WO2005119077A1

WO2005119077A1 - Oil-immersed multi-plate clutch

Info

Publication number: WO2005119077A1
Application number: PCT/EP2005/005703
Authority: WO
Inventors: Gerald Rowe
Original assignee: Zf Friedrichshafen Ag
Priority date: 2004-06-03
Filing date: 2005-05-27
Publication date: 2005-12-15
Also published as: DE102004027113B4; DE102004027113A1

Abstract

The invention relates to an oil-immersed multi-plate clutch (1) comprising an inner plate carrier (17) carrying inner plates (1), and an outer plate carrier (2) carrying outer plates (19), the inner plate carrier (17) or the outer plate carrier (2) forming the input or output side of the multi-plate clutch (1) and coaxially encompassing an input shaft (3). Said multi-plate clutch also comprises an actuator (7, 8) for producing an axial force on the inner and outer plates (18, 19), and means for lubricating and cooling said plates (18, 19). In order to supply the multi-plate clutch (1) with cooling oil and lubricating oil, the side of the mobile part (7) of the actuator (7, 8), oriented towards the clutch plates (18, 19), is actively connected to a ring element (10) guided on the input shaft (3), radially inside the inner plate carrier (17), by means of a radially inner pressure ring (22), said ring element being used to regulate an oil volume flow (12) supplied to the input shaft (3) via a borehole (11, 20), for the lubrication and cooling of the multi-plate clutch, according to the actuating position of the mobile part (7) of the actuator (7, 8) and the operating situation.

Description

Wet-running multi-plate clutch

The invention relates to a wet-running multi-plate clutch according to the preamble of patent claim 1.

Wet-running multi-plate clutches are used in particular in drive trains of vehicles, which include, for example, motor vehicles, rail vehicles and watercraft. This multi-plate clutch type has the advantage that comparatively high torques can be transmitted with it. For hydraulic switching of the clutch and for lubrication and cooling of the clutch plates, a hydraulic pressure or a hydraulic oil flow is usually used, which is generated by an oil pump and supplied to a clutch actuator and the clutch plates in a suitable manner. Related oil flows and / or hydraulic pressures are also supplied to other clutch or transmission components, which may include bearings, for example. The design of such an oil pump is understandably determined by the needs of the consumers to be supplied by this pump.

Such wet-running multi-plate clutches have a different need for lubricating and cooling oil, depending on the current operating situation. For example, a larger cooling oil flow is required if the clutch is operated with slip. In ship propulsion this mode is known as a so-called trolling mode.

Against this background, the invention is based on the object of creating a wet-running multi-plate clutch which has device components with which the different cooling and lubricating oil requirements of the multi-plate steering clutch is technically simple, quick and effective adjustable during operation.

This object is achieved from the features of the main claim, while advantageous refinements and developments of the invention can be found in the subclaims.

The invention is based on the knowledge that the switching of the volume flow of cooling or lubricating oil for the multi-plate clutch, which is dependent on the switching state, means that the oil pump can be designed more cost-effectively and does not have to work continuously with the highest output, which as a result advantageously affects its size and service life and affects the fuel consumption of a related drive device. In addition, the required amount of oil can be provided quickly and reliably by a direct coupling between a clutch actuator and a related mechanical control valve.

Accordingly, the invention is based on a wet-running multi-plate clutch with an inner plate-bearing inner plate carrier and an outer plate-bearing outer plate carrier. In these, the inner plate carrier or the outer plate carrier form the input or output side of the multi-plate clutch and encompass an input shaft coaxially. To actuate this multi-plate clutch, an actuator for generating an axial force on the inner and outer plates is provided, and separate means for supplying lubricant and coolant oil to the clutch plates can be used.

To solve the problem, it is further provided that the movable part of the actuator on its side facing the clutch plates radially inside the annular inner plate carrier a radially inner pressure ring is operatively connected to a ring element guided on the input shaft, with which, depending on the actuating position of the movable part of the actuator, an oil volume flow supplied via a bore in the input shaft can be regulated for the lubrication and cooling of the multi-plate clutch in accordance with the operating situation.

The actuator is preferably designed as a hydraulically or pneumatically actuable piston-cylinder arrangement, in which the movable part is a piston. However, the actuator can also be an electromechanically actuated actuator, without the technical success caused by the application of the invention not being omitted.

