Dog clutch and method for overdrive
AssigneeGM Global Technology Operations LLC
InventorsHenryk Sowul, Michael Pohl
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A hydraulically-actuatable clutch and method is operable as an overdrive clutch in a transmission system having a transmission main shaft portion. The clutch is engageable between a transmission housing and a sun gear and rotor hub to provide for grounding of the sun gear and rotor hub to the transmission housing. The clutch may either be engaged or disengaged from the transmission housing. The clutch does not allow the rotor and sun gear to rotatably slip with respect to the transmission housing when the clutch is engaged to ground the rotor and sun gear to the transmission housing. When the clutch is disengaged, the rotor and sun gear may rotate with the transmission main shaft portion.
Claims8
A clutch adapted for engagement in a transmission having a fixed housing at least partially covering an electric power unit having a rotatable hub and sun gear, said clutch comprising:
- a clutch cavity defined by said fixed housing and said sun gear and having a fluid inlet and a spring;
- a piston slidably movable within said clutch cavity, said piston being in fluid flow communication with said fluid inlet for causing movement in one direction and in biased relationship with said spring for causing movement in the opposite direction;
- a plurality of first splines on said fixed housing and a plurality of second splines on said sun gear;
- a plurality of third splines on said piston for engaging with said plurality of second splines and not with said plurality of first splines when said piston has moved in said one direction and for engaging with both of said plurality of first splines and said plurality of second splines when said piston has moved in said opposite direction;
- wherein said spring biases said piston to engage the fixed housing with the sun gear when fluid pressure at said fluid inlet is insufficient to compress said spring;
- wherein sufficient fluid pressure at said fluid inlet forces said piston to disengage the sun gear from the fixed housing;
- and
- wherein when fluid pressure is decreased in said clutch cavity, said spring forces said piston to reengage the sun gear with the fixed housing.
A clutch adapted for a transmission having a rotatable sun gear and a fixed housing, said clutch comprising:
- a spring biased, fluid-actuated, relatively engagable and disengagable link between the fixed housing and the rotatable sun gear for engaging and disengaging the clutch;
- wherein said link grounds the sun gear to the transmission housing when said clutch is engaged.
A method for engaging and disengaging a rotatable member with a fixed member in a transmission housing comprising:
- forming a first splined cavity portion in said fixed member;
- forming a second splined cavity portion in said rotatable member separate from said first splined cavity portion;
- and
- shuttling a splined piston between said cavity portions in one direction to engage said fixed and rotatable members and in another direction to disengage said fixed and rotatable members.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.