WO2013060238A1

WO2013060238A1 - Multistage shock absorbing device and clutch device

Info

Publication number: WO2013060238A1
Application number: PCT/CN2012/082804
Authority: WO
Inventors: Hengkun Liu; Jing Liu; Junli Zheng; Lingdao CHAI
Original assignee: Shenzhen Byd Auto R&D Company Limited; Byd Company Limited
Priority date: 2011-10-27
Filing date: 2012-10-11
Publication date: 2013-05-02
Also published as: CN202301693U

Abstract

A multistage shock absorbing device (100) and a clutch device are disclosed. The multistage shock absorbing device (100) comprises a clutch hub (5), a first clamp disc (1), a second clamp disc (3) and elastic members (8). The clutch hub (5) have at least three hub openings (6) spaced apart in a circumferential direction thereof with circumferential lengths of the hub openings being decreased in turn. The first and second clamp discs (1, 3) are provided at opposite sides of the clutch hub (5) respectively and detachably connected with each other. The hub openings (6) is not less than circumferential lengths of the first and second spring windows (1, 3). The multistage shock absorbing device (100) and the clutch device have a good effect of reducing resonance.

Description

MULTISTAGE SHOCK ABSORBING DEVICE AND CLUTCH DEVICE

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

The present application claims priority to and benefits of Chinese Patent Application No. 201120416168.2, filed with the State Intellectual Property Office of the People's Republic of China (SIPO) on October 27, 2011 , the entire content of which is hereby incorporated by reference.

FIELD

The present disclosure generally relate to the field of clutch, more particularly to a multistage shock absorbing device and a clutch device comprising the same.

BACKGROUND

A clutch device may be provided between a motor and a transmission for switching power transmission therebetween. The clutch device is a transmission mechanism which can transmit motive power or cut off motive power for ensuring smooth startup of a vehicle, and it may also reduce an impact force on a transmission gear to avoid overload when changing the vehicle speed. Generally, gear shifting may be achieved by clutch engagement/disengagement, during which there is temporary power transmission interruption.

In recent years, there are several kinds of shock absorbers, to name a few, for example a single-stage shock absorbing device, a multistage shock absorbing device etc.

The single-stage shock absorbing device mainly comprises several groups of springs. And every group of springs may be compressed simultaneously with a constant total stiffness. Thus, the performance of the single-stage shock absorbing device on resonance amelioration and acceleration may not be improved when conditions may be varied.

The multistage shock absorbing device mainly comprises several groups of springs which are circumferentially symmetrical with each other. Every group of springs may be compressed separately, i.e. the total stiffness of the groups of the springs may be variable. When a new group of springs may be compressed, the total stiffness may be varied accordingly. For avoiding resonance, ameliorating mechanical impact and improving acceleration performance etc, the multistage shock absorbing device may be superior when conditions may be varied.

However, because a working strength of, for example, dual clutch is larger than that of a normal clutch, the resonance noise produced when a vehicle is running may be large, which may bring impact to components in the vehicle as well as vehicle safety thereof.

SUMMARY

Embodiments of the present disclosure seek to solve at least one of the problems existing in the art to at least some extent, or to provide a consumer with a useful commercial choice.

Accordingly, a multistage shock absorbing device may need to be provided, which may overcome or at least reduce resonance occurred conventionally.

Further, a clutch device comprising the same may also need to be provided.

Embodiments of a first aspect of the present disclosure provides a multistage shock absorbing device, comprising: a clutch hub having at least three hub openings spaced apart in a circumferential direction thereof with circumferential lengths of the hub openings being decreased in turn; a first clamp disc having first spring windows formed thereon which are corresponding to the hub openings on the clutch hub respectively; a second clamp disc having second spring windows corresponding to the hub openings on the clutch hub which have substantially the same circumferential lengths with the first spring windows respectively, the first and second clamp discs being provided at opposite sides of the clutch hub respectively and detachably connected with each other; and elastic members with ends thereof being compressively fixed between the first spring windows and the second spring windows through the hub openings respectively. The hub openings have a minimal circumferential length not less than circumferential lengths of the first and second spring windows

Embodiment of a second aspect of the present disclosure may provide a clutch device, comprising the multistage shock absorbing device as described above.

