Clutch linkage with vibration isolation and damping
AssigneeInternational Truck Intellectual Property Company, LLC
InventorHarry G. Woehrle
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Attenuation of transmission of noise along a clutch linkage for a manual transmission clutch is achieved by providing a segmented linkage. A clutch pedal side segment has a substantially greater mass than does the clutch lever side segment. Bi-directional force between the clutch lever side segment and he clutch pedal side segment is through compressible bearings located inside a coupler between the segments.
Claims17
A linkage comprising:
- a first rod having a principal axis;
- a second rod having a principal axis aligned on the principal axis of the first rod;
- a vibration filtering mass;
- the first rod being rigidly linked to the vibration filtering mass with the second rod being relatively loosely coupled to the vibration filtering mass, the combination of first rod and vibration filtering mass having a substantially greater mass than the second rod so that the first rod and vibration filtering mass move together relative to the second rod when the linkage is unloaded and vibration is applied to the second rod;
- and
- first and second compressible bearings mounted on the second rod, the second rod being positioned with respect to the vibration filtering mass such that the first and second compressible bearings impinge against the vibration filtering mass in first and second opposed directions to provide the loose coupling, which are coaxial with the principal axis of the second rod, the first and second compressible bearings limiting play of the second rod with respect to vibration filtering mass parallel to the principal axis of the second rod.
A clutch linkage comprising:
- a first rod having a principal axis;
- a mass mounted to the first rod and having a bore aligned on the principal axis of the first rod extending into the mass from a face thereof opposite the first rod;
- a second rod having a principal axis aligned on the principal axis of the first rod and extending from the bore;
- and
- first and second compressible bearings disposed between the second rod and the mass to position the second rod in the bore and mass and to resist relative movement of the second rod with respect to the mass in either direction along the principal axis of the second rod.
A bi-directional linkage comprising:
- first and second sub-assemblies of different mass, the first sub-assembly having substantially greater mass than the second sub-assembly;
- the second sub-assembly being attached to a source of vibration;
- the first sub-assembly being attached to a control implement for a vehicle;
- a coupler between the first and second sub-assemblies to provide bi-directional compression in the directions of reciprocation of the bi-directional linkage.
A vibration attenuating bi-directional linkage for a clutch assembly, the vibration attenuating bi-directional linkage comprising:
- a clutch pedal side linkage sub-assembly;
- a clutch lever side linkage sub-assembly;
- the clutch pedal side linkage sub-assembly having a greater mass than the clutch lever side linkage sub-assembly;
- and
- first and second compressible bearings for transmitting bi-directional longitudinal force between the clutch pedal side and clutch lever side linkage sub-assemblies.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.