JP3230684B2 - Liquid clutch - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a liquid clutch, and more particularly to a liquid clutch in which oil is externally supplied to a torque transmission gap between a case and a disk, and the case is driven by a drive unit.
The present invention relates to a liquid clutch for rotating a fan mounted on a disk.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art The interior of a case is divided into a torque transmission chamber and an oil sump chamber by a partition plate, and a drive disk is rotatably provided in the torque transmission chamber by driving a drive unit, and oil in the oil sump chamber is formed on the partition plate. A coupling device having a structure in which oil is supplied to the torque transmission chamber from the outflow adjustment hole and the oil in the torque transmission chamber is returned to the oil reservoir through a circulation path, for example, is disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. Sho 63
No. 21048. According to this type of coupling device, the drive torque of the drive disk is transmitted to the case by the oil supplied from the oil reservoir to the torque transmission chamber, and the fan mounted on the case rotates, for example, to cool the automobile engine. Will be

[0003]

In the conventional coupling device described above, the ambient temperature is detected by a bimetal,
When this temperature rises, the opening of the outflow adjustment hole is increased to increase the amount of oil in the transmission chamber to increase the rotation speed of the case, and to rotate the fan at a high speed to increase the cooling effect.
However, automobile engines are driven under various conditions.For example, while driving on a highway, the drive disk rotates at a high speed.However, the air cooling effect by the traveling wind is enhanced, so it is necessary to rotate the fan at a very high speed. If the number of rotations of the fan is low during a cold start, the warm-up operation is hindered and fan noise is generated. Therefore, it is necessary to control the fan in such a manner that the fan wants to rotate at a low speed. In order to meet this demand, it is not sufficient to control the oil amount only by the ambient temperature. Further, in the conventional method, since the control is performed using the oil sealed in the case, the oil is easily deteriorated, and the control of the oil amount cannot be performed with high precision, so that the control is limited. Furthermore, in the conventional method, since the drive unit rotates the drive disk, the vibration and impact of the drive unit are directly transmitted to the bearing mounted on the rotating shaft of the drive disk,
There was a problem in terms of durability.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned current situation of such a liquid clutch, and has as its object to adjust the oil amount quickly and with high accuracy in accordance with various operating conditions and to always obtain an accurate oil amount. It is an object of the present invention to provide a liquid clutch with improved control and improved durability.

[0005]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a case and a disk housed therein.
Said casing or drive unit connected via a flexible joint to one of the disc, the case or
Or attached to a rotating shaft that rotatably supports this case.
A fan, a bearing for rotatably supporting the other part on a fixed part, oil supply means for supplying oil from outside to a torque transmission gap formed between the case and the facing surface of the disk, and at least mounted on the case. A liquid clutch having control means for controlling oil supply by the oil supply means on the basis of the rotation speed of the fan, the rotation speed of the drive unit, and the temperature of the cooling water of the drive unit. is there.

[0006]

With the above construction, according to the present invention, the drive of the drive unit rotates the disk or the case via a flexible joint which does not transmit vibration from the drive unit to the case or the disk. In a torque transmission gap formed between the opposing surfaces of the disks, a case or a fan mounted on the disks accommodated in the case rotates via oil supplied from outside by oil supply means.

[0007]

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG.
This will be described with reference to FIG. Here, FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration of the embodiment, FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing the operation of the embodiment, and FIGS. 3 and 4 are operating characteristic diagrams of the embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 1A, a disk 5 is fixed to one end of the rotating shaft 2 and a fan 15 is fixed to the other end. In the vicinity of the disk 5, a short, large-diameter cylindrical case 4 is attached to the rotating shaft 2 via a bearing 3.
However, the disk 5 is rotatably mounted so as to house the disk 5 and cover the disk 5. A substantially central portion of the rotating shaft 2 is supported on an outer frame of a vehicle body or an engine block via a bracket 9 and a bearing 10, while an oil passage 2 a penetrating in the axial direction of the rotating shaft 2 is The end of the oil passage 2a is closed by a plug 26. The outer end of the oil passage 2a is connected to an oil feed pipe 16 via a take-out pipe 13 via a bearing 11. At least one through hole 5a communicating with the oil passage 2a is provided in the disk 5 so that the outer peripheral surface of the disk 5 is open in the torque transmission chamber 7. The outer peripheral surface of the disk 5 and the outer peripheral surface of the case 4 facing the outer peripheral surface are formed. A torque transmission gap 7 'is formed between the inner peripheral surfaces. The rotating shaft of the engine 1 as a drive unit is connected to the case 4 by a flexible joint 1A composed of a torque tube, a helical spring or a hollow shaft with a slit.