The ring element is designed and arranged on the input shaft in such a way that it covers a radial oil feed bore in it more or less depending on its position on the input shaft. As a result, this ring element takes on the function of a valve which, depending on the actuating position of the actuator and thus depending on the operating state of the multi-plate clutch, controls the cooling and lubricating oil supply of the same mechanically reliably over short adjustment paths.

In a further embodiment of the invention, provision is preferably made for the ring element to have a circumferential groove which is aligned with the radial oil feed bore and forms an oil reservoir and into which at least one radially aligned oil passage bore is made.

The sum of all flow cross sections of these oil passage bores is preferably smaller than the flow cross section of the radial oil feed bore in the input shaft. The circumferential groove in particular ensures that the supply of cooling and lubricating oil is significantly improved since the circumferential groove ensures an even distribution of this fluid within the coupling.

In order to be able to differentiate the oil supply to the clutch in different actuation positions of the piston by the ring element, it is preferred if at least one radially oriented end recess is formed on the radially inner pressure ring of the piston, through which an oil volume flow can be directed at least to the clutch plates. The recess can be formed by individual radial grooves or by at least one annular gap.

It is also an important component of the invention that the pressure ring has an annular groove on its side facing the input shaft, which is in flow connection with the at least one end-side recess in the pressure ring.

This construction ensures that after a comparatively short axial displacement of the clutch actuating piston or the ring element, a relatively large oil volume flow can be conducted from the radial oil supply bore in the input shaft via the ring groove and the cutouts in the inner pressure ring to the clutch plates. As a result, the clutch plates located in the clutch slip after this short travel of the piston are supplied comparatively early and with a relatively large oil volume flow compared to known technical solutions.

In one variant of the invention, the at least one cutout or the sum of all cutouts in the radially inner pressure ring has an overall flow cross section which is smaller or the same size as the flow cross section of the radial oil feed bore in the input shaft and larger than the sum of the flow cross-sections of all oil passage bores.

According to another embodiment of the invention, both the ring element and the input shaft in the region of the radial end of the oil feed bore each have a circumferential groove, which point towards one another and form a common oil reservoir. For the basic supply of the clutch when it is open, it can be provided that at least one of the radially aligned oil passage bores mentioned is present in the circumferential groove of the ring element.

In order to be able to achieve a particularly good outflow behavior of the ring element which also rotates during operation with the input shaft, it is provided that this ring element likewise has a circumferential groove on its side which radially points away from the input shaft.

To reduce the number of components in this multi-plate clutch, it can be provided that the piston and the ring element are made in one piece, although the embodiment with separate components in this regard should not be excluded.

In order to be able to return the piston of an actuator that can be actuated by pressure medium, for example, after an axial displacement in the clutch closing direction to its initial position, a return spring designed as a disk spring package is arranged radially within a space spanned by the inner disk carrier and the input shaft, which also encompasses the input shaft coaxially and engages with it supports axial end remote from the piston on a shaft collar on the input shaft and with its other axial end on the ring element. With regard to the further construction of the multi-plate clutch, the invention provides that the outer plate carrier is connected in a rotationally fixed manner to the input shaft and the inner plate carrier is rotatably mounted thereon.

In addition, the inner disk carrier has a pinion on its end remote from the piston or is operatively connected to such a pinion. This pinion has, for example, a helical toothing and meshes with a drive gear of a main transmission which is a drive.

Finally, the multi-plate clutch according to the invention is designed such that it can be installed in the drive train of a vehicle, in particular a ship, a motor vehicle or a rail vehicle.

To clarify the invention, a description is attached to the description. In this shows

1 shows a schematic longitudinal section through the drive train of a vehicle in the area of a multi-plate clutch designed according to the invention, FIG. 2 shows the detail “Z” according to FIG. 1 at a point in time t ₀ at which the piston of the multi-plate clutch is in an initial position or a first position End position, Fig. 3 shows the detail "Z" at a time tι at which the piston of the multi-plate clutch is in an intermediate position, and Fig. 4 shows the detail "Z" at a time t ₂ , when the piston of the multi-plate clutch is in a second end position.

1 shows a section of the drive train of a water or water vehicle between a drive unit (not shown in more detail) and a main transmission (also not shown) with a wet-running one Multi-plate clutch 1, which is closed by hydraulic pressure and opened by spring force.

The multi-plate clutch 1 has an outer plate carrier 2 carrying outer plates 19, which is connected in a rotationally fixed manner to an input-side drive shaft 3. Axially between the individual outer plates 19, inner plates 18 are arranged, which are fastened in a rotationally fixed manner to an inner plate carrier 17. This inner disk carrier 17 is rotatably mounted on the input shaft 3 and carries a pinion 4 on the output side in a rotationally fixed manner.

