Clutch assembly and power transmission mechanism

Abstract

A clutch assembly and a power transmission mechanism. The clutch assembly (40) comprises: a first switchable one-way clutch (41), a second switchable one-way clutch (42) and a gear-shifting sleeve (43), wherein the first switchable one-way clutch (41) and the second switchable one-way clutch (42) are arranged on two opposite ends of the gear-shifting sleeve (43) in the axial direction of the clutch assembly (40); the first switchable one-way clutch (41) and the second switchable one-way clutch (42) each have a fully disconnected mode in which torque cannot be transmitted and a one-way clutch mode in which torque can be transmitted when a predetermined condition is met; and the gear-shifting sleeve (43) can move in the axial direction to selectively enable the two switchable one-way clutches to switch between the fully disconnected mode and the one-way clutch mode, thereby achieving different gear positions of the power transmission mechanism. The power transmission mechanism comprises a transmission shaft (10), a first gear (20), a second gear (30), and the clutch assembly (40). When each switchable one-way clutch is switched from the fully disconnected state to the one-way clutch mode, it is simply unnecessary to adjust the rotational speeds of a driving member and a driven member to be almost the same; thus, the system response time can be shortened, improving the gear shifting efficiency.

Description

Clutch assembly and power transmission mechanism Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of vehicle transmission, in particular to a clutch assembly comprising two switchable one-way clutches and a power transmission mechanism comprising the clutch assembly. Background Art

[0002] In existing power transmission mechanisms, synchronizers or dog clutches are usually used for gear shifting. However, synchronizers or dog clutches can only work in fully disconnected mode or fully connected mode to switch between different power modes. In fully disconnected mode, the active and passive parts of the synchronizer or dog clutch are separated from each other and each rotates at a different speed; in fully connected mode, the active and passive parts of the clutch are engaged with each other, and both need to rotate at the same speed to transmit torque. Therefore, when the synchronizer or dog clutch switches from fully disconnected mode to fully connected mode, it is first necessary to adjust the speed of the active part and the speed of the passive part to almost the same before the active and passive parts can engage with each other. However, this speed regulation process will result in a longer response time of the power transmission mechanism and poor gear shifting efficiency.

[0003] Moreover, in the above-mentioned speed regulation process, additional shifting force needs to be applied to adjust the speeds of the driving member and the driven member to almost the same, and the shifting force needs to be provided by a hydraulic pump or a motor, thus resulting in a complex structure of the entire power transmission mechanism and increased costs.

[0004] Furthermore, during gear shifting, the dog clutch can collide due to backlash between its teeth, causing noise and shock that can cause driver discomfort. Furthermore, the impact between the teeth can lead to failures and reduce the vehicle's service life. Furthermore, because the teeth can become stuck during the shifting process, the dog clutch can have difficulty switching from fully disconnected to fully connected, resulting in shift failures.

[0005] Summary of the Invention

[0006] In view of the above problems, the present invention provides a clutch assembly including two switchable one-way clutches and a power transmission mechanism including the clutch assembly.

[0007] According to an embodiment of the present invention, a clutch assembly is provided, comprising: a first switchable one-way clutch, a second switchable one-way clutch and a shift sleeve, wherein the first switchable one-way clutch and the second switchable one-way clutch are arranged at opposite ends of the shift sleeve along the axial direction of the clutch assembly; the first switchable one-way clutch and the second switchable one-way clutch respectively have a completely disconnected mode in which torque cannot be transmitted and a one-way clutch mode in which torque can be transmitted when predetermined conditions are met; the shift sleeve can move between the first switchable one-way clutch and the second switchable one-way clutch along the axial direction, thereby selectively switching the first switchable one-way clutch and the second switchable one-way clutch between the completely disconnected mode and the one-way clutch mode, respectively, to achieve different gears of the power transmission mechanism.

[0008] Preferably, when the shift sleeve is located in a first axial position, the first switchable one-way clutch is in the one-way clutch mode; when the shift sleeve is located in a second axial position different from the first axial position, the second switchable one-way clutch is in the one-way clutch mode; when the shift sleeve is located in an intermediate axial position between the first axial position and the second axial position, both the second switchable one-way clutch and the second switchable one-way clutch are in the fully disconnected mode.

[0009] Preferably, the first switchable one-way clutch includes a first outer ring, a first inner ring, a first retaining frame and a first roller, the first roller is arranged in a radial gap between the first inner ring and the first outer ring, and the first retaining frame can be circumferentially displaced relative to the first inner ring or the first outer ring, thereby controlling the first switchable one-way clutch to switch between the fully disconnected mode and the one-way clutch mode; and the second switchable one-way clutch includes a second outer ring, a second inner ring, a second retaining frame and a second roller, the second roller is arranged in a radial gap between the second inner ring and the second outer ring, and the second retaining frame can be circumferentially displaced relative to the second inner ring or the second outer ring, thereby controlling the second switchable one-way clutch to switch between the fully disconnected mode and the one-way clutch mode.