A pump 17 driven by a motor 20 is connected to the oil feed pipe 16, and an oil tank 18 storing silicon oil is connected to the pump 17.
The engine 1 has a cooling water temperature sensor 24 that detects the temperature of the cooling water of the engine 1, the case 4 has a rotation speed sensor that detects the rotation speed of the case 4, and the fan 15 has a rotation speed sensor that detects the rotation speed of the fan 15. Fan rotation speed sensors 22 are attached. The output terminals of the cooling water temperature sensor 24, the rotation speed sensor 23, and the fan rotation speed sensor 22 are connected to a control device 21 that controls the rotation of the motor 20.

With this configuration, the rotation of the engine 1 is transmitted to the case 4 via the flexible joint 1A without shock and stably transmitting vibration, and the case 4 rotates via the bearing 3. Rotate about axis 2. On the other hand, the motor 20 is controlled and driven by the control device 21 which operates by taking in the detection signal of the cooling water temperature sensor 24, the detection signal of the rotation speed sensor 23, and the detection signal of the fan rotation speed sensor 22. The pump 17 is operated by the rotation of the motor 20, and the silicone oil in the oil tank 18 is sent to the torque transmission chamber 7 in the case 4 through the oil supply pipe 16, the extraction pipe 13, the oil passage 2a, the through hole 5a, or The silicone oil in the torque transmission chamber 7 is returned to the oil tank 18 via the flow path. And the torque transmission gap 7 '
Since the transmission rate of the rotational torque of the case 4 to the disk 5 is adjusted by the amount of the silicon oil in the case, the rotational speed of the fan 15 rotated by the rotation of the disk 5 can always be adjusted to a desired value.

The present invention is not limited to the embodiment of FIG.
As described above, the present invention can also be applied to a liquid clutch of the type transmitting the drive of the engine 1 to the disk 5 and transmitting the transmission torque to the case 4 through the torque transmission gap 7 'of the torque transmission chamber 7.

That is, in FIG. 1B, the rotation of the engine 1 is transmitted to the drive shaft 5 'via the flexible joint 1A to rotate the disk 5 fixed to the end. The rotation of the disk 5 is transmitted to the case 4 by the silicone oil in the torque transmission gap 7 'of the torque transmission chamber 7. The case 4 is rotatably supported by an outer frame such as a vehicle body or an engine block by a bearing 10 '.

The interior of the case 4 is formed by a partition 6 with a torque transmitting chamber 7.
The oil passage 8 is connected to an oil feed pipe 16 via an extraction pipe 13 and communicates with the communication passages 8a and 8b at the outer periphery thereof and opens to the torque transmission chamber 7. A dam 25 having a pumping function is provided on the inner peripheral surface of the case 4 behind the opening of the communication passage 8a.
Are provided.

Reference numerals 3 and 3a denote bearings provided between the take-out tube 13 and the case 4 and between the case 4 and the drive shaft 5 ', respectively. Reference numeral 26 denotes a case that rotatably supports the case 4 with respect to the outer frame. A bearing which is used in place of or together with the bearing 10 '.

The operation of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1B is substantially the same as that of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1A, except that the pump 17 feeds the silicone oil into the torque transmission chamber 7 from the oil passage 8 through the communication passage 8a.
8b. On the other hand, removal is performed from the communication path 8a by the reverse rotation of the pump 17 and the pumping function of the dam 25 and the like. When the pump is not operating, the silicone oil is supplied to the oil path 8 by the dam 25 via the communication path 8a. It is configured to enter and circulate from the oil passage 8 to the torque transmission chamber 7 via the communication passage 8b.

