KR20180013303A - Wet multi-plate clutch able to control oil supply - Google Patents

Abstract

According to the present invention, a wet clutch (100) comprises: a clutch pack (20) delivering power of an input shaft (30) under pressurization; a housing (10) in which a clutch space (15) storing the clutch pack (20) and an oil circuit path (11) enabling fluid to connect an upper part of the clutch space (15) and a central part of the clutch space (15); a piston (21) capable of pressurizing the clutch pack (20); an oil control member (22) opening the oil circuit path (11) when the clutch pack (20) is pressurized. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the wet clutch blocks the supply of lubricating oil when the clutch is not operated. Therefore, a frictional force caused by fluid viscosity resistance between frictional plates of the clutch pack can be reduced. Moreover, efficiency and fuel efficiency can be improved.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention [0001] The present invention relates to a wet multi-

The present invention relates to a wet type multi-plate clutch capable of controlling the supply of lubricating oil, and more particularly, to a wet type multi-plate clutch capable of adjusting the supply of lubricating oil in accordance with the working oil pressure of the piston, .

Generally, clutch devices used in vehicles have dry clutches and wet clutches. In automotive transmissions (AT, CVT, etc.) and electronic 4WD systems, wet multi-disc clutches are used as the main power switching and transmission means. The first friction plate and the second friction plate, which transmit and receive power by friction in the clutch pack of the wet multi-plate clutch, perform relative motion, and when the clutch is engaged, that is, when the piston is pressed, the relative rotation of the first friction plate and the second friction plate The frictional heat is generated. Therefore, the conventional wet type multi-plate clutch is provided with a certain amount of oil in the clutch case, which is used as an oil bath type (oil bath type) around the input shaft to protect the clutch from heat due to friction during clutch fastening. It is common to use a method of lubrication of the parts or a method of always supplying the lubricating oil regardless of whether or not the clutch is engaged.

Such a lubrication structure causes a drag torque due to fluid viscous resistance in a state in which the clutch is not engaged, that is, in a state in which the first friction plate and the second friction plate of the clutch are slightly spaced from each other and rotate relative to each other, Has been a factor.

1 is a cross-sectional view showing a conventional wet type multi-plate clutch device.

1, a conventional wet multi-plate clutch 1 includes a plurality of first friction plates 2, a plurality of second friction plates 3 interposed between the first friction plates 2, And a clutch drum (4) interlocked with the second friction plate (3), and the housing (5) rotatably surrounds the components.

The oil chucking method used in such a conventional wet type multi-plate clutch 1 is a method in which the first friction plate 2, the second friction plate 3, the clutch drum 4, and so on are filled with a considerable amount of oil in the housing 5 Lubrication.

When this method is used, the oil supply imbalance at the lower and upper sides is large around the shaft, the efficiency of supplying oil drops, and the oil level must be high for securing the oil supply performance.

This causes an increase in the rotational resistance of rotating parts of the clutch device parts, for example, a clutch drum and the like, and there is a problem in that the total weight and cost are excessively high.

Further, in the case where the clutch is not engaged, since each friction plate rotates and a drag torque is generated, the fuel consumption is lowered.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a wet type multiplate clutch in which oil is supplied only when lubrication is required.

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, an embodiment of the present invention provides a clutch pack for transmitting power of an input shaft in a pressurized state. A housing having a clutch space for receiving the clutch pack and an oil circulation path for fluid communication between an upper portion of the clutch space and a central portion of the clutch space; A piston capable of pressing the clutch pack; And an oil regulating member that opens the oil circulation path when the clutch pack is pressed.

The oil regulating member can be actuated by hydraulic pressure to operate the piston (21).

The oil circulation path may include an oil collecting part communicating with the upper part of the clutch space and an oil path communicating with the center part of the clutch space.

Wherein a hydraulic pressure opening penetrating between the space in which the piston is accommodated in the housing and the oil passage and a recess opposed to the hydraulic opening can be formed in the housing and the oil adjusting member is slidable And a closing portion slidably fitted in the recess. When the opening portion is slid to the opposite side of the piston by the oil pressure, the oil can flow on the oil circulating passage, and the oil pressure is lowered to open the opening portion toward the piston When it returns, it can be closed so that oil does not flow on the oil circulation path.