[0010] Preferably, the first inner race of the first switchable one-way clutch and the second inner race of the second switchable one-way clutch partially overlap in a radial direction of the clutch assembly and are torque-proof connected to each other.

[0011] Preferably, the clutch assembly further comprises a positioning sleeve, which is arranged radially outside the first inner ring and the second inner ring and radially inside the shift sleeve, the positioning sleeve being fixedly connected to the first retaining frame and the second retaining frame, the shift sleeve being movable relative to the positioning sleeve in the axial direction, and enabling the positioning sleeve to drive the first retaining frame and the second retaining frame to rotate in the circumferential direction of the clutch assembly.

[0012] Preferably, a first positioning groove is provided on the positioning sleeve, and the shift sleeve has a first clamping protrusion extending into the first positioning groove, and the first clamping protrusion can move relatively in the axial direction and the circumferential direction along the inner inclined edge of the first positioning groove, thereby pushing the first retaining frame to undergo circumferential displacement relative to the first inner ring or the first outer ring through the positioning sleeve, thereby controlling the first switchable one-way clutch to switch between the fully disconnected mode and the one-way clutch mode.

[0013] Preferably, the first positioning groove includes a small opening section and a large opening section arranged in sequence along the axial direction, the large opening section is closer to the first switchable one-way clutch than the small opening section, and when the first engaging protrusion is located in the small opening section, the first switchable one-way clutch is in the fully disconnected working mode, and when the first engaging protrusion is located in the large opening section, the first switchable one-way clutch is in the one-way clutch mode.

[0014] Preferably, the circumferential dimension of the large opening section is larger than the circumferential dimension of the small opening section, the large opening section and the small opening section are connected to each other, and the connection between the large opening section and the small opening section has the inner inclined edge so that the first clamping protrusion can move relative to each other in the axial direction and the circumferential direction.

[0015] Preferably, a second positioning groove is provided on the positioning sleeve, and the second positioning groove is arranged at a position different from the first positioning groove in the circumferential direction. The shift sleeve has a second clamping protrusion extending into the second positioning groove, and the second clamping protrusion can move relatively in the axial direction and the circumferential direction along the inner inclined edge of the second positioning groove, thereby pushing the second retaining frame to circumferentially displace relative to the second inner ring or the second outer ring through the positioning sleeve, thereby controlling the second switchable one-way clutch to switch between the fully disconnected mode and the one-way clutch mode.

[0016] Preferably, in the first switchable one-way clutch, the predetermined condition is that the first outer ring and the first inner ring rotate relative to each other in a predetermined direction so that the first roller is squeezed together by the inner circumference of the first outer ring and the outer circumference of the first inner ring; and correspondingly, in the second switchable one-way clutch, the predetermined condition is that the second outer ring and the second inner ring rotate relative to each other in a predetermined direction so that the second roller is squeezed together by the inner circumference of the second outer ring and the outer circumference of the second inner ring.

[0017] According to another embodiment of the present invention, a power transmission mechanism is provided, which includes a transmission shaft, a first gear, a second gear and the above-mentioned clutch assembly, wherein the clutch assembly is arranged between the first gear and the second gear along the axial direction, wherein the first switchable one-way clutch in the clutch assembly is used to control the power connection between the first gear and the transmission shaft, and the second switchable one-way clutch in the clutch assembly is used to control the power connection between the second gear and the transmission shaft.

[0018] As described above, the clutch assembly according to the present invention includes two switchable one-way clutches, and each switchable one-way clutch has two working states, namely a fully disconnected state and a one-way clutch mode; and when each switchable one-way clutch is switched from the fully disconnected state to the one-way clutch mode, it is only necessary to use the shift fork to change the circumferential position of the retaining frame relative to the roller, without adjusting the rotational speeds of the active member and the driven member to almost the same, thereby reducing the system response time and improving the shifting efficiency.

