JP2005201360A - Fluid clutch disengaging device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a fluid clutch disengaging device for improving the sealing performance of operating fluid. <P>SOLUTION: An annular operation chamber 53 is formed between an outer cylinder 41 and an inner cylinder 31. An annular piston 50 in the operation chamber 53 is linearly moved to make the operating fluid operable for engagement/disengagement between a crank shaft and a clutch main shaft 12. The outer cylinder 41 has a cylindrical body 42 and a wall portion 45 protruded from the end of the body 42 to the radial inside with an inner peripheral face 45a to be opposed to an outer peripheral face 33a of a cylinder body 33 of the inner cylinder 31 to form the end of the operation chamber 53. An O-ring 55 is held between the inner peripheral face 45a of the wall portion 45 and the outer peripheral face 33a of the cylinder body 33 in the radial direction. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a fluid clutch disconnection device, and particularly relates to measures for improving the sealing performance of the working fluid.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as disclosed in Patent Document 1 below, there is known a fluid clutch disconnection device that connects and disconnects power transmission between a drive shaft such as an engine and a driven shaft connected to a transmission or the like.

  The fluid-type clutch disconnection device disclosed in the above document will be specifically described. As shown in FIG. 4, in this clutch disconnection device, a cylindrical inner cylinder 107 and a cylindrical outer cylinder 106 are coaxially arranged, and a cylinder space 108 formed between the two cylinders 106 and 107 is disposed in the cylinder space 108. An annular piston 113 is slidably fitted in the axial direction. The annular piston 113 is connected to a clutch lever (not shown) via a release bearing 110. A crank main shaft 101 inside the inner cylinder 107 is connected to a transmission, for example.

  A flange portion 107 a that is attached to the clutch housing 105 is provided at one end portion of the inner cylinder 107. On the other hand, the outer cylinder 106 is provided with a mounting portion 106a that extends radially outward while contacting the flange portion 107a at one end thereof. A port 118 for introducing hydraulic oil pumped from a clutch master cylinder (not shown) is formed in the mounting portion 106a. The port 118 passes through an oil passage 119 to one end of the cylinder space 108 in the axial direction. Communicate. Further, the mounting portion 106a of the outer cylinder 106 and the flange portion 107a of the inner cylinder 107 are in contact with each other in an axially opposing surface, and a seal member 114 for preventing hydraulic fluid from leaking between the opposing surfaces. Is arranged.

In this clutch disconnection device, by controlling the hydraulic oil pumping from the master cylinder to the cylinder space 108 through the port 118, the annular piston 113 is moved in the axial direction, thereby controlling the pressing force of the clutch lever to control the clutch. The connection is made.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-220496

  By the way, in the clutch disconnection device disclosed in Patent Document 1, the inner cylinder 107 is provided with a flange portion 107a, and a seal is provided between the flange portion 107a and the mounting portion 106a of the outer cylinder 106 on the radially outer side of the cylinder space 108. The member 114 is sandwiched from the axial direction. Therefore, in order to ensure the sealing performance by the seal member 114, it is necessary to strictly manage the dimensional accuracy of the outer cylinder 106, the flange portion 107a, and the clutch housing 105. In other words, the dimensional accuracy of these members is poor, and when these members are assembled, if a gap is generated before and after the flange portion 107a in the axial direction, the flange portion 107a receives hydraulic pressure and bends in the axial direction by the gap. There is a possibility that the sealing performance of the sealing member 114 is impaired and oil leakage may occur. The flange portion 107a of the inner cylinder 107 needs to be securely held between the outer cylinder 106 and the clutch housing 105 so that the relative position of the flange portion 107a with the outer cylinder 106 with the seal member 114 interposed therebetween does not shift in the axial direction. is there. Further, in the case where the flange portion 107a is not sandwiched between the outer cylinder 106 and the clutch housing 105, the flange portion 107a and the mounting portion 106a of the outer cylinder 106 are fixed relatively firmly in order to ensure sealing performance. There arises a problem that a separate means is required.

  Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of the above points, and the object of the present invention is to require strict dimensional accuracy and strong fixing of an inner cylinder and an outer cylinder as in a conventional type in a fluid clutch disconnection device. In other words, the sealing property of the working fluid is ensured.

  In order to achieve the above object, the present invention is such that a seal member is disposed between the inner peripheral surface of the outer cylinder portion (outer cylinder) and the outer peripheral surface of the inner cylinder portion (inner cylinder). .

