JP2006194304A - Clutch release bearing unit - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a clutch release bearing unit provided with enhanced assembly characteristics at low costs. <P>SOLUTION: Because a clip member 50 inhibiting separation between a release fork RF and a guide sleeve 20 is formed into a plate, accuracy in forming is raised and variation in a shape is lowered for the reason of the simplification of the shape of forming differently from the case of a conventional wire-like clip. Therefore, assembly characteristics are enhanced. The plate-like clip member 50 is hard to deform at the time of transportation and storage, and has an excellent handling property. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a clutch release bearing device used in a vehicle or the like.

  When operating a clutch that is a power interrupting device that is mounted on a vehicle or the like and that uses a friction plate, by pressing a diaphragm spring of a clutch cover that is a rotating member of the clutch device in the axial direction with a release fork that is an input member The power transmission is disconnected by releasing the biasing force of the spring from the friction plate.

By the way, the release fork is usually arranged on the fixed side of the vehicle body or the like, but the clutch cover is attached to a flywheel or the like of the engine and rotates integrally therewith. Therefore, when the release fork directly presses the diaphragm spring of the clutch cover, wear of the contact portion is caused. Therefore, a clutch release bearing including a rotating wheel that abuts on the diaphragm spring and rotates integrally, and a non-rotating bearing holding member configured to hold the bearing in a predetermined state and receive an input from the release fork, A clutch release bearing device is provided between the diaphragm spring and the release fork.
JP 2004-11658 A

  In the clutch release bearing device disclosed in Patent Document 1, a wire-like clip attached to a guide sleeve is engaged with a release fork, thereby prohibiting separation of the two.

  However, the clip of Patent Document 1 has a spring wire material such as a piano wire formed by wire forming, and therefore has a large variation in shape, and is easily deformed by handling. Thus, when assembling a clip that is greatly deformed with respect to the design shape, there is a problem that the assemblability deteriorates. On the other hand, when trying to suppress variations in the shape of the clip, high-precision processing is required, which increases the manufacturing cost and requires careful attention to avoid deformation during transportation and storage even after the clip is manufactured. It becomes necessary and handling property deteriorates.

  The present invention has been made in view of the problems of the prior art, and an object of the present invention is to provide a clutch release bearing device capable of improving the assembling property at a low cost.

In order to achieve the above object, the clutch release bearing device of the present invention comprises:
A clutch release bearing that includes an inner ring and an outer ring that are concentrically arranged and rotate relative to each other, one of which is fixed and the other of the rotating rings is in contact with a rotating member of the clutch device; and a guide shaft A resin bearing holding member including a cylindrical portion and a flange portion that are slidably fitted to each other, and the one ring of the clutch release bearing can be moved in the radial direction with respect to the bearing holding member. A clutch release bearing device comprising: a connecting member to be held; and a reinforcing member that is provided between the flange portion and an input member that inputs a clutch release force and transmits the clutch release force from the input member to the flange portion. In
A plate-like clip member provided with a base portion sandwiched between the bearing holding member and the input member and an engaging portion extending from the base portion and engaging with the input member is provided. Features.

  According to the clutch release bearing device of the present invention, the clutch release bearing device includes a base portion sandwiched between the bearing holding member and the input member, and an engagement portion that extends from the base portion and engages with the input member. Since the plate-like clip member is provided, unlike the conventional wire-like clip, the molding shape is simplified, so that the molding accuracy is high, the shape variation is low, and the assembling property is improved. Further, when the plate-like clip member is used, it is difficult to be deformed even during transportation and storage, and the handleability is excellent. Moreover, since the clip member can be attached by being inserted between the bearing holding member and the input member, the assemblability is excellent.

  Furthermore, it is preferable that the clip member has a protrusion that engages with the bearing holding member and prevents the clip member from coming out in the radial direction.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a view of a clutch release bearing device according to an embodiment of the present invention as viewed from the release fork side. FIG. 2 is an axial sectional view of the clutch release bearing device of FIG. 1 cut along the line II-II and viewed in the direction of the arrow.