[0019] Furthermore, the one-way clutch mode of each switchable one-way clutch in the clutch assembly according to the present invention is different from the fully connected state. It can have a non-torque transmission state and a torque transmission state according to the relative rotational speed of the active member and the driven member of each switchable one-way clutch. In other words, torque can be transmitted through the switchable one-way clutch by simply increasing the rotational speed of the active member of the switchable one-way clutch to a value not lower than the rotational speed of the driven member of the switchable one-way clutch. Therefore, the power torque can be transmitted without applying additional shifting force, and therefore there is no need to set up a dedicated oil pump or motor to provide shifting force, thereby reducing the cost of the entire power transmission mechanism. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] The features, advantages and technical effects of exemplary embodiments of the present application will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0021] FIG1 shows an axial cross-sectional view of a power transmission mechanism including a clutch assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0022] FIG2 shows a perspective structural diagram of a clutch assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0023] FIG3 shows a schematic structural diagram of three different gear positions of a clutch assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0024] FIG4 shows a schematic structural diagram of a clutch assembly in a neutral position according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0025] FIG5 is a schematic structural diagram of a clutch assembly in a first gear position according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0026] 6 shows a radial cross-sectional view of a first switchable one-way clutch in a clutch assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0027] 7 shows a partial cross-sectional view of a first switchable one-way clutch in a clutch assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention in a fully disconnected mode;

[0028] FIG8 shows a partial cross-sectional view of a first switchable one-way clutch in a clutch assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention in a one-way clutch mode. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0029] The following detailed description of the embodiments of the present application is provided in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and examples. The following detailed description of the embodiments and the accompanying drawings are used to illustrate the principles of the present application, but are not intended to limit the scope of the present application, i.e., the present application is not limited to the described embodiments.

[0030] In the description of this application, unless otherwise specified, the terms "upper," "lower," "inner," "outer," etc., indicating directions or positional relationships, are intended only to facilitate the description of this application and simplify the description, and are not intended to indicate or imply that the devices or components referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operate in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this application. Furthermore, the terms "first," "second," etc., are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance. The directional terms appearing in the following description refer to the directions shown in the drawings and are not intended to limit the specific structure of this application.

[0031] It should also be noted that, in the description of this application, unless otherwise specified or limited, the terms "installed," "connected," and "connected" should be understood broadly. For example, they can refer to fixed connections, detachable connections, or integral connections; they can refer to direct connections or indirect connections through an intermediary. Those skilled in the art will understand the specific meanings of these terms in this application based on the specific circumstances.

[0032] Figure 1 shows an axial cross-sectional view of a power transmission mechanism including a clutch assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Figure 1 , the power transmission mechanism includes a transmission shaft 10 , a first gear 20 , a second gear 30 , a clutch assembly 40 and a shift fork 50 .

[0033] The transmission shaft 10 is, for example, power-coupled to a wheel and rotatable about a rotation axis, which is the central axis of the transmission shaft 10. The first gear 20 and the second gear 30 are rotatably mounted on the transmission shaft 10 and power-coupled to the motor / generator.

[0034] The clutch assembly 40 is disposed between the first gear 20 and the second gear 30 along the axial direction of the transfer shaft 10. That is, the first gear 20 and the second gear 30 are respectively coupled to opposite axial sides of the clutch assembly 40. The clutch assembly 40 is used to connect or disconnect power transmission between the first gear 20 and the transfer shaft 10, and power transmission between the second gear 30 and the transfer shaft 10, thereby controlling the power connection from the motor / engine to the wheels.

[0035] The shift fork 50 is connected to the clutch assembly 40 to control the clutch assembly 40 to achieve different gears, such as first gear, second gear and neutral gear, etc., wherein, in first gear, the clutch assembly 40 can achieve power coupling with the first gear 20, for example, torque is transmitted from the first gear 20 to the transmission shaft 10 through the clutch assembly 40; in second gear, power coupling is achieved between the clutch assembly 40 and the second gear 30, for example, torque is transmitted from the second gear 30 to the transmission shaft 10 through the clutch assembly 40; in neutral gear, the clutch assembly 40 is neither power coupled to the first gear 20 nor to the second gear 30, so neither the torque of the first gear 20 nor the torque on the second gear 30 will be transmitted to the transmission shaft 10, and at this time the power connection from the motor / engine to the wheels is interrupted.

[0036] In this specification, the present invention is described using the example of the first gear 20 or the second gear 30 serving as the input member of the power transmission mechanism and the transmission shaft 10 serving as the output member of the power transmission mechanism. In this case, power is transmitted from the first gear 20 or the second gear 30 to the transmission shaft 10 via the clutch assembly 40. However, those skilled in the art will appreciate that power can also be transmitted from the transmission shaft 10 to the first gear 20 or the second gear 30. In this case, the transmission shaft 10 serves as the input member of the power transmission mechanism, while the first gear 20 and the second gear 30 serve as the output members of the power transmission mechanism.

