WO2015192844A1

WO2015192844A1 - Hydraulically actuatable slave cylinder

Info

Publication number: WO2015192844A1
Application number: PCT/DE2015/200357
Authority: WO
Inventors: Markus Heitbaum
Original assignee: Schaeffler Technologies AG & Co. KG
Priority date: 2014-06-16
Filing date: 2015-06-12
Publication date: 2015-12-23
Also published as: DE112015002832A5; DE102014211428A1

Abstract

The present invention relates to a hydraulically actuatable slave cylinder for a hydraulic clutch system, in particular for a motor vehicle, comprising a slave cylinder housing, wherein the slave cylinder housing has at least one fastening region for fastening an adapter, characterised in that the adapter is provided on the fastening region, wherein the adapter has at least one fastening section for fastening the adapter to a clutch housing. In summary, a slave cylinder as described above provides a cost-effective option that significantly increases flexibility in the manufacture of hydraulic clutch systems with few components.

Description

Hydraulically actuated slave cylinder

The present invention relates to a clutch slave cylinder having improved functionality particularly with respect to attachment to a clutch housing. The present invention further relates to a hydraulic clutch system comprising such a clutch slave cylinder.

In hydraulic systems, such as in particular in hydraulic clutch systems, hydraulic coupling components are often housed in corresponding housings. In order to operate the corresponding hydraulic coupling components and to supply them accordingly with hydraulic fluid, or to guide mechanical components through housing, it is then necessary to connect hydraulic elements to the housing. For example, it is often necessary to attach a clutch slave cylinder to a clutch housing, also referred to as a clutch bell.

It may be disadvantageous that attachment mechanisms of clutch slave cylinders often have to be adapted to different housing shapes due to the design.

From document DE 10 2012 207 876 A1, for example, a hydraulically actuable clutch release device for use on a motor vehicle clutch assembly is known. In order to remedy the problem that always prepared for the specific site prepared housing the clutch release are proposed in such a clutch release that the housing has a directly connected to the guide sleeve first portion and a separate, comprising at least one attachment portion second portion, which is connectable to the first portion. As a result, each clutch release should be adaptable to different vehicle models and interchangeable, since only a portion of the housing needs to be changed.

On this basis, it is the object of the present invention, at least partially overcome the disadvantages known from the prior art. In particular, it is the object of the invention to provide a clutch assembly having improved functionality. The object is achieved according to the invention by a slave cylinder with the features of claim 1. The object is achieved according to the invention further by a hydraulic system with the features of claim 7. Preferred embodiments of the invention are set forth in the dependent claims, wherein the features described below individually or in any combination may be an object of the invention.

A hydraulically actuated slave cylinder for a hydraulic clutch system, in particular for a motor vehicle, has a slave cylinder housing, wherein the slave cylinder housing has at least one attachment area for fastening an adapter. In this case, the adapter is provided on the fastening region, wherein the adapter has at least one fastening section for fastening the adapter to a coupling housing.

A prescribed slave cylinder for a hydraulic clutch system, in particular for a motor vehicle, provides improved variability in the manufacture of hydraulic clutch systems.

Such a slave cylinder may in particular be a SSC slave cylinder, also referred to as a semi slave cylinder. As such, its functionality may be configured as known to those skilled in the art. The slave cylinder has, for example, a slave cylinder housing through which fluid can flow with a pressure chamber formed in the interior, in which a piston which can be actuated by a piston rod can be moved axially. In this case, spring elements can be used, which serve to apply a bias to the piston or the support in the return movement. The slave cylinder can thus serve to actuate hydraulically assisted by an actuator, such as an engagement lever or a release lever of a hydraulic clutch, based on hydraulic fluid flowing from a master cylinder into the slave cylinder. Thus, a slave cylinder can basically be configured in a conventional manner.

The slave cylinder housing in this case comprises at least one fastening region for fastening an adapter. In this case, a fastening region is to be understood as meaning, in particular, such a region which is designed to accommodate an adapter. An adapter is attached to it, as described in detail below.

The mounting area basically does not need to meet any special requirements, insofar as an adapter can be positioned and fixed at this point. However, the attachment area can be adapted to the adapter, for example, in its shape or size, so that a particularly simple and secure fixing of the adapter to the attachment area can be made possible. Furthermore, one or a plurality of fastening means can optionally be provided on the fastening region, for example, in order to fix the adapter to the fastening region. This can be made possible, for example, by means for forming a latching connection, a screw connection or a similar connection or fastening.

