Pneumatic pull-type clutch actuator and pneumatic pull-type clutch assembly

Abstract

The utility model relates to the technical field of pneumatic clutches, and provides a pneumatic pull-type clutch actuator and a pneumatic pull-type clutch assembly. The pneumatic pull-type clutch actuator comprises a shell component, an annular piston cavity is defined by the shell component; the piston comprises an outer ring part and an inner ring part, the outer ring part axially and slidably extends into the piston cavity, and a bearing cavity is formed in the inner circumferential wall of the inner ring part; the air passage penetrates through the shell component and the outer ring part and is communicated with the piston cavity; and an outer ring of the pull-type release bearing is embedded in the bearing cavity. According to the pneumatic pull-type clutch actuator, through cooperation of the shell component, the piston, the air channel and the pull-type release bearing, the pneumatic pull-type clutch actuator which is simple in structure, stable and reliable is achieved so as to be matched with a pull-type clutch cover assembly, and the pneumatic pull-type clutch actuator is suitable for application scenes such as transmissions needing pneumatic pull-type clutches.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model relates to the technical field of pneumatic clutches, in particular to a pneumatic pull-type clutch actuator and a pneumatic pull-type clutch assembly. Background Art

[0002] Pneumatic clutches use air pressure to control clutch disengagement. Currently, most pneumatic clutches are push-type clutches, which utilize a push-type clutch actuator and a push-type clutch cover assembly. During operation, the push-type clutch actuator requires a significant amount of thrust to act on the clutch cover assembly to disengage the clutch.

[0003] Compared to push clutches, pull clutches require less disengagement force and offer superior performance. However, there is currently no simple, stable, and reliable pneumatic pull clutch actuator suitable for pull clutch cover assemblies in applications requiring a pneumatic pull clutch.

[0004] It should be noted that the information disclosed in the above background technology section is only used to enhance the understanding of the background of the present invention, and therefore may include information that does not constitute prior art known to ordinary technicians in this field. Utility Model Content

[0005] In view of this, the utility model provides a pneumatic pull-type clutch actuator and a pneumatic pull-type clutch assembly. Through the cooperation of the housing component, piston, air duct and pull-type release bearing, a pneumatic pull-type clutch actuator with a simple structure, stability and reliability is realized, which is adapted to the pull-type clutch cover assembly and is suitable for application scenarios such as transmissions that require a pneumatic pull-type clutch.

[0006] According to one aspect of the present invention, a pneumatic pull-type clutch actuator is provided, comprising: a housing member defining an annular piston cavity; a piston comprising an outer ring portion and an inner ring portion, wherein the outer ring portion is axially slidably extended into the piston cavity, and the inner peripheral wall of the inner ring portion is provided with a bearing cavity; an air passage passing through the housing member and the outer ring portion and connected to the piston cavity; and a pull-type release bearing, wherein the outer ring of the pull-type release bearing is embedded in the bearing cavity.

[0007] In some embodiments, the piston includes two semicircular piston members assembled together, and each of the semicircular piston members has two semi-ring portions to be assembled into the outer ring portion and the inner ring portion.

[0008] In some embodiments, the joint surfaces of the two semicircular piston members are assembled by adhesive gaskets or friction gaskets.

[0009] In some embodiments, the outer ring wall and the inner ring wall of the outer ring part are respectively embedded with sealing rings, wherein the sealing ring embedded in the outer ring wall clamps the two semicircular piston parts, and the sealing rings embedded in the outer ring wall and the inner ring wall are respectively in sealing contact with the inner and outer ring surfaces of the piston cavity.

[0010] In some embodiments, the air passages include two air passages, which are respectively provided on the two semicircular piston members.

[0011] In some embodiments, the piston defines a passage axially extending through the outer ring portion, and the air passage passes through the housing component and extends into the passage.

[0012] In some embodiments, an end surface of the inner ring of the pull-type release bearing extends beyond an end surface of the inner ring portion in the axial direction.

[0013] In some embodiments, the shell component includes: an annular shell, provided with an annular cavity with an open end, the outer ring end edge of the annular cavity extending axially beyond the inner ring end edge of the annular cavity; a support plate connected to the outer ring end edge of the annular cavity, the piston cavity being defined between the support plate and the annular cavity.