[0037] Figures 2 to 5 illustrate the structure of a clutch assembly 40 according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Figures 2 to 5, the clutch assembly 40 includes a first switchable one-way clutch 41, a second switchable one-way clutch 42, and a shift sleeve 43. The first switchable one-way clutch 41 and the second switchable one-way clutch 42 are arranged axially side by side. The first switchable one-way clutch 41 is positioned near the first gear 20 and is used to connect or disconnect power transmission between the first gear 20 and the transmission shaft 10. The second switchable one-way clutch 42 is positioned near the second gear 30 and is used to connect or disconnect power transmission between the second gear 30 and the transmission shaft 10. The shift sleeve 43 is positioned axially between the first and second switchable one-way clutches 41, 42 and is axially movable. It controls the switching of the operating modes of the first and second switchable one-way clutches 41, 42, thereby controlling power transmission between the first gear 20 and the transmission shaft 10 and between the second gear 30 and the transmission shaft 10.

[0038] The first switchable one-way clutch 41 includes a first outer ring 411, a first inner ring 412, a first retainer 413, first rollers 414, and a first thrust spring 415. The first inner ring 412 can be splined to the transmission shaft 10 in a torque-resistant manner to transmit torque, while the first outer ring 411 can be connected to the first gear 20 in a torque-resistant manner to transmit torque. For example, the first outer ring 411 can be integrally formed with the first gear 20. The first outer ring 411 is coaxially arranged radially outward of the first inner ring 412. A plurality of first rollers 414 are disposed within a radial gap between the first inner ring 412 and the first outer ring 411. A plurality of first thrust springs 415 respectively abut against the plurality of first rollers 414, applying a force in one direction along the circumference of the power transmission mechanism. The first thrust spring 415 can propel the first roller 414 by leveraging the relative rotation of the first inner ring 412 and the first outer ring 411 in a predetermined direction, causing the first roller 414 to be squeezed by the outer circumference of the first inner ring 412 and the inner circumference of the first outer ring 411, thereby achieving synchronous rotation of the first inner ring 412 and the first outer ring 411, thereby transmitting power torque. The first retainer 413 is partially disposed within the radial gap between the first inner ring 412 and the first outer ring 411 and can rotate a certain angle circumferentially relative to the first inner ring 412 or the first outer ring 411, thereby controlling the switching of the first switchable one-way clutch 41 between a fully disconnected mode and a clutched operating mode.

[0039] The two operating modes of the first switchable one-way clutch 41 are described in detail below with reference to Figures 7 and 8 . As shown in Figures 7 and 8 , the radially outer side of the first inner race 412 comprises a radially concave section 412a that is recessed radially inward, and a radially gradually convex section 412b that gradually convexes radially outward. The radius of the first inner race 412 in the radially concave section 412a is smaller than the radius of the radially gradually convex section 412b. As a result, the radial distance between the first outer race 411 and the first inner race 412 increases in the radially concave section 412a and gradually decreases in the radially gradually convex section 412b. However, it should be understood that both radially concave and radially gradually convex sections may also be provided on the first outer race.

[0040] When the first retainer 413 is in the first circumferential position, i.e., when the first retainer 413 is pushed to the position shown in FIG7 , the first roller 414 is always retained by the first retainer 413 in the radially inwardly recessed section 412a. This means that the first roller 414 cannot circumferentially move relative to the first inner ring 412. Therefore, regardless of the rotational speed of the first outer ring 411 or the first inner ring 412, a radial gap always exists between the first roller 414 and either the first outer ring 411 or the first inner ring 412. Consequently, the first outer ring 411 or the first inner ring 412 cannot transmit torque via the first roller 414. Consequently, the first switchable one-way clutch 41 is in a fully disconnected mode. In this fully disconnected state, the first outer ring 411 and the first inner ring 412 can rotate at different speeds.

[0041] When the first retainer 413 is in the second circumferential position, that is, when the first retainer 413 is pushed to the position shown in Figure 8, the first roller 414 is allowed to move between the radially concave section 412a and the radially convex section 412b. At this time, the first switchable one-way clutch 41 is in the one-way clutch mode.

[0042] In the one-way clutch mode, referring to FIG8 , when the first outer ring 411 serves as the active member and the first inner ring 412 serves as the driven member, if the first outer ring 411 rotates counterclockwise relative to the first inner ring 412 and the rotation speed of the first outer ring 411 is not lower than the rotation speed of the first inner ring 412, the first roller 414 moves from the radially concave section 412a to the radially gradually convex section 412b, thereby the first roller 414 is clamped between the first outer ring 411 and the first inner ring 412, so that the first outer ring 411 and the first inner ring 412 can transmit torque through the first roller 414. At this time, the first switchable The one-way clutch 41 is in a torque-transmitting state; however, if the first outer ring 411 rotates counterclockwise relative to the first inner ring 412 but the rotational speed of the first outer ring 411 is less than the rotational speed of the first inner ring 412, the first roller 414 is still in the radially concave section 412a driven by the first inner ring 412 with a higher rotational speed. At this time, there is a gap in the radial direction between the first roller 414 and the first outer ring 411 or the first inner ring 412, so the first outer ring 411 and the first inner ring 412 cannot transmit torque through the first roller 414. At this time, the first switchable one-way clutch 41 is in a non-torque-transmitting state.

