Powertrain clutch
AssigneeAutomotive Powers Systems,LLC
InventorsGeorge Moser, Gordon Sommer, Adam Ostapowicz
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A powertrain clutch for transferring power from an output shaft of an engine to an input shaft of a manual transmission includes a housing and an electrically controlled clutch between the input shaft and the output shaft for selectively coupling and uncoupling the output shaft and the input shaft. The clutching arrangement further includes a clutch disposed between the input shaft and the output shaft for synchronizing a speed of the input shaft with a speed of the output shaft.
Claims18
A clutching arrangement for transferring power from an output shaft of an engine to an input shaft of a manual transmission, the clutching arrangement comprising:
- a housing;
- an electrically controlled clutch mounted in the housing, the clutch for selectively coupling and uncoupling the output shaft and the input shaft;
- and
- a clutch synchronizer disposed between the input shaft and the output shaft for synchronizing a speed of the input shaft with a speed of the output shaft.
A clutching arrangement for transferring torque between a first drive member and a second drive member, the clutching arrangement comprising:
- an input assembly for coupling to the first drive member;
- an output assembly for coupling to the second drive member, the output assembly selectively coupled to the input assembly;
- and
- a magneto rheological fluid (MRF) disposed between the input assembly and the output assembly, the MRF operable to normally permit relative rotation between the input assembly and the output assembly and operable upon activation to selectively couple the input assembly and the output assembly.
A method of selectively transferring torque between a first member and a second member, the method comprising the steps of:
- providing a clutching arrangement having an input assembly coupled to the first member and an output assembly coupled to the second member, the clutching arrangement additionally having MRF disposed between the input assembly and the output assembly, the MRF operable to normally permit relative rotation between the input assembly and the output assembly and operable upon activation to selectively couple the input assembly and the output assembly;
- and
- activating the MRF to selectively couple the input assembly and the output assembly.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.