Clutch actuating mechanism with sealing and dustproof functions
By employing outer and inner sealing components in the clutch actuator to form a multi-layer seal, the problem of poor sealing is solved, the sealing performance and service life of the clutch are improved, and the cleanliness and structural stability of the cavity are ensured.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- CN202423232578.8
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Utility models(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2024-12-26
- Publication Date
- 2025-11-14
- Estimated Expiration
- 2034-12-26
AI Technical Summary
The existing sealing structure of clutch actuators cannot completely isolate dust and other contaminants, resulting in poor sealing, short service life, and failure to meet users' requirements for high reliability and long service life.
It employs external and internal sealing components, including an external dust cover, felt, an external sealing ring, an internal dust cover, an O-ring, and an internal sealing ring. Through multiple sealing methods, it forms a multi-layer seal between the piston and the housing, and between the release bearing and the pipe sleeve, to prevent contaminants from entering.
It effectively improves the sealing performance of the clutch actuator, extends its service life, ensures the cleanliness of the cavity and the stability of the structure, prevents impurities such as metal shavings from entering, and avoids hairpinning and damage to the sealing ring.
Smart Images
Figure CN223549665U_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This utility model relates to a clutch, specifically to a clutch actuator with a sealing and dustproof function. Background Technology
[0002] With the rapid development of intelligent products, clutch actuators, as one of the core components of intelligent products, have attracted much attention. Because clutch actuators are installed between the engine and the transmission, disassembly and maintenance costs are relatively high. Therefore, OEMs and users require clutch actuators to have long service life and high reliability.
[0003] One of the key factors restricting the long lifespan and high reliability of clutch actuators is dust prevention. Metal shavings and impurities generated during vehicle operation can enter the clutch actuator, leading to problems such as clutch jamming, cracked seals, and poor sealing. Many clutch actuator products fail to meet user requirements in terms of lifespan and reliability due to poor dust prevention.
[0004] Chinese patent number 2022229200542, entitled "A Novel Dustproof Structure for a Clutch Actuator," describes a clutch actuator where an O-ring is placed between the inner dust cover fixing sleeve and the piston on the piston assembly. This O-ring creates a transition fit between the inner dust cover fixing sleeve and the spindle, preventing dust or other contaminants from entering the pneumatic chamber through the gap between the piston and the spindle, thus extending the service life of the clutch actuator. However, the inner dust cover alone cannot completely isolate dust or other contaminants, and its dustproof effect needs improvement. It cannot meet the high sealing performance requirements of users for clutch actuators. Therefore, a more efficient and stable sealing structure needs to be designed to meet user requirements. Utility Model Content
[0005] The purpose of this invention is to solve the technical problem that the sealing structure of existing clutch actuators cannot completely isolate dust or other pollutants, and to propose a clutch actuator with a sealing and dustproof function.
[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the technical solution proposed by this utility model is as follows:
[0007] A clutch actuator with a sealing and dustproof function includes a pipe sleeve fitted on a transmission shaft, a piston and a housing fitted on the pipe sleeve, the front end of the piston being installed inside the housing, and the rear end being connected to a release bearing via a wave spring clip; its special feature is that: an outer sealing assembly is provided between the piston and the housing, and an inner sealing assembly is provided between the piston and the release bearing and the pipe sleeve.
[0008] The outer sealing assembly includes an outer dust cover, felt, and an outer sealing ring. A boss is provided on the outer side of one end of the outer dust cover, and a mounting groove is provided on the piston. The outer dust cover engages with the mounting groove on the piston via the boss, allowing the piston to drive the outer dust cover to move axially. A felt mounting groove is provided on the inner side of the other end of the outer dust cover. The felt is installed in the felt mounting groove, and the inner side of the felt contacts the outer surface of the housing, forming a seal between the piston and the outer surface of the housing. The piston forms a seal with the inner surface of the housing via the outer sealing ring.
