JP2985473B2 - Starter clutch sealing 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 starter clutch sealing device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As a seal structure of a starter clutch, that is, an overrunning clutch of a starter, a ring-shaped space between a clutch outer containing a roller and a spring and a clutch inner is closed. It has been proposed to fit a washer or the like.

[0003]

However, in recent years, as the environment of engine parts becomes severe with the high output and miniaturization of the engine, grease inside the starter clutch flows out due to heat, water and the like, and as a result, The rollers and the like come into contact with the metal and wear thereof proceeds, and the inside of the clutch rusts due to water infiltration into the inside of the clutch, which causes problems such as poor sliding and wear of the rollers and the like.

However, a sufficient seal cannot be expected with the above-described seal structure, and if an attempt is made to provide a strong seal structure at the opening of the starter clutch, the amount of grease that can be filled in the clutch unless the size of the clutch is increased. Therefore, there is a possibility that the lubrication may be insufficient. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and has as its object to provide a sealer for a starter clutch that can achieve a good seal while avoiding an increase in size and ensuring a grease filling amount.

[0005]

According to the present invention, there is provided a sealer for a starter clutch, comprising: a cylindrical clutch inner provided coaxially with an output shaft; and a cylindrical clutch inner provided coaxially with the output shaft and the clutch inner. A peripheral surface is opposed to an outer peripheral surface of the clutch inner via a ring-shaped gap, and a cylindrical clutch outer having one end opened, and torque is applied in one direction between the clutch inner and the clutch outer housed in the ring-shaped gap. A seal device for a starter clutch, comprising: a one-way clutch member for transmitting power; an outer peripheral end pressed into an inner peripheral surface near an opening of the clutch outer; and a one-way clutch member extending from the outer peripheral end in a small diameter direction. A large-diameter wheel plate section defining a grease storage chamber on the side of the one-way clutch member side in the small-diameter direction and the axial direction from the large-diameter wheel plate portion; A small-diameter ring plate portion defining a le chamber,
An annular member having an inner peripheral end facing the outer peripheral surface of the clutch inner via a predetermined minute gap, and an inner peripheral end housed in the seal chamber and closely contacting the small wheel plate portion of the annular member. An elastic ring seal slidingly contacting the outer peripheral surface of the clutch inner; an outer peripheral end fitted to the clutch outer; and an inner peripheral portion surrounding the elastic ring seal and abutting against a step surface for preventing the clutch inner from coming off. And a stopper member whose outer peripheral portion is in contact with the large-diameter portion of the annular member.

[0006]

The outer peripheral end of the annular member is press-fitted into the inner peripheral surface of the clutch outer facing the annular gap between the clutch outer and the clutch inner, thereby causing grease leakage or water infiltration along the inner peripheral surface of the clutch outer. To prevent The large-diameter wheel plate portion, which is the outer peripheral portion of the annular member, protrudes toward the opening side of the clutch outer from the small-diameter wheel plate portion, which is the inner peripheral portion, thereby dividing the grease storage chamber toward the annular gap side. Form.

[0007] The small-diameter annular plate portion of the annular member restricts the deviation of the one-way clutch member on the inner surface thereof and is retracted toward the one-way clutch member side from the large-diameter annular plate portion. A seal chamber is formed separately from the storage chamber and the one-way clutch member accommodating space. Further, the inner peripheral end of the annular member faces the outer peripheral surface of the clutch inner through a predetermined minute gap, thereby enabling the centering of the clutch inner.

An elastic ring seal housed in the seal chamber and in close contact with the small-diameter plate portion of the annular member and slidingly contacting the clutch inner prevents water leakage and grease leakage along the outer peripheral surface of the clutch inner. A retaining member fitted and fixed to the clutch outer prevents the clutch inner and the annular member from coming off and shields the seal chamber to prevent water from entering the seal chamber.

[0009]

As described above, the starter clutch of the present invention has an outer peripheral end press-fitted into the inner peripheral surface near the opening of the clutch outer, a large-diameter wheel plate section defining a grease storage chamber, and a seal chamber. An annular member having a small-diameter plate portion defining a partition and an inner peripheral end facing an outer peripheral surface of the clutch inner with a predetermined minute gap therebetween is adopted, and an elastic ring seal is housed in a seal chamber. As a result, the grease storage chamber and the seal chamber can be secured while suppressing an increase in the volume of the annular gap, the infiltration and the grease outflow can be properly prevented, and the grease filling amount can be sufficiently ensured.

