JPH0932867A - Clutch adjusting alarm device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a clutch adjusting alarm device which supplies low pressure air from an air vessel to an actuator of a clutch mechanism through a pressure control valve, and discriminates an adjusting timing from operation of a rod of the actuator. SOLUTION: A clutch stroke sensor 5 senses a position of a rod 9 of an actuator 6 which connects and disconnects a clutch mechanism A. A pressure control valve 4 is operated for supplying pressurized air to the actuator 6. Also provided are a return spring 14 of a clutch lever 13, and a clutch spring 29 which presses a pressure plate 23 against a clutch plate 24. When a margin measurement starting switch 17 is operated, the pressurized air having force stronger than that of the return spring 14 and weaker than that of the clutch spring 29 is supplied based on an electronic control unit 3 to the actuator 6 through the pressure control valve 4. An alarm 2 is started when difference between a return position of the rod 9 which is a sensed value of the clutch stroke sensor and a stopping position of the rod 9 is a specified value or lower.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an automatic clutch that is provided with an electronically controlled automatic transmission, and a load of a clutch spring that pushes the clutch plate against a flywheel through a pressure plate after the clutch lever contacts the release bearing. The present invention relates to a clutch adjustment alarm device that drives an actuator with low-pressure air from a pressure control valve to accurately detect play in a clutch mechanism in a low-load operating range until receiving.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a clutch wear warning device disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 61-244926, a connection starting point of a clutch mechanism is obtained from the engine crankshaft speed and the transmission input shaft speed. The amount of wear of the clutch plate is calculated. Further, in the clutch adjustment alarm device disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 61-197823, the connection starting point of the clutch mechanism is learned and stored, but the learning value of the clutch connection starting point is the friction coefficient of the facing of the clutch plate, thickness,
There is a problem that it changes depending on conditions such as flatness and heat history. Therefore, when the difference between the learning value at the clutch connection start point and the learning value at the clutch complete contact point becomes less than a predetermined value, the alarm device (warning light) is controlled to operate. However, in reality, the learning value at the clutch connection start point varies, so that the alarm device may operate despite some play in the clutch mechanism.

[0003]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In view of the above problems, it is an object of the present invention to provide a more accurate play of the clutch mechanism by moving low pressure air from the air tank to the actuator of the clutch mechanism through a pressure control valve. It is an object of the present invention to provide a clutch adjustment alarm device which is supplied and discriminates the clutch adjustment timing from the operation of the actuator rod.

[0004]

In order to solve the above problems, the structure of the present invention comprises a clutch stroke sensor for detecting the position of the rod of an actuator for connecting and disconnecting the clutch, and a pressure for supplying pressurized air to the actuator. A control valve, a clutch lever connected to the rod for pushing the clutch release bearing, a return spring for returning the clutch lever to the connecting direction, a clutch spring for pressing the clutch plate against the flywheel via a pressure plate, and a play amount of the clutch mechanism. Is below a predetermined value, the pressure control valve supplies pressurized air, which is stronger than the force of the return spring and weaker than the force of the clutch spring, to the actuator, and the return position of the rod and the stop position of the rod. And a control device for activating the alarm device when the difference between and is less than a predetermined value.

[0005]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION According to the present invention, in a clutch mechanism interlocking with an automatic transmission, when examining the timing of adjustment due to wear of the clutch plate, low pressure pressurized air that does not drive the release lever is supplied to the actuator. , The play of the clutch mechanism is detected from the operation amount of the rod of the actuator until the clutch mechanism reaches the connection start state, and it is determined whether or not the adjustment time is reached.

[0006]

1 is a side sectional view showing a schematic structure of a clutch adjustment alarm device according to the present invention. The clutch mechanism A includes a flywheel 27 connected to the crankshaft of the engine and a clutch cover 2 that rotates integrally with the flywheel 27.
0 is coupled to the pressure plate 23 inside the clutch cover 20.
Are supported via a plurality of release levers 25. Specifically, the intermediate portion of the release lever 25 is rotatably supported by the pin 21 on the end wall of the clutch cover 20 via the support member 19, and the pin 2 is attached to the tip of the release lever 25.
The pressure plate 23 is connected by 2. Clutch cover 20
A clutch spring 29 is interposed between the pressure plate 23 and the pressure plate 23.