An O-ring is attached to the opening so that the hydraulic oil that operates the piston can be sealed so as not to leak toward the oil passage. The O-ring functions to prevent the hydraulic pressure from leaking by securing airtightness between the opening portion and the hydraulic opening.

An elastic member may be disposed between the oil regulating member and the recess, and the elastic member may be any object having elasticity such as a spring. In the case of the spring, since the opening and closing timing and the opening and closing amount of the oil control member can be changed by adjusting the spring constant, ultimately, the lubricating time and the lubricating flow rate of the clutch can be optimally adjusted.

A stopper is disposed between the oil regulating member and the recess so that the opening portion is not separated from the hydraulic opening even if the oil regulating member is pushed toward the recess by the hydraulic pressure for operating the piston .

The opening portion may open the oil passage so that oil can flow through the oil passage, and the closing portion can close the oil passage so that the oil can not flow into the oil passage. Specifically, the opening portion may have a width smaller than the cross-section of the oil passage, thereby opening the oil passage or forming a hole in the opening portion to open the oil passage. On the other hand, the closing portion has a width equal to the length of the cross section of the oil passage, so that the closing portion closes the oil passage as far as the closing portion enters the oil passage. In other words, when the closing portion closes all the oil passage, It can be said that it is all in.

The piston and the oil regulating member are urged in opposite directions by hydraulic pressure. Therefore, the hydraulic pressure raised by the piston to press the clutch pack applies pressure to the opening portion of the oil control member in the direction opposite to the piston, thereby moving the closing portion in the oil passage into the recess and moving the opening portion in the oil pressure opening onto the oil passage .

The wet clutch according to the embodiment of the present invention reduces the frictional force due to the fluid viscous resistance that may occur between the friction plates (including the steel plate) of the clutch pack by shutting off the lubricant supply when the clutch is not operated, Improvement can be achieved.

1 is a cross-sectional view of a conventional wet multi-plate clutch;
2 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which the clutch is not operated in a wet clutch according to an embodiment of the present invention;
3 is an enlarged view of a portion A in Fig.
4 is a cross-sectional view showing the clutch operating in a wet clutch according to an embodiment of the present invention;
Figs. 5A and 5B are enlarged views in which a stopper is additionally disposed at a portion B in Fig.

Hereinafter, a wet clutch according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Figure 2 shows a cross-sectional view of a wet clutch 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention. The wet clutch 100 includes a housing 10 and a clutch space 15 is formed in the housing 10 to receive the clutch pack. An oil that fluidly communicates the oil scattering over the clutch space 15 to the center of the clutch space 15 in the oil churning manner by the rotating parts of the clutch pack 20 in the clutch space 15 A circulation path (11) is formed in the housing (10).

The housing 10 can be assembled into two parts and can be composed of a case 10a and a lid 10b. This is for receiving and coupling the clutch pack 20, the input shaft 30, the clutch drum 40, etc., which are accessories of the wet multi-plate clutch.

The oil circulation path 11 is composed of an oil collecting portion 11a and an oil passage 11b. The oil collecting portion 11a communicating with the upper portion of the clutch space 15 is formed in the case 10a and the oil passage 11b communicating with the center portion of the clutch space 15 is formed in the lid 10b do.

At least a part of the oil passage 11b has a downward inclined portion from the oil collecting portion 11a. This is to allow the oil collected in the oil collecting portion 11a to be circulated back to the center of the clutch space 15. [ The oil thus returned to the central portion lubricates the input shaft 30 and then flows down to the lower portion of the clutch space 15 or flows into the clutch pack 20 through the first oil hole 32 by centrifugal force, The whole can be lubricated and cooled. At this time, other accessories such as pistons and bearings can also be lubricated and cooled at the same time.

It can be understood that the oil collecting portion 11a can also have a downward inclined portion if it contributes to the oil circulation, just as at least a part of the oil passage 11b has a downward inclined portion from the oil collecting portion 11a There will be.

An input shaft 30 is connected to the inner periphery of the clutch pack 20 to transmit power and a clutch drum 40 is connected to the outer periphery of the clutch pack 20. When the piston applies pressure to the clutch pack 20, So that power is transmitted to the output side.

