JP2009180244A - Clutch release bearing and clutch release bearing device with the same - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To easily provide a clutch release bearing improved in sealing performance, and reduced in weight without increasing bearing torque. <P>SOLUTION: This clutch release bearing 10 has an inner ring 11 and an outer ring 12 relatively rotatably arranged via a ball 13, and first and second seal members 15 and 16 arranged in an opening of an annular space formed between both the rings 11 and 12 and sealing the opening as a main constituting member. The first seal member 15 forms a seal part S1 composed of a contact seal by making an inner diameter end 15b slidably contact with an inner cylinder surface 11a2 of the inner ring 11. A cover material 19 opposed in the axial direction to the first seal member 15 by extending in the radial direction is fixed to one end of the inner ring 11. A labyrinth seal S2 extending in a straight line shape in the radial direction is formed between an end surface of an annular protrusion 19c formed in the cover material 19 and an end surface of the first seal member 15 opposed to the end surface. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a clutch release bearing incorporated in a clutch device of a vehicle including an automobile, and a clutch release bearing device including the same.

  The clutch release bearing device is disposed between an engine and a transmission of a manual transmission vehicle, and moves in the axial direction in accordance with the operation of a clutch pedal to switch on / off of the clutch. A clutch release bearing 100 incorporated in the clutch release bearing device includes, for example, an inner ring 101 and an outer ring 102 provided so as to be relatively rotatable via balls 105 as rolling elements, as shown in FIG. A flange 104 is provided that contacts a rotating member (diaphragm spring) of a clutch device (not shown). In addition, seal members 106 are disposed in an opening of an annular space formed between the inner ring 101 and the outer ring 102. The seal member 106 in the illustrated example is configured such that the inner diameter end portion (lip) is in sliding contact with the outer diameter surface of the inner ring 101 over the entire circumference in a state where the outer diameter end portion is fixed to the outer ring 102. Thereby, the said opening part is sealed and the external leakage of the grease with which the annular space was filled, and the foreign material penetration | invasion to annular space are prevented as much as possible (for example, refer patent document 1).

7 are both so-called contact types, but either one or both of the seal members 106 has an inner diameter end portion that has a predetermined gap with the outer diameter surface of the inner ring 101. In some cases, a so-called non-contact type that faces each other (see, for example, Patent Document 2).
JP 2006-189086 A JP-A-11-270583

  By the way, in recent years, it has become necessary to further improve the sealing performance of the annular space formed between the two wheels in order to stably maintain the expected bearing performance even in a severe use environment where the clutch release bearing is immersed in muddy water. ing. For example, in order to further improve the sealing performance in the above-described bearing configuration shown in FIG. 7, means such as increasing the number of lips of the seal member 106 slidably contacting the outer diameter surface of the inner ring 101, increasing the lip contact allowance, etc. Although it is conceivable to adopt, such a means may cause an increase in bearing torque and a decrease in the function of the clutch device.

  Further, in the bearing shown in FIG. 7, the rear side seal member 106 is removed by integrally providing a radially extending flange 101 a at one end on the rear side of the inner ring 101 (one end on the right side in the figure). We try to prevent as much as possible. However, in such a configuration, the shape of the inner ring 101 may be complicated and the manufacturing cost may increase, and the inner ring 101 and thus the bearing 100 may be increased in weight.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to simply provide a clutch release bearing that is lighter and has higher sealing performance without increasing bearing torque.

  In order to achieve the above object, in the present invention, a clutch release bearing having a contact portion with a rotating member of a clutch device, an inner ring and an outer ring that are provided so as to be relatively rotatable via rolling elements, and between the two rings, A seal member that seals the opening in cooperation with the outer diameter surface of the inner ring, disposed at the opening of the annular space to be formed; Provided is a clutch release bearing characterized in that a cover member extending in the axial direction is fixed to a seal member, and a labyrinth seal extending in a radial direction is formed between the cover member and the seal member. To do.