[0043] That is, the one-way clutch mode includes two operating states: a non-torque-transmitting state and a torque-transmitting state. When the first roller 414 moves to the radially concave section 412a, the first switchable one-way clutch 41 is in the non-torque-transmitting state, and when the first roller 414 moves to the radially convex section 412b, the first switchable one-way clutch 41 is in the torque-transmitting state. In the non-torque-transmitting state, the first inner ring 412, serving as the driven element, can rotate along with the transmission shaft 10 in the overrunning mode, while the first outer ring 411, serving as the active element, can rotate at a different speed than the first inner ring 412, serving as the driven element. In the torque-transmitting state, the first inner ring 412, serving as the driven element, and the first outer ring 411, serving as the active element, rotate synchronously.

[0044] The above description of the one-way clutch mode of the first switchable one-way clutch 41 uses the first outer ring 411 as the active element and the first inner ring 412 as the passive element as an example. However, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the first inner ring 412 can also be used as the active element and the first outer ring 411 as the passive element. In this case, if the first inner ring 412 rotates clockwise relative to the first outer ring 411 and the speed of the first inner ring 412 is not less than the speed of the first outer ring 411, the first roller 414 moves from the radially concave section 412a to the radially convex section 412b, gradually being clamped between the first outer ring 411 and the first inner ring 412. This transfers torque between the first inner ring 412 and the first outer ring 411, and the first switchable one-way clutch 411 is in a torque-transmitting state. However, if the first inner ring 412 rotates clockwise relative to the first outer ring 411 but the speed of the first inner ring 412 is less than the speed of the first outer ring 411, the first switchable one-way clutch 411 is in a non-torque-transmitting state.

[0045] Therefore, it should be understood that the switching between the torque-transmitting and non-torque-transmitting states in the one-way clutch mode is actually dependent on the direction of power torque transmission and the relative speeds of the driving and driven members. In other words, when the first switchable one-way clutch 41 switches from the non-torque-transmitting state to the torque-transmitting state, the speed of the driving member must be increased to a value no less than that of the driven member in order to achieve power torque transmission.

[0046] The second switchable one-way clutch 42 includes: a second outer ring, a second inner ring 422, a second retaining frame 423, a second roller 424 and a second thrust spring, and therefore has substantially the same structure and working principle as the first switchable one-way clutch, and the same parts are not repeated here.

[0047] The first inner race 412 of the first switchable one-way clutch 41 and the second inner race 422 of the second switchable one-way clutch 42 can partially overlap in the radial direction and be torque-resistantly connected to each other. Here, the first inner race 412 and the second inner race 422 are configured as two separate parts to facilitate installation of the shift sleeve 43. However, the first inner race 412 and the second inner race 422 can also be formed as a single piece. It should be understood that the dimensions of the first switchable one-way clutch and the second switchable one-way clutch 42 can be the same or different.

[0048] The shift sleeve 43 can move axially, thereby selectively switching the first and second switchable one-way clutches 41, 42 between different operating modes to achieve different gear positions of the power transmission mechanism. Figure 3 shows three different axial positions of the shift sleeve 43. When the shift sleeve 43 is in the first axial position (i.e., the left position in Figure 3, corresponding to the first gear position described above), the first switchable one-way clutch 41 is in the one-way clutch mode. When the shift sleeve 43 is in the second axial position (i.e., the right position in Figure 3, corresponding to the second gear position described above), the second switchable one-way clutch 42 is in the one-way clutch mode. When the shift sleeve 43 is in an intermediate position between the first and second axial positions (i.e., the intermediate position in Figure 3, corresponding to the neutral position described above), both the first and second switchable one-way clutches 41, 42 are fully disengaged.

[0049] In addition, in some embodiments, as shown in FIG1 , the shift sleeve 43 is provided with a radially inward groove on the radial outside, and the shift fork 50 can be partially accommodated in the radially inward groove, thereby driving the shift sleeve 43 to move in the axial direction and the circumferential direction.

[0050] In some exemplary embodiments, the clutch assembly 40 further includes a positioning sleeve 44. As shown in Figures 3 to 5, the positioning sleeve 44 is disposed radially outward of the first inner race 412 and the second inner race 422, while the shift sleeve 43 is disposed radially outward of the positioning sleeve 44 and is movable axially relative to the positioning sleeve 44. The positioning sleeve 44 is fixedly connected to the first retainer 413 and the second retainer 423, respectively. The shift sleeve 43 can cause the positioning sleeve 44 to rotate circumferentially, thereby causing the first retainer 413 to circumferentially displace relative to the first outer race 411 or the first inner race 412, and the second retainer 423 to circumferentially displace relative to the second outer race or the second inner race 422.

