JP2676176B2 - Clutch operating device - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a clutch operating device, and more particularly to a semi-automatic clutch operating device in which a power piston and a manual piston are connected to each other.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a semi-automatic clutch operating device, a mode in which a controller operates a clutch and a mode in which a master cylinder operates a clutch can be arbitrarily selected.

FIG. 4 shows such a conventional clutch operating device. In this device, the pressure chamber 1a of the power cylinder 1 is opened to the atmosphere via the double check valve 2 and the control valve 3, and the liquid chamber 4a of the manual cylinder 4 is in an unloaded state.

When the clutch operation is automatically performed, the electromagnetic switching valve 6 is actuated by a command from the controller 5, and the compressed air in the air reservoir 7 passes through the electromagnetic switching valve 6 and the double check valve 2 and the pressure of the power cylinder 1 is increased. Room 1
a. Therefore, in this case, only the power piston 8 is pressure-fed to the right in FIG. 4, whereby the clutch operating lever 9 is operated.

When manually operating the clutch, when the pedal 10a of the master cylinder 10 is depressed, the liquid is supplied to the liquid chamber 4a of the manual cylinder 4, and the manual piston 11 is pressure-fed to the right in FIG. Furthermore, the liquid in the master cylinder 10 is controlled by the control valve 3.
Supplied to Then, the compressed air in the air reservoir 7 is supplied to the pressure chamber 1a of the power cylinder 1 via the control valve 3 and the double check valve 2 to force the power piston 8 to the right in FIG. Therefore, in this case, the manual piston 11 and the power piston 8 are pressure-fed to the right in FIG. 4, whereby the clutch operating lever 9 is operated.

[0006]

By the way, in such a semi-automatic clutch operating device, the pressure chamber 1a of the power cylinder 1 and the liquid chamber 4a of the manual cylinder 4 are separated by the manual piston 11. Therefore, in such a device, if the packing 11a of the manual piston deteriorates, the compressed air in the pressure chamber 1a may flow into the liquid chamber 4a.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a clutch operating device which reliably prevents compressed air of a power cylinder from flowing into a liquid chamber of a manual cylinder.

[0008]

In the clutch operating device of the present invention, a power piston and a manual piston are arranged in series and in contact with each other, and between the power piston and one end surface of the manual piston. A liquid chamber defined between the inner surface of the cylinder of the manual piston and the other end surface of the manual piston by operating only the power piston by supplying compressed air from an air tank to the pressure chamber defined in In the semi-automatic clutch operating device for operating the manual piston by supplying the liquid from the master cylinder to the manual piston, and operating the power piston via the manual piston, the peripheral surfaces of both ends of the manual piston and the cylinder The packing is arranged between the inner surface of the Hole was formed in the cylinder, and is opened to the atmosphere and the both packings, a space defined by the peripheral surface of the inner surface and the manual piston of the cylinder by the hole.

[0009]

In the clutch operating device of the present invention, even if the compressed air in the pressure chamber of the power cylinder leaks toward the liquid chamber of the manual cylinder, the compressed air enters into the liquid chamber even if the compressed air in the pressure chamber of the power cylinder is leaked. Without being released into the atmosphere from the space formed between the manual piston and the cylinder.

[0010]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT FIG. 1 shows a clutch operating device according to the present invention.

This device comprises a power cylinder means 20, a control valve means 30, a relay means 40 and a manual cylinder means 50. And each of these means has two separate and independent housings 60a and 60b.
Is configured. One housing 60a has two cylinders 62 and 63 with a shell 61 in between.
The other housing 60b has a cylinder 64.

A power piston 21 is provided in the shell 61, and the atmospheric pressure chamber 22 and the pressure chamber 2 are provided in the shell 61.
It is divided into three. The atmospheric pressure chamber 22 is open to the atmosphere via the exhaust port 24. Also,
A port 25 is formed in the housing 60 a, and one end of the boat 25 is open to the pressure chamber 23. on the other hand,
A manual piston 51 is arranged in the cylinder 63, and one end surface of the manual piston 51 defines a liquid chamber 52 in the cylinder 63. Packings 53 and 54 are attached to the peripheral surfaces of both ends of the manual piston 51, and a space 55 is defined by the packings 53 and 54, the piston 51, and the cylinder 63. A hole 65 is formed in the cylinder 63. One end of this hole 65 is opened to the space 55, and the other end is opened to the atmosphere by a hose 56. Then, the other end surface of the manual piston 51 is in contact with the tip of the first rod 21 a projecting from the power piston 21. Further, the cylinder 63 is formed with ports 67 and 68 that open to the liquid chamber 52.