[0009] The inner sealing assembly includes an inner dust cover, an O-ring, and an inner sealing ring. The rear end of the inner dust cover is connected to the pipe sleeve, and its front end is located between the connection surface of the release bearing and the piston. The front end of the inner dust cover has an annular groove protrusion and multiple sealing protrusions. The annular groove protrusion is used to mate with the annular groove on the piston and is abutted against the annular groove in the axial direction by the release bearing. The multiple sealing protrusions are located on the outer circumferential surface of the front end of the inner dust cover and are respectively adapted to and installed with multiple sealing grooves on the piston to form a seal between the piston and the release bearing. The O-ring and the inner sealing ring are provided on the connection surface between the piston and the pipe sleeve to form a seal between the connection surfaces of the piston and the pipe sleeve.
[0010] Furthermore, the piston has an outer sealing ring mounting groove at its front end, and the outer sealing ring is installed in the outer sealing ring mounting groove. The outer side of the outer sealing ring abuts against the inner surface of the housing to form a seal between the piston and the inner surface of the housing.
[0011] Furthermore, the connecting surface between the piston and the pipe sleeve is provided with an O-ring mounting groove for installing an O-ring and an inner sealing ring mounting groove for installing an inner sealing ring. The O-ring secures the O-ring retaining ring to the pipe sleeve with an interference fit, thereby forming a first seal between the connecting surfaces of the piston and the pipe sleeve.
[0012] The inner sealing ring is installed in the inner sealing ring mounting groove to form a second seal between the piston and the pipe sleeve connection surface.
[0013] Furthermore, a retaining ring is provided at the rear end of the inner dust cover, and the inner dust cover is interference-fitted to the pipe sleeve by the retaining ring. The release bearing drives the front end of the inner dust cover to move axially.
[0014] Furthermore, both the inner and outer sealing rings are lip-shaped sealing rings;
[0015] The cross-sectional structure of the lip seal is Z-shaped, including a first lip corner, a second lip corner, a third lip corner and a fourth lip corner arranged sequentially along the outer periphery of the cross-section, which are used to abut against different corners of the inner seal ring mounting groove or the outer seal ring mounting groove to form different forms of seal.
[0016] Furthermore, the first lip on the inner sealing ring is located at the upper rear corner of the inner sealing ring mounting groove near the rear end of the piston, and is used to form a support between the piston and the pipe sleeve connection surface; the second lip is located at the lower rear corner of the inner sealing ring mounting groove near the rear end of the piston, and is used to form a dustproof seal between the piston and the pipe sleeve connection surface; the third lip and the fourth lip are located at the upper front corner and the lower front corner of the inner sealing ring mounting groove away from the rear end of the piston, respectively, and are used to form a gas flow seal between the piston and the pipe sleeve connection surface.
[0017] Furthermore, the first lip on the outer sealing ring is located at the lower rear corner of the outer sealing ring mounting groove near the rear end of the piston, and is used to form a support between the piston and the housing; the second lip is located at the upper rear corner of the outer sealing ring mounting groove near the rear end of the piston, and abuts against the inner surface of the housing, and is used to form a dustproof seal between the connecting surfaces of the piston and the housing; the third lip and the fourth lip are located at the upper front corner and the lower front corner of the outer sealing ring mounting groove away from the rear end of the piston, respectively, and are used to form a gas flow seal between the connecting surfaces of the piston and the housing.
[0018] Furthermore, the O-ring retaining ring and the pipe sleeve, as well as the rear end of the inner dust cover and the pipe sleeve, are both interference fits.
[0019] Furthermore, the distribution position and number of the plurality of sealing protrusions are the same as the distribution position and number of the sealing grooves.
[0020] The beneficial effects of this utility model are:
[0021] [1] This utility model discloses a clutch actuator with a sealing and dustproof function. By using an outer sealing component and an inner sealing component to seal and protect it, the device's protective effect is effectively improved, the cleanliness of each part in the clutch cavity is guaranteed, the overall stability and reliability of the structure is improved, the service life of the clutch is extended, production resources are saved, the isolation effect of dust, metal shavings or other pollutants is greatly improved, and the good sealing performance of the clutch actuator is effectively guaranteed.