[0051] A first positioning groove 441 is provided on the positioning sleeve 44, and the shift sleeve 43 has a first clamping protrusion 431 extending into the first positioning groove 441. The first clamping protrusion 431 moves relative to the axial direction and the circumferential direction along the inner inclined edge of the first positioning groove 441. By controlling the axial movement of the first clamping protrusion 431 along the inner inclined edge of the first positioning groove 441, the first retaining frame 413 can be pushed to move circumferentially relative to the first inner ring 412.

[0052] Specifically, as shown in Figures 3 to 5, the first positioning groove 441 includes a small opening section 441a and a large opening section 441b, which are arranged in sequence along the axial direction. The circumferential dimension of the large opening section 441b is larger than that of the small opening section 441a. The large opening section 441b is positioned closer to the first switchable one-way clutch 41. The large opening section 441b is connected to the small opening section 441a, and the connection between the large opening section 441b and the small opening section 441a has an inner inclined edge, which is an inner edge with an inclined angle between the axial direction and the circumferential direction.

[0053] Thus, when the first engaging protrusion 431 is located in the small opening section 441a, the positioning sleeve 44 and the first retainer 413 remain fixed. At this time, the positioning sleeve 44 and the first retainer 413 rotate synchronously, and thus also rotate synchronously with the first inner ring 412. The first retainer 413 can be fixed at a first circumferential position relative to the first inner ring 412, as shown in Figure 7. At this time, the first switchable one-way clutch 41 is in the fully disengaged mode.

[0054] Moreover, since the circumferential dimension of the large opening section 441b is larger than the circumferential dimension of the small opening section 441a, and the connection between the large opening section 441b and the small opening section 441a has an inner inclined edge, when the first clamping protrusion 431 moves from the small opening section 441a to the large opening section 441b, the first clamping protrusion 431 can always abut against the inner inclined edge, and then can push the positioning sleeve 44 to drive the first retaining frame 413 to undergo a certain circumferential displacement, and clamp the first retaining frame 413 to a second circumferential position relative to the first inner ring 412, as shown in Figure 8. At this time, the first switchable one-way clutch 41 is in the one-way clutch mode.

[0055] Continuing with reference to FIG3 , a second positioning groove 442 is provided on the positioning sleeve 44. The second positioning groove 442 is arranged at a position different from the first positioning groove 441 in the circumferential direction. Accordingly, it should be understood that the shift sleeve 43 has a second engaging protrusion (not shown) extending into the second positioning groove 442. The second engaging protrusion is relatively movable in the axial direction and the circumferential direction along the inner inclined edge of the second positioning groove 442. By controlling the axial movement of the second engaging protrusion along the inner inclined edge of the second positioning groove 442, the second retaining frame 423 can be pushed to move circumferentially relative to the second inner ring 422, thereby enabling the second switchable one-way clutch 42 to switch between the fully disconnected mode and the one-way clutch mode.

[0056] As shown in Figure 3 , similar to the first positioning groove 441 , the second positioning groove 442 includes a small opening section and a large opening section arranged sequentially along the axial direction. Although not shown in the accompanying drawings, it should be understood from the description of the first switchable one-way clutch 41 that when the second engaging protrusion is located in the small opening section of the second positioning groove 442 , the positioning sleeve 44 and the second retaining frame 423 remain fixed. At this time, the positioning sleeve 44 and the second retaining frame 423 rotate synchronously, and thus also rotate synchronously with the second inner race 422. The second retaining frame 423 can be fixed at a first circumferential position relative to the second inner race 422. At this time, the second switchable one-way clutch 42 is in a fully disconnected mode, similar to the first switchable one-way clutch 41 shown in Figure 7 . When the second clamping protrusion moves from the small opening section of the second positioning groove 442 to the large opening section, the second clamping protrusion can always abut against the inner inclined edge, thereby enabling the pushing positioning sleeve 44 to drive the second retaining frame 423 to undergo a certain circumferential displacement, and clamping and fixing the second retaining frame 423 at the second circumferential position relative to the second inner ring 422. At this time, the second switchable one-way clutch 42 is in the one-way clutch mode, the same as the first switchable one-way clutch 41 shown in Figure 8.