In this embodiment, the oil collecting portion 11a is located substantially above the clutch space 15. [ A passage for oil passage is formed between the oil collecting portion 11a and the clutch space 15. The passage is extended in the direction tangential to the circumference of the cylindrical clutch space 15 so that the oil can be naturally collected into the oil collecting portion 11a when the oil is carried up by the strong rotation of the clutch pack 20 And reaches the oil collecting portion 11a. As the passage between the oil collecting portion 11a and the clutch space 15 is closer to the gravity direction, the collected oil may fall back into the clutch space 15. However, when the clutch pack 20 is strongly rotated, The amount of the oil is increased upwardly, so that the oil can be circulated to the center of the clutch space 15 along the oil passage 11b.

The oil present between the first engaging portion 31 and the input shaft 30 of the oil adhering to the outer wall of the input shaft 30 is discharged into the first oil hole 32 Out. The oil escapes between the friction plates of the clutch pack 20. At this time, in order to distribute the oil evenly, the shape of the first oil hole 32 may be formed to be partially inclined as shown in FIG.

Referring again to FIG. 2, an oil regulating member 22 for blocking the flow of oil is disposed in the middle of the oil passage 11b. The oil regulating member 22 includes a closing portion 22b having a right opening 22a and a leftward "C " Here, the opening 22a is completely inserted into the hydraulic opening 23, so that the closing portion 22b can close the oil passage 11b. In this embodiment, the piston is fully released to the left and the hydraulic pressure is not applied. Therefore, the first friction plate 2 and the second friction plate 3 can move independently of each other and perform relative motion. If the oil flows down from the oil collecting portion 11a when the clutch is not engaged, a drag torque is generated when the friction plates rotate, resulting in a loss of the running speed and the power. This leads to a decrease in fuel consumption, and therefore, an oil control member 22 is provided to prevent this. An arrow marked with a dotted line indicates the flow path of the picked oil, which shows that the oil can be accumulated in the oil collecting portion 11a.

3 is an enlarged view of a portion A in Fig. On the opposite side of the hydraulic opening 23 is formed a recess 24 into which the closing portion 22b is slidably fitted so that the elastic member 26 is positioned in the recess 24. The elastic member 26 applies pressure to the oil regulating member 22 to the right (in the piston direction) between the bottom portion of the recess 24 (left wall portion in FIG. 3) and the oil regulating member 22. The pressure of the elastic member 26 is applied to the oil regulating member 22 so that the oil passage 11b is closed. The bottom portion is the bottom of the recess 24 facing the hydraulic opening 23 and the bottom surface is preferably formed substantially perpendicular to the direction in which the oil regulating member 22 moves.

Referring to Fig. 4, the closing portion 22b of the oil regulating member 22 is completely inserted into the recess 24. The thick arrows shown on the left side of the piston indicate the oil pressure applied to the piston 21 and the oil regulating member 22. That is, the clutch is engaged. The piston 21 is urged in the direction of the right clutch pack 20 and the oil regulating member 22 is pressed in the direction of the recess 24 as the oil pressure increases in the piston hydraulic oil. In this state, the first friction plate (2) and the second friction plate (3) rub against each other to generate frictional heat, and the oil must be lubricated to cool it. To this end, the open portion 22a of the oil regulating member 22 is intersected with the oil passage 11b, and the oil accumulated in the oil collecting portion 11a flows downward to reach the input shaft 30. The oil that has fallen on the input shaft 30 can be scattered in the first oil holes 32 by the rotation of the input shaft 30 to lubricate and cool the friction plates 2 and 3. [

In this state, the force applied by the piston hydraulic pressure to the oil regulating member 22 to the left is greater than the elastic force applied to the oil regulating member 22 to the right by the elastic member 26. The length through which the opening 22a moves when the piston hydraulic pressure presses the oil regulating member 22 is preferably larger than the diameter of the cross section of the oil passage 11b or the length in the left and right direction on the drawing (Fig. 4). 2, the distance between the end of the oil regulating member 22 and the bottom of the recess may be longer than the maximum travel length of the oil regulating member 22. Specifically, the distance between the end of the closing portion 22b and the bottom of the recess may be longer than the maximum moving length of the opening 22a. However, it is possible to design the oil supply amount to be optimized by adjusting the lengths, the length of the oil regulating member 22, the length of the opening 22a of the oil regulating member 22, and the length of the closing portion 22b . Similarly, it is possible to design the oil supply amount to be optimized by adjusting the width or the cross-sectional area of the oil passage 11b.

