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US 11,085,498 B2Granted
Disconnect clutch
AssigneeCaterpillar SARL
InventorsDominic Williams, Sergei Penksik, Richard Hubble, Guy Blundell, Paolo Caporizzo, Guillaume Bernard
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A disconnect clutch comprises a passive centrifugal valve that is utilized to disconnect parasitic loads from an engine during the initial start-up and to automatically connect the parasitic loads once the engine speed is sufficient. The passive centrifugal valve operates dependent on a rotational speed of a flywheel assembly of the clutch and is configured to switch at a threshold rotational speed of the flywheel assembly.
Claims20
A method of controlling the connection of a parasitic load to an engine disposed on a machine, the method comprising:
- a) rotating a flywheel assembly about an X axis, the flywheel assembly connected to the engine, the flywheel assembly having an interior and including a flywheel, a piston, an end plate attached to a side member of the flywheel, and a chamber disposed in the interior, the chamber defined by the flywheel and the piston;
- b) supplying fluid to the chamber via a fill aperture and controlling fluid passage out of the chamber via a drainage conduit by use of a passive centrifugal valve in the drainage conduit which is movable between an open position and a closed position dependent on a rotational speed of the flywheel assembly, the passive centrifugal valve disposed through the side member of the flywheel, and the passive centrifugal valve is fluidly connected to the chamber by the drainage conduit that extends radially outward towards the end plate at an angle to the X axis from the chamber to the centrifugal valve;
- and
- c) connecting the engine to the parasitic load only when a rotational speed of the flywheel assembly exceeds a threshold rotational speed;
- wherein connection of the engine to the parasitic load is by movement of the piston to an expanded position to attach a friction plate disposed inside the interior of the rotating flywheel assembly to the rotating flywheel assembly, the friction plate being operably connected to the parasitic load;
- movement of the piston to the expanded position is by developing a sufficient fluid pressure in the chamber;
- the piston remains in a contracted position with the friction plate disengaged from the rotating flywheel assembly when the passive centrifugal valve is in its open position thereby enabling drainage of the fluid from the chamber through the drainage conduit thereby preventing the sufficient fluid pressure in the chamber being attained;
- the piston is moved into the expanded position when the passive centrifugal valve is in its closed position thereby preventing drainage of the fluid from the chamber through the drainage conduit such that the sufficient fluid pressure in the chamber is attained;
- wherein the passive centrifugal valve adopts its open position when the flywheel assembly is stationary or rotating below the threshold rotational speed and adopts its closed position when the flywheel assembly is rotating above the threshold rotational speed.
6 more elements
A disconnect clutch comprising:
- a) a flywheel assembly rotatable about an X axis that includes;
- a flywheel having a cavity, the flywheel including an end plate attached to a side member of the flywheel;
- and
- a chamber disposed inside the cavity and defined by the flywheel and a piston;
- the piston being disposed inside the cavity and moveable between a contracted position and an expanded position;
- b) at least one friction plate disposed inside the cavity between the piston and the end plate, the at least one friction plate attached to and rotatable with the flywheel assembly when the piston is in the expanded position and spaced apart from the flywheel assembly and generally stationary when the piston is in the contracted position;
- and
- c) a coupling operably connected to the friction plate;
- the flywheel comprising a fill aperture for supplying fluid to the chamber and a drainage conduit for removing fluid from the chamber;
- the drainage conduit comprising a passive centrifugal valve which is movable between an open position and a closed position dependent on a rotational speed of the flywheel assembly, the passive centrifugal valve disposed through the side member of the flywheel, and the passive centrifugal valve is fluidly connected to the chamber by the drainage conduit that extends radially outward towards the end plate at an angle to the X axis from the chamber to the centrifugal valve;
- the passive centrifugal valve adopting its open position when the flywheel assembly is stationary or rotating below a threshold rotational speed such that fluid supplied to the chamber through the fill aperture is able to be removed through the drainage conduit without creating sufficient pressure in the chamber to move the piston from the contracted position to the expanded position;
- and
- the passive centrifugal valve adopting its closed position when the flywheel assembly is rotating above the threshold rotational speed such that fluid supplied to the chamber through the fill aperture is unable to be removed through the drainage conduit leading to sufficient pressure being developed in the chamber to move the piston from the contracted position to the expanded position.
10 more elements
A machine comprising a disconnect clutch which is connected between an engine of the machine and a parasitic load of the machine;
- the disconnect clutch comprising:
- a) a flywheel assembly rotatable about an X axis that includes;
- a flywheel having a cavity, the flywheel including an end plate attached to a side member of the flywheel;
- and
- a chamber disposed inside the cavity and defined by the flywheel and a piston;
- the piston being disposed inside the cavity and moveable between a contracted position and an expanded position;
- b) a friction plate disposed inside the cavity between the piston and the end plate, the friction plate attached to and rotatable with the flywheel assembly when the piston is in the expanded position and spaced apart from the flywheel assembly and generally stationary when the piston is in the contracted position;
- and
- c) a coupling operably connected to the friction plate;
- the flywheel comprising a fill aperture for supplying fluid to the chamber and a drainage conduit for removing fluid from the chamber,
- the drainage conduit comprising a passive centrifugal valve which is movable between an open position and a closed position dependent on a rotational speed of the flywheel assembly, the passive centrifugal valve disposed through the side member of the flywheel, and the passive centrifugal valve is fluidly connected to the chamber by the drainage conduit that extends radially outward towards the end plate at an angle to the X axis from the chamber to the centrifugal valve;
- the passive centrifugal valve adopting its open position when the flywheel assembly is stationary or rotating below a threshold rotational speed such that fluid supplied to the chamber through the fill aperture is able to be removed through the drainage conduit without creating sufficient pressure in the chamber to move the piston from the contracted position to the expanded position;
- and
- the passive centrifugal valve adopting its closed position when the flywheel assembly is rotating above the threshold rotational speed such that fluid supplied to the chamber through the fill aperture is unable to be removed through the drainage conduit leading to sufficient pressure being developed in the chamber to move the piston from the contracted position to the expanded position.
11 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.