The control valve means 30 is composed of a support 69 interposed between the shell 61 and the cylinder 63. The support 69 has a cylinder hole 31.
A valve lifter 32 is slidably fitted in the cylinder hole 31. This valve lifter 32
The cylinder hole 31 is divided into a liquid chamber 33 and a variable pressure chamber 34. A passage 32a is formed in the valve lifter 32. One end of the passage 32a is opened to the tip end surface of the valve lifter 32, and the other end is opened to the atmosphere via the exhaust port 35. Further, the valve body 3 is attached to the support 69.
6 are provided. This valve body 36 is a valve lifter 32.
When the control valve 30 is in the non-operating state, the control valve 30 is in contact with the valve seat 37 to shut off the connection between the variable pressure chamber 34 and the compressed air supply port 38. Further, a port 39 having one end opened to the liquid chamber 33 is bored in the support 69, and the port 39 is connected to the port 6 by a conduit 70.
It is connected to 8.

A second rod 21b is provided on the power piston 21 so as to project therefrom. A first relay piston 41 is formed at the tip of the second rod 21b, and a shutoff valve 42 is formed in the first relay piston 41. The first relay piston 41 defines the inside of the cylinder 62 into a reservoir chamber 43 and a first stroke chamber 44.
On the other hand, the second relay piston 45 is provided in the cylinder 64, and the second stroke chamber 4 is installed in the cylinder 64.
6 and the atmospheric pressure chamber 47. The first stroke chamber 44 and the second stroke chamber 46 are connected to the pipe 48.
Are in communication with each other. Further, a push rod 49 is interposed between the second relay piston 45 and the clutch operating lever 71.

A clutch wear alarm switch 90 is installed on the end wall of the cylinder 64. The contact 90a of the switch 90 is arranged to face the end surface of the second relay piston 45.

In the clutch operating device constructed as described above, the reservoir chamber 43 is communicated with the reservoir 73 by the conduit 72, and the variable pressure chamber 34 is connected through the conduits 74 and 75 to the one input port 76a of the double check valve 76. Connected to
Further, from the output port 76c of the check valve 76 to the conduit 7
It communicates with the port 25 via 7. The other input port 76b of the double check valve 76 is connected to the conduit 7
8 to communicate with the electromagnetic switching valve 79, and communicates with either the air reservoir 80 or the atmosphere via the switching valve 79. The electromagnetic switching valve 79 is controlled by the controller 81. Further, the port 67 is communicated with the master cylinder 83 via the conduit 82.

This clutch operating device operates as follows. When the pedal 83a of the master cylinder 83 is depressed,
The liquid in the master cylinder 83 is pumped to the liquid chamber 52,
Further, it is pressure fed to the liquid chamber 33 of the control valve 30. Therefore, the manual piston 51 is pushed to the left in FIG. 1, and the valve lifter 32 is pushed to the right in FIG. When the valve lifter 32 is actuated, the tip of the valve lifter 32 contacts the valve body 35 and the passage 32
a is closed, and the valve element 35 is pushed open to connect the compressed air supply port 37 and the variable pressure chamber 34. Then, the compressed air in the air reservoir 84 is supplied to the port 25 from the variable pressure chamber 34 through the double check valve 76, and the pressure chamber 2
3 is supplied. The compressed air supplied to the pressure chamber 23 pushes the power piston 21 leftward in FIG.
When the power piston 21 is pushed, the first piston
The relay piston 41 is also pushed to the left in FIG. 1, and the stop valve 42 is closed. Therefore, with the movement of the first relay piston 41, the liquid in the first stroke chamber 44 moves to the second stroke chamber 46 via the pipe 48, and moves the second relay piston 45 to the right in FIG. 1.
The second relay piston 45 pushes the push rod 49 to the right in FIG. 1, and actuates the clutch operating lever 71 to disengage the clutch.

