Clutch Actuating Element With Annular Spring for Vibration Damping
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing actuating elements for clutches in motor vehicle drive trains face challenges in adjusting and fine-tuning cushioning/damping properties to reduce vibrations while maintaining mechanical stiffness, leading to suboptimal performance.
Innovation Solution
An actuating element with an annular spring element between the finger elements and annular piston, configured to enhance damping properties, featuring adjustable stiffness through multiple recesses and a stacked design, allowing for improved vibration reduction and efficient force transmission.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If conventional actuating elements are made of flexible material or use bending beams as spring elements, then component stress is reduced and acoustic properties are improved, but the ability to adjust and fine-tune cushioning/damping properties is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The spring element incorporates adjustable stiffness through variable thickness in different regions. The first region has a first thickness while the second region has a second thickness different from the first, allowing dynamic adjustment of damping properties to balance vibration reduction with mechanical stiffness requirements for clutch operation
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the spring element are designed with different local properties - specifically different thicknesses in different radial regions. This local variation in thickness allows specific areas to provide different levels of flexibility and damping, enabling fine-tuning of cushioning properties while maintaining overall structural integrity
2Object-affected harmful factors
If actuating elements are made sufficiently dampening to reduce unwanted vibrations, then vibration reduction is improved, but mechanical material stiffness required for clutch operation is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The spring element features non-uniform thickness distribution where the first region has a first thickness and the second region has a second thickness. This local quality variation allows specific regions to be optimized for damping while other regions maintain the mechanical stiffness needed for clutch operation, resