Clutch release bearing assembly including a double-acting sliding bore sleeve
AssigneeFederal-Mogul Corporation
InventorBryce W. Babcock
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An improved clutch release bearing assembly includes a sliding sleeve providing first and second sliding surfaces respectively facing the bore of a bearing and a guide element extending through the bore, both surfaces minimizing binding, wear or excessive friction between the bearing and the guide element during relative reciprocal motion therebetween. The sleeve, preferably fashioned from plastic, finds particular utility in a clutch release bearing surrounding a transmission shaft retainer or quill tube. The length of the sleeve is such that the bearing may slide on an outer sliding surface for a predetermined distance.
Claims7
In a clutch release bearing having a bore surrounding a guide tube for reciprocating movement between the bearing and the guide tube, the improvement comprising:
- a slider sleeve positioned between the bearing bore and an outer surface of the guide tube, the sleeve having a first sliding surface facing a surface of the bore and a second sliding surface facing an outer surface of the guide tube, the first and second sliding surfaces comprising a material exhibiting higher resistance to wear and friction than that of at least one of the bore surface and the outer surface of the guide tube, and the sleeve having a length sufficient to enable the clutch release bearing to reciprocate along the first sliding surface of the sleeve for a predetermined clutch release bearing stroke distance enabling proper operation of a clutch system associated with the bearing.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.