[0022] [2] The inner dust cover of this utility model can effectively prevent metal shavings from the wear of the release bearing and the clutch during the use of the clutch actuator from falling onto the surface of the pipe sleeve, which would cause the clutch actuator to jam and damage the sealing ring. This effectively improves the sealing performance of the clutch, extends its service life, and ensures the cleanliness of the cavity.
[0023] [3] Both the inner and outer sealing rings of this utility model are lip-shaped sealing rings. Different lip angles of the lip-shaped sealing rings form different forms of seals on the connection surface between the piston and the pipe sleeve and the connection surface between the piston and the housing, which effectively improves the sealing and dustproof performance of the clutch actuator. Attached Figure Description
[0024] Figure 1 This is a cross-sectional view of an embodiment of a clutch actuator with a sealing and dustproof function according to the present invention.
[0025] Figure 2 This is a partial enlarged view of the inner dust cover in an embodiment of this utility model;
[0026] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram showing the installation positions of the inner and outer sealing rings in an embodiment of this utility model.
[0027] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the piston inlet / outlet groove, annular groove, and sealing groove in an embodiment of this utility model;
[0028] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the clutch engagement process in an embodiment of this utility model;
[0029] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the clutch disengagement process in an embodiment of this utility model;
[0030] Figure label:
[0031] 1-Outer dust cover, 2-Piston, 3-Felt, 4-Outer sealing ring, 5-Housing, 6-Pipe sleeve, 7-Inner sealing ring, 8-Inner dust cover, 9-O-ring retaining ring, 10-O-ring, 11-Retaining ring, 12-Separation bearing, 13-Wave spring clip, 14-Ring groove protrusion, 15-Sealing protrusion, 16-Ring groove, 17-Sealing groove, 18-First lip corner, 19-Second lip corner, 20-Third lip corner, 21-Fourth lip corner, 22-Inlet / exhaust groove, 23-First cavity, 24-Second cavity. Detailed Implementation
[0032] like Figure 1 As shown, a clutch actuator with a sealing and dustproof function includes a pipe sleeve 6 sleeved on the first shaft of the transmission. A piston 2 and a housing 5 are sleeved on the pipe sleeve 6. The front end of the piston 2 is installed inside the housing 5, and the rear end is connected to the release bearing 12 through a wave spring clip 13. The housing 5 is fixedly connected to the pipe sleeve 6. An outer sealing assembly is provided between the piston 2 and the housing 5, and an inner sealing assembly is provided between the piston 2, the release bearing 12, and the pipe sleeve 6. The inner sealing assembly is designed to prevent metal shavings and impurities from entering the clutch, and the outer sealing assembly is designed to prevent external impurities from entering the clutch.
[0033] The outer sealing assembly includes an outer dust cover 1, a felt 3, and an outer sealing ring 4. One end of the outer dust cover 1 has a boss on its outer side, and the piston 2 has a mounting groove. The outer dust cover 1 engages with the mounting groove on the piston 2 via the boss, allowing the piston 2 to drive the outer dust cover 1 to move axially. The other end of the outer dust cover 1 has a felt mounting groove on its inner side, and the felt 3 is installed within this groove. The inner side of the felt 3 contacts the outer surface of the housing 5, forming a seal between the piston 2 and the outer surface of the housing 5. The piston 2 forms a seal with the inner surface of the housing 5 via the outer sealing ring 4. The outer dust cover 1 and the felt 3 primarily protect against external impurities entering the clutch cavity. The outer sealing ring 4 primarily protects against residual impurities passing through the felt 3.