In addition, the centering of the clutch inner can reduce the frictional resistance between the clutch inner and the seal member, and can reduce the wear.

[0011]

【Example】

(Embodiment 1) An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIG. The starter clutch is a one-way roller clutch (overrunning clutch) for starting an engine of a vehicle whose upper half is shown in cross section. And other, clutch low
It has a clutch member including a rubber member 3 and a clutch spring (not shown), and a sealing device including an annular member 4, a lip seal (elastic ring seal in the present invention) 5, a half washer 6, and a clutch cover 7. The half washer 6 and the clutch cover 7 constitute a retaining member according to the present invention.

The clutch outer 1 is a substantially bowl-shaped cylindrical member having a wedge-shaped inner wall, and has a small-diameter cylindrical portion 11 projecting outward from the center of the bottom surface of the bowl, and an inner peripheral surface of the small-diameter cylindrical portion 11. Is provided with a helical spline groove 1b fitted into the helical spline groove of the output shaft. An annular stepped recess is formed in the pinion-side end face of the clutch outer 1 in the axial direction, and the stepped recess is formed in the step inner peripheral surface 12 and the step inner end face 1.
3 are defined.

The clutch inner 2 has a sleeve shape with gears. In the drawing, a substantially right half is coaxially fitted into a bowl of the clutch outer 1, and a right end face is rotatably contacted with a bowl bottom of the clutch outer 1. ing. A pinion gear 2a is provided at the left end of the outer peripheral surface of the clutch inner 2, and the pinion gear 2a
Is disposed at a position where it can move leftward in the axial direction and mesh with a ring gear (not shown) on the engine side. A bearing 8 is fitted in the left half of the inner peripheral surface of the clutch inner 2, and an output shaft is fitted in the bearing 8.
Is rotatable relative to the output shaft. An annular groove 21 is recessed at an axially central portion of the outer peripheral surface of the clutch inner 2, and the annular groove 21 faces a pinion side in the figure and extends in a radial direction in the drawing. (A step surface 22 for retaining).

A space in the bowl between the clutch inner 2 and the clutch outer 1 is a ring-shaped gap having one end opening, and a cylindrical clutch roller 3 is provided in the inner part of the ring-shaped gap excluding the step recess. A clutch spring (not shown) is provided. The inner wall portion of the clutch outer 1 is formed in a wedge shape, and a cylindrical clutch roller 3 is pressed against the wedge-shaped portion by a clutch spring (not shown) to transmit the driving torque of the clutch outer 1 to the clutch inner 2. It is possible. And clutch inner 2
At a higher speed, the pressing of the clutch roller 3 by the clutch spring is reduced, and the clutch inner 2 is rotated.
Transmission of torque from the clutch to the clutch outer 1 becomes impossible.

The annular member 4 is made of a metal wheel plate, and has an outer peripheral end 4a, a large-diameter wheel plate portion 4b, and a small-diameter wheel plate portion 4c.
The outer peripheral end 4 a has a cylindrical shape whose outer peripheral surface is press-fitted into the inner peripheral surface of the clutch outer 1, and the distal end thereof is in contact with the step inner end surface 13. The large-diameter annular plate portion 4b has a flat annular plate shape extending in the centripetal direction from the base end of the outer peripheral end portion 4a, and defines a grease reservoir 9a on the annular gap side, that is, on the right side in the drawing.

The small-diameter wheel plate portion 4c comprises a cylindrical portion extending from the inner peripheral end of the large-diameter wheel plate portion 4b to the right side in the drawing, and a flat wheel plate portion extending in the centripetal direction from the tip of the cylindrical portion. The right side surface of the portion in the drawing is in contact with the clutch roller 3. The inner peripheral end of the flat wheel plate portion faces the outer peripheral surface of the clutch inner 2 with a predetermined minute gap (here, 40 to 60 μm) interposed therebetween. A ring-shaped seal chamber 9b is formed independently of the grease storage chamber 9a and the clutch roller accommodating chamber by the outer peripheral surface of the small-diameter wheel plate portion 4c and the clutch inner 2, and is formed so as to open to the left in the drawing. In this way, the portion of the annular gap between the clutch inner 2 and the clutch outer 1 (clutch roller accommodating chamber) and the grease reservoir 9 a communicating with the annular gap are filled with grease and closed by the annular member 4. . Further, the annular member 4 prevents the clutch roller 3 from coming off.