The plate set 5 of the plate clutch 1, essentially formed by the inner plates 18 and the outer plates 19, can be loaded with an axial force that can be exerted by a piston 7 in order to transmit a torque from the input shaft 3 to the pinion 4, so that the plates 18 and 19 mentioned together Friction come. This piston 7 is designed as an annular piston and is arranged axially displaceably in a pressure chamber 8 between the outer disk carrier 2 and the input shaft 3.

To close the multi-plate clutch 1, the piston 7 can be acted upon by a hydraulic actuation pressure which acts in the pressure chamber 8 on the side of the piston 7 remote from the clutch plate. The hydraulic oil required for this is supplied to the pressure chamber 8 via an axial bore 9 and a radial end bore in the input shaft 3.

The piston 7 has in the area of its radially outer end opposite the pressure chamber 8 a radially outer pressure ring 21 which acts on the disk pack 5 when this piston 7 is pressurized. In addition, a radially inner pressure ring 22 is formed in one piece on the piston 7 and essentially coaxially surrounds the input shaft 3. Here is the radially inner pressure ring 22 formed such that it has a radially oriented end face at its free end.

A spring assembly 6, which comprises a plurality of disk springs, is arranged radially inside the disk assembly 5 or radially within the space spanned by the inner disk carrier 17 and the input shaft 3. This spring assembly 6 is arranged coaxially to the input shaft 3 and is supported axially with its end remote from the piston on a shaft collar 23, while its side near the piston is in operative connection with the piston 7. As a result of this arrangement, the spring assembly 6 acts as a return spring on the piston 7, so that when the pressure is released by the hydraulic oil in the pressure chamber 8, the piston is returned to the position in which the multi-plate clutch 1 is open.

Although in the exemplary embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 4 the piston 7 is actuated hydraulically, it can also be operated pneumatically, mechanically or electromechanically, which is also covered by the invention and does not impair the technical success achieved by the application of the invention.

As further shown in FIG. 1, an annular element 10 is arranged on the input shaft 3 between the end face of the pressure ring 22 of the piston 7 and the spring assembly 6, which follows the axial movement of the piston 7 when the multi-plate clutch 1 is opened or closed. This ring element 10 serves as a valve which regulates the cooling and lubricating oil volume flow for the multi-plate clutch 1 as a function of the piston position. A relevant amount of hydraulic oil is supplied to the ring element 10 via an axial bore 1 and an adjoining radial oil feed bore 20 in the input shaft 3. Thus, at time t ₀ , the ring element 10 covers an outlet opening in the input shaft 3 in a first end position (starting position) corresponding to the open position of the multi-plate clutch 1, in which the piston 7 is displaced spring-loaded as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 formed radial oil supply bore 20th

The piston 7, the input shaft 3 and the ring element 10 are now designed according to the invention in such a way that the hydraulic oil flow 12 that can be supplied through the oil supply bore 20 can be set as a function of the switching position of the piston 7 or the multi-plate clutch 1 (FIG. 2). For this purpose, it is preferably provided that the ring element 10 is provided with at least one, preferably a plurality of oil passage bores 13 which are distributed uniformly over the circumference and are radially oriented and which, in the manner of a throttle, have a smaller overall flow cross section than the radial oil feed bore 20 in the input shaft 3. In the simplest case, however, only one oil passage bore 13 is sufficient for the intended technical purpose.

If the oil supply to the clutch in the open switch position is guaranteed by other oil channels, the oil passage hole can be dispensed with.

It is easy for the person skilled in the art to understand that, when the multi-plate clutch 1 is open, it only requires a relatively small amount of oil for lubricating or cooling its clutch plates and the drive teeth. For example, a lubricant and coolant volume flow of approximately 3 to 4 l / min may be sufficient for a wet multi-plate clutch in a ship drive train. In order to meet this relatively low oil quantity requirement, the ring element 10 according to FIG. 2 completely covers the radial oil supply bore 20, but the oil volume flow 12, which can pass through these openings 13, is advantageously limited by the oil passage bores 13 distributed over its circumference and radially aligned , This ensures a minimum lubrication or cooling, so that an unnecessarily high cooling and lubricating oil flow is advantageously avoided in this operating phase.

