JP2019027557A - Diaphragm clutch and retainer thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a diaphragm clutch capable of simply changing a spring load (spring rate) of a diaphragm spring, and a retainer thereof.SOLUTION: A diaphragm clutch comprises: a clutch disc; a pressure plate pushed against the clutch plate or separated from the clutch plate; and a diaphragm spring 30 configured to impart pressing force to the pressure plate, wherein a retainer 40 for applying a predetermined load to the diaphragm spring 30 is provided with diaphragm contact parts 41, 42 on front and rear faces so that distances from a center between the front and rear faces are different from each other.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

  The present invention relates to a diaphragm clutch and its retainer.

  As a diaphragm clutch, a clutch disk, a pressure plate that is pressed against or separated from the clutch disk, a diaphragm spring that applies a pressing force to the pressure plate, and a predetermined load is applied to the diaphragm spring A retainer is used.

  For example, a clutch lever operated by a motorcycle driver is connected to a pressure plate. When the driver grips the clutch lever, the pressure plate moves against the spring load of the diaphragm spring, and the clutch is disengaged. When disengaging the clutch, the driver needs to grip the clutch lever with a force that overcomes the spring load of the diaphragm spring (in the case of a motorcycle).

  The spring load (spring rate) of this diaphragm spring is obtained from the maximum torque value of the motorcycle to obtain the required clutch disc load so that the clutch disc and the pressure plate do not slip, and the clutch disc and pressure plate need to be loaded. It is determined so as to be a value equal to or greater than the disk load. Since the spring load of the diaphragm spring is determined based on the maximum torque value, and the spring load is set to be constant regardless of the engine speed, the clutch disk can be prevented from slipping in all speed ranges.

  Thus, since the spring load of the diaphragm spring is determined from the maximum torque value of the motorcycle, the spring load inevitably increases in the case of a motorcycle with a large engine torque. Therefore, when driving a motorcycle with a large engine torque, the driver tends to require a large force for manual operation of the clutch lever. Such a tendency is more conspicuous for a vehicle equipped with a high-power engine, such as a motorcycle with a sidecar that can carry multiple people, a motorcycle that can tow a trailer, and a large motorcycle. The spring load in the normal state of the spring may be set to be quite large.

  However, in practice, it is rare that a large spring load setting is required when driving a motorcycle. Rather, most drivers do not have any problem even if the spring load is much smaller than the normal state. Is. Therefore, it is considered that there is a potential demand that the spring load setting should be smaller or smaller than in the normal state.

  In fact, when driving a motorcycle with a large engine torque for a long time or driving a road with a lot of traffic that requires repeated gear changes, the grip strength of the driver tends to decrease. In order to cope with such a case, a high driving skill is required so that the grip strength and other physical strengths are enhanced and a smooth gear change is possible. For these reasons, there are cases where the number of people who can enjoy motorcycles is limited to some people. In particular, in the case of women, since the grip strength is often weak, there are cases where the types of vehicles that can be enjoyed are limited due to the difficulty of the clutch lever operation itself.

  Therefore, conventionally, a method for reducing the force required to operate the clutch lever, a structure for reducing the load of the clutch lever in the clutch pressing assembly having a diaphragm spring, and the like have been proposed (for example, see Patent Document 1).

JP-A-8-61389

  However, even though there are proposals for the method and structure as described above, there has been no proposal for a structure that can easily change the spring load of the diaphragm spring.

  SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a diaphragm clutch and a retainer that can easily change the spring load (spring rate) of the diaphragm spring.

In order to solve such a problem, the present invention includes a clutch disk, a pressure plate pressed against or separated from the clutch disk, and a diaphragm spring that applies a pressing force to the pressure plate. A retainer for applying a predetermined load to a diaphragm spring in a diaphragm clutch,
It is a retainer in which a diaphragm contact portion having different distances from the center is provided on both the front and back surfaces.