Next, the operation of the embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. In each embodiment, detection data from the cooling water temperature sensor 24, the rotation speed sensor 23, and the fan rotation speed sensor 22 are taken into the control device 21 at predetermined time intervals, and written into the memory of the control device 21. In step S1 of FIG. 2, the current water temperature data taken in from the cooling water temperature sensor 24 and the water temperature data before a predetermined time are compared, and it is determined whether or not the difference between the two data is larger than a preset reference value. . In this determination, the allowable upper limit value and the allowable lower limit value of the cooling water of the engine 1 are referred to in the determination.

If the determination in step S1 is YES, the process proceeds to step S2, where the current rotational speed data taken in by the rotational speed sensor 23 is compared with the rotational speed data before a predetermined time, and whether or not the vehicle is in a rapid acceleration state is determined. Is determined. If the determination in step S2 is NO, the process proceeds to step S3, where the current fan speed data taken in by the fan speed sensor 22 is compared with the speed data before a predetermined time, and the difference between the two data is set in advance. It is determined whether the value is larger than the reference value.

If the determination in step S3 is NO, the process proceeds to step S4, where the pump 17 is driven by the motor 20 operated by the control signal from the control device 21, and the silicone oil in the oil tank 18 is supplied through the oil supply pipe 16 It is sent into case 4. Also, the determination in step S3 is YES
In step S5, the pump 17 is driven by the motor 20 operated by a control signal from the control device 21.
Is driven, and the silicone oil in the case 4 is returned into the oil tank 18 via the oil feed pipe 16. The amount of silicon oil sent from the oil tank 18 into the case 4 or the amount of silicon oil returned from the case 4 to the oil tank 18 in step S3 is determined by the cooling water temperature sensor 24, the rotation speed sensor 23, and the fan rotation speed sensor 22. Is set based on the detection data of

If the determination in step S1 is NO or the determination in step S2 is YES, the process proceeds to step S8, where it is determined whether or not the silicone oil has been returned from the case 4 to the oil tank 18. If the determination in step S8 is YES, the process proceeds to step S7 and the state is maintained. If the determination in step S8 is NO, the process proceeds to step S6 and pump 17 is controlled by a control signal from control device 21. The switching operation is performed to return the silicone oil from the case 4 to the oil tank 18.

The duration of the silicon oil return operation in step S7 or the amount of silicon oil sent to the case 4 in step S6 is based on the detection data of the cooling water temperature sensor 24, the rotation speed sensor 23, and the fan rotation speed sensor 22. It is set based on.

In the embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, when the temperature rise of the cooling water is large near the upper limit temperature of the cooling water of the engine 1, the fan speed is increased. Conversely, when the temperature of the cooling water falls, the fan speed is reduced. When the rotational speed of the case 4 or the drive shaft 1 'rises sharply, as shown by a dotted line, the fan rotational speed is controlled to be reduced, and the effect of reducing the fan rotational speed as shown by the oblique lines is exhibited.

In the rotation characteristics of the case 4 or the drive shaft 5 'and the fan 15 shown in FIG. 4, the control is performed in the region B when the temperature of the cooling water of the engine 1 is normal.
When the cooling water temperature exceeds the upper limit water temperature, the control is performed in the region A.

By controlling in this manner, in the embodiment, the amount of the silicon oil in the case 4 can be reduced by feeding the silicon oil from the oil tank 18 into the case 4 or returning the silicon oil from the case 4 to the oil tank 18. By
It is highly accurate and varied over a wide range. Therefore, an appropriate amount of silicone oil corresponding to the temperature of the cooling water of the engine 1, the rotation speed of the case 4 or the drive shaft 5 '(proportional to the rotation speed of the engine 1), and the rotation speed of the fan 15 is supplied to the extraction pipe 13, the oil passage 2a. And through the through-hole 5a (FIG. 1A) or the take-out pipe 13 and the communication passage 8b (FIG. 1B) into the torque transmission gap 7 ', or through the through hole 5' so that the amount of silicon oil in the torque transmission gap 7 'becomes appropriate. Silicon oil is extracted from the torque transmission gap 7 'through the hole 5a, the oil passage 2a and the extraction pipe 13 (FIG. 1A) or the communication path 8a and the extraction pipe 13 (FIG. 1B). Then, the torque of one of the case 4 or the disk 5 is transmitted to the other via the appropriate amount of silicone oil in the torque transmission chamber 7 and the fan 1
5 rotates.