  As described above, in the clutch release bearing according to the present invention, the labyrinth is a non-contact seal on the outer side of the bearing with respect to the seal portion formed in cooperation with the inner diameter end portion of the seal member and the outer diameter surface of the inner ring. A seal is additionally provided. Therefore, the sealing performance can be improved without increasing the bearing torque. Further, the member on one side forming the labyrinth seal is a cover material (separate from the inner ring) fixed to one end of the inner ring, and the cover material has a strength that can prevent the sealing member from being pulled out. It is sufficient if it is provided with the strength required for the main part of the inner ring. Therefore, the cover material can be formed of, for example, a thin steel plate or resin having a high degree of freedom in shape (easily processed), and thus this type of labyrinth seal can be simplified while reducing the weight of the bearing. Can be formed.

  The labyrinth seal can be extended linearly in the radial direction. In the labyrinth seal having such a configuration, an annular ridge is provided on at least one of the cover member or the seal member, and at this ridge (between the ridge and the ridge provided on the counterpart member or the counterpart member, the ridge is provided. ) Can be formed.

  As described above, the labyrinth seal can be linearly extended in the radial direction, and can be extended in a meandering manner in the radial direction. In this case, since the entire length of the labyrinth seal can be increased as compared with the above-described configuration, the sealing performance can be further improved. The labyrinth seal having such a configuration is provided with one or a plurality of annular protrusions on the cover material, and the seal member is provided with one or a plurality of annular protrusions with different radial positions from the annular protrusion of the cover material. It can be formed by the protrusion and the annular protrusion of the seal member. The form of the annular protrusion (position, number, cross-sectional shape, etc.) is arbitrary as long as the labyrinth seal can be formed, and the required sealability and bearing type (outer ring rotation type, inner ring rotation type) It can be set accordingly. Furthermore, the labyrinth seal extending in a meandering manner in the radial direction is not limited to one in which concave arcs and convex arcs are alternately continued.

  The clutch release bearing according to the present invention described above includes, for example, a fixed body, and a movable body provided so as to be movable in the axial direction along the fixed body due to a volume variation of a variable volume chamber formed between the fixed body and the fixed body. The movable body is provided with a clutch release bearing. In short, it can be suitably used by being incorporated in a hydraulically driven clutch release bearing device.

  As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to simply provide a clutch release bearing that is lighter and has higher sealing performance without increasing bearing torque. This also makes it possible to prevent as much as possible the deterioration of the clutch function due to grease leakage or foreign substance intrusion.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing an example of a clutch release bearing device incorporating a clutch release bearing according to the present invention, more specifically, a hydraulically driven clutch release bearing device driven by hydraulic pressure. It shows the state of being. A clutch release bearing device 1 shown in FIG. 1 is provided with a fixed body 30 attached to a casing 50 of a gear box, and is provided so as to be movable in the axial direction with respect to the fixed body 30. The main part is composed of the movable body 20 forming 40. A control hydraulic pressure generator (not shown) is connected to the variable volume chamber 40, and the chamber 40 is filled with oil as a control fluid. For convenience, in the following description, the left side in the figure is referred to as the front side, and the right side in the figure is referred to as the rear side.

  The fixed body 30 has a guide tube 33 provided with a radial edge 34 constituting the bottom of the variable volume chamber 40 at one end on the rear side, and an outer diameter side end of the radial edge 34 fitted in a groove 32 provided on the inner diameter surface. A main portion is constituted by the cylindrical outer body 31.