[0034] like Figure 2 As shown, the inner sealing assembly includes an inner dust cover 8, an O-ring 10, and an inner sealing ring 7. The inner dust cover 8 is used to protect the pipe sleeve 6 and all adjacent parts through its extensibility throughout the entire stroke of the piston 2. A retaining ring 11 is provided at the rear end of the inner dust cover 8. The inner dust cover 8 is interference-fitted to the pipe sleeve 6 by the retaining ring 11. The release bearing 12 drives the front end of the inner dust cover 8 to move axially. The inner dust cover 8 can effectively prevent metal shavings from the wear of the release bearing 12 and the clutch from falling onto the surface of the pipe sleeve 6 during use, which could lead to the clutch actuator jamming and damage to the sealing ring. This effectively improves the sealing performance of the clutch and extends its service life.
[0035] like Figure 4 As shown, the front end of the inner dust cover 8 is located between the connection surface of the release bearing 12 and the piston 2. The front end of the inner dust cover 8 is provided with an annular groove protrusion 14 and multiple sealing protrusions 15. The annular groove protrusion 14 is used to cooperate with the annular groove 16 on the piston 2 and is pressed and constrained by the release bearing 12 to move in the axial direction, while abutting against the annular groove 16. The multiple sealing protrusions 15 are located on the outer circumferential surface of the front end of the inner dust cover 8 and are respectively adapted to and installed with multiple sealing grooves 17 on the piston 2. The distribution position and number of the multiple sealing protrusions 15 are the same as the distribution position and number of the sealing grooves 17, which are used to form a seal between the piston 2 and the release bearing 12. An O-ring 10 and an inner sealing ring 7 are provided on the connection surface between the piston 2 and the pipe sleeve 6, which are used to form a seal between the connection surface of the piston 2 and the pipe sleeve 6. The O-ring 10 is mainly used to protect residual metal chips and impurities passing through the inner dust cover 8, and the inner sealing ring 7 is mainly used to prevent other impurities from entering the clutch.
[0036] The connecting surface between piston 2 and pipe sleeve 6 is provided with an O-ring mounting groove for installing O-ring 10 and an inner sealing ring mounting groove for installing inner sealing ring 7. O-ring 10 interference-fits O-ring retaining ring 9 onto pipe sleeve 6 to form a first seal between the connecting surfaces of piston 2 and pipe sleeve 6; inner sealing ring 7 is installed in inner sealing ring mounting groove to form a second seal between the connecting surfaces of piston 2 and pipe sleeve 6.
[0037] like Figure 3 As shown, both the inner sealing ring 7 and the outer sealing ring 4 are lip-shaped sealing rings; the cross-sectional structure of the lip-shaped sealing ring is Z-shaped, including a first lip angle 18, a second lip angle 19, a third lip angle 20 and a fourth lip angle 21 arranged sequentially along the outer periphery of the cross-section, which are used to abut against different corners of the inner sealing ring mounting groove or the outer sealing ring mounting groove to form different forms of seal.
[0038] The inner sealing ring 7 is a lip-shaped sealing ring. The first lip corner 18 on the inner sealing ring 7 is located at the upper rear corner of the inner sealing ring mounting groove near the rear end of the piston 2, and is used to form a support between the connecting surfaces of the piston 2 and the pipe sleeve 6. The second lip corner 19 is located at the lower rear corner of the inner sealing ring mounting groove near the rear end of the piston 2, and is used to form a dustproof seal between the connecting surfaces of the piston 2 and the pipe sleeve 6. The third lip corner 20 and the fourth lip corner 21 are located at the upper front corner and the lower front corner of the inner sealing ring mounting groove away from the rear end of the piston 2, respectively, and are used to form a gas flow seal between the connecting surfaces of the piston 2 and the pipe sleeve 6.
