JPH0439469Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] [Field of industrial application] The present invention is directed to air clutches used in automobiles, etc., and more specifically, to the air pressure control passages (air passages) of such air clutches. This invention relates to a cooling device for preventing an increase in temperature of an oil seal in a rotary joint provided midway.

[Prior Art] An example of an air clutch is shown in Utility Model Application Publication No. 180123/1983. As is clear from the publication, the air clutch device has two air passages as air passage means: a cylinder side air passage connected to the pneumatic cylinder inside the clutch, and a control mechanism side air passage connected to an external air pressure control mechanism. A rotary joint for connection is provided. The air passage on the cylinder side rotates together with rotating parts such as the clutch cover, while the air passage on the control mechanism side remains stationary.
The rotary joint therefore basically comprises a rotating part fixed to the clutch rotating member and a stationary part fixed to the stationary member. The rotating part is rotatably fitted into the stationary part, and the cylinder side air passage and the control mechanism side air passage are connected by a series of passages provided inside both parts.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] Even in conventional structures, a plurality of oil seals are incorporated into the rotary joint in order to prevent air leakage inside the rotary joint. These oil seals are slidably fitted around the outer periphery of the rotating part, and prevent air from leaking from the fitting portion between the rotating part and the stationary part.

However, the rotating part is a cylindrical shaft-shaped member with a small radial thickness, and the relative sliding speed between the oil seal and the rotating part is high. As a result, the rotating part and the seal become relatively high in temperature due to frictional heat between the sliding parts, and there is a risk that the seal may be damaged by the heat.

Of course, even in the conventional structure, the rotating part and the oil seal are cooled by the lubricating oil supplied to the sliding parts of both parts. However, since this oil is made from part of the lubricating oil of other mechanisms (transmissions), its temperature is relatively high. Therefore, oil may not be able to provide a sufficient cooling effect.

The present invention aims to provide a structure that solves the above problems.

[Means for Solving the Problems] In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a rotary joint with a nozzle passage that opens toward the contact area between the oil seal and the rotating part, and cools the nozzle passage. The cooling fluid supply passage is connected to an external pressurized air supply section through a fluid supply passage, and is characterized in that the cooling fluid supply passage is provided with an oil mist mechanism that mixes oil with the air in the passage.

[Operation] According to the above configuration, cooling fluid (that is, air containing oil in a mist form) is supplied from the outside to the nozzle passage through the cooling fluid supply passage, and the sliding part between the oil seal and the rotating part is supplied from the nozzle passage. Cooling fluid is injected towards.

Since the air is depressurized in the range from the pressurized air supply section to the nozzle passage, its temperature is relatively low when it is supplied to the rotary joint. Therefore,
The sliding parts are effectively cooled, and temperature increases in the rotating parts and oil seals are effectively prevented.

[Embodiment] In FIG. 1, a pneumatic cylinder 3 is provided on a clutch cover 2 fixed to a flyhole 1 of an engine. The piston 4 of the pneumatic cylinder 3 is connected to the back surface of the pressure plate 5, and by pressurizing the working chamber 6 of the pneumatic cylinder 3, the pressure plate 5 moves the facing 8 of the clutch disk 7 into the flyhole 1. Press it down and the clutch will connect.

The working chamber 6 is connected to an air pressure control mechanism 13 via an air passage 10, an internal passage of a rotary joint 11, and an air passage 12.
is connected to. The air pressure control mechanism 13 is composed of an air pressure source, a pressure regulating valve, a pressure control valve, etc. located outside the clutch housing 15. When the clutch pedal is operated, the pressure control valve controls the air pressure in conjunction with the operation of the clutch pedal. The connection breaking operation is now controlled.

The air passage 10 is provided inside the clutch cover 2 and opens to the inner peripheral surface of the clutch cover 2. Therefore, the air passage 10 is connected to the clutch cover 2.
Rotates together with clutch rotating members such as. The air passage 12 extends from the inside of the clutch housing 15 to the air pressure control mechanism 13, and is fixed to the clutch housing 15 or the like in a stationary state.

The rotary joint 11 basically consists of a generally annular stationary part 20 and a generally cylindrical shaft-shaped rotating part 21, and includes a clutch output shaft 22 (only the center line is shown).
are arranged concentrically around the .

The stationary part 20 consists of an assembly of two annular members and is fixed to the clutch housing 15 or to a transmission housing (not shown). The part of the rotating part 21 on the transmission side (the right side in FIG. 1) fits into the inner periphery of the stationary part 20, and the part on the opposite side protrudes from the stationary part 20 and rotates around the inner periphery of the clutch cover 2. They are mated in a disabled state.

For example, two pairs of oil seals 25 and 26 and one oil seal 2 are provided between the stationary part 20 and the rotating part 21.
7 are arranged at intervals in the axial direction. Seal 25 is located furthest from clutch cover 2, and seal 27 is located closest to clutch cover 2. All of those seals 25 to 27 are fixed to the inner circumference of the stationary part 20, and
It is in slidable contact with the outer periphery of 1.

The annular space between the oil seals 25 and 26 adjacent to each other among the oil seals forms a connecting passage 40 for an air passage. The stationary part 20 and the rotating part 21 are provided with air passages 41 and 42, each of which has one end connected to the connection passage 40. The other end of the air passage 41 is connected to the stationary air passage 12, and the other end of the air passage 42 is connected to the rotating air passage 10.
is connected to.