  Specifically, according to the first aspect of the present invention, an annular working chamber is formed between the outer cylinder portion and the inner cylinder portion arranged coaxially with the drive shaft and the driven shaft, and is disposed in the working chamber. On the premise of a fluid-type clutch disconnection device that connects and disconnects the drive shaft and the driven shaft by causing a working fluid to act by linearly moving an annular piston, the outer tube portion includes a tubular main body portion, and the main body portion. A wall portion protruding inward in the radial direction at one end portion thereof, an inner peripheral surface facing the outer peripheral surface of the inner cylinder portion, and closing the working chamber from the outer side in the axial direction, and an inner peripheral surface of the wall portion, A seal member is sandwiched in the radial direction between the outer peripheral surface of the inner cylinder portion.

  In this invention, even if the outer peripheral surface of the inner cylindrical portion and the inner peripheral surface of the wall portion of the outer cylindrical portion are subjected to fluid pressure of the working fluid, the inner cylindrical portion and the wall portion are deformed so as to be displaced in the radial direction. For this reason, a seal member interposed between the outer peripheral surface of the inner cylinder part and the inner peripheral surface of the wall part of the outer cylinder part maintains this seal, and prevents the working fluid from leaking from there. can do.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the fluid clutch disconnection device according to the first aspect, the outer cylindrical portion includes a cylindrical holding portion extending from the wall portion to the opposite side of the main body portion, and the holding portion. A groove portion formed on the inner peripheral surface of the inner cylinder portion, and the inner cylinder portion includes a cylindrical inner cylinder portion main body, and a flange portion protruding outward in a radial direction provided at one end portion of the inner cylinder portion main body. A retaining ring is fitted in the groove portion of the outer cylinder portion to hold the flange portion of the inner cylinder portion with the wall portion of the outer cylinder portion.

  In this invention, a retaining ring is fitted into a groove formed in the holding part of the outer cylinder part, and the flange part of the inner cylinder part is sandwiched between the retaining ring and the wall part. For this reason, an inner cylinder part can be easily assembled | attached to an outer cylinder part by setting an inner cylinder part inside an outer cylinder part, and inserting a retaining ring in a groove part. In other words, since the sealing of the working fluid is secured by the seal member sandwiched in the radial direction between the inner peripheral surface of the outer cylindrical portion and the outer peripheral surface of the inner cylindrical portion, the inner cylindrical portion is thus secured with a retaining ring. It is possible to adopt a configuration to hold. Therefore, according to the present invention, it is possible to simplify the assembly work of the clutch disconnection device while maintaining the sealing performance.

  As described above, according to the present invention, an annular working chamber is defined by the outer tube portion and the inner tube portion, and the inner peripheral surface of the wall portion of the outer tube portion that forms one axial end portion of the working chamber. Since the seal member is disposed between the peripheral surfaces where the distance between each other and the outer peripheral surface of the inner cylinder part is difficult to change, it is possible to prevent the working fluid from leaking between the peripheral surfaces. Therefore, the sealing property of the working fluid can be ensured without separately providing means for firmly fixing the outer cylinder part and the inner cylinder part.

  Hereinafter, the best mode for carrying out the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a clutch 1 incorporating a fluid clutch disconnection device 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The clutch 1 is configured to connect and disconnect a crankshaft (drive shaft) of an engine (not shown) and a clutch main shaft (driven shaft) 12 connected to a transmission (not shown) by a clutch disconnection device 10. The clutch 1 includes a bottomed cylindrical clutch housing 14 disposed coaxially with the crankshaft and the clutch main shaft 12. The clutch main shaft 12 passes through the bottom 15 of the clutch housing 14. The clutch housing 14 accommodates a flywheel 16 provided on the crankshaft, a clutch disc 17 connected to the clutch main shaft 12 by a spline 18, and the clutch disconnection device 10.

  A clutch main shaft 12 passes through the clutch disconnection device 10, and a flat diaphragm spring 20 is in contact with one end in the axial direction. The central portion of the diaphragm spring 20 is displaced in the axial direction in conjunction with the movement of the clutch disengagement device 10, while the axial displacement is restricted by a restricting member 22 whose middle portion in the radial direction is connected to the flywheel 16. It has become so. A pressure plate 24 is provided at the outer end portion of the diaphragm spring 20, and when the central portion of the diaphragm spring 20 is displaced in the axial direction, the pressure plate 24 warps around the intermediate portion as a fulcrum. Therefore, it moves in the axial direction opposite to the central portion. As a result, the pressure plate 24 presses the clutch disc 17 against the flywheel 16 and releases the press.

