Adaptive platform for hydraulic clutches

Abstract

A clutch assembly has a housing with a cooling path and a piston actuation path, selectively connected. In a dry clutch, a single reversible power pack selectively services both paths. In a wet clutch, a single unidirectional motor drives two pumps in unison, one servicing the cooling path and the other the piston actuation path. Inputs to a filter selectively receive solid or orifice plugs, the latter controlling the flow and pressure of coolant oil to a cooling passage matrix. Various plugs with inlets to the filter control the source of cooling oil employed by the clutch. A first implementation allows for use of the hydraulic system of the host piece of equipment or known hydraulic systems, while a second implementation provides a self-contained source of hydraulic oil, which, through the hydraulic power units described, services both the actuating system and the cooling matrix of the clutch.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.