[0014] In some embodiments, the pneumatic pull-type clutch actuator further includes: a sensor disposed on a side of the support plate facing away from the piston; and a magnet disposed on a portion of the piston close to the sensor.

[0015] According to another aspect of the present invention, a pneumatic pull-type clutch assembly is provided. The pneumatic pull-type clutch assembly is configured with the pneumatic pull-type clutch actuator as described in any of the above embodiments.

[0016] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention include at least:

[0017] The pneumatic pull-type clutch actuator of the present invention defines an annular piston cavity through a housing member. The piston's outer ring portion slides in contact with the cavity, and an air passage extends into the outer ring portion and connects to the cavity, enabling the piston to move under the influence of controlled air pressure. The air passage directly passes through the outer ring portion and connects to the piston cavity, effectively and stably driving the piston. The piston also has an inner ring portion that defines a bearing cavity. The outer ring of the pull-type release bearing is embedded in the bearing cavity, and the inner ring can be connected to the diaphragm spring of the pull-type clutch cover assembly. When controlled air pressure enters the piston cavity through the air passage, the piston is driven to move, and the pull-type release bearing steadily and smoothly pulls the diaphragm spring, separating the pressure plate and friction plate, thereby disengaging the clutch.

[0018] Therefore, the utility model realizes a pneumatic pull-type clutch actuator with a simple structure, stability and reliability through the cooperation of the housing component, piston, air duct and pull-type release bearing, so as to adapt to the pull-type clutch cover assembly and is suitable for application scenarios such as transmissions that require a pneumatic pull-type clutch.

[0019] It should be understood that the above general description and the following detailed description are merely exemplary and explanatory and are not restrictive of the present invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] The accompanying drawings are incorporated into and constitute a part of the specification, illustrate embodiments consistent with the present invention, and together with the specification, are used to explain the principles of the present invention. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention, and those skilled in the art can derive other drawings based on these drawings without inventive effort.

[0021] Figure 1 A schematic cross-sectional view of a pneumatic pull-type clutch actuator according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown;

[0022] Figure 2 A schematic structural diagram showing the front end of a pneumatic pull-type clutch actuator in an embodiment of the present utility model is shown;

[0023] Figure 3 A partial structural diagram of a pneumatic pull-type clutch actuator according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown;

[0024] Figure 4 A schematic structural diagram of the rear end of a pneumatic pull-type clutch actuator in an embodiment of the present utility model is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0025] Example embodiments will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the example embodiments can be implemented in many forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided to make this disclosure more comprehensive and complete and to fully convey the concepts of the example embodiments to those skilled in the art.

[0026] The accompanying drawings are only schematic diagrams of the present invention and are not necessarily drawn to scale. The same reference numerals in the drawings represent the same or similar structures, and their repeated description will be omitted.

[0027] The terms "first", "second" and similar terms used in the specific description do not indicate any order, quantity or importance, but are only used to distinguish different components. In addition, in the description of the present invention, the directions or positional relationships indicated by the terms "front", "rear", "left", "right", etc. are based on the directions or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of description and do not indicate or imply that the devices or components referred to must have a specific direction, be constructed and operate in a specific direction. Therefore, they should not be understood as limitations on the present invention. In addition, in the description of the present invention, when it is said that a device is "connected" to another device, this includes not only direct connections but also indirect connections through other components.

[0028] It should be noted that, in the absence of conflict, the embodiments of the present invention and the features in different embodiments may be combined with each other.

[0029] Figure 1 The cross-sectional structure of the pneumatic pull clutch actuator is shown in Figure 1. Figure 1 As shown, the pneumatic pull-type clutch actuator provided by the embodiment of the present utility model includes:

[0030] The housing member 110 defines an annular piston chamber 111;

[0031] The piston 120 includes an outer ring portion 121 and an inner ring portion 122 . The outer ring portion 121 is axially slidable into the piston cavity 111 , and a bearing cavity 123 is provided on the inner circumferential wall of the inner ring portion 122 .

[0032] The air passage 130 passes through the housing member 110 and the outer ring portion 121 and communicates with the piston chamber 111 ;

[0033] A pull-type release bearing 140 , an outer ring 141 of the pull-type release bearing 140 , is embedded in the bearing cavity 123 .

