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US 2011/0226579 A1Published application
Centrifugally assisted clutch
AssigneeAce Manufacturing & Parts Company
InventorsBrian Robert Ley, John Alex Settles, Thomas Christopher Mounce
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A friction clutch assembly connects driving and driven shafts and has a pressure plate axially moveable between an engaged position transmitting torque from the driving shaft to the driven shaft and a disengaged position. The assembly includes levers and a plurality of centrifugal-assist weights on the levers adjacent outer ends of the levers. The centrifugal-assist weights are arranged to apply an increased force urging the pressure plate to its engaged position upon rotation of the cover and the levers. The centrifugal-assist weights are suitably configured to provided the desired amount of increased force.
Claims15
A friction clutch assembly for connecting driving and driven shafts, comprising:
- a pressure plate adapted for operative attachment to said driven shaft for rotation therewith about an axis of rotation, the pressure plate being axially moveable between an engaged position wherein the pressure plate applies a force to clamp a friction disk of said driven shaft in operative engagement with a flywheel of said driving shaft thereby to transmit torque from the driving shaft to the driven shaft and a disengaged position wherein the pressure plate does not clamp said friction disk and substantially no torque is transmitted;
- a cover adapted for mounting on the flywheel in a fixed axial position relative to the flywheel and for rotation in unison with the flywheel about said axis of rotation;
- a thrust bearing assembly rotatable about said axis of rotation in unison with the cover and movable along said axis of rotation in a first direction toward said pressure plate and in a second direction away from said pressure plate;
- a plurality of coil compression springs reacting against the cover to bias the thrust bearing assembly in said first direction;
- a plurality of levers rotatable in unison with the cover, said levers being arranged around said axis of rotation and extending in generally radial directions with respect to said axis of rotation;
- said levers having inner ends connected to said thrust bearing assembly such that upon movement of thrust bearing assembly in said first direction the levers are adapted to pivot in one direction to apply a generally axial force urging the pressure plate to said engaged position, and such that upon movement of thrust bearing assembly in said second direction the levers are adapted to pivot in an opposite direction to permit movement of said pressure plate to said disengaged position;
- and
- a plurality of centrifugal-assist weights on the levers adjacent outer ends of the levers, said centrifugal-assist weights being arranged to apply an increased force urging said pressure plate to said engaged position upon rotation of the cover and the levers;
- wherein each lever comprises a lever body having a fulcrum between said inner and outer ends for pivoting contact with said pressure plate;
- and
- wherein each centrifugal-assist weight has a center of mass located a distance in the range of 1.0-1.5 in. in a radial direction outward from said fulcrum.
8 more elements
A friction clutch assembly for connecting driving and driven shafts, comprising:
- a pressure plate adapted for operative attachment to said driven shaft for rotation therewith about an axis of rotation, the pressure plate being axially moveable between an engaged position wherein the pressure plate applies a force to clamp a friction disk of said driven shaft in operative engagement with a flywheel of said driving shaft thereby to transmit torque from the driving shaft to the driven shaft and a disengaged position wherein the pressure plate does not clamp said friction disk and substantially no torque is transmitted;
- a cover adapted for mounting on the flywheel in a fixed axial position relative to the flywheel and for rotation in unison with the flywheel about said axis of rotation;
- a thrust bearing assembly rotatable about said axis of rotation in unison with the cover and movable along said axis of rotation in a first direction toward said pressure plate and in a second direction away from said pressure plate;
- a plurality of coil compression springs reacting against the cover to bias the thrust bearing assembly in said first direction;
- a plurality of levers rotatable in unison with the cover, said levers being arranged around said axis of rotation and extending in generally radial directions with respect to said axis of rotation;
- said levers having inner ends connected to said thrust bearing assembly such that upon movement of thrust bearing assembly in said first direction the levers are adapted to pivot in one direction to apply a generally axial force urging the pressure plate to said engaged position, and such that upon movement of thrust bearing assembly in said second direction the levers are adapted to pivot in an opposite direction to permit movement of said pressure plate to said disengaged position;
- wherein each lever comprises a lever body having a fulcrum between said inner and outer ends for pivoting contact with said pressure plate;
- and
- a plurality of centrifugal-assist weights on the levers adjacent outer ends of the levers, said centrifugal-assist weights being arranged to apply an increased force urging said pressure plate to said engaged position upon rotation of the cover and the levers;
- and
- wherein each centrifugal-assist weight has an overall weight in the range of 160-500 grams.
8 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.