  In FIG. 2, the clutch release bearing device includes a clutch release bearing 10, a guide sleeve 20 that is a bearing holding member, a spring member 30 that is a connecting member, a reinforcing member 40, and a clip member 50. The clutch release bearing 10 includes a substantially circular inner ring 11 having an abutting portion 11 a at the left end, a short circular outer ring 12 concentrically including the inner ring 11, and an inner ring 11 and an outer ring 12. A space defined by the plurality of balls 15 movably arranged, the cage 16 that holds the balls 15 at a predetermined interval, and the inner ring 11 and the outer ring 12 on both sides in the axial direction of the balls 15 is in a dustproof and oiltight manner. The seals 17 and 18 are hermetically sealed. The inner ring 11 is rotatably supported with respect to the outer ring 12. The abutting portion 11a of the inner ring 11 abuts on a diaphragm spring of a clutch cover (not shown).

  On the other hand, the guide sleeve 20 is made of resin, and has a tubular main body (cylindrical portion) 21, a flange portion 22 extending radially from the outer periphery near the center of the main body 21, and a radially outward direction of the flange portion 22. The outer wall portion 23 protrudes leftward in the axial direction at the end and the guide portion 25 (FIG. 1) protrudes rightward in the axial direction in FIG. 2 at the radially outer end of the flange portion 22. A guide shaft (not shown) extends inside the main body 21, and the main body 21 is slidable on the guide shaft.

  An enlarged diameter portion 24 is provided inside the main body 21. The enlarged diameter portion 24 functions so as not to bite foreign matter when the main body 21 slides on the guide shaft. The outer wall portion 23 is provided outside the clutch release bearing 10 and serves as a radial movement restriction portion. Further, a gap 27 is formed between the outer periphery of the outer ring 12 and the inner periphery of the outer wall 23 so that the clutch release bearing 10 can be moved in the radial direction. The guide portion 25 has a guide function when the spring member 30 is assembled. The outer ring 12 is formed by cutting JIS standard SUJ2 as a raw material and then quenching, but it may be formed by pressing a plate material.

  As is apparent from FIG. 1, the two spring members 30 having the same shape have a function of attaching the clutch release bearing 10 to the guide sleeve 20. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the spring member 30. The spring member 30 is formed by punching a sheet of spring steel such as SK5 with a press, bending it, and then quenching it. The spring member 30 is provided between the base portion 31 that contacts the flange portion of the guide sleeve 20, the pressing portion 32 that contacts the outer ring 12 of the bearing, and the base portion 31 and the pressing portion 32. And a beam portion 33 for applying an elastic force for urging 12. The pressing portion 32 has an inclined portion 32 a that is inclined outward in the axial direction so as not to contact the seal 17 and to facilitate the assembly of the spring member 30.

  Further, the spring member 30 has a concave portion 34 that is recessed upward on the central lower surface of the beam portion 33, and a convex portion 22 h (FIG. 2) formed on the flange portion 22 of the guide sleeve 20 is formed in the concave portion 34. It is designed to engage. Further, a notch 37 that forms a recess is formed in the vicinity of the lower end of both side portions 31 a of the base portion 31, and a relatively large rectangular opening 38 is formed in the vicinity of the center of the base portion 31.

  The reinforcing member 40 has a cylindrical part 41, a flat disk part 43 extending in the radial direction from the end of the cylindrical part 41, and a part of the disk part 43 (two places at 180 degrees phase) on the rear side (see FIG. 2 is formed by pressing a relatively thin plate and then quenching the plate. As a result, significant wear does not occur in the anvil portion 42 that contacts the shift fork RF that is the input member.

  The cylindrical portion 41 has a diameter that just fits into the main body 21 when attached to the guide sleeve 20, whereby the radial positioning of the reinforcing member 40 is achieved.

  Further, the protrusion 22c and the stopper 22g of the guide sleeve 20 pass through the notch formed in the disk portion 43. A stopper 22g, which is a rectangular protrusion formed in the vicinity of the protrusion 22c in the flange portion 22, is formed in the rectangular opening 38 of the spring member 30 when the spring member 30 is attached to the guide sleeve 20, as is apparent from FIG. Engage and function to prevent further spring member 30 from being pushed inward.

  FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the clip member 50. The two clip members 50 are formed by bending a plate material by pressing, and have a base 51, an extension 52 extending perpendicularly from one end of the base 51, and an acute angle at the tip of the extension 52. And a bent engagement portion 53. Further, the other end of the base portion 51 is bent to the opposite side of the extending portion 52 to form a protrusion 54.