Usually, the pressure plate 23 receives the force of the clutch spring 29 to press the clutch plate 24 against the flywheel 27. At this time, the rotation of the flywheel 27 is transmitted to the input shaft 31 of the transmission via the clutch plate 24. A release bearing 26 is slidably supported on the input shaft 31 and is lightly pressed against the end of the yoke lever 16 by the force of a spring (not shown). The yoke lever 16 is coupled to the rotating shaft 15 supported by the case (not shown) of the clutch mechanism A. The clutch lever 13 is connected to the rotating shaft 15,
It is urged to rotate counterclockwise by the force of the return spring 14.
The clutch lever 13 is connected to the rod 9 of the actuator 6 by the pin 12. In the actuator 6, a piston 7 is fitted in a cylinder 8, and a rod 9 having an expansion and contraction adjusting joint 10 is projected from the piston 7 to the outside. The clutch stroke sensor 5 is attached to the end wall 8a of the actuator 6.

When shutting off the clutch, the pressurized air in the air tank 4a is supplied to the working chamber 6a between the end wall 8a and the piston 7 through the electromagnetic pressure control valve 4. When the play amount measurement start switch 17 is pushed by the pressure control valve 4, an electronic control unit based on a signal from a clutch stroke sensor 5 for detecting an axial gap or play s between the release bearing 26 and the base end of the release lever 25. With the output of 3, the actuator 6
The air pressure supplied to is adjusted, and when the play s is below a predetermined value, the alarm 2 is activated.

As the facing of the clutch plate 24, which is pressed against the flywheel 27 via the pressure plate 23 by the force of the clutch spring 29, wears, the release lever 25 rotates clockwise about the pin 21 in FIG. Release bearing 26 and release lever 25
The play s between the base end of and becomes smaller. When the base end of the release lever 25 eventually contacts the release bearing 26, the force of the clutch spring 29 is diminished, and the clutch plate 24 can no longer be pressed sufficiently against the flywheel 27.

Therefore, in the present invention, when the play amount measurement start switch 17 is pushed, the operation of the rod 9 of the actuator 6 is detected by the clutch stroke sensor 5 through the electronic control unit 3, while the release bearing 26 and the release lever 25 are detected. A play s between the base end of the electronic control unit 3 and the base end thereof is detected and input to the electronic control unit 3. The exciting voltage of the pressure control valve 4 is adjusted based on the output of the electronic control unit 3, and the force of the clutch spring 29 is stronger than the force of the return spring 14 from the air tank 4a to the working chamber 6a of the actuator 8 through the pressure control valve 4. Supply weaker, lower pressure air. That is, when the release bearing 26 contacts the base end of the release lever 25 via the yoke lever 16 by the rod 9 (the release lever 25 is not rotated by the release bearing 26 because the air pressure is low), the stop position of the rod 9 is set. , The return position of the rod 9 shown in FIG. 1 is detected by the clutch stroke sensor 5, and the alarm device 2 is activated when the distance between the return position of the rod 9 and the stop position of the rod 9, that is, the difference between the detected values is less than a predetermined value. To do.

As shown in FIG. 2, when the facing of the clutch plate 24 is worn from the solid line to the broken line, the play s becomes small and the idle working amount u of the rod 9 also becomes gradually small. The alarm device 2 is activated when the empty operation amount u of the rod 9 becomes less than a predetermined value.

FIG. 3 is a flow chart of a control program for executing the above control from the microcomputer by the electronic control unit 3. In FIG. 3, p11 to p22 represent each step of the control program.