  A master cylinder (not shown) is connected to the clutch disconnection device 10 through an oil pipe 26, and pressure oil as a working fluid is supplied from the master cylinder to the clutch disconnection device 10 in conjunction with operation of a clutch pedal (not shown). It comes to be supplied. The clutch shut-off device 10 has one end (the right end in FIG. 1) fixed to the clutch housing 14, while the other end (the left end in FIG. 1) can be expanded and contracted in the axial direction according to the flow of pressure oil. ing.

  In the clutch 1, the diaphragm spring 20 is in a neutral state without warping when the clutch pedal is not depressed. In this state, since the pressure plate 24 presses the clutch disc 17 against the flywheel 16, the clutch disc 17 rotates together with the flywheel 16. In other words, the engine crankshaft and the clutch main shaft 12 are in a clutch-on state in which the engine is driven and connected.

  When the clutch pedal is depressed, the pressure oil in the master cylinder is pumped to the clutch disconnection device 10 to displace the central portion of the diaphragm spring 20 in the axial direction (left direction in FIG. 1). As a result, the diaphragm spring 20 is deformed so that the outer peripheral end of the diaphragm spring 20 is bent in the opposite axial direction (rightward in FIG. 1) with the intermediate portion as a fulcrum, whereby the pressure plate 24 moves the clutch disk 17 to the flywheel 16. Pressing is released. As a result, the connection between the crankshaft of the engine and the clutch main shaft 12 is released, and the clutch is turned off. This clutch-off state is maintained while the clutch pedal is depressed.

  Next, details of the clutch disconnection device 10 will be described with reference to FIGS. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line II-II in FIG. As shown in FIG. 2, the clutch disconnection device 10 includes an inner cylinder 31 as an inner cylinder portion and an outer cylinder 41 as an outer cylinder portion, and the inner cylinder 31 is an outer cylinder. 41 is disposed on the inner side of 41 and coaxially with the crankshaft and the clutch main shaft 12.

  The inner cylinder 31 includes a cylindrical cylinder main body 33 as an inner cylindrical portion main body, and a flange portion 35 provided at one end portion (right end portion in FIG. 2) of the cylinder main body 33 and projecting radially outward. The cylinder main body 33 has an inner diameter larger than the outer diameter of the clutch main shaft 12, and the clutch main shaft 12 passes through the cylinder main body 33. The flange portion 35 is formed in a disc shape orthogonal to the cylinder body 33.

  The outer cylinder 41 includes a cylindrical main body portion 42, a support portion 43 that extends radially outward from one end portion of the main body portion 42, and an oil supply portion 44 that also extends radially outward from one end portion of the main body portion 42, A wall portion 45 formed at one end portion of the main body portion 42 and a holding portion 46 formed at an end portion of the wall portion 45 opposite to the main body portion 42 are provided.

  The main body 42 is arranged in parallel with the cylinder main body 33 of the inner cylinder 31. The inner diameter of the main body portion 42 is formed larger than the outer diameter of the inner cylinder 31 in the cylinder main body 33, and a space having a predetermined width is formed between the main body portion 42 and the cylinder main body 33. An annular piston 50 is inserted in a space between the main body 42 and the cylinder body 33 of the inner cylinder 31, and an annular working chamber 53 is defined by the inner cylinder 31, the outer cylinder 41, and the annular piston 50. Yes.

  The support portions 43 are for fixing the outer cylinder 41 to the clutch housing 14, and three support portions 43 are provided so as to be equidistant from each other as shown in FIG. Bolt insertion holes 43 a for inserting bolts B (FIG. 1) are formed at the distal end portions of the respective support portions 43. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 2, a leg portion 15 a extending toward the support portion 43 is erected on the bottom portion 15 of the clutch housing 14. The leg portion 15 a is provided with a bolt hole 15 b for screwing the bolt B inserted into the bolt insertion hole 43 a of the support portion 43.

  The oil supply part 44 extends in the radial direction from a portion of the main body part 42 that is displaced in the circumferential direction from the support part 43. The outer end 44a of the oil supply unit 44 is configured to be connectable to an oil pipe 26 connected to the master cylinder. An oil passage 44 b is formed through the oil supply unit 44. The oil passage 44 b is configured to communicate the oil pipe 26 and the working chamber 53. An inner end portion of the oil passage 44 b is open to an end portion on the wall 45 side in the working chamber 53.