When the pedal effort of the pedal 83a of the master cylinder 83 is released, the valve lifter 32 returns to the state shown in FIG. Therefore, the variable pressure chamber 34 is opened to the atmosphere through the passage 32a and the exhaust port 35, and the compressed air in the pressure chamber 23 is discharged to the atmosphere through the port 25, the double check valve 76, and further through the variable pressure chamber 34. Then, the first relay piston 41 returns to the state shown in FIG. 1, and the second relay piston 45 also returns accordingly. Then, the clutch operating lever 71 is returned to the position shown in FIG. 1 to reengage the clutch.

In the case of automatically operating the clutch, the controller 81 operates the electromagnetic switching valve 79 to one side so that the compressed air in the air reservoir 80 passes from the port 25 to the pressure chamber 23 via the double check valve 76. The power piston 21 is moved to the left in the figure, and the electromagnetic switching valve 79 is operated to the other side by the controller 81, so that the pressure chamber 23 is opened to the atmosphere via the double check valve 76.

By the way, the compressed air in the pressure chamber 23 is compressed by the manual piston 51 due to deterioration of the packings 53 and 54.
When entering between the cylinder 63 and the cylinder 63, the compressed air is guided from the space 55 to the hose 56 through the hole 65, and is discharged to the atmosphere through the hose 56. Therefore, the compressed air does not flow into the liquid chamber 52.

In the above embodiment, the hose 56 is connected to the hole 65 of the cylinder 63 and the end of the hose 56 is free. Although such a state is sufficient, in order to reliably prevent dust and the like from entering the space 55 from the hose 56, the end portion of the hose 56 is indicated by a dashed line in FIG. It may be connected to the exhaust port 24 of the means 20 or to the exhaust port 35 of the control valve means 30 as shown by the chain double-dashed line.

As a means for preventing dust and the like from entering the space 55 through the hole 65, a rubber band 57 is fitted to the peripheral surface of the cylinder 63, as shown in FIG.
The hole 65 may be closed by the rubber band 57 to form a check valve there.

[0023]

As described above, in the clutch operating device according to the present invention, even if the compressed air in the pressure chamber of the power cylinder leaks toward the liquid chamber of the manual cylinder, the sealing action of the packing is reduced. The air is released from the space formed between the manual piston and the cylinder into the atmosphere through a hole formed in the cylinder without entering the liquid chamber. Therefore, there is no possibility that air will enter the liquid chamber.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing a clutch operating device according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of a main part of the device showing another embodiment of the clutch operating device according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of an essential part showing still another embodiment of the clutch operating device according to the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a conceptual diagram showing a conventional clutch operating device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 20 Power Cylinder Means 21 Power Piston 21a First Rod 22 Atmospheric Pressure Chamber 23 Pressure Chamber 24 Exhaust Port 30 Control Valve Means 32 Valve Lifter 32a Passage 34 Transformer Chamber 35 Exhaust Port 40 Relay Means 50 Manual Cylinder Means 51 Manual Piston 52 Liquid Chamber 53, 54 packing 55 space 56 hose 63 cylinder 65 hole

Claims (4)

(57) [Claims] 1. A power piston and a manual piston are arranged in series and in contact with each other, and a pressure chamber defined between the power piston and one end surface of the manual piston is compressed from an air tank. By operating only the power piston by supplying air, the liquid from the master cylinder is supplied to the liquid chamber defined between the inner surface of the cylinder of the manual piston and the other end surface of the manual piston. In a semi-automatic clutch operating device that operates a manual piston and operates the power piston via the manual piston, packings are respectively arranged between both end peripheral surfaces of the manual piston and the inner surface of the cylinder. At the same time, a hole is formed in the cylinder, and the holes prevent the packing And a space defined by the inner surface of the cylinder and the peripheral surface of the manual piston to the atmosphere. 2. The clutch operating device according to claim 1, wherein one end of a hose is connected to the hole of the cylinder. 3. The clutch operating device according to claim 2, wherein the other end of the hose is connected to an atmospheric pressure chamber such as a power cylinder or a control valve. 4. The clutch operating device according to claim 1, wherein a rubber band is wound around the cylinder, the hole is closed by the rubber band, and a check valve is formed therein.