Divided flywheel
AssigneeDaimler-Benz Aktiengesellschaft
InventorsGunter Worner, Ernst Tscheplak
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Flywheel elements are coupled by a spring arrangement having an intermediate support which is connected resiliently to one flywheel element by long-stroke arcuate helicoidal springs and to the other flywheel element through short-stroke springs. A stop spring device becomes operative between the intermediate support and the one flywheel element in the case of major relative rotations. Additionally or alternatively, a slip coupling which exhibits play may also be arranged. At higher speeds, the long-stroke springs abut bearing surfaces. The friction thereby caused produces a stiffening of the long stroke springs. The mobility of the flywheel elements relative to each other therefore increases with decreasing speed.
Claims13
Divided flywheel comprising:
- first and second coaxial flywheel elements with flywheel weights distributed therebetween and a slip coupling means and spring arrangement which partly exhibits play and couples the flywheel elements, said slip coupling means and spring arrangement comprising:
- an intermediate support coaxial with both flywheel elements and coupled propulsively to the first flywheel element through said slip coupling means and to both flywheel elements through respective separate soft and hard helicoidal spring sets, one of the helicoidal spring sets comprising springs having a circular arcuate helical axis with a center of curvature lying on the flywheel axis,
- said intermediate support, through the slip coupling means and the separate soft and hard helicoidal spring sets, providing the sole coupling between both flywheel elements,
- wherein the hard spring set, which coupled the intermediate support to the second flywheel element comprises relatively short-strike springs which are relatively unaffected by centrifugal force during high speed rotation of the first flywheel element,
- wherein the soft spring set, which couples the intermediate support to the first flywheel element, is formed by the helicoidal springs have the circular arcuate helical axis,
- wherein the springs of the soft spring set are soft enough and with such a long stroke that they will also operate as a stiffened spring to provide an additional friction force as a function of centrifugal force as the soft spring set is urged by centrifugal force, occasioned by the first flywheel element, radially outwards against bearing surfaces on the intermediate support and on the first flywheel element during high speed rotation of the first flywheel element;
- wherein during low rotational speeds the soft springs will not be acted on by the additional force, and
- wherein there is at least one stop spring means operative only in the case of major relative rotation between the first flywheel element and the intermediate support to add resistance to the soft spring set, and wherein the slip coupling means which exhibits play is arranged in parallel with the soft spring set and operates at relative speeds between the two flywheel elements above a predetermined relative speed to effectively disengage the soft spring set from the hard spring set so that the first flywheel element is operatively coupled to the second flywheel element via the slip coupling means and the hard spring set;
- and wherein during low rotational speeds of the first flywheel element, both the hard and soft spring sets operatively couple the first and second flywheel elements through the intermediate support.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.