Hydraulic control system for a clutch
AssigneeFichtel & Sachs AG
InventorBernhard Limbacher
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A hydraulically controlled release system for a friction clutch particularly for a motor vehicle including an annular cylinder supported at a transmission housing and having an annular piston operatively engaged therein, the piston being connected with a diaphragm spring control member of the clutch. The end of the piston facing the clutch extends axially into the annular cylinder and the opposite end of the piston which faces the transmission rests against a radially outwardly bent edge of a bearing flange operatively mounted radially within the annular piston and cylinder. The bearing flange is guided with its outer side on the inner side of the annular cylinder and carries a release bearing which is operatively interposed between the diaphragm control spring of the clutch and the release bearing.
Claims13
A hydraulically controlled release system for a friction clutch operatively interposed between a clutch control member of said clutch and transmission means including a transmission housing and a primary transmission shaft comprising:
- annular cylinder means supported on said transmission housing, said annular cylinder means comprising a cylinder housing attached to said transmission housing and containing a hydraulic connection for introducing hydraulic fluid into a pressure space, said cylinder housing forming the radially outer side of said annular cylinder means, and a cylinder liner forming the radially inner side of said annular cylinder means;
- annular piston means operatively engaged within said cylinder means;
- said cylinder means and said piston means being concentrically arranged with respect to said primary transmission shaft;
- said pressure space defined between said cylinder means and said piston means;
- hydraulic means in flow communication with said pressure space for driving said piston means to effect operation of said clutch;
- bearing flange means movably guided radially inwardly of said piston and cylinder means;
- a guide ring for said bearing flange means mounted on said cylinder liner;
- release bearing means operatively interposed between said bearing flange means and said clutch control member;
- a radially outwardly bent edge formed on said bearing flange means;
- said annular piston means including an end face in engagement with said radially outwardly bent edge of said bearing flange means for actuating said release bearing means thereby to effect controlled operation of said clutch;
- and an initial load spring arranged in an annular space between said cylinder liner and said bearing flange means in the region approximately radially within said annular piston means for maintaining continuous contact between said release bearing means and said clutch control member, said initial load spring being supported on one side thereof at said cylinder liner and at the other side thereof at said bent edge of said bearing flange means.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.