[0034] The pneumatic pull-type clutch actuator of the present invention defines an annular piston chamber 111 through a housing member 110. The piston 120 is moved under the action of controlled air pressure by means of an outer ring portion 121 of the piston 120, which slides with the piston chamber 111, and an air passage 130 extending into the outer ring portion 121 and communicating with the piston chamber 111. Air passage 130 directly passes through the outer ring portion 121 and communicates with the piston chamber 111, effectively and stably driving the piston 120. The piston 120 also has an inner ring portion 122 defining a bearing chamber 123. The outer ring 141 of a pull-type release bearing 140 is embedded in the bearing chamber 123, while the inner ring 142 can be connected to the diaphragm spring of the pull-type clutch cover assembly. When controlled air pressure enters the piston chamber 111 from the air passage 130, the piston 120 is driven to the right. The pull-type release bearing 140 steadily and smoothly pulls the diaphragm spring, separating the pressure plate and friction plate, thereby disengaging the clutch.

[0035] Thus, the present invention realizes a pneumatic pull-type clutch actuator with a simple structure, stability and reliability through the cooperation of the housing component 110, the piston 120, the air duct 130 and the pull-type release bearing 140, so as to adapt to the pull-type clutch cover assembly and be suitable for application scenarios such as transmissions that require a pneumatic pull-type clutch.

[0036] Figure 2 The front end of the pneumatic pull-type clutch actuator is shown in the figure, where the front end refers to the end connected to the clutch cover assembly. Figure 3 The partial structure of the pneumatic pull-type clutch actuator is shown in the figure, in which the housing component, half of the piston, the inner ring of the pull-type release bearing and other components are hidden to reflect the internal structure of the pneumatic pull-type clutch actuator. Figures 1 to 3 As shown, in some embodiments:

[0037] The piston 120 includes two semicircular piston members 120 ′ assembled together. Each semicircular piston member 120 ′ has two semi-ring portions (including a first semi-ring portion 121 ′ and a second semi-ring portion 122 ′) assembled into an outer ring portion 121 and an inner ring portion 122 .

[0038] The piston 120 is formed by assembling two semicircular piston members 120', which facilitates assembly of the piston 120 and the pull-type release bearing 140, and facilitates adjustment of the bearing cavity 123 defined by the two semicircular piston members 120' according to the size of the pull-type release bearing 140. The semicircular piston member 120' may be a plastic member, but is not limited thereto.

[0039] In some embodiments, the joint surfaces 124 of the two semicircular piston members 120' are assembled by adhesive gaskets or friction gaskets. The adhesive gasket can adhesively fix the joint surfaces 124 of the two semicircular piston members 120', and the friction gasket can increase the friction between the joint surfaces 124 of the two semicircular piston members 120' to achieve fixation.

[0040] In some embodiments, sealing rings are embedded in the outer and inner walls of the outer ring portion 121. The sealing ring 151 embedded in the outer wall clamps the two semicircular piston members 120', and the sealing ring 151 embedded in the outer wall and the sealing ring 152 embedded in the inner wall respectively make sealing contact with the inner and outer annular surfaces of the piston cavity 111. The sealing ring 151 embedded in the outer wall and the sealing ring 152 embedded in the inner wall ensure the sealing of the piston cavity 111, thereby ensuring that the controlled air pressure effectively drives the piston 120. The sealing ring 151 embedded in the outer wall also clamps the two semicircular piston members 120', thereby stabilizing the overall structure of the piston 120.

[0041] In some embodiments, there are two air passages 130 , which are respectively provided on the two semicircular piston members 120 ′, so as to achieve stable driving of the entire piston 120 .

[0042] In some embodiments, the piston 120 is provided with a channel 126 axially extending through the outer ring portion 121 , and the air channel 130 passes through the housing member 110 and extends into the channel 126 . By providing the channel 126 on the piston 120 , the air channel 130 is connected to the piston chamber 111 .

[0043] In some embodiments, the end surface of the inner ring 142 of the pull-type release bearing 140 exceeds the end surface of the inner ring portion 122 in the axial direction Z. In this way, the connection between the inner ring 142 and the diaphragm spring is facilitated.

