is used for the magnetic permeability adjusting member, the magnetic permeability can be adjusted at low cost.

Various non-magnetic materials may be selected for the magnetic permeability adjusting member in accordance with the magnitude of the magnetic resistance.
Thus, the range of material selection (the range of adjustment of magnetic permeability) is wide.

The coupling according to claim 6 is the coupling according to claims 1 to 5
The same effect as the configuration described above can be obtained.

In addition, the coupling having this configuration can provide a large torque transmission capacity by the boosting function of the cam mechanism, and is therefore most suitable for a power transmission device for a vehicle.

Further, a pilot torque required by the pilot mechanism can be obtained by the adjusting function of the magnetic permeability adjusting means, so that a desired driving force according to a change in running conditions of the vehicle can be transmitted to the wheels.

If the magnetic permeability is increased, the loss of the exciting current is reduced, the size and weight of the electromagnet are prevented, and the mountability of the coupling is improved.

In a coupling of this configuration in which the coupling force of the pilot mechanism is amplified by the cam mechanism, the effect of the present invention that the pilot torque can be adjusted by the magnetic permeability of the magnetic path is particularly large.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of a main part of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a graph showing a correlation between an air gap thickness t in a magnetic path and an attractive force of an electromagnet.

FIG. 4 is a graph showing an effect of the present invention by a correlation between an exciting current of an electromagnet and a pilot torque.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view of a conventional example.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Coupling 3 Rotation case (case-like torque transmission member) 5 Inner shaft (shaft-like torque transmission member) 7 Main clutch 9 Ball cam (cam mechanism: pilot mechanism) 15 Pilot clutch (clutch: pilot mechanism) 19 Electromagnet (pilot mechanism) 21 Permeability adjusting ring (Permeability adjusting means: Ring-shaped member: Permeability adjusting member) 27 Rotor (Magnetic wall constituting a part of magnetic path) 91 Core of electromagnet G Air gap

Claims (6)

[Claims] A torque transmitting member, a shaft-shaped torque transmitting member, a clutch disposed therebetween, and an electromagnet for opening and closing the clutch via a magnetic path;
The case-shaped torque transmitting member has a magnetic wall that forms a part of the magnetic path, and a magnetic permeability adjusting unit that adjusts the magnetic permeability of the magnetic path is disposed between the magnetic wall and the core of the electromagnet. An electromagnetic clutch mechanism, characterized in that: 2. The air gap according to claim 1, wherein the magnetic permeability adjusting means is an air gap provided between the magnetic wall and the core of the electromagnet, and the air gap in a direction along the magnetic flux. An electromagnetic clutch mechanism wherein the magnetic permeability is adjusted by changing the thickness t. 3. The magnetic recording medium according to claim 2, wherein in addition to changing the air gap thickness t in a direction along the magnetic flux, the air gap width S in a direction crossing the magnetic flux is changed to reduce the magnetic permeability. An electromagnetic clutch mechanism characterized by adjustment. 4. The air gap thickness t according to claim 2, wherein a ring-shaped member is arranged between the magnetic wall and the core and the dimensions thereof are changed. An electromagnetic clutch mechanism for adjusting an air gap width S. 5. The magnetic recording medium according to claim 1, wherein the magnetic permeability adjusting means is a magnetic permeability adjusting member disposed between the magnetic wall and the core of the electromagnet, and selects the magnetic permeability. An electromagnetic clutch mechanism wherein the magnetic permeability is adjusted by adjusting the magnetic permeability. 6. An electromagnetic clutch mechanism according to claim 1, a pilot mechanism operated by an electromagnet of the electromagnetic clutch mechanism, and a cam mechanism. When the pilot mechanism operates, the pilot mechanism is activated. A coupling is characterized in that a torque is applied to the cam mechanism via the coupling, and the clutch of the electromagnetic clutch mechanism is coupled by the generated coupling force.