With the multistage shock absorbing device of the present disclosure, the hub openings on clutch hub may be varied in dimension, the number of the elastic members compressed will be increased when the clutch hub is rotated, which may increase the resistance gradually. Thus, a multistage vibration reduction may be achieved, avoiding resonance of the transmission in the vehicle, reducing vehicle noise and improving vehicle acceleration performance accordingly.

Additional aspects and advantages of embodiments of present disclosure will be given in part in the following descriptions, become apparent in part from the following descriptions, or be learned from the practice of the embodiments of the present disclosure.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and other aspects and advantages of embodiments of the present disclosure will become apparent and more readily appreciated from the following descriptions made with reference the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a schematic view of a multistage shock absorbing device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

Fig. 2a is a schematic view of a clutch hub in a multistage shock absorbing device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, Fig. 2b is a cross sectional view of the clutch hub along a line A-A shown in Fig. 2a;

Fig. 3 is a schematic view of a first clamp disc in a multistage shock absorbing device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

Fig. 4 is a schematic view of a second clamp disc in a multistage shock absorbing device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

Fig. 5 is a schematic view of a spring to be engaged with clamp discs in a multistage shock absorbing device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; and

Fig. 6 is an axial cross-sectional view of a multistage shock absorbing device along line B-B shown in Fig. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Reference will be made in detail to embodiments of the present disclosure. The embodiments described herein with reference to drawings are explanatory, illustrative, and used to generally understand the present disclosure. The embodiments shall not be construed to limit the present disclosure. The same or similar elements and the elements having same or similar functions are denoted by like reference numerals throughout the descriptions. In the description, unless specified or limited otherwise, relative terms such as "central", longitudinal", "lateral", "front", "rear", "right", "left", "inner", "outer", "lower", "upper", "horizontal", "vertical", "above", "below", "up", "top", "bottom" as well as derivative thereof, e.g., "horizontally", "downwardly", "upwardly", etc. should be construed to refer to the orientation as then described or as shown in the drawings under discussion. These relative terms are for convenience of description and do not require that the present disclosure be constructed or operated in a particular orientation.

Unless specified or limited otherwise, the terms "mounted," "connected," "supported," and "coupled" and variations thereof are used broadly and encompass both direct and indirect mountings, connections, supports, and couplings. Further, "connected" and "coupled" are not restricted to physical or mechanical connections or couplings.

In the following, a multistage shock absorbing device may be described in detail with reference to accompanying figures. Fig. 1 shows a schematic view of a multistage shock absorbing device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, and Fig. 6 is an axial cross-sectional view of a multistage shock absorbing device along line B-B shown in Fig. 1 .

As shown in Figs. 1 -6, the multistage shock absorbing device 100 may comprise a clutch hub 5, a first clamp disc 1 , a second clamp disc 3 and elastic members 8.

The clutch hub 5 may have at least three hub openings 6 spaced apart in a circumferential direction thereof with circumferential lengths of the hub openings 6 being decreased in turn. As shown in Fig. 2(a), there are four hub openings 6 with the circumferential lengths thereof being decreased clockwisely, with the rightmost one having the largest circumferential length and the topmost one having the smallest circumferential length. In one embodiment, the hub openings 6 may be distributed evenly in the circumferential direction of the clutch hub 5. As shown in Fig. 2(b), the cross sectional view of the clutch hub 5 is shown, which may comprise a flanging portion 51 and a hub portion 51 and a flanging portion 52 fixedly fitted over the hub portion 51.