The oil passage bores 13 are preferably formed in the area of a circumferential groove 14 in the ring element 10 such that they point radially to the input shaft 3. At least one of these oil passage bores 13 can be arranged such that their longitudinal axis in the position shown in FIG. 2 coincides with the longitudinal axis of the radial oil supply bore 20.

Regardless of the above-mentioned orientation of the longitudinal axis of the oil passage bores 13, the groove 14 forms an annular oil storage space, by means of which a uniform distribution of the oil volume flow 12 throttled according to FIGS. 1 and 2 over the circumference of the clutch disk set 5 is ensured. As is known, this oil is then driven by the rotating components of the multi-plate clutch 1 from radially inside to radially outside and fed back to the oil circuit.

According to the preferred embodiment of the invention shown, both the ring element 10 and the drive shaft 3 each have a circumferential groove 14 and 15, which are directed towards one another and together form a larger oil reservoir than in the first-mentioned variant. This results in an even better or more uniform distribution of the oil over the circumference of the ring element 10. Furthermore, through this Measure also the switching range of the ring element 10 can be set more sensitively with regard to the oil requirement, for example by appropriately designing the overlap of the circumferential grooves 14 and 15 as a function of the axial displacement of the ring element 10 on the drive shaft 3.

3 shows the piston 7 together with the ring element 10 in an intermediate position at a time tt at which the piston 7 is shifted a little further in the direction of the disk set 5. With regard to a wet-running multi-plate clutch 1, this intermediate position corresponds, for example, in the drive train of a ship to the switching state of the so-called trolling operation with a slipping multi-plate clutch already described above. In this operating phase, the multi-plate clutch 1 is exposed to an increased thermal load, which has to be reduced by an increased cooling oil volume flow.

In this intermediate position, the piston 7 and the ring element 10 are therefore displaced axially to the right by such an amount that, on the one hand, a certain relatively small proportion of the oil volume flow 12 for lubricating or cooling the clutch plates 18 and 19, as well as bearing points and driving teeth is passed through the circumferential grooves 14, 15 and the oil passage bores 13.

On the other hand, the piston 7 is provided on the end face with at least one radially oriented cutout 16 which is axially delimited by the ring element 10. As a result of the axial displacement of the piston 7, oil can flow through the then released gap from the circumferential grooves 14, 15 of the input shaft 3 and ring element 10 into the ring groove 25.

As illustrated in FIG. 3, a circumferential groove 25 is formed on the side of the pressure ring 22 facing the shaft, which is in flow connection with the at least one recess 16 thereon. This circumferential groove 25 fulfills an oil distribution function, as a result of which a comparatively large oil volume flow can be conducted through the cutouts 16 even after only a slight axial displacement of the ring element 10. To accomplish this task, it is not necessary, for example, that the ring element 10 completely clears the radial oil supply bore 20.

Due to the increased frictional heat generated, the lubricating and cooling oil requirement for lubricating the driving teeth and clutch plates as well as for cooling them in a multi-plate clutch 1 integrated in a ship's drive train in this slip operating state is approximately 10 to 15 l / min. Due to the fluidic connection of the oil supply bore 20 and the circumferential groove 25, this oil requirement can be provided after a relatively short axial displacement of the ring element 10.

Finally, FIG. 4 shows the piston 7 together with the ring element 10 at a point in time t ₂ at which they are in the second end position and the multi-plate clutch 1 is closed. The entire oil volume flow 12 that can be provided is now collected in the annular groove 25 and passed through the at least one recess 16 on the piston 7 to the multi-plate clutch 1. In this example, each of the plurality of recesses 16 has a flow cross section that is individually smaller than the flow cross section of the radial oil supply line 20.

In this closed state of the multi-plate clutch 1, the lubricating and cooling oil requirement of the same in the present exemplary embodiment is approximately 13 l / min, the oil serving primarily for lubricating the driving teeth and the clutch plates and optionally for cooling the multi-plate clutch 1. As can further be seen from FIGS. 1 to 4, the piston 7 and the ring element 10 connected to the end face thereof are manufactured as separate components. However, it is also conceivable and is also covered by the invention to form the piston 7 and the ring element 10 in one piece, which advantageously results in a reduced number of components and also savings in production and assembly (not shown in more detail).

The above exemplary embodiment is based on a wet-running multi-plate clutch 1 in the drive train of a watercraft. Of course, such a multi-plate clutch 1 can also be used advantageously in motor vehicles or rail vehicles, particularly when high powers are to be transmitted.