[0057] Figure 6 shows a radial cross-sectional view of the first switchable one-way clutch 41 in the clutch assembly 40 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 6 illustrates the position and connection relationship between the first thrust spring 415, the first inner race 412, and the first retainer 413. As shown in Figure 6, the first inner race 412 has a radially outwardly projecting inner race protrusion. One end of the first thrust spring 415 is fixed to the inner race protrusion of the first inner race 412, enabling the first inner race 412 to apply a circumferential thrust to the first thrust spring 415 via the inner race protrusion. The first retainer 413 has a radially inwardly projecting retainer protrusion. The other end of the first thrust spring 415 abuts against the retainer protrusion of the first retainer 413. When the first inner race 412 applies a thrust to the first thrust spring 415, the other end of the first thrust spring 415 can apply a circumferential thrust to the first retainer 413 from a first circumferential position to a second circumferential position.

[0058] Furthermore, in a preferred embodiment, as shown in FIG3 , the first inner race 412 of the first switchable one-way clutch 41 and the second inner race 422 of the second switchable one-way clutch 42 can partially overlap in the radial direction. This design can reduce the axial dimension of the entire clutch assembly 40, thereby making the structure more compact; it can also reduce the axial movement distance of the shift sleeve 43, thereby improving shifting efficiency.

[0059] In addition, in the above-mentioned clutch assembly 40, since switchable one-way clutches 41 and 42 that can switch between a fully disconnected mode and a one-way clutch mode are adopted, when the switchable one-way clutches 41 and 42 are switched from a fully disconnected state to a one-way clutch mode, it is only necessary to use the shift fork 50 to change the circumferential position of the retaining frame relative to the roller, and there is no need to adjust the speed of the active and driven parts of the switchable one-way clutches 41 and 42 to be almost the same, thereby reducing the system response time and improving the shifting efficiency.

[0060] Furthermore, because the switchable one-way clutch is employed in the clutch assembly 40, when power torque needs to be transmitted from the first gear 20 or the second gear 30 to the transmission shaft 10, it is sufficient to increase the rotational speed of the first gear 20 or the second gear 30, which is in a torque-resistant connection with the active elements of the switchable one-way clutches 41 and 42, to a value not lower than the rotational speed of the transmission shaft 10, which is in a torque-resistant connection with the driven elements of the switchable one-way clutches 41 and 42. Therefore, power torque can be transmitted without applying additional shifting force, and thus, there is no need for a dedicated oil pump or motor to provide shifting force, thereby reducing the cost of the entire power transmission mechanism.

[0061] Furthermore, in the clutch assembly 40, since the switchable one-way clutches 41 and 42 do not have teeth engaging with each other, the driving and driven members of the switchable one-way clutches 41 and 42 generate low noise and impact when engaged, thereby extending the service life of the power transmission mechanism. Furthermore, there is no tooth jamming during the shifting process, thereby improving shifting efficiency.

[0062] Although the present application has been described with reference to preferred embodiments, various modifications may be made thereto and components may be replaced with equivalents without departing from the scope of the present application. In particular, the various technical features described in the various embodiments may be combined in any manner as long as there are no structural conflicts. The present application is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed herein, but includes all technical solutions within the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A clutch assembly (40), comprising: A first switchable one-way clutch (41), a second switchable one-way clutch (42) and a shift sleeve (43), wherein: The first switchable one-way clutch (41) and the second switchable one-way clutch (42) are arranged at opposite ends of the shift sleeve (43) along the axial direction of the clutch assembly (40); The first switchable one-way clutch (41) and the second switchable one-way clutch (42) respectively have a completely disconnected mode in which torque cannot be transmitted and a one-way clutch mode in which torque can be transmitted when predetermined conditions are met; The shift sleeve (43) is capable of moving between the first switchable one-way clutch (41) and the second switchable one-way clutch (42) along the axial direction, thereby selectively switching the first switchable one-way clutch (41) and the second switchable one-way clutch (42) between the fully disconnected mode and the one-way clutch mode, respectively, to achieve different gears of the power transmission mechanism.

2. The clutch assembly (40) of claim 1, wherein: When the shift sleeve (43) is located in a first axial position, the first switchable one-way clutch (41) is in the one-way clutch mode; When the shift sleeve (43) is located at a second axial position different from the first axial position, the second switchable one-way clutch (42) is in the one-way clutch mode; When the shift sleeve (43) is located at an intermediate axial position between the first axial position and the second axial position, the second switchable one-way clutch (42) and the second switchable one-way clutch (42) are both in the fully disconnected mode.