As described above, according to the embodiment, the temperature of the cooling water of the engine 1, the rotation speed of the engine 1, and the fan 15
Control is performed in a state where the rotational speed of the fan 15 does not significantly change as shown in FIG. 3 by making the optimal silicon oil corresponding to the rotational speed of the fan 15 exist in the torque transmission gap 7 '. The temperature of the cooling water of the engine 1 is also kept substantially constant, control is performed under optimum conditions adapted to cold starting, running on a highway, and rapid acceleration, the noise of the fan 15 is reduced, and wasteful fuel consumption is reduced. Is prevented. In each embodiment, since the case 4 or the disk 5 side is supported by the fixed portion, a flexible joint that transmits only the rotation of the engine 1 can be used. Therefore, even if the drive transmission is directly connected to the crankshaft of the engine, The bearing attached to the rotating shaft 2 is not directly subjected to shock or vibration when the engine 1 is driven, and the operating life of the bearing, which is expensive to manufacture, is extended, the durability is improved, and there are also disadvantages in manufacturing cost. Can be solved.

In the embodiment, the engine cooling water temperature,
Although the control of the oil amount in the case based on the engine speed and the fan speed has been described, the present invention is not limited to the embodiment. Intake temperature, vehicle speed, throttle opening, air pressure,
A configuration in which the presence / absence of knocking, the state of an air conditioner, the state of an exhaust brake, and the like are also added to the control factor may be adopted.

[0026]

As described above in detail, according to the present invention, the oil supplied from the outside to the torque transmission gap between the drive disk and the case can be quickly and accurately adjusted in accordance with the drive conditions of the drive section and other various conditions. , The drive torque of one of the case or the disk is transmitted to the other in an optimal transmission state in accordance with the above conditions, and the optimal clutch operation can be performed under various conditions, and As for the liquid clutch, fan noise can be reduced, fuel can be saved, and acceleration performance can be improved. In addition, the disk side or the case side is rotatably supported by the fixed part, so that the load on the bearing attached to the rotating shaft is reduced. In addition, since the liquid clutch and the engine are connected by a flexible joint, the impact during driving can be reduced. It is not subject to vibration or vibration, and the operating life is extended and the overall durability is improved.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1A is an explanatory diagram showing a configuration of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 1B is an explanatory view showing another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing the operation of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is an operation characteristic diagram of one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is another diagram showing the operation characteristics of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1A Flexible joint 4 Case 5 Disk 7 Torque transmission chamber 7 'Torque transmission gap 10, 10' Bearing 15 Fan 17 Pump

Claims (2)

(57) [Claims] 1. A case, a disk housed therein, a drive unit connected to the case via a flexible joint, a disk fixed to one end, a fan mounted to the other end, and A rotating shaft rotatably supported, a bearing rotatably supporting the rotating shaft on an outer frame, and one end connected to the rotating shaft via a bearing as if one end communicates with an oil passage provided on the rotating shaft; An outlet pipe having the other end connected to the oil feed pipe, oil supply means for supplying oil from outside to a torque transmission gap formed between the case and the facing surface of the disk, a rotational speed of the fan, A control unit for controlling oil supply by the oil supply unit based on the number of revolutions and the temperature of the cooling water of the drive unit. 2. A case rotatably supported on a rotating shaft connected to the drive unit via a flexible joint,
A fan mounted on the case, a disk housed inside the case and fixed to the rotating shaft, a bearing rotatably supporting the case on an outer frame, and an oil passage provided at one end with the case Oil is supplied from the outside to a take-out pipe connected to the case via a bearing and connected to the oil feed pipe at the other end, and a torque transmission gap formed between the case and the opposing surface of the disk as if opening to the case. Oil supply means, and control means for controlling the supply of oil by the oil supply means based on the number of revolutions of the fan, the number of revolutions of the drive unit, and the temperature of the cooling water of the drive unit. Liquid clutch.