The lip seal 5 is housed in the seal chamber 9b and fixed to the small wheel plate portion 4c.
The lip portion formed by the inner peripheral end portion slides on the outer peripheral surface of the clutch inner 2 to seal this portion. The outer peripheral portion of the right end face (the end face on the stepped concave side) of the half washer 6 is in contact with the pinion side end face of the clutch outer 1 and the large-diameter wheel plate portion 4b of the annular member 4, and the right end face of the half washer 6 is formed. The inner peripheral end portion is in contact with the end surface 22 for preventing the clutch inner 2 from coming off. Here, the end surface on the pinion side of the clutch outer 1 and the end surface 22 for retaining the clutch inner 2 are formed at the same axial position. Thus, the half washer 6 seals the seal chamber 9b.

The clutch cover 7 has a thin-plate cylindrical shape, and has a flat portion having a left end extending in the centripetal direction and having an inner diameter larger than the outer diameter of the pinion. , And the right end thereof is swaged to the right end surface of the clutch outer 1 to prevent the annular member 4, the seal member 5 and the half washer 6 from coming off. Regardless of the degree of caulking of the clutch cover 7, the outer peripheral end of the annular member 4 is locked to the step inner end surface 13, so that the annular member 4 does not excessively enter the annular gap.

With the above construction, the annular member 4 prevents the clutch member such as the clutch roller 3 from coming off, supports the lip seal 5, prevents water from leaking from the inner peripheral surface of the clutch outer 1, and prevents grease from leaking. The compartment 9b is formed, and the centering function for holding the clutch inner 2 coaxially with the clutch outer 1 is performed. By this centering, the contact state between the clutch inner 2 and the seal member 5 can always be maintained in a light contact state, so that the durability of the seal member 5 is improved.

Therefore, in the seal device of this embodiment, only the use of the stepped annular member 4 having the lip seal 5 makes it possible to prevent flooding and outflow of grease while suppressing an increase in the size of the device. Can be sufficiently secured. (Embodiment 2) In this embodiment, a soft rubber elastic ring seal 5a that is not fixed to the annular member 4 is fitted in place of the lip seal 5 of Embodiment 1, and the effect is the same.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a half sectional view showing an embodiment of a sealer for a starter clutch according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a half sectional view showing another embodiment of a sealer for a starter clutch according to the present invention;

[Explanation of symbols]

1 is a clutch outer, 2 is a clutch inner, 3 is a clutch roller, 4 is an annular member, 5 is an oil seal (elastic ring seal), 6 is a half washer (retaining member), 7
Is a clutch cover (retaining member)

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (58) Field surveyed (Int.Cl. ⁶ , DB name) F02N 15/02 F02N 11/00

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. A cylindrical clutch inner disposed coaxially with an output shaft, and an inner peripheral surface disposed coaxially with the output shaft and the clutch inner through an annular gap with an outer peripheral surface of the clutch inner. A seal device for a starter clutch, comprising: a tubular clutch outer facing one end and one end opened; and a one-way clutch member housed in the annular gap and transmitting torque in one direction between the clutch inner and the clutch outer. An outer peripheral end press-fitted to an inner peripheral surface near an opening of the clutch outer, and a large-diameter wheel plate portion extending in a small-diameter direction from the outer peripheral end and defining a grease reservoir on the one-way clutch member side, A small-diameter annular plate portion bent from the large-diameter annular plate portion toward the one-way clutch member in the small-diameter direction and the axial direction and defining a seal chamber on the opening side; An annular member having an inner peripheral end facing a predetermined minute gap on a peripheral surface, and an inner peripheral end of the clutch inner housed in the seal chamber while being in close contact with the small wheel plate portion of the annular member. An elastic ring seal slidably contacting the outer peripheral surface; an outer peripheral end portion fitted to the clutch outer; an inner peripheral portion surrounding the elastic ring seal and abutting against a step surface for preventing the clutch inner from coming off; A seal member for a starter clutch, comprising: a stopper member that comes into contact with the large-diameter portion of the annular member.