  In the assembled state shown in FIG. 2, the base portion 51 of the clip member 50 is sandwiched between the flange portion 22 of the guide sleeve 20 and the anvil portion 42 of the reinforcing member 40. At this time, the protrusion 54 engages with the recess 22 a formed in the flange portion 22, so that the clip member 50 is prevented from coming off radially outward. The engaging portion 53 functions to engage with a recess on the rear side (right side in FIG. 2) of the release fork RF and prevent separation from the guide sleeve 20. The thickness of the clip member 50 is preferably such that the engaging portion 53 is elastically deformed so as not to interfere with the release fork RF when it swings.

  Next, the operation of the clutch release bearing device according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described below. In FIG. 2, when the bifurcated release fork RF pivots about the pivot extending vertically in FIG. 1, the tip of the release fork RF abuts against the anvil portion 42 of the reinforcing member 40 to apply a certain load. Since the reinforcing member 40 has sufficient rigidity, it can receive a large load transmitted from the release fork RF. The clutch release bearing device slides in the axial direction on a guide shaft (not shown) in response to an input from a release fork, and abuts the abutting portion 11a of the inner ring 11 on a diaphragm spring of a clutch cover (not shown). Even if the diaphragm spring is rotating, the inner ring 11 is freely rotatable, so that it rotates integrally with the diaphragm spring after contact, and the diaphragm spring is pressed as the bearing device moves in the axial direction, so that the clutch is It is supposed to be operated.

  Since the spring member 30 has an appropriate plate thickness and supports the clutch release bearing 10 with respect to the guide sleeve 20 only by the frictional force acting between the pressing portion 32 and the outer ring 12, the bearing 10 The guide sleeve 20 can be moved in the radial direction. Therefore, when the abutting portion 11a of the inner ring 11 abuts against the diaphragm spring, if there is an eccentricity between the two, a known force is generated to place the bearing 10 concentrically, thereby causing the bearing 10 to move in the radial direction. The self-alignment will be achieved. The outer wall portion 23 of the guide sleeve 20 has a function of restricting the bearing 10 from moving radially outward by a predetermined amount or more. In addition, since there are many types of outer rings of general ball bearings that do not have a flange, if the outer ring is sandwiched between the spring members 30 as in the present embodiment, there is no need to modify the outer ring itself, and the existing one can be used. It can be used and can contribute to cost reduction.

  According to the present embodiment, since the clip member 50 that prevents the release fork RF and the guide sleeve 20 from being separated is formed in a plate shape, the molding shape is simplified unlike the conventional wire-shaped clip, so that the molding accuracy is improved. Increases the shape variation and improves the assembling property. Further, the plate-like clip member 50 is not easily deformed during transportation or storage, and is excellent in handleability.

  The present invention has been described above with reference to the embodiments. However, the present invention should not be construed as being limited to the above-described embodiments, and can be changed or improved as appropriate.

It is the figure which looked at the clutch release bearing device concerning this embodiment from the release fork side. FIG. 2 is an axial sectional view of the clutch release bearing device of FIG. 1 cut along the line II-II and viewed in the direction of the arrow. 3 is a perspective view of a spring member 30. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a clip member 50. FIG.

Explanation of symbols

10 Clutch release bearing 20 Guide sleeve 30 Spring member 40 Reinforcement member 50 Clip member

Claims (2)

A clutch release bearing that includes an inner ring and an outer ring that are concentrically arranged and rotate relative to each other, one of which is fixed and the other of the rotating rings is in contact with a rotating member of the clutch device; and a guide shaft A resin bearing holding member including a cylindrical portion and a flange portion that are slidably fitted to each other, and the one ring of the clutch release bearing can be moved in the radial direction with respect to the bearing holding member. A clutch release bearing device comprising: a connecting member to be held; and a reinforcing member that is provided between the flange portion and an input member that inputs a clutch release force and transmits the clutch release force from the input member to the flange portion. In
A plate-like clip member provided with a base portion sandwiched between the bearing holding member and the input member and an engaging portion extending from the base portion and engaging with the input member is provided. A featured clutch release bearing device. The clutch release bearing device according to claim 1, wherein the clip member has a protrusion that engages with the bearing holding member to prevent the clip member from coming out in a radial direction.

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