As shown in Fig. 3, the first clamp disc 1 may have first spring windows 2 formed thereon which are corresponding to the hub openings 6 on the clutch hub 5 respectively. And the second clamp disc 3 may have second spring windows 4 corresponding to the hub openings 6 on the clutch hub 5 which have substantially the same circumferential lengths with the first spring windows 2 respectively, as shown in Fig. 4. The first and the second clamp discs 1 , 3 may be provided at opposite sides of the clutch hub 5 respectively and detachably connected with each other, as shown in Fig. 6. In one embodiment, the first and second clamp discs 1 , 3 may be detachably connected with each other via at least two pins which penetrate through the first and second clamp discs respectively. As shown in Figs. 1 , 3 and 4, there are four pins 10 penetrating through the corresponding via holes11 formed on the first clamp disc 1 , spacing holes 9 and via holes 12 formed on the second clamp disc 3 respectively, so that the first and the second clamp discs 1 , 3 may be detachably connected with each other with the clutch hub 5 being interposed therebetween. As shown in Fig. 1 , each pin 10 may be provided between neighboring hub openings 6.

In one embodiment, the elastic members 8 may have ends being pre-compressively fixed between the first spring windows 2 and the second spring windows 4 through the hub openings 6 respectively, and each elastic member 8 may slide within the hub opening 6 in the circumferential direction.

In one embodiment, the minimal circumferential length of the hub openings 6 is not less than the circumferential lengths of the first and second spring windows 2, 4. Because the circumferential length of the hub openings 6 is equal to or longer than the circumferential length of the first spring window 2 or the second spring window 4, the clutch hub 5 may act as a driving disc whereas the first clamp disc 1 and the second clamp disc 3 may act as driven discs. The clutch hub 5 may exert pressure on the elastic members 8 while the clutch hub 5 is rotating, and the elastic members 8 will transmit the elastic pressure to the first clamp disc 1 and the second clamp disc 3 to drive the first clamp disc 1 and the second clamp disc 3 to rotate.

To simplify the description of the movement relationships between components of the multistage shock absorbing device 100, the first clamp disc 1 will be described in detail in the following for illustration purpose. Differences between the circumferential lengths of the hub openings and the circumferential lengths of the first spring windows 2 may be defined as idle distances, which may indicate the lengths of paths that the hub openings 6 may be rotated before the hub openings 6 may contact the elastic members 8. In the embodiment as shown in the accompanying figures, the maximum idle distance may be designated as D, the second largest idle distance may be designated as C, the third largest idle distance may be designated as B, the shortest idle distance may be designated as A. And the relationship among the idle distances may be express as following: A<B<C<D.

In one embodiment, as shown in Fig. 1 , the shortest circumferential length of the hub openings 6 is equal to the circumferential lengths of the first spring windows 2. Thus, at the position where the hub opening 6 has the same circumferential length with that of the first spring window 2, i.e. A is zero, the hub opening 6 and the first spring window 2 exert the same pressure on the elastic member 8, whereas there are no pressure being exerted on the elastic members 8 in the remaining hub openings 6.

When the clutch hub 5 is rotated, the hub opening 6 may compress the elastic members 8 disposed in the first spring window 2 in the rotating direction.

When the clutch hub 5 keeps rotating, if the rotating distance of the clutch hub 5 in the circumferential direction is equal to or larger than the idle distance B, the hub opening 6 with the third largest circumferential length may begin to compress the elastic member 8 correspondingly in the rotating direction, which means the changing of the total stiffness of the device 100, thus the resistance may be increased accordingly.

When the clutch hub 5 is further rotated, i.e. the rotating distance in the circumferential direction is equal to or larger than the idle distance C, the hub opening 6 with the second largest circumferential length may begin to compress the elastic member 8 in the rotating direction which means that a third elastic member 8 may be compressed, and the resistance will also be increased. Similarly, when the rotating distance of the clutch hub 5 is equal to or larger than the idle distance D, a fourth elastic member 8 may begin to be compressed, and the total stiffness may also be varied accordingly.