  The movable body 20 is disposed on the piston 22 that is externally fitted to the guide tube 33 via the piston support tube 21 and the front end of the piston 22, and is a rotary member of a clutch device (not shown) (hereinafter referred to as a diaphragm spring). And a clutch release bearing 10 having a contact portion with the main component. The piston 22 projects outwardly from the outer cylindrical portion 22a and the inner cylindrical portion 22b extending in the axial direction, an annular portion 22c that connects the two cylindrical portions at one end on the front side, and a base end of the outer cylindrical portion 22a. And a protrusion 22d. Of the piston 22, the inner cylindrical portion 22b is inserted into the inner periphery of the outer main body 31 to form a variable volume chamber 40 between the piston 22 and the fixed body 30, and the protrusion 22d is disposed on the outer periphery of the outer cylindrical portion 22a. It plays a role of locking one end on the front side of the preload spring 24. One end on the front side of the piston support tube 21 extends slightly beyond the annular portion 22c of the piston 22, and a disc spring 23 is fitted into an annular groove 21a formed on the outer diameter surface of the extended portion. The disc spring 23 has a spring force for elastically supporting the clutch release bearing 10 (the inner ring 11 thereof) in cooperation with the annular portion 22 c of the piston 22. The clutch release bearing 10 is a disc spring 23. Alignment is allowed by being pressed toward the piston 22 by the spring force.

  In the clutch release bearing device 1 configured as described above, the behavior of each member when the clutch is released will be briefly described. First, when oil in the variable volume chamber 40 is pressurized by a hydraulic pressure generator (not shown), the piston 22 moves to the front side so that the volume of the variable volume chamber 40 increases. The piston 22 operates the clutch release bearing 10 during movement. When the clutch release bearing 10 is actuated, a thrust force is applied to a diaphragm spring (not shown), thereby releasing the clutch.

  Hereinafter, the clutch release bearing 10 which is the gist of the present invention will be described in detail. The clutch release bearing 10 in the illustrated example is a so-called angular ball bearing, and as shown in an enlarged view in FIG. 2, an inner ring 11 and an outer ring 12 provided so as to be relatively rotatable via a plurality of rolling elements (balls) 13. A cage 14 that is incorporated between the two wheels and holds the balls 13 at equal intervals in the circumferential direction, and a first and a second that are respectively disposed at the rear side and front side openings of the annular space formed between the two wheels. Seal members 15 and 16 and a cover member 19 fixed to one end on the rear side of the inner ring 11 are provided. The annular space formed between the two wheels 11 and 12 is filled with grease as a lubricant. In the illustrated example, the clutch release bearing 10 is an outer ring rotating type bearing in which the inner ring 11 constitutes a stationary side and the outer ring 12 constitutes a rotating side.

  The inner ring 11 is, for example, a press-formed product of a steel plate, has a substantially cylindrical shape extending in the axial direction, a cylindrical portion 11a in which the rolling surface 11a1 of the ball 13 is formed on the outer diameter surface, and the front of the cylindrical portion 11a. A flange 11b that extends radially inward from one end of the side and has a tip portion interposed between the annular portion 22c of the piston 22 and the disc spring 23 is integrally provided. The rear side end surface of the flange portion 11b is formed in a flat surface in a direction perpendicular to the axis line, corresponding to the end surface shape of the annular portion 22c of the piston 22 with which the flange portion 11b abuts.

  The outer ring 12 is a press-formed product of a steel plate like the inner ring 11, has a substantially cylindrical shape extending in the axial direction, and a cylindrical portion 12a in which the rolling surface 12a1 of the ball 13 is formed on the inner diameter surface, and the cylindrical portion 12a. It has a flange 12b that extends from one end of the front side to the inner diameter side and serves as a contact portion with a diaphragm spring (not shown). Of the inner diameter surface of the cylindrical portion 12a, the region to which the seal members 15 and 16 are fixed is formed on a cylindrical surface 12a2 parallel to the axis. The flange portion 12b is always in contact with the diaphragm spring by a preload spring 24 acting between the outer body 31 and the flange portion 22d of the piston 22, and its cross-sectional shape is in line contact with the diaphragm spring (point contact in the sectional view). ), A convex arc shape protruding to the front side.

  As the steel plate for forming the inner ring 11 and the outer ring 12, for example, a carburized steel plate can be used. Examples of the carburized steel that can be used include nickel chrome steel (SNC), nickel chrome molybdenum steel (SNCM), chrome steel (SCr), and chrome molybdenum steel (SCM). In addition, either one or both of the inner ring 11 and the outer ring 12 may be a press-formed product of a steel plate as described above, a forged product, or a machined product such as cutting.