  According to this retainer, the diaphragm abutment portion having a different center distance can be brought into contact with the diaphragm spring by turning the retainer upside down in the diaphragm clutch and attaching the front and the reverse. According to this, by making the pressing position of the diaphragm spring different in the radial direction, the spring load (spring rate) of the diaphragm spring can be easily changed with only one retainer.

  The diaphragm contact portion may be formed of an annular protrusion.

  The protrusion may be a continuous or discontinuous protrusion.

  Of the diaphragm contact portions, the projection height of the small diameter diaphragm contact portion may be higher than the projection height of the large diameter diaphragm contact portion.

  A display portion may be provided on one or both surfaces of the front and back surfaces to indicate whether the diaphragm contact portion has a large diameter or a small diameter.

  The large-diameter diaphragm contact portion of the retainer may be formed in a form having a spring load smaller than a value set in a diaphragm spring of a diaphragm clutch in a vehicle to which the retainer is attached.

  According to the present invention, the spring load (spring rate) of the diaphragm spring can be easily changed.

It is a top view which shows an example of a diaphragm type clutch. It is sectional drawing in the II-II line of FIG. It is a top view of the pressure plate of a diaphragm type clutch. It is a top view of the diaphragm spring of a diaphragm type clutch. It is a top view of the retainer of a diaphragm type clutch. It is sectional drawing in the VI-VI line of FIG. It is a figure explaining the contact position of the diaphragm contact part of a retainer with respect to a diaphragm spring.

  Hereinafter, the configuration of the present invention will be described in detail based on an example of an embodiment shown in the drawings.

  The diaphragm clutch 1 is a kind of a friction clutch and is used in vehicles such as motorcycles and trikes. The diaphragm clutch 1 of this embodiment includes a clutch disk 10, a pressure plate 20, a diaphragm spring 30, and a retainer 40 (see FIG. 1 and the like). The diaphragm clutch 1 further includes an inner hub 50 and an adjuster screw 60.

  The clutch disk (friction disk) 10 is a member that interrupts power transmission by being pressed against or pulled away from a flywheel (not shown) that absorbs minute output fluctuations accompanying engine rotation.

  The pressure plate 20 is an annular member, for example, and is pressed against or separated from the clutch disk 10 to interrupt power transmission. The pressure plate 20 of the present embodiment has an annular protrusion 21 formed along the outer periphery and a plurality of holes 22 through which a cylindrical portion (not shown) formed in the inner hub 50 is inserted (FIG. 3). reference). The pressure plate 2 is disposed between the clutch disk 10 and the diaphragm spring 30. The central opening 23 of the pressure plate 2 is connected to the adjuster screw 60. The pressure plate 2 moves in a direction parallel to the axis of the adjuster screw 60 (hereinafter referred to as “axial direction”) by the action of the adjuster screw 60, that is, when the driver operates the clutch lever.

  The diaphragm spring 30 is a member that applies a pressing force to the pressure plate 20. The diaphragm spring 30 of the present embodiment includes an annular portion 31, a plurality of lever portions 32 having a spring function extending from the inner periphery of the annular portion 31 toward the center of the circle, a central opening 33, and the opening. It has the slit part 34 extended radially from the part 33 and formed at equal intervals (refer FIG. 4). The plurality of lever portions 32 are provided at equal intervals in the circumferential direction. The diaphragm spring 30 is disposed on the opposite side to the surface of the pressure plate 20 to be pressure-bonded to the clutch disk 10. The outer peripheral end 35 of the diaphragm spring 30 is supported by the annular protrusion 21 on the outer periphery of the pressure plate 20.

  The diaphragm spring 30 of the present embodiment has a so-called bowl-like shape that is curved toward the pressure plate 20 around the center when the outer periphery of the diaphragm spring 30 is a circumference. In a state where no load is applied to the diaphragm spring 30, only the outer peripheral end 35 of the diaphragm spring 30 is in contact with the diaphragm spring 30 and the pressure plate 20.