The control program is started at p11, and the play amount measurement start switch 17 is operated at p12. In p13, the detection value of the clutch stroke sensor 5 at the clutch complete contact point is learned, and in p14, a current for obtaining low pressure air is applied to the pressure control valve 4. At p15, the pressure control valve 4 is caused to generate a minimum air pressure that overcomes the force of the return spring 14 of the clutch lever 13. p16
Then, the point where the detection value of the clutch stroke sensor 5 does not change is learned and stored. The current applied to the pressure control valve 4 is set to 0 in p17.
To Point that the detection value of the clutch stroke sensor 5 does not change at p18 (release bearing 26 is released lever 25
Then, the difference between the learning value of the stop position of the rod 9 when it comes into contact with the base end of the rod and the learning value of the clutch complete contact (return position of the rod 9) is obtained. In p19, it is judged whether the difference between the learning values is smaller than the set value. When the difference between the learned values is larger than the set value, the process proceeds to p22. When the difference between the learned values is smaller than the set value, the alarm device 2 is activated at p21 and the process ends at p22.

In the modified embodiment shown in FIG. 4, the control program is started at p31, the engine is started at p32, and the shift lever is set to the neutral position at p33. In p34, determine whether the gear position is neutral. If the gear shift position is not neutral, the process returns to p33, and if the gear shift position is neutral, the detection value of the clutch stroke sensor 5 at the clutch complete contact is learned in p35. An electric current for obtaining low pressure air is applied to the pressure control valve 4 at p36. At p37, the pressure control valve 4 is caused to generate a minimum air pressure that overcomes the force of the return spring 14 of the clutch lever 13. In p38, learn and remember the point where the value of the clutch stroke sensor does not change. p39
Then, the difference between the learning value at the point where the detection value of the clutch stroke sensor 5 does not change and the learning value at the clutch complete contact point is obtained.

At p40, it is determined whether the difference between the learning values is smaller than the set value. If the difference between the learned values is smaller than the set value, the alarm device 2 is activated at p41 and the process proceeds to p45. If the difference between the learned values is larger than the set value, a current for obtaining high-pressure air is applied to the pressure control valve 4 in p42, the clutch waits in the clutch complete position in p43, and the routine proceeds to the start / shift control routine in p44 to set the predetermined value. Change gear control and end with p45.

[0016]

As described above, according to the present invention, the air pressure supplied to the conventional actuator is lowered, and the play of the release bearing or the wear state of the clutch plate can be accurately detected based on the detection value of the clutch stroke sensor. When the amount of wear exceeds a specified value, an alarm is activated, and it is possible to accurately notify the timing of adjustment for the wear of the clutch plate, so that the power of the engine is always completely transmitted to the transmission. Moreover, abnormal wear of the facing of the clutch plate due to poor adjustment can be avoided.

According to the present invention, it is not necessary to add mechanical components such as a new release bearing or wiring for a sensor inside the clutch case, and an electronic control for controlling the clutch mechanism is provided. The cost can be saved because the timing of adjusting the clutch mechanism can be accurately detected simply by loading the control program of the device.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a front sectional view of a clutch adjustment alarm device according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the operation of the clutch adjustment alarm device.

FIG. 3 is a flow chart of a control program according to the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a flow chart of a control program according to a modified embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

A: Clutch mechanism B: Operating point s: Play 2: Alarm device 3: Electronic control device 4: Pressure control valve 4a: Air tank
5: Clutch stroke sensor 6: Actuator
6a: Working chamber 7: Piston 8: Cylinder 8a: End wall 9: Rod 10: Expansion and contraction joint 12: Pin 13: Clutch lever 14: Return spring 15: Rotating shaft 16: Yoke lever 17: Play amount measurement start switch 19 : Support member
20: Clutch cover 21: Pin 22: Pin 2
3: Pressure plate 24: Clutch plate 25: Release lever 26: Release bearing 27: Flywheel 29:
Clutch spring 31: Input shaft

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A clutch stroke sensor for detecting the position of a rod of an actuator for connecting and disconnecting the clutch, a pressure control valve for supplying pressurized air to the actuator, and a clutch lever connected to the rod for pushing a clutch release bearing. , A return spring that returns the clutch lever in the connecting direction, a clutch spring that presses the clutch plate against the flywheel via a pressure plate, and a play amount of the return spring to the pressure control valve when the play amount of the clutch mechanism falls below a predetermined value. A controller that supplies pressurized air that is stronger than the force and weaker than the force of the clutch spring to the actuator, and that activates an alarm when the difference between the return position of the rod and the stop position of the rod is less than or equal to a predetermined value. A clutch adjustment alarm device characterized by being equipped with.