  The second seal member 16 includes a cored bar 17 having a substantially L-shaped cross section and a rubber cover 18 bonded by vulcanization so as to cover the surface of the cored bar 17. It has a substantially U-shaped cross section with the side opened. In the second seal member 16, the outer diameter end portion 16a is press-fitted and fixed to the cylindrical surface 12a2 of the outer ring 12 (strictly speaking, the front cylindrical surface 12a2), and in this state, the inner diameter end portion 16b (lip) has the entire circumference. It contacts the outer diameter surface of the inner ring 11. As a result, a seal portion S1 made of a so-called contact seal is formed, and the front side opening of the annular space formed between the two wheels 11 and 12 is sealed.

  As with the second seal member 16, the first seal member 15 includes a cored bar 17 having a substantially L-shaped cross section, and a rubber covering portion vulcanized and bonded to cover the surface of the cored bar 17. 18 and has a substantially U-shaped cross section with the front side opened. The first seal member 15 has an outer diameter end portion 15a that is press-fitted and fixed to the cylindrical surface 12a2 of the outer ring 12 (strictly speaking, the rear side cylindrical surface 12a2). In contact with the cylindrical outer diameter surface 11a2 of the inner ring 11, a seal portion S1 made of a so-called contact seal is formed.

  As a rubber material used for forming the covering portion 18 constituting both the seal members 15, 16, a known rubber material excellent in wear resistance and water resistance (weather resistance), for example, nitrile rubber (NBR), hydrogenated nitrile rubber (H-NBR), heat-resistant nitrile rubber, polyacrylic rubber, ethylene propylene rubber (EPDM), fluorine rubber (FKM), etc. can be used.

  The cover member 19 has a substantially disk shape extending in the radial direction as a whole, and is fixed to one end on the rear side of the inner ring 11 by fitting an inner diameter end portion 19 b bent to the front side to the inner diameter surface of the inner ring 11. The The cover member 19 has an annular portion 19a facing the rear side end face of the first seal member 15 through a predetermined axial gap, and a predetermined area on the outer diameter side of the annular portion 19a at the front side. And a raised portion 19c formed by raising a predetermined amount. The raised portion 19c is closer to the first seal member 15 than the annular portion 19a, and the labyrinth seal S2 whose front side end surface extends linearly in the radial direction between the front side end surface and the rear side end surface of the first seal member 15. Form.

  In the present embodiment, the cover material 19 is a press-molded product obtained by press-molding a steel plate material that is thinner than at least each part of the inner ring 11. In this way, the cover material 19 can be formed of a thin steel plate because the first seal member 15 is formed from the rear side opening of the annular space in accordance with an increase in internal pressure during bearing operation. This is because it is sufficient if it has sufficient strength to prevent it from being pulled out, and the strength required for the inner ring 11 (the cylindrical portion 11a and the flange portion 11b) is unnecessary. In order to increase the fixing strength between the cover material 19 and the inner ring 11, for example, an adhesive may be interposed between the inner diameter end portion 19 b of the cover material 19 and the inner ring 11.

  The contact seal portion S1 formed by the cooperation of the first seal member 15 and the inner ring 11, and the labyrinth seal S2 formed by the cooperation of the cover member 19 and the first seal member 15, both wheels 11, The rear side opening of the annular space formed between 12 is sealed.

  As described above, in the clutch release bearing 10 according to the present invention, the seal portion S1 formed by the cooperation of the inner diameter end portion 15b of the first seal member 15 and the outer diameter surface (cylindrical surface 11a2) of the inner ring 11 is used. In addition, a labyrinth seal S2 that is a non-contact seal is additionally provided on the outer side of the bearing. Therefore, it is possible to improve the sealing performance at the rear side opening portion of both the opening portions of the annular space formed between the wheels 11 and 12 without increasing the bearing torque. The member on one side forming the labyrinth seal S2 is formed from a steel plate material that is thinner than the inner ring 11, and such a thin steel plate has a high degree of freedom in shape and is lightweight. Accordingly, it is possible to easily form the labyrinth seal S2 while reducing the weight of the clutch release bearing 10. From the above, according to the present invention, it is possible to simply provide the clutch release bearing 10 having higher sealing performance while being lightweight and having low torque.