Advantageously, however, it can be provided that on the slave cylinder housing no fastening means are provided for fastening the adapter, but that these are for example part of the adapter. Furthermore, external fastening means, that is to say fastening means which are neither an integral part of the slave cylinder housing nor of the adapter, can be used. Thus, a slave cylinder as described above offers the advantageous possibility that it can be mass-produced and need not have any requirements with respect to specific embodiments with respect to an adapter or a coupling housing. As a result, a particularly high variability can be made possible, since essentially the design-identical slave cylinder can be used for a large number of coupling housings. An adaptation in the production of the slave cylinder or the slave cylinder housing to a corresponding geometry of a clutch housing to which the slave cylinder is to be fastened, is therefore not necessary.

In a prescribed slave cylinder, it is further provided that on the

Mounting area continues to be provided the adapter. The adapter is used in particular to be attached to a coupling housing and thus as a means to fasten the slave cylinder with the interposition of the adapter to the coupling housing.

By providing the adapter can thus be achieved that no longer directly the slave cylinder or the slave cylinder housing is to be attached to a coupling housing, but rather an adapter is interposed. This will it makes it possible for the slave cylinder housing to be essentially designed for attachment of an adapter, but adaptation to different clutch housings is not necessary. In this case, the adapter can always be configured the same at its attachment region for arranging and attaching to the slave cylinder housing, so that in this respect no adaptation to the slave cylinder housing is necessary. The corresponding adaptation to the clutch housing can thus be made via the adapter, which can make the slave cylinder housing particularly simple and inexpensive. The adapter can be compared to the slave cylinder housing a cheaper component, which is easily adaptable.

For attachment of the adapter to the coupling housing, the adapter has at least one fastening portion, in particular with at least one fastening means, for fastening the adapter to the coupling housing. This attachment portion of the adapter can be easily adapted to a variety of geometries or arrangements of coupling housings both in its geometric arrangement and in its configuration with respect to an interaction with fastening means of the coupling housing.

Thus, a prescribed slave cylinder allows a particularly flexible connection of components of the same type to a clutch housing, also referred to as a clutch housing, in order to ensure a variety of possible uses of the same slave cylinder. So it can be made possible that with different attachments to a clutch housing, the slave cylinder can always remain the same design, so that the variety of variants of the slave cylinder housing can be significantly reduced.

An additional effect results from the fact that the variety of types in the production of hydraulic systems can be significantly reduced, for example, the provision or storage of different slave cylinder is not necessary. This can save storage space and it can also be reduced costs.

Thus, the disadvantage of the prior art can be circumvented, according to which arranged on a slave cylinder housing fasteners, such as screw thread or the like, are always usable only with a certain Anschraubbild a coupling housing. The flexibility of using slave cylinder housings on various coupling housings is thus greatly reduced in the prior art. Furthermore can be made possible by the possibility of omitting such fasteners of the Nehmerzy- lindergehäuse a particularly cost-effective manufacture of the slave cylinder housing. Rather, according to the invention, a simple cylindrical housing can be realized on a wide variety of screw-on geometry of coupling housings.

In summary, a prescribed slave cylinder provides a cost-effective

Possibility to significantly increase the flexibility in the production of hydraulic coupling systems with few components.

In a preferred embodiment of the slave cylinder, the housing may have a fixing means for rotatably fixing the adapter, which interacts with a corresponding fixing means of the adapter. In this embodiment can be prevented in a particularly advantageous manner that the adapter can rotate on the slave cylinder, in particular along an axis which lies in the longitudinal extension of the slave cylinder, or it can be reliably prevented rotation of the slave cylinder in the adapter in this embodiment. This can be advantageous because damage to the slave cylinder, the adapter or components associated therewith, such as a hydraulic line, can be significantly reduced by preventing rotation of the adapter and the slave cylinder, in particular if the slave cylinder housing is of cylindrical design. As a result, the longevity of hydraulic systems can be further improved. Such a fixing means of the slave cylinder housing can in principle be any fixing means which can prevent a rotation of the adapter with respect to the slave cylinder housing by interacting with a corresponding fixing means of the adapter, so adapted to the fixing means of the slave cylinder housing fixing means of the adapter.

In addition, such a fixing means serve to significantly simplify the assembly of the hydraulic system, since the position of the adapter to the slave cylinder can be defined in a simple manner by the fixing means. Thus, a blind assembly can be done easily. Furthermore, the functionality can be ensured by always correct orientation of the adapter to the slave cylinder and thereby the slave cylinder to the clutch housing. As a result, this embodiment is also particularly suitable for automated production. With regard to the fixing means for rotatably fixing the adapter, it may further be preferred that the fixing means are configured as a groove and as a spring of a tongue and groove system. Accordingly, it can be provided that the slave cylinder has a spring or a projection, and that adapter has the corresponding counter-acting fixing means, so a Nur, or vice versa. Thus, for example, the Nehmerzylindergehause have a groove, wherein the adapter has a spring or a projection, or vice versa. Such fixatives are particularly inexpensive possible and also easily attachable to Nehmerzylindergehause or adapter.