  The wall 45 constitutes an end wall on the back side of the working chamber 53. Specifically, the wall portion 45 is formed in an annular shape projecting radially inward from an end portion on the back side (right side in FIG. 2) of the main body portion 42, and an inner peripheral surface 45a thereof is an inner cylinder. It opposes the outer peripheral surface 33a in the cylinder main body 33 of 31. An annular groove 45b is provided on the inner peripheral surface 45a of the wall 45 over the entire circumferential direction. An O-ring 55 as a seal member is fitted in the annular groove 45b. That is, the O-ring 55 is sandwiched between the cylinder body 33 and the wall portion 45 in the radial direction. The O-ring 55 is for ensuring a seal between the inner cylinder 31 and the outer cylinder 41.

  The holding portion 46 is formed in a cylindrical shape extending from the wall portion 45 in the opposite direction to the main body portion 42, that is, in the axial direction toward the bottom portion 15 of the clutch housing 14. The holding part 46 has an inner diameter larger than the inner diameter of the main body part 42. And the holding | maintenance part 46 is engage | inserted inside the boss | hub part 15c standingly arranged by the bottom part 15 of the clutch housing 14 at the annular | circular shape.

  The inner diameter of the holding portion 46 is set to be larger than the outer diameter of the flange portion 35 of the inner cylinder 31, and the flange portion 35 is disposed in the holding portion 46. On the inner peripheral surface of the holding portion 46, a groove portion 46 a is provided over the entire circumferential direction at a portion away from the wall portion 45 of the outer cylinder 41 by an amount corresponding to the thickness of the flange portion 35. A C-shaped retaining ring 57 is fitted in the groove 46a. The retaining ring 57 is located away from the bottom 15 of the clutch housing 14. The flange portion 35 is sandwiched between the retaining ring 57 and the wall portion 45 of the outer cylinder 41. In other words, the retaining ring 57 fixes the position of the inner cylinder 31 with respect to the outer cylinder 41. The retaining ring 57 can be fitted into the groove 46a by reducing the diameter so that the C-shaped ends approach each other.

  An annular claw member 59 having four claw portions protruding at equal intervals in the circumferential direction is attached to the other end portion (left end portion in FIG. 2) of the cylinder body 33 of the inner cylinder 31. The claw member 59 protrudes outward in the radial direction from the cylinder body 33 and constitutes a retainer for the annular piston 50. The clutch main shaft 12 passes through the inside of the claw member 59.

  The annular piston 50 is disposed so as to be slidable in the axial direction within the working chamber 53. A seal portion 50 a that presses both the inner cylinder 31 and the outer cylinder 41 is provided at the tip of the annular piston 50. On the other hand, a dust sweeper 50 b that is pressed against the inner cylinder 31 is provided at the base end of the annular piston 50. An inner race 60 a of a release bearing 60 is attached to the base end portion of the annular piston 50. The inner race 60a is provided with a mounting bracket 60b. The inner race 60a is fixed to the annular piston 50 by engaging the mounting bracket 60b with the base end portion of the annular piston 50. Therefore, the release bearing 60 moves in the axial direction together with the annular piston 50.

  The base end portion of the annular piston 50 is located on the outer side in the axial direction than the main body portion 42 of the outer cylinder 41, and the base end portion is formed in a shape protruding outward in the radial direction. A compression spring member 63 composed of a coil spring is interposed between the base end portion of the annular piston 50 and the outer cylinder 41. The compression spring member 63 is arranged in such a posture as to expand and contract in the sliding direction of the annular piston 50. The compression spring member 63 is for pressing the release bearing 60 toward the diaphragm spring 20, and the compression spring member 63 is a spring that guarantees that the outer race 60 c of the release bearing 60 is always in contact with the diaphragm spring 20. Have power.

  An annular spring seat member 65 is interposed between the compression spring member 63 and the outer cylinder 41. The spring seat member 65 is for restricting the movement of the end portion of the compression spring member 63.

  A boot 67 is stretched between the outer cylinder 41 and the release bearing 60. The boot 67 has a bellows-like cylindrical shape that can be expanded and contracted in the axial direction. One end of the boot 67 engages with an annular holder 69 fitted on the release bearing 60, while the other end engages with the spring seat member 65.

  The operation of the clutch disconnection device 10 will be described. In this clutch disconnection device 10, the annular piston 50 is positioned in the vicinity of the right end portion in FIG. 2 when the clutch pedal is not depressed. In this state, the compression spring member 63 is compressed and the release bearing 60 is also positioned to the right. At this time, the diaphragm spring 20 is in a neutral state without warping, and at this time, as described above, the clutch is on.