Figures 5A and 5B are enlarged views of Figure 4B. A stopper 27 is positioned between the oil control member 22 and the housing cover 10b. The stopper 27 is located at the end of the closing portion 22b as shown in Fig. 5A to prevent the oil regulating member 22 from being excessively inserted in the recess 24 direction. This is because the right end of the opening portion 22a may be separated from the hydraulic opening 23 when the piston 22 is excessively pressed in the recessed direction.

An O-ring 25 is fitted to the right end of the opening 22a. The O-ring 25 prevents the piston hydraulic oil from escaping between the inner wall of the hydraulic opening 23 and the outer wall of the opening 22a of the oil regulating member 22. In this embodiment, although the O-ring 25 is shown to be attached to the outer wall of the opening 22a, it may be attached to the left end of the hydraulic opening 23 if airtightness is maintained.

The oil regulating member 22 of the present embodiment is configured such that the closing portion 22b is formed in a " C "shape, but is not limited thereto and may be formed as a straight line as the opening portion 22a. Similarly, the open portion 22a should not be limited to the straight shape, but may be connected to the oil pressure opening 23 with airtightness and may be pushed by the piston hydraulic pressure to open the oil passage 11b. It can have various forms as well as forms.

According to the wet clutch 100 of the present embodiment, since the oil supply can be adjusted by merely using the oil pressure of the piston alone without installing a separate operating device for the oil control member 22, the solenoid valve or other valve actuator It is possible to contribute to cost reduction.

While the present invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to exemplary embodiments thereof, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed exemplary embodiments, Various variations are possible. Accordingly, the true scope of the present invention should be determined by the technical idea of the appended claims.

100: wet clutch
2: first friction plate
3: second friction plate
10: Housing
10a: Case
10b: cover
11: Oil circulation path
11a: oil collecting portion
11b:
15: clutch space
20: clutch pack
21: Piston
22: Oil control member
22a:
22b: Closure part
23: Hydraulic opening
24: recess
25: O ring
26: elastic member
27: Stopper
30: input shaft
32: first oil hole
40: clutch drum

Claims (9)

A clutch pack (20) for transmitting the power of the input shaft (30) in a pressurized state;
A housing 10 in which a clutch space 15 for accommodating the clutch pack 20 and an oil circulation path 11 for fluidly connecting an upper portion of the clutch space 15 and a central portion of the clutch space 15 are formed;
A piston (21) capable of pressing the clutch pack (20);
And an oil regulating member (22) that opens the oil circulation path (11) when the clutch pack (20) is pressed. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the oil regulating member (22) is actuated by hydraulic pressure to operate the piston (21). 3. The method of claim 2,
Wherein the oil circulation path 11 is constituted by an oil collecting portion 11a communicating with the upper portion of the clutch space 15 and an oil passage 11b communicating with the center portion of the clutch space 15. [ The method of claim 3,
The housing 10 is provided with a hydraulic opening 23 penetrating between the space in which the piston 21 is accommodated in the housing 10 and the oil passage 11b, A sheath 24 is formed,
Wherein the oil regulating member 22 includes an opening 22a slidably fitted in the hydraulic opening 23 and a closing portion 22b slidably fitted in the recess 24, 100). 5. The method of claim 4,
An O-ring 25 is attached to the opening 22a to seal the hydraulic oil for operating the piston 21 from leaking toward the oil passage 11b. 6. The method of claim 5,
Wherein an elastic member (26) is disposed between the oil regulating member (22) and the recess (24). The method according to claim 6,
A stopper 27 is disposed between the oil regulating member 22 and the bottom of the recess 24 so that the oil regulating member 22 can be rotated by the oil pressure operating the piston 21, So that the opening (22a) does not come off the hydraulic opening (23) even if it is pushed toward the sheath (24). 8. The method of claim 7,
The opening 22a opens the oil passage 11b so that oil can flow into the oil passage 11b,
The closure part (22b) closes the oil passage (11b) so that oil can not flow through the oil passage (11b). 3. The method of claim 2,
The piston (21) and the oil regulating member (22) are urged in opposite directions by hydraulic pressure.

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