  In the embodiment described above, the cover member 19 is provided with the raised portion 19c, and extends linearly in the radial direction between the end surface of the raised portion 19c and the end surface of the first seal member 15 opposed to the raised portion 19c. Although the labyrinth seal S2 to be formed is formed, the means for forming the labyrinth seal S2 of this aspect is not limited to this. In other words, for example, the covering portion 18 constituting the first seal member 15 is provided with a protruding portion that protrudes more to the rear side than the other portion, and the gap between the end surface of the protruding portion and the end surface of the cover material 19 facing this ( Alternatively, it is also possible to form a labyrinth seal S2 extending linearly in the radial direction (between the end surface of the raised portion 19c provided on the cover material 19). The covering portion 18 of the first seal member 15 is vulcanized and bonded, and the form of the covering portion 18 can be easily changed simply by changing the shape of the molding die. Therefore, this type of labyrinth seal S2 can be easily formed without causing a particular increase in cost.

  The clutch release bearing 10 according to one embodiment of the present invention has been described above, but the present invention is not limited to this. Hereinafter, other embodiments of the clutch release bearing to which the present invention is applied will be described, but members / parts having substantially the same functions as those described above are denoted by common reference numerals, and redundant description is given. Is omitted.

  FIG. 3 shows a clutch release bearing 10 according to a second embodiment of the present invention. The main difference of the clutch release bearing 10 shown in FIG. 2 from that shown in FIG. 2 is that the annular projections 19d and 19d are provided at two locations separated in the radial direction of the cover member 19 and the first seal member 15 is configured. An annular protrusion 15c is provided on the covering portion 18 so that the position in the radial direction is different from the annular protrusion 19d provided on the cover material 19 (strictly, between the annular protrusions 19d and 19d). The labyrinth seal S2 extending in a meandering manner in the radial direction is formed by the annular protrusions 15c and 19d. In such a configuration, the overall length of the labyrinth seal S2 can be increased as compared with the first embodiment in which the labyrinth seal S2 extending linearly in the radial direction is formed, so that the sealing performance can be further improved. In addition, since the coating | coated part 18 which comprises the 1st sealing member 15 is vulcanized-bonding (molding) to the core metal 17, the special cost increase by forming the cyclic | annular protrusion 15c in the coating | coated part 18 is not. Does not occur.

  4 to 6 show clutch release bearings 10 according to third to fifth embodiments of the present invention, respectively, and are modifications of the clutch release bearing 10 shown in FIG. First, the main difference between the embodiment shown in FIG. 4 and that shown in FIG. 3 is that the annular protrusion 19d provided on the radially outer side is omitted from the two annular protrusions 19d provided on the cover member 19 shown in FIG. It is in the point. 5 is different from that shown in FIG. 3 in that the cover member 19 is provided with one annular protrusion 19d and the annular protrusion 19d is sandwiched between the first seal member 15 and the first sealing member 15. The portion 18 is provided with two annular protrusions 15c and 15c. 6 differs from the embodiment shown in FIG. 3 in that the annular projection 19d provided on the radially inner side of the two annular projections 19d and 19d provided on the cover member 19 shown in FIG. It is in the point that is omitted.

  In the above description, the case where the present invention is applied to the clutch release bearing 10 in which the inner ring 11 is the stationary side and the outer ring 12 is the rotating side has been described, but conversely, the inner ring 11 is the rotating side and the outer ring. Of course, it is possible to apply the configuration of the present invention to the clutch release bearing 10 in which 12 is stationary. However, in this case, the contact portion with the diaphragm spring is a flange portion that is provided at one end on the front side of the inner ring 11 so as to extend radially outward (not shown). In this case, the collar provided at the front end of the outer ring 12 is not necessary.

