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US 4,702,721 AGranted
Long travel damper with low lag dynamic spring retainers
AssigneeBorg-Warner Automotive, Inc.
InventorPaul E. Lamarche
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
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AssigneeBorg-Warner Automotive, Inc.
InventorPaul E. Lamarche
Estimating the term…
A long travel damper assembly operatively connecting torque input and output members including a piston plate acting as a clutch plate for torque input from a vehicle engine, a hub connected to a transmission input shaft and comprising a generally flat annular plate with circumferentially spaced radial arms extending outwardly from the flange, a plurality of elongated arcuate slots formed in the hub plate, and generally wedge-shaped individual spring separators or skates having rollers positioned at their inner ends riding in the arcuate slots. A plurality of generally U-shaped torque input members are secured to the piston plate and encompass the hub arms between compression springs to act as driving elements. As an alternative, the spring separators comprise annular generally concentric rings having radial arms interposed between damper springs.
A vibration damper assembly to transmit torque between driving and driven members, comprising a piston plate adapted to engage torque input means and having an outer flange, a hub plate operatively connected to torque output means and having a plurality of circumferentially spaced, radially extending integral hub arms, a plurality of torque input members corresponding in number to and generally axially aligned with said hub arms secured to said piston plate, each torque input member including a pair of generally parallel arms joined by a U-shaped base forming a channel to receive a hub arm therein, said U-shaped base having a central notch defining separated body portions and said piston plate outer flange having a pair of spaced notches receiving the separated body portions of the base and a central tab received in said central notch, a plurality of damper spring sets interposed between adjacent torque input members, and spring separators interposed between adjacent damper springs in a spring set and guided on said hub plate for arcuate movement relative to said hub plate and piston plate.
A vibration damper assembly to transmit torque between driving and driven members, comprising a piston plate adapted to engage torque input means, a hub plate operatively connected to torque output means and having a plurality of circumferentially spaced, radially extending integral hub arms, a plurality of torque input members corresponding in number to and generally axially aligned with said hub arms secured to said piston plate, each torque input member including a pair of generally parallel arms joined by a U-shaped base forming a channel to receive a hub arm therein, a plurality of damper spring sets interposed between adjacent torque input members, and spring separators interposed between adjacent damper springs in a spring set and guided on said hub plate for arcuate movement relative to said hub plate and piston plate, said hub plate including a plurality of slightly offset guide tabs on the periphery thereof, and said spring separators including a pair of substantially concentric rings, each ring having a plurality of circumferentially spaced radial arms located in the path of the damper springs.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.