Bezuαszeichen

Multi-plate clutch outer plate carrier drive shaft pinion clutch disc package spring package piston, movable actuator part pressure chamber, stationary actuator part oil supply hole to pressure chamber ring element oil supply hole for lubrication / cooling oil volume flow oil passage hole circumferential groove on ring element circumferential groove on drive shaft recess inner plate disc ring inner circumference outer plates radial radial oil supply ring pressure on ring shaft pressure ring

Claims

claims

1. Wet-running multi-plate clutch (1), with an inner disk carrier (17) carrying inner disks (18) and an outer disk carrier (2) carrying outer disks (19), the inner disk carrier (17) and the outer disk carrier (2) being the input or output side of the Form multi-plate clutch (1) and encompass an input shaft (3) coaxially, with an actuator (7, 8) for generating an axial force on the inner and outer plates (18, 19), and with means for lubricating and cooling these plates (18, 19), characterized in that the movable part (7) of the actuator (7, 8) on its side facing the clutch plates (18, 19) radially inside the inner plate carrier (17) via a radially inner pressure ring (22) the input shaft (3) guided ring element (10) is operatively connected, with which, depending on the operating position of the movable part (7) of the actuator (7, 8), a via a bore (11, 20) in the input ngswelle (3) supplied oil volume flow (12) for the lubrication and cooling of the multi-plate clutch (1) can be regulated according to the operating situation.

2. Wet-running multi-plate clutch according to claim 1, characterized in that the actuator is designed as a hydraulically or pneumatically actuable piston-cylinder arrangement, in which the movable part is a piston (7).

3. Wet-running multi-plate clutch according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the ring element (10) is designed and arranged on the input shaft (3) such that it has a radial oil supply bore (20) in the same depending on its position on the input shaft ( 3) covers more or less.

4. Wet-running multi-plate clutch according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the ring element (10) directed to the radial oil supply bore (20) has an oil reservoir forming circumferential groove (14) into which at least one radially aligned oil passage bore (13) is introduced ,

5. Wet-running multi-plate clutch according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that on the radially inner pressure ring (22) of the piston (7) at least one radially oriented end recess (16) is formed through which an oil volume flow (12) to the clutch plates ( 18, 19) can be conducted.

6. Wet-running multi-plate clutch according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that an annular groove (25) is formed on the side of the pressure ring (22) facing the input shaft (3), which is provided with the at least one end-side recess (16) in the pressure ring ( 22) is in flow connection.

7. Wet-running multi-plate clutch according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the sum of the flow cross sections of the oil passage bores (13) in the ring element (10) is smaller than the flow cross section of the radial oil supply bore (20) in the input shaft (3).

8. Wet-running multi-plate clutch according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the sum of the flow cross sections of all the recesses (16) in the radially inner pressure ring (22) forms a total flow cross section which is smaller or the same size as the flow cross section of the radial oil supply bore (20) in the Eingangswel- le (3) and larger than the sum of the flow cross-sections of all oil passage bores (13).

9. Wet-running multi-plate clutch according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that both a circumferential groove (14, 15) is formed both on the ring element (10) and on the input shaft (3) in the region of the radial end of the oil supply bore (20) that point towards each other and form a common oil reservoir.

10. Wet-running multi-plate clutch according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the ring element (10) is designed and arranged on the input shaft (3) that at a certain position of the ring element (10) on the input shaft (3) oil from the circumferential groove (14) in the ring element (10) and from the circumferential groove (15) in the input shaft (3) can flow into the ring groove (25) of the pressure ring (22).

11. Wet-running multi-plate clutch according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the ring element (10) on its radially away from the input shaft (3) side has a circumferential groove (24).

12. Wet-running multi-plate clutch according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the piston (7) and the ring element (10) are designed as separate components or as a one-piece component.

13. Wet-running multi-plate clutch according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a return spring designed as a plate spring assembly (6) is arranged radially inside the space spanned by the inner disk carrier (17) and the input shaft (3) which coaxially engages around the input shaft (3) and is supported with its axial end remote from the piston on a shaft collar (23) and with its other axial end on the ring element (10).

14. Wet-running multi-plate clutch according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized gekennzeichn t that the outer plate carrier (2) with the input shaft (3) rotatably connected and the inner plate carrier (17) is rotatably mounted thereon.

15. Wet-running multi-plate clutch according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the inner disk carrier (17) has a pinion (4) at its end remote from the piston or is operatively connected to such a pinion.

16. Wet-running multi-plate clutch according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it is designed for installation in the drive train of a vehicle, in particular a ship, a motor vehicle or a rail vehicle.