3. The clutch assembly (40) of claim 1, wherein The first switchable one-way clutch (41) comprises a first outer ring (411), a first inner ring (412), a first retaining frame (413) and a first roller (414), wherein the first roller (414) is arranged in a radial gap between the first outer ring (411) and the first inner ring (412), and the first retaining frame (413) is capable of circumferential displacement relative to the first inner ring (412) or the first outer ring, thereby controlling the first switchable one-way clutch to switch between the completely disconnected mode and the one-way clutch mode; and The second switchable one-way clutch (42) includes a second outer ring, a second inner ring (422), a second retaining frame (423) and a second roller (424), wherein the second roller (424) is arranged in a radial gap between the second inner ring (422) and the second outer ring, and the second retaining frame (423) can be circumferentially displaced relative to the second inner ring (422) or the second outer ring, thereby controlling the second switchable one-way clutch to switch between the fully disconnected mode and the one-way clutch mode.

4. The clutch assembly (40) of claim 3, wherein The first inner race (412) of the first switchable one-way clutch (41) and the second inner race (422) of the second switchable one-way clutch (42) partially overlap in the radial direction of the clutch assembly (40) and are connected to each other in a torque-resistant manner.

5. The clutch assembly (40) of claim 3, wherein The clutch assembly (40) further includes a positioning sleeve (44), which is arranged radially outside the first inner ring (412) and the second inner ring (422), and radially inside the shift sleeve (43). The positioning sleeve (44) is fixedly connected to the first retaining frame (413) and the second retaining frame (423). The shift sleeve (43) is capable of moving relative to the positioning sleeve (44) along the axial direction, and is capable of causing the positioning sleeve (44) to drive the first retaining frame (413) and the second retaining frame (423) to rotate along the circumferential direction of the clutch assembly (40).

6. The clutch assembly (40) of claim 5, wherein The positioning sleeve (44) is provided with a first positioning groove (441), and the shift sleeve (43) has a first engaging protrusion (431) extending into the first positioning groove (441), and the first engaging protrusion (431) can move relatively in the axial direction and the circumferential direction along the inner inclined edge of the first positioning groove (441), thereby pushing the first retaining frame (413) to circumferentially displace relative to the first inner ring (412) or the first outer ring through the positioning sleeve (44), thereby controlling the first switchable one-way clutch (41) to switch between the fully disconnected mode and the one-way clutch mode.

7. The clutch assembly (40) of claim 6, wherein: The first positioning groove (441) comprises a small opening section (441a) and a large opening section (441b) sequentially arranged along the axial direction, wherein the large opening section (441b) is larger than the small opening section (441a). The segment (441a) is closer to the first switchable one-way clutch (41), and When the first engaging protrusion (431) is located in the small opening section (441a), the first switchable one-way clutch (41) is in the completely disconnected working mode, and when the first engaging protrusion (431) is located in the large opening section (441b), the first switchable one-way clutch (41) is in the one-way clutch mode.

8. The clutch assembly (40) of claim 7, wherein: The circumferential dimension of the large opening section (441b) is greater than the circumferential dimension of the small opening section (441a), the large opening section (441b) and the small opening section (441a) are connected to each other, and the connection between the large opening section (441b) and the small opening section (441a) has the inner inclined edge to enable the first clamping protrusion (431) to move relative to each other in the axial direction and the circumferential direction.

9. The clutch assembly (40) of claim 6, wherein A second positioning groove (442) is provided on the positioning sleeve (44), and the second positioning groove (442) is arranged at a position different from the first positioning groove (441) in the circumferential direction. The shift sleeve (43) has a second clamping protrusion extending into the second positioning groove (442), and the second clamping protrusion can move relatively in the axial direction and the circumferential direction along the inner inclined edge of the second positioning groove (442), thereby pushing the second retaining frame (423) to circumferentially displace relative to the second inner ring (422) or the second outer ring through the positioning sleeve (44), thereby controlling the second switchable one-way clutch (42) to switch between the fully disconnected mode and the one-way clutch mode.

10. The clutch assembly (40) of claim 3, wherein: In the first switchable one-way clutch (41), the predetermined condition is that the first outer ring (411) and the first inner ring (412) rotate relative to each other in a predetermined direction so that the first roller (414) is squeezed by the inner circumferential surface of the first outer ring (411) and the outer circumferential surface of the first inner ring (412); and accordingly, In the second switchable one-way clutch (42), the predetermined condition is that the second outer ring and the second inner ring (422) rotate relative to each other in a predetermined direction so that the second roller (424) is squeezed by the inner circumference of the second outer ring and the outer circumference of the second inner ring (422).

11. A power transmission mechanism comprising a transmission shaft (10), a first gear (20), a second gear (30), and a clutch assembly (40) according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the clutch assembly (40) is arranged between the first gear (20) and the second gear (30) along the axial direction, wherein: The first switchable one-way clutch (41) in the clutch assembly (40) is used to control the power connection between the first gear (20) and the transmission shaft (10), and the second switchable one-way clutch (42) in the clutch assembly (40) is used to control the power connection between the second gear (30) and the transmission shaft (10).

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