Simplified Cooling Circuit For Powertrain Braking System
AssigneeDeere & Company
InventorsMichael J. Cliff, Robert L. Wood, JR., Briton T. Eastman, Poongundran Ganapathi
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Abstract
An efficient lubrication system for wet plate brake assemblies includes a flow control system that passes lubricant for cooling and lubrication through interdigitated wet brake plates when the plates are engaged. When the plates are disengaged, the wet plate assembly is controlled to limit its displacement by means of a pin and spring such that a gap is provided around the brake plates to provide a preferential path for lubricant, thus minimizing parasitic losses.
Claims21
A powertrain assembly including an integral brake assembly, said powertrain assembly comprising:
- a housing;
- a torque carrying power shaft;
- a brake assembly comprising interdigitated annular friction plates respectively connected to said housing and to said torque carrying power shaft, and;
- a liquid lubricant and cooling circuit for providing liquid between said annular friction plates when said plates are engaged with one another and around and through said annular friction plates when said plates are disengaged as a function of the displacement of said friction plates relative to one another for reducing parasitic losses when said friction plates are not engaged.
4 The powertrain assembly as claimed in claim 4, wherein said friction plates are displaced relative to one another and to the said housing to provide clearance around the friction plates for passage of lubricant when said plates are disengaged.
The powertrain assembly as claimed in claim 4, wherein said plates have a distance between said housing of at least as small as approximately 1 mm during disengagement.
A work machine comprising a frame, a prime mover for supplying power to said work machine, and a powertrain comprising a housing, a torque-carrying power shaft, a brake assembly comprising interdigitated annular friction plates respectively connected to said housing and to said torque-carrying power shaft, a liquid lubricant and cooling circuit for providing liquid between said annular friction plates when said plates are engaged with one another and around and through said annular friction plates when said plates are disengaged as a function of displacement of said friction plates relative to one another and to said housing for reducing parasitic losses when said friction plates are not engaged.
The work machine of claim 18, wherein further comprising a shoulder in said housing cooperating with a shoulder on said annular pushing element and adapted to be pressurized to displace said pusher element against said interdigitated friction plates against one another to brake said torque-carrying shaft.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.