US 10,895,289 B2Granted

Clutch assemblies with balance cavities formed by disc springs

AssigneeAllison Transmission, Inc.

InventorsJohn L. Tysman, Jason Ellis, Evan Chivington, Mickey Hunt

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Abstract

Transmissions and clutch assemblies for transmissions are disclosed herein. A transmission includes an input shaft, an output shaft, and a clutch assembly. The input shaft is configured to receive rotational power. The output shaft is configured to transmit rotational power to a load. The clutch assembly is coupled between the input shaft and the output shaft to selectively transmit rotational power therebetween in use of the transmission. The clutch assembly includes a housing, a piston, and a disc spring. The piston is movable relative to the housing and cooperates with the housing to at least partially define a first cavity that is configured to receive hydraulic fluid such that a first centrifugal pressure force is created in use of the clutch assembly. The disc spring is movable relative to the housing.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A transmission comprising:

an input shaft configured to receive rotational power;
an output shaft configured to transmit rotational power to a load;
and
a clutch assembly coupled between the input shaft and the output shaft to selectively transmit rotational power therebetween in use of the transmission, the clutch assembly including
a housing,
a piston movable relative to the housing, wherein the piston cooperates with the housing to at least partially define a first cavity that is configured to receive hydraulic fluid such that a first centrifugal pressure force is created in use of the clutch assembly,
a disc spring movable relative to the housing, wherein the disc spring cooperates with at least one of the housing and the piston to at least partially define a second cavity that is configured to receive hydraulic fluid such that a second centrifugal pressure force is created that at least partially counteracts the first centrifugal pressure force in use of the clutch assembly, and
a diaphragm in contact with the disc spring, wherein the diaphragm is configured to at least partially conform to the shape of the disc spring in response to movement of the disc spring relative to the housing in use of the clutch assembly.

5 more elements

A rotating clutch assembly for a transmission, the clutch assembly comprising:

a housing;
a piston movable relative to the housing, wherein the piston cooperates with the housing to at least partially define a first cavity that is configured to receive hydraulic fluid such that a first centrifugal pressure force is created in use of the clutch assembly;
a disc spring movable relative to the housing, wherein the disc spring cooperates with at least one of the housing and the piston to at least partially define a second cavity that is configured to receive hydraulic fluid such that a second centrifugal pressure force is created that at least partially counteracts the first centrifugal pressure force in use of the clutch assembly;
a spring seat arranged in contact with the piston and the disc spring that cooperates with the disc spring and the piston to at least partially define the second cavity;
and
a sealing element arranged in contact with the spring seat and the disc spring to seal the second cavity adjacent an outer diameter of the disc spring to resist leakage of hydraulic fluid from the second cavity in use of the clutch assembly.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.