  The retainer 40 is a member that applies a predetermined load to the diaphragm spring 30. Diaphragm contact portions having different distances from the center are provided on the front and back surfaces of the retainer 40 (see FIGS. 5 and 6). In the present embodiment, the diaphragm contact portion 41 is formed with an annular protrusion on one surface (for example, the front surface) of the retainer 40, and the diameter is smaller than that of the diaphragm contact portion 41 on the other surface (for example, the back surface). Diaphragm abutting portions 42 are respectively provided with annular projections (see FIGS. 5 and 6).

  The diaphragm contact portions 41 and 42 may be formed by continuous protrusions that circulate or may be formed by protrusions that are discontinuous in the circumferential direction. In the present embodiment, the diaphragm contact portions 41 and 42 are formed by discontinuous protrusions having a discontinuous shape at portions of the through-holes 43 equally arranged at, for example, six places in the circumferential direction and the peripheral portions thereof (FIG. (See 5). As long as these diaphragm contact portions 41 and 42 are configured to uniformly press the lever portion 32 of the diaphragm spring 30, the detailed configuration is not particularly limited.

  The inner hub 50 is a member that is rotated by the power of the vehicle engine. In the present embodiment, a bolt (not shown) passed through the through hole 43 of the retainer 40 is screwed into the mounting hole 53 of the inner hub 50, so that the diaphragm contact portion 41 (or 42) is the lever portion 32 of the diaphragm spring 30. The retainer 40 can be attached to the inner hub 50 in a state of being pressed against and in contact with the inner hub 50 (see FIG. 2 and the like). When the retainer 40 is fixed to the cylindrical portion of the inner hub 50 with a bolt, the diaphragm abutting portion 41 (42) of the retainer 40 applies a predetermined load to the lever portion 32 of the diaphragm spring 30, and the diaphragm spring 30 is caused by the load. The lever portion 32 applies a pressing force to the pressure plate 20. This pressing force is a diaphragm load. The inner hub 50 and the retainer 40 fixed to the inner hub 50 are rotated by the rotation of the engine, and the diaphragm spring 30 and the pressure plate 20 are rotated together by the load exerted by the retainer 40.

  The adjuster screw 60 is a member that acts on the pressure plate 2 and moves the pressure plate 2. The retainer 40, the pressure plate 20, and the diaphragm spring 30 are arranged coaxially with the adjuster screw 60 as an axis. Although not specifically shown, the adjuster screw 6 is connected to a clutch lever (not shown) that is manually operated by a vehicle driver.

<Operation of retainer 40>
The retainer 40 of the present embodiment has a structure that can be turned over and fixed to the inner hub 50 (see FIG. 6 and the like). For example, when the diaphragm contact portion 42 with a small diameter is brought into contact with the diaphragm spring 30, the diaphragm contact portion 42 with a small diameter is located near the distal end portion of the lever portion 32 (the center in which the radial distance from the outer peripheral end 35 is D 2). The contact position P2) is pressed against the position (see FIG. 7). At this time, as apparent from the lever principle, the spring load (spring rate) of the diaphragm spring 30 is lower. In this case, since the vehicle clutch lever is lighter (Light), the driver of the vehicle can operate the clutch lever with less force (grip strength).

  On the other hand, when the retainer 40 is turned over and the large-diameter diaphragm contact portion 41 is brought into contact with the diaphragm spring 30, the large-diameter diaphragm contact portion 41 is located near the root portion of the lever portion 32 (from the outer peripheral end 35). Is in contact with and pressed against a radially outward position P1 where the radial distance is D1 (D1 <D2) (see FIG. 7). At this time, the spring load (spring rate) of the diaphragm spring 30 becomes higher. In this case, since the vehicle clutch lever is in a heavier state (Heavy), the driver of the vehicle needs to operate the clutch lever with a greater force (grip strength). Such a setting is suitable for a motorcycle having a large engine torque, for example.