In a further preferred embodiment of the slave cylinder, the adapter may have two, for example, half-shell-like adapter parts, which enclose the slave cylinder housing. In this embodiment, the production or the arrangement of the adapter on the slave cylinder housing can be carried out particularly simply, since components arranged adjacent to the fastening region need essentially no consideration. In addition, a fixation of the adapter to the slave cylinder housing can be done by fastening means which fasten the two adapter part together and thus press on the slave cylinder housing. As a result, it is possible to dispense with further fastening means, which act on the slave cylinder housing, for example, which can be advantageous for the application.

In a further preferred embodiment of the slave cylinder, the adapter can be designed in one piece and have an opening in which the slave cylinder housing is arranged. In this embodiment, the adapter can thus be done by simply pushing on the Nehmerzylindergehause, with a fixation can be done by a suitable fixation. Thus, in this embodiment, a simple fastening of the adapter on the slave cylinder housing is possible. In addition, a particularly stable design can be made possible by the integral nature of the adapter.

In a further preferred embodiment of the slave cylinder, the adapter may be attached to the slave cylinder housing with a snap ring. This embodiment is a particularly simple way to attach, for example, a one-piece adapter to the Nehmerzylindergehause. In addition, such a fastener provides a reversible attachment of the adapter to the Nehmerzylindergehause, so that maintenance can be easily possible. Finally, the adapter can by the Snap ring to the slave cylinder housing are pressed without the slave cylinder housing necessarily a defined structure needed for this, which further improves the variability. Thus, a snap ring allows a preferred combination of secure attachment of the adapter to the slave cylinder housing with a beneficial in solubility.

With regard to further technical features and advantages of the slave cylinder according to the invention, reference is hereby explicitly made to the explanations in connection with the hydraulic system according to the invention, the figures and the description of the figures.

The invention further relates to a hydraulic system, in particular a hydraulic clutch system, such as for a motor vehicle, wherein the hydraulic system comprises a slave cylinder as described in detail above. For example, the hydraulic system may comprise a dual-clutch transmission and / or a master cylinder, a slave cylinder and a hydraulic line connecting them, wherein the slave cylinder, such as an SSC cylinder, is fixed to a clutch housing.

In summary, the hydraulic system provides a cost-effective way of significantly increasing the flexibility in the manufacture of hydraulic coupling systems with few components.

With regard to further technical features and advantages of the hydraulic system according to the invention, reference is hereby explicitly made to the explanations in connection with the slave cylinder according to the invention, the figures and the description of the figures.

In the following, particularly preferred embodiments of the invention will be explained with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein it is explicitly pointed out that the object according to the invention is not limited to the described embodiments. Furthermore, features illustrated in the figures, individually or in any combination, may be an object of the present invention.

Showing:

Fig. 1 is a schematic representation of an embodiment of a slave cylinder housing; Fig. 2 is a schematic representation of an embodiment of a slave cylinder according to the invention;

Fig. 3 is a schematic representation of another embodiment of a slave cylinder according to the invention;

Fig. 4 is a schematic representation of another embodiment of a slave cylinder according to the invention attached to a clutch housing;

Fig. 5 is a schematic representation of another embodiment of a slave cylinder according to the invention;

Fig. 6 is a schematic representation of the adapter of the embodiment of

Slave cylinder of Figure 5; and

Fig. 7 is a schematic representation of the embodiment of the slave cylinder of Fig. 5, attached to a coupling housing.

Fig. 1 shows a schematic representation and in non-limiting manner, an embodiment of a slave cylinder housing 12, which may be part of a slave cylinder 10 according to the invention. The slave cylinder housing 12 has a cylindrical basic structure and encloses a cylindrical pressure chamber, which is configured to receive hydraulic fluid. In this case, a hydraulic connection 18 for hydraulic fluid is provided at a first end 14, to which a hydraulic line 20 can be fastened by means of spring elements 22, as shown in detail in Figure 4. Further, a plastic bellows 24 is provided at a second end 16 opposite the first end 14, which encloses a piston rod 26. The piston rod 26 may be displaceable by hydraulic fluid or a spring so as to actuate a coupling member such as a release lever or engagement lever.