[0039] The first lip 18 on the outer sealing ring 4 is located at the lower rear corner of the outer sealing ring mounting groove near the rear end of the piston 2, and is used to form a support between the piston 2 and the housing 5; the second lip 19 is located at the upper rear corner of the outer sealing ring mounting groove near the rear end of the piston 2, and abuts against the inner surface of the housing 5, and is used to form a dustproof seal between the connecting surfaces of the piston 2 and the housing 5; the third lip 20 and the fourth lip 21 are located at the upper front corner and the lower front corner of the outer sealing ring mounting groove away from the rear end of the piston 2, respectively, and are used to form a gas flow seal between the connecting surfaces of the piston 2 and the housing 5.
[0040] like Figure 5 As shown, during the clutch engagement process, the clutch pushes the release bearing 12 and piston 2 to move forward axially. At this time, the volume of the first cavity 23 formed between the inner dust cover 8 and piston 2 and release bearing 12 gradually increases, while the volume of the second cavity 24 formed between the outer dust cover 1 and piston 2 and housing 5 gradually decreases. The first cavity 23 draws in air from the outside, and the second cavity 24 discharges the gas inside the cavity. The piston 2 is provided with multiple inlet / outlet grooves 22 for exhaust and intake, preventing the negative pressure in the cavity from pushing the inner dust cover 8 out. The second cavity 24 exhausts and draws in air through the felt 3, thereby completing the clutch engagement process.
[0041] like Figure 6 As shown, during the clutch disengagement process, the gas flow pushes the release bearing 12 and piston 2 to move backward along the axial direction. At this time, the volume of the first chamber gradually decreases and the volume of the second chamber gradually increases. The first chamber exhausts gas through multiple intake / exhaust grooves 22, and the second chamber draws air to the outside through the felt 3, thereby completing the clutch disengagement process.
[0042] During the engagement or disengagement of the clutch, the outer sealing assembly between the piston 2 and the housing 5, and the inner sealing assembly between the piston 2 and the release bearing 12 and the pipe sleeve 6, can effectively seal each cavity, preventing metal shavings or other impurities from entering the cavity and effectively ensuring the cleanliness of each component inside the cavity.
Claims
1. A clutch actuator with a sealing and dustproof function, comprising a pipe sleeve (6) fitted on a transmission shaft, a piston (2) and a housing (5) fitted on the pipe sleeve (6), the front end of the piston (2) being installed inside the housing (5), and the rear end being connected to a release bearing (12) via a wave spring clip (13); characterized in that: An outer sealing assembly is provided between the piston (2) and the housing (5), and an inner sealing assembly is provided between the piston (2) and the release bearing (12) and the pipe sleeve (6); The outer sealing assembly includes an outer dust cover (1), a felt (3), and an outer sealing ring (4). A boss is provided on the outer side of one end of the outer dust cover (1), and an installation groove is provided on the piston (2). The outer dust cover (1) is engaged with the installation groove on the piston (2) through the boss. The piston (2) can drive the outer dust cover (1) to move axially. A felt installation groove is provided on the inner side of the other end of the outer dust cover (1). The felt (3) is installed in the felt installation groove. The inner side of the felt (3) is in contact with the outer surface of the housing (5) to form a seal between the piston (2) and the outer surface of the housing (5). The piston (2) forms a seal with the inner surface of the housing (5) through the outer sealing ring (4). The inner sealing assembly includes an inner dust cover (8), an O-ring (10), and an inner sealing ring (7). The rear end of the inner dust cover (8) is connected to the pipe sleeve (6), and its front end is located between the connection surface of the release bearing (12) and the piston (2). The front end of the inner dust cover (8) is provided with an annular groove protrusion (14) and multiple sealing protrusions (15). The annular groove protrusion (14) is used to cooperate with the annular groove (16) on the piston (2) and is guided along the release bearing (12). The axial direction abuts against the annular groove (16); the plurality of sealing protrusions (15) are located on the outer peripheral surface of the front end of the inner dust cover (8), and are respectively adapted to and installed with the plurality of sealing grooves (17) on the piston (2) to form a seal between the piston (2) and the release bearing (12); the O-ring (10) and the inner sealing ring (7) are provided on the connecting surface between the piston (2) and the pipe sleeve (6) to form a seal between the connecting surfaces of the piston (2) and the pipe sleeve (6).