[0044] Figure 4 The structure of the rear end of the pneumatic pull clutch actuator is shown, wherein the rear end refers to the end away from the clutch cover assembly (the rear end can be connected to the transmission, for example), combined with Figures 1 to 4 As shown, in some embodiments, housing member 110 includes: an annular housing 112, having an annular cavity with an open end, wherein an outer annular end edge 112' of the annular cavity extends beyond an inner annular end edge of the annular cavity in the axial direction Z; a support plate 113, connected to outer annular end edge 112' of the annular cavity, with a piston cavity 111 defined between support plate 113 and the annular cavity. Support plate 113 cooperates with annular housing 112 to define piston cavity 111 and facilitate assembly of piston 120. Support plate 113 can be connected to outer annular end edge 112' of annular housing 112 after piston 120 is assembled.

[0045] Furthermore, in some embodiments, the pneumatic pull-type clutch actuator further includes: a sensor 160 disposed on the side of the support plate 113 facing away from the piston 120; and a magnet (not specifically shown in the figures) disposed on the piston 120 near the sensor 160. The sensor 160 and the magnet cooperate to detect the travel of the piston 120, thereby achieving precise control of the piston 120.

[0046] The present invention also provides a pneumatic pull-type clutch assembly equipped with a pneumatic pull-type clutch actuator as described in any of the above embodiments. The inner race 142 of the pull-type release bearing 140 of the pneumatic pull-type clutch actuator can be connected to the diaphragm spring of the pull-type clutch cover assembly. When control air pressure enters the piston chamber 111 from the air passage 130, the piston 120 is driven to move rightward along the axial direction Z. This, in turn, pulls the diaphragm spring stably and smoothly through the pull-type release bearing 140, separating the pressure plate from the friction plate, thereby achieving clutch disengagement.

[0047] The pneumatic pull-type clutch assembly of the utility model is suitable for vehicle application scenarios such as transmissions.

[0048] The above content is a further detailed description of the present invention in conjunction with specific preferred embodiments, and the specific implementation of the present invention cannot be considered to be limited to these descriptions. For those skilled in the art of the present invention, without departing from the concept of the present invention, several simple deductions or substitutions can be made, which should be considered to fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A pneumatic pull-type clutch actuator, characterized in that: include: a housing member defining an annular piston chamber; The piston comprises an outer ring portion and an inner ring portion, wherein the outer ring portion is axially slidably extended into the piston cavity, and the inner peripheral wall of the inner ring portion is provided with a bearing cavity; an air passage, passing through the housing member and the outer ring portion and communicating with the piston chamber; A pull-type release bearing, the outer ring of which is embedded in the bearing cavity.

2. The pneumatic pull clutch actuator according to claim 1, characterized in that The piston comprises two semicircular piston parts assembled with each other, and each semicircular piston part has two semi-ring parts, which are assembled into the outer ring part and the inner ring part.

3. The pneumatic pull clutch actuator according to claim 2, characterized in that The joint surfaces of the two semicircular piston members are assembled by means of adhesive gaskets or friction gaskets.

4. The pneumatic pull-type clutch actuator according to claim 2, characterized in that: The outer ring wall and the inner ring wall of the outer ring part are respectively embedded with sealing rings, wherein the sealing ring embedded in the outer ring wall clamps the two semicircular piston parts, and the sealing rings embedded in the outer ring wall and the inner ring wall are respectively in sealing contact with the inner and outer ring surfaces of the piston cavity.

5. The pneumatic pull-type clutch actuator according to claim 2, characterized in that: The air passages include two, which are respectively arranged on the two semicircular piston members.

6. The pneumatic pull-type clutch actuator according to claim 1, characterized in that: The piston is provided with a passage axially penetrating the outer ring portion, and the air passage passes through the housing component and extends into the passage.

7. The pneumatic pull-type clutch actuator according to claim 1, characterized in that: An end surface of the inner ring of the pull-type release bearing extends beyond an end surface of the inner ring portion in the axial direction.

8. The pneumatic pull-type clutch actuator according to claim 1, characterized in that: The housing member comprises: The annular housing is provided with an annular cavity with an open end, wherein the outer end of the annular cavity extends axially beyond the inner end of the annular cavity; The support plate is connected to the outer ring end of the annular cavity, and the piston cavity is defined between the support plate and the annular cavity.

9. The pneumatic pull-type clutch actuator according to claim 8, characterized in that: Also includes: a sensor, disposed on a side of the support plate facing away from the piston; The magnet is arranged at a portion of the piston close to the sensor.

10. A pneumatic pull-type clutch assembly, characterized in that: The pneumatic pull-type clutch assembly is equipped with a pneumatic pull-type clutch actuator as described in any one of claims 1-9.

Images