  Moreover, in the clutch release bearing 10 shown in each embodiment of FIGS. 3 to 6, a serpentine labyrinth seal S <b> 2 in which concave arcs and convex arcs are alternately continuous is formed. It is also possible to form a labyrinth seal S2 meandering in a rectangular wave shape. Such a configuration can be easily obtained by forming the annular protrusions 19d and 15c provided on the cover member 19 and the first seal member 15 respectively in a rectangular cross section (not shown). Moreover, each embodiment mentioned above is an example to the last, and the position of the annular protrusions 19d and 15c provided on the cover material 19 and the first seal member 15, the number, the cross-sectional shape, etc. are appropriately changed according to the required sealing performance and the like. Is possible.

  Although the case where the cover material 19 is formed of a thin steel plate material has been described above, the cover material 19 can be formed of a resin material or ceramics. In this case, the clutch release bearing can be further reduced in weight.

  In the above description, the clutch release bearing in which both of the seal members 15 and 16 are so-called contact type has been described. However, either or both of the seal members 15 and 16 are so-called non-contact type clutch release bearings. It is also possible to apply the configuration of the present invention to the bearing.

  The present invention has been described above. However, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and can of course be implemented in various forms without departing from the gist of the present invention. It is. The scope of the present invention is defined by the terms of the claims, and includes the equivalent meanings recited in the claims and all modifications within the scope.

It is sectional drawing which shows the whole structure of the clutch release bearing apparatus incorporating a clutch release bearing. It is sectional drawing of the clutch release bearing which concerns on 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is sectional drawing of the clutch release bearing which concerns on 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is sectional drawing of the clutch release bearing which concerns on 3rd Embodiment of this invention. It is sectional drawing of the clutch release bearing which concerns on 4th Embodiment of this invention. It is sectional drawing of the clutch release bearing which concerns on 5th Embodiment of this invention. It is sectional drawing which shows notionally the clutch release bearing of a conventional structure.

Explanation of symbols

1 Clutch release bearing device 10 Clutch release bearing 11 Inner ring 12 Outer ring 13 Ball (rolling element)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 15 1st seal member 15a Outer diameter end part 15b Inner diameter end part 15c Annular protrusion 16 Second seal member 17 Core metal 18 Cover part 19 Cover material 19c Raised part 19d Annular protrusion 20 Movable body 30 Fixed body 40 Volume variable chamber S1 Seal part S2 Labyrinth seal

Claims (6)

A clutch release bearing having a contact portion with a rotating member of a clutch device, and disposed in an opening of an annular space formed between an inner ring and an outer ring, which are provided to be relatively rotatable via a rolling element, and both wheels. The inner diameter end portion includes a seal member that seals the opening in cooperation with the outer diameter surface of the inner ring,
A cover material that extends in the radial direction and faces the seal member in the axial direction is fixed to one end of the inner ring, and a labyrinth seal that extends in the radial direction is formed between the cover material and the seal member. A clutch release bearing characterized by the above.   The clutch release bearing according to claim 1, wherein the labyrinth seal extends linearly.   The clutch release bearing according to claim 2, wherein an annular raised portion is provided on at least one of the cover member or the seal member, and the labyrinth seal is formed by the raised portion.   The clutch release bearing according to claim 1, wherein the labyrinth seal extends in a serpentine shape.   The cover member is provided with one or a plurality of annular protrusions, and the seal member is provided with one or a plurality of annular protrusions in a radial position different from that of the cover member, and the cover member and the annular protrusions The clutch release bearing according to claim 4, wherein the labyrinth seal is formed by an annular protrusion of a seal member.   The movable body is provided with a fixed body and a movable body provided so as to be movable in the axial direction along the fixed body by a volume variation of a variable volume chamber formed between the fixed body and the movable body. A clutch release bearing device provided with the clutch release bearing according to claim 1.

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