2. The clutch actuator with sealing and dustproof function according to claim 1, characterized in that: The piston (2) has an outer sealing ring mounting groove at its front end. The outer sealing ring (4) is installed in the outer sealing ring mounting groove. The outer side of the outer sealing ring (4) abuts against the inner surface of the housing (5) to form a seal between the piston (2) and the inner surface of the housing (5).
3. The clutch actuator with sealing and dustproof function according to claim 2, characterized in that: The connecting surface between the piston (2) and the pipe sleeve (6) is provided with an O-ring mounting groove for installing an O-ring (10) and an inner sealing ring mounting groove for installing an inner sealing ring (7). The O-ring (10) presses the O-ring fixing ring (9) onto the pipe sleeve (6) to form a first seal between the connecting surfaces of the piston (2) and the pipe sleeve (6). The inner sealing ring (7) is installed in the inner sealing ring mounting groove to form a second seal between the piston (2) and the pipe sleeve (6).
4. The clutch actuator with sealing and dustproof function according to claim 3, characterized in that: The inner dust cover (8) is provided with a retaining ring (11) at its rear end. The inner dust cover (8) is interference-fitted to the pipe sleeve (6) by the retaining ring (11). The release bearing (12) drives the front end of the inner dust cover (8) to move axially.
5. The clutch actuator with sealing and dustproof function according to claim 4, characterized in that: Both the inner sealing ring (7) and the outer sealing ring (4) are lip-shaped sealing rings; The cross-sectional structure of the lip seal ring is Z-shaped, including a first lip corner (18), a second lip corner (19), a third lip corner (20) and a fourth lip corner (21) arranged sequentially along the outer periphery of the cross-section, which are used to abut against different corners of the inner seal ring mounting groove or the outer seal ring mounting groove to form different forms of seal.
6. The clutch actuator with sealing and dustproof function according to claim 5, characterized in that: The first lip (18) on the inner sealing ring (7) is located at the upper rear corner of the inner sealing ring mounting groove near the rear end of the piston (2), and is used to form a support between the connecting surfaces of the piston (2) and the pipe sleeve (6); the second lip (19) is located at the lower rear corner of the inner sealing ring mounting groove near the rear end of the piston (2), and is used to form a dustproof seal between the connecting surfaces of the piston (2) and the pipe sleeve (6); the third lip (20) and the fourth lip (21) are located at the upper front corner and the lower front corner of the inner sealing ring mounting groove away from the rear end of the piston (2), respectively, and are used to form a gas flow seal between the connecting surfaces of the piston (2) and the pipe sleeve (6).
7. The clutch actuator with sealing and dustproof function according to claim 6, characterized in that: The first lip (18) on the outer sealing ring (4) is located at the lower rear corner of the outer sealing ring mounting groove near the rear end of the piston (2), and is used to form a support between the piston (2) and the housing (5); the second lip (19) is located at the upper rear corner of the outer sealing ring mounting groove near the rear end of the piston (2) and abuts against the inner surface of the housing (5), and is used to form a dustproof seal between the connecting surfaces of the piston (2) and the housing (5); the third lip (20) and the fourth lip (21) are located at the upper front corner and the lower front corner of the outer sealing ring mounting groove away from the rear end of the piston (2), respectively, and are used to form a gas flow seal between the connecting surfaces of the piston (2) and the housing (5).
8. The clutch actuator with sealing and dustproof function according to claim 7, characterized in that: The O-ring retaining ring (9) and the pipe sleeve (6), as well as the rear end of the inner dust cover (8) and the pipe sleeve (6), are all interference fits.
9. A clutch actuator with a sealing and dustproof function according to claim 7, characterized in that: The distribution position and number of the plurality of sealing protrusions (15) are the same as the distribution position and number of the sealing grooves (17).