Thus, with the rotating of the clutch hub 5, the elastic members 8 may be compressed one after another. The total stiffness of the elastic members 8 may be changed when a new elastic member 8 is compressed, and the resistance may be increased accordingly. Because each elastic member 8 is compressed one by one, the total stiffness of the elastic members 8 may be varied accordingly. Thus, multi-stage shock release may be achieved, and resonance of the device at low speed may be avoided.

In one embodiment, each pin 10 may be confined in the spacing hole 9. The spacing hole 9 and the hub opening 6 may be spaced apart in the circumferential direction of the clutch hub 5, as shown in Fig. 2(a). As shown in Fig. 5, the elastic members 8 may be a variable pitch spring, with a first end 81 and a second end 82 being pre-compressed between the opposing sides C and D of the spring windows 2, 4 respectively. In one embodiment, the variable pitch spring is a beehive spring as the prior art provided. The beehive spring is compressively fixed in the hub opening 6.

In one embodiment, the first clamp disc 1 and second clamp disc 3 may be formed with flangings 7 at edges of the first spring windows 2 and second spring windows 4 on outer surfaces thereof to retain the elastic members 8 in position.

In the following, a clutch device according to embodiments of the present disclosure may be described in brief. The clutch device may comprise the multistage shock absorbing device as described above, so that the clutch device may overcome or at least reduce resonance occurred conventionally.

Reference throughout this specification to "an embodiment," "some embodiments," "one embodiment", "another example," "an example," "a specific examples," or "some examples," means that a particular feature, structure, material, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment or example is included in at least one embodiment or example of the disclosure. Thus, the appearances of the phrases such as "in some embodiments," "in one embodiment", "in an embodiment", "in another example, "in an example," "in a specific examples," or "in some examples," in various places throughout this specification are not necessarily referring to the same embodiment or example of the disclosure. Furthermore, the particular features, structures, materials, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments or examples.

Although explanatory embodiments have been shown and described, it would be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the above embodiments can not be construed to limit the present disclosure, and changes, alternatives, and modifications can be made in the embodiments without departing from spirit, principles and scope of the present disclosure.

Claims

WHAT IS CLAIMED IS:

1 . A multistage shock absorbing device, comprising:

a clutch hub having at least three hub openings spaced apart in a circumferential direction thereof with circumferential lengths of the hub openings being decreased in turn;

a first clamp disc having first spring windows formed thereon which are corresponding to the hub openings on the clutch hub respectively;

a second clamp disc having second spring windows corresponding to the hub openings on the clutch hub which have substantially the same circumferential lengths with the first spring windows respectively, the first and second clamp discs being provided at opposite sides of the clutch hub respectively and detachably connected with each other; and

elastic members with ends thereof being compressively fixed between the first spring windows and the second spring windows through the hub openings respectively, wherein the hub openings have a minimal circumferential length not less than circumferential lengths of the first and second spring windows.

2. The multistage shock absorbing device of claim 1 , wherein the hub openings are distributed evenly in the circumferential direction of the clutch hub.

3. The multistage shock absorbing device of claim 1 , wherein the first and second clamp discs are detachably connected with each other via at least two pins which penetrate through the first and second clamp discs respectively.

4. The multistage shock absorbing device of claim 3, wherein each pin is interposed between neighboring hub openings.

5. The multistage shock absorbing device of claim 1 , wherein the elastic member is a variable pitch spring.

6. The multistage shock absorbing device of claim 5, wherein the variable pitch spring is a beehive spring.

7. The multistage shock absorbing device of claim 1 , wherein the first and second spring windows have the same circumferential length.

8. The multistage shock absorbing device of claim 7, wherein the minimal circumferential length of the hub openings is equal to the circumferential length of the first and second spring windows.

9. The multistage shock absorbing device of claim 1 , wherein the first and second clamp discs are formed with flangings at edges of the first and second spring windows on outer surfaces thereof.

10. The multistage shock absorbing device of claim 9, wherein the flangings are configured to retain the elastic members in position.

11 . A clutch device, comprising a multistage shock absorbing device according to any one of claims 1 to 10.