According to the above structure, the air pressure supplied from the static air passage 12 reaches the air passage 10 via the air passage 41, the connection passage 40, and the air passage 42. In this operation, the oil seals 25 to 22 prevent air from leaking to the outside from between the stationary part 20 and the rotating part 21.
7 prevents this.

Nozzle portions 50 protruding radially inward are integrally provided on the inner periphery of the stationary portion 20 at a plurality of locations spaced apart in the axial direction. Each nozzle part 50 is
Extending in an annular shape around the output shaft 22, each has a pair of seals 25, 25 or 26, 26.
It's stuck in between. Inside each nozzle portion 50, radial nozzle passages 51 are provided at a plurality of locations spaced apart in the circumferential direction. One end of each of these nozzle passages 51 is connected to a cooling fluid passage 52 provided within the main body of the stationary part 20. This fluid passage is connected to a pressurized air supply 60 via an external fluid supply passage 53.

Specifically, the pressurized air supply section 60 includes an air tank 61, a stop valve 62, and a pressure reducing valve 63. The air tank 61 is a part that constitutes an air pressure source for the clutch air pressure control mechanism 13 described above. Pressurized air is supplied to this air tank 61 from a compressor (not shown) driven by the engine, and therefore, no pressurized air is supplied to the air tank 61 when the engine is stopped.
In consideration of this point, a stop valve 62 is provided.
When the engine is stopped, the stop valve 62 blocks air from being taken out from the air tank 61 to the passage 53 side. The pressure reducing valve 63 reduces the pressure of the air taken out from the tank 61, and also removes pressurized air from the tank 61 within a range where the pressure inside the tank 61 does not become lower than a predetermined value (the minimum value required for the clutch connection operation). Take out.

Further, on the downstream side of the pressure reducing valve 63, an oiler 65 is provided in the passage 53. Oiler 6
5 is for mixing oil into the air in the passage 53 in the form of a mist. Its specific structure is publicly known, and an oil intake passage 66 for taking in the mixed oil is connected to an oil tank 67. We are prepared.

In the illustrated embodiment, both sides of the inner peripheral surface of the annular nozzle portion 50 are chamfered to form a tapered surface, and a large number of nozzle openings 5 are formed on the tapered surface.
5 is formed. The nozzle opening 55 communicates with the nozzle passage 51, has a relatively small diameter, and is generally perpendicular to the tapered surface, thereby allowing the cooling fluid (oil) supplied to the nozzle passage 51 to flow through the nozzle opening 55. The air contained in the mist is blown from the nozzle opening 55 toward the sliding part between the seals 25 and 26 and the rotating part 21.
By spraying the cooling fluid in this way, a rise in temperature of the rotating part 21 is effectively prevented,
Damage to the oil seals 25 and 26 due to temperature rise is also prevented.

Note that the oil in the air applied from the nozzle opening 55 performs a seal lubrication function, and then passes through the oil return passage in the stationary part 20 and the oil filter (both not shown) to the internal space of the transmission, etc. The oil is returned to the oil drain.

[Effect of the invention] As explained above, according to the invention, the rotating part 2
Air is used as the fluid for cooling 1. Then, air is supplied from the pressurized air supply section 60 to the passage 5.
3 to the rotary joint 11, the pressure is reduced, for example, in a pressure reducing valve 63, and the temperature becomes relatively low. Therefore, the rotating part 21 is effectively cooled, suppressing the temperature rise of the rotating part 21 and the oil seals 25 to 27, preventing heat loss of the oil seals 25 to 27, and improving their airtight performance and durability. be able to.

[Another Embodiment] In the illustrated embodiment, the nozzle portion 50 is provided only on the oil seals 25 and 26, but a similar nozzle portion may also be provided on the remaining oil seals 27. Furthermore, if the rotary part 21 can be sufficiently cooled with only one nozzle part, one of the two nozzle parts 50 shown in the figure can be eliminated. Of course, in that case, for seals that do not have a nozzle part,
It is configured to supply lubricating oil by another means (simple oil path).

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a schematic partial cross-sectional view of a rotary joint according to an embodiment of the present invention. 2...Clutch cover (rotating member of the clutch),
3... Pneumatic cylinder, 6... Cylinder working chamber, 10... Rotating air passage, 11... Rotating joint,
12... Stationary air passage, 13... Air pressure control mechanism, 15... Clutch housing, 20... Stationary part, 21... Rotating part, 25-27... Oil seal, 40... Connection passage, 41, 42... ...air passage, 51...nozzle passage, 53...liquid supply passage, 60...pressurized air supply section 60, 65...oiler.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] A pneumatic cylinder for clutch operation control is provided on the rotating member of the clutch, a pneumatic control mechanism is provided outside the clutch housing, a rotating air passage that rotates with the rotating member is connected to the working chamber of the cylinder, and a static air passage is controlled by pneumatic pressure. connect to the mechanism,
The two air passages are connected to each other by an internal air passage of a rotary joint, and the rotary joint includes a stationary part, a cylindrical shaft-shaped rotating part that fits into the stationary part and rotates together with the rotating member, and the stationary part. an oil seal disposed between the oil seal and the rotating part to seal the internal air passage, and a nozzle passage that opens toward the contact area between the oil seal and the rotating part, and the nozzle passage is configured to supply cooling fluid. A rotary joint for an air clutch, which is connected to an external pressurized air supply through a passage, and the cooling fluid supply passage is also provided with an oil mist mechanism for mixing oil into the air in the passage. Cooling system.