  As described above, in the diaphragm clutch 1 of this embodiment that employs the retainer 40 having a structure in which both surfaces can be brought into contact with the diaphragm spring 30, the retainer 40 is turned over so that the front and the back are reversed. By attaching, the diaphragm contact portions 41 and 42 having different distances from the center can be brought into contact with the diaphragm spring 30. According to this, by making the pressing position (P1, P2) of the diaphragm spring 30 different in the radial direction, the spring load (spring rate) of the diaphragm spring 30 can be easily adjusted with only one component (retainer 40). Can be changed.

  Further, the large-diameter diaphragm contact portion 41 of the retainer 40 may be made smaller than a set value set in a diaphragm spring of a diaphragm clutch in a vehicle to be attached (such as a motorcycle). In this way, if the retainer 40 of the present embodiment is employed, it becomes possible to set a spring load that is much smaller than that in the normal state, so the setting of the spring load may be smaller than in the normal state, or more Can meet potential demands to be small.

  In this embodiment, the projection height of the small-diameter diaphragm contact portion 42 of the retainer 40 is higher than the projection height of the large-diameter diaphragm contact portion 41 (see FIGS. 6 and 7). According to this, the amount of deformation (deflection) of the lever portion 32 of the diaphragm spring 30 can be increased by increasing the height of the protrusion, and the spring load can be applied more greatly.

  Further, if the display portion 44 indicating whether the diaphragm contact portions 41, 42 are of a large diameter or a small diameter is provided on one or both surfaces of the retainer 40, the mounting state can be checked and confirmed. When the retainer 40 once removed from the inner hub 50 is mounted again, it is easy to understand and convenient. As the display unit 44, for example, notation such as Heavy / Light (see FIG. 5), stamping, color-coded paint, and the like can be used.

  The above-described embodiment is an example of a preferred embodiment of the present invention, but is not limited thereto, and various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.

  The present invention is suitable for application to a diaphragm clutch and its retainer in a vehicle such as a motorcycle.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Diaphragm type clutch, 10 ... Clutch disc, 20 ... Pressure plate, 21 ... Annular protrusion, 22 ... Hole, 30 ... Diaphragm spring, 31 ... Annular part, 32 ... Lever part, 33 ... Opening, 34 ... Slit 35, outer peripheral edge, 40 ... retainer, 41 ... (large diameter) diaphragm contact portion, 42 ... (small diameter) diaphragm contact portion, 43 ... through hole, 50 ... inner hub, 53 ... mounting hole, 60 ... Adjuster screw, P1 ... position where the large diameter diaphragm contact portion contacts, P2 ... position where the small diameter diaphragm contact portion contacts, D1 ... radial distance from the outer peripheral end of the diaphragm spring to position P1, D2 ... diaphragm Radial distance from the outer edge of the spring to position P2

Claims (7)

A predetermined load is applied to the diaphragm spring in a diaphragm clutch comprising: a clutch disk; a pressure plate pressed against or separated from the clutch disk; and a diaphragm spring that applies a pressing force to the pressure plate. A retainer for adding
A retainer provided with diaphragm contact portions on both the front and back surfaces that have different distances from the center between the front and back surfaces.   The retainer according to claim 1, wherein the diaphragm contact portion is formed of an annular protrusion.   The retainer according to claim 2, wherein the protrusion is a continuous or discontinuous protrusion.   The retainer according to claim 3, wherein a projection height of a small-diameter diaphragm contact portion of the diaphragm contact portions is higher than a projection height of a large-diameter diaphragm contact portion.   The retainer of Claim 3 or 4 with which the display part which shows whether the said diaphragm contact part is a thing of a large diameter or a small diameter is provided in the one surface or both surfaces of the front and back.   The said large diameter diaphragm contact part is formed in the form used as the spring load smaller than the value set in the diaphragm spring of the diaphragm type clutch in the vehicle which is the attachment object of the said retainer. The retainer according to any one of the above.   A diaphragm clutch comprising the retainer according to any one of claims 1 to 6.