  On the other hand, when the clutch pedal is depressed, the pressure oil of the master cylinder flows into the working chamber 53, and the annular piston 50 moves to the left. Along with this, the release bearing 60 also moves to the left and displaces the central portion of the diaphragm spring 20 in the axial direction. As a result, the diaphragm spring 20 is deformed and the clutch is turned off as described above.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, even if the outer peripheral surface 33a of the cylinder main body 33 of the inner cylinder 31 and the inner peripheral surface 45a of the wall portion 45 of the outer cylinder 41 are subjected to hydraulic pressure, the inner cylinder 31 and the wall portion. 45 is difficult to be deformed so as to be displaced in the radial direction, and therefore the distance between the outer peripheral surface 33a of the cylinder body 33 of the inner cylinder 31 and the inner peripheral surface 45a of the wall portion 45 of the outer cylinder 41 varies. Hard to do. For this reason, it is possible to maintain a seal by the O-ring 55 interposed between the peripheral surfaces 33a and 45a, and it is possible to prevent pressure oil from leaking from here. Therefore, the sealing performance of the pressure oil can be ensured without separately providing means for firmly fixing the outer cylinder 41 and the inner cylinder 31.

  In the present embodiment, the retaining ring 57 is fitted into the groove 46 a formed in the holding portion 46 of the outer cylinder 41, and the flange portion 35 of the inner cylinder 31 is sandwiched between the retaining ring 57 and the wall portion 45. ing. For this reason, the inner cylinder 31 can be easily assembled to the outer cylinder 41 by setting the inner cylinder 31 inside the outer cylinder 41 and fitting the retaining ring 57 into the groove 46a. That is, since the seal between the inner cylinder 31 and the outer cylinder 41 is performed by the O-ring 55 sandwiched in the radial direction between the peripheral surfaces of both the cylinders 31, 41, the wall portion 45 of the outer cylinder 41 is conventionally provided. It is not required until a seal is secured by axial alignment of the inner cylinder 31 and the flange portion 35 of the inner cylinder 31. For this reason, it is possible to employ a structure for holding the inner cylinder 31 with the retaining ring 57 that is relatively easy to install. Therefore, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to omit the management of strict machining accuracy while ensuring the sealing performance between the peripheral surfaces of both cylinders 41 and 41, and further simplify the assembly work of the clutch disconnection device 10. be able to.

1 is a diagram illustrating an overall configuration of a clutch to which a fluid clutch disconnection device according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the fluid clutch disconnection device taken along line II-II in FIG. 3. It is the side view which looked at the fluid type clutch cutoff device in the axial direction. It is sectional drawing of the conventional fluid type clutch cutoff device.

Explanation of symbols

12 Clutch main shaft (driven shaft)
31 Inner cylinder (inner cylinder)
33 Cylinder body (inner cylinder body)
33a Outer peripheral surface 35 Flange part 41 Outer cylinder (outer cylinder part)
42 Main body 45 Wall 45a Inner peripheral surface 46 Holding portion 46a Groove 50 Annular piston 53 Working chamber 55 O-ring (seal member)
57 Retaining Ring

Claims (2)

An annular working chamber is formed between the outer cylinder portion and the inner cylinder portion arranged coaxially with the drive shaft and the driven shaft,
A fluid type clutch disengagement device for connecting / disconnecting the drive shaft and the driven shaft by causing a working fluid to act by linearly moving an annular piston disposed in the working chamber;
The outer cylinder part projects inward in the radial direction at one end of the main body part, and the inner peripheral surface faces the outer peripheral surface of the inner cylinder part, and closes the working chamber from the axially outer side. With a wall,
A fluid clutch disengagement device in which a seal member is sandwiched in a radial direction between an inner peripheral surface of the wall portion and an outer peripheral surface of the inner cylinder portion. The outer cylinder part is provided with a cylindrical holding part extending from the wall part to the opposite side of the main body part, and a groove part formed on the inner peripheral surface of the holding part,
The inner cylinder part includes a cylindrical inner cylinder part main body, and a flange part projecting radially outward provided at one end of the inner cylinder part main body,
The fluid clutch cutoff device according to claim 1, wherein a retaining ring for fitting the flange portion of the inner cylinder portion with the wall portion of the outer cylinder portion is fitted in the groove portion of the outer cylinder portion.

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