It is further shown that the slave cylinder housing 12 has a fixing means 28 for rotatably fixing an adapter 30, which interacts with a corresponding fixing means 29 of the adapter 30. In detail, the fixing means 28 is designed as a projection or spring, which can interact with a groove as a fixing means 29 of the adapter 30. 2, a slave cylinder 10 is shown. The slave cylinder 10 has the slave cylinder housing 12 described with reference to FIG. 1, which has a fastening region 32 for fastening the adapter 30, the adapter 30 being provided on the fastening region 32. In this case, the adapter 30 is fixed with a snap ring 34 on the slave cylinder housing 12. The adapter 30 is designed in one piece and has an opening 36 in which the slave cylinder housing 12 is arranged. For example, the adapter 30 may be configured as a shaped mounting plate. Further, the adapter 30, which may be formed from a metal approximately, a mounting portion 38 for attaching the adapter 30 to the slave cylinder housing 12, which may be formed by the opening 36 framing area. Different configurations of the adapter 30 are shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, which are suitable for attachment to mutually strongly deviating geometries of coupling housings 40. It will thus be seen that by providing an adapter 30 to the slave cylinder housing 12 a significantly increased variability is made possible.

During assembly, the adapter 30 can first be threaded through the hydraulic connection 18 to a stop on the slave cylinder housing 12. A tongue and groove system as fixing means 28, 29 formed approximately from a slotted plate of the adapter 30 and a cam on the slave cylinder housing 12, ensures that the slave cylinder housing 12 can not rotate in the adapter 30. Subsequently, the snap ring 34 is threaded over the hydraulic port 18. Via an annular groove 42 on the slave cylinder housing 12, the snap ring 34 between adapter 30 and slave cylinder housing 12 can then be fixed. Now the slave cylinder housing 12 together with adapter 30 can be attached to the clutch bell or the clutch housing 40

An arrangement of the slave cylinder 10 on a clutch housing 40 is shown in FIG. It can be seen that a fastening portion 44 of the adapter 30 is connected by screws 46 with the coupling housing 40. Furthermore, at the hydraulic connection 18 of the slave cylinder 10, the hydraulic line 20 is connected by means of the spring elements 22.

5 shows a further embodiment of a slave cylinder 10 is shown, in particular, the adapter 30 is formed in another embodiment. In detail, the adapter 30 has two half-shell-like adapter parts 48, 50, for example made of a plastic, which surround the slave cylinder housing 12. The elements of the adapter 30, so the Adapter parts 48, 50 are shown in FIG. 6, wherein furthermore fastening means 52 are shown, by means of which the adapter 30 can be fixed to the slave cylinder housing 12.

In this connection, the sub-assembly of the slave cylinder housing 12 is first inserted into the first half-shell or the first adapter part 48. A groove / tongue system located therein in turn ensures that the slave cylinder housing 12 in the adapter 30 can not rotate. Second, then, the upper half-shell or the further adapter piece 50 is placed on the first adapter piece 48 and optionally connected to each other via at least two snap hooks. Subsequently, for example, four dowel pins can be pressed as fastening means 52 in both adapter parts 48, 50 in order to give the arrangement thus produced sufficient strength. Now, the slave cylinder 10 can be secured to the clutch housing 40, such as by means of screws 46 as shown in Figure 7.

Slave cylinder

Slave cylinder housing

first end

second end

hydraulic connection

hydraulic line

spring element

Kunststoffbalg

piston rod

fixative

adapter

fastening area

snap ring

opening

fastening area

clutch housing

ring groove

attachment section

screw

adapter part

fastener

Claims

claims

1 . Hydraulically actuated slave cylinder for a hydraulic clutch system, in particular for a motor vehicle, comprising a slave cylinder housing (12), wherein the slave cylinder housing (12) has at least one attachment region (32) for fastening an adapter (30), characterized in that the adapter (30) is provided on the attachment portion (32), wherein the adapter (30) has at least one attachment portion (44) for attaching the adapter (30) to a clutch housing (40).

2. slave cylinder according to claim 1, characterized in that the slave cylinder housing (12) has a fixing means (28) for rotatably fixing the adapter (30) which interacts with a corresponding fixing means (29) of the adapter (30).

3. slave cylinder according to claim 2, characterized in that the fixing means (28, 29) are designed as a tongue and groove of a tongue and groove system.

4. slave cylinder according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the adapter (30) has two adapter parts (48, 50) which surround the slave cylinder housing (30).

5. slave cylinder according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the adapter (30) is designed in one piece and has an opening (36) in which the slave cylinder housing (12) is arranged.

6. slave cylinder according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the adapter (30) on the slave cylinder housing (12) with a snap ring (34) is attached.

7. Hydraulic system, in particular hydraulic coupling system, characterized in that it comprises a slave cylinder (10) according to one of claims 1 to 6.

8. A hydraulic system according to claim 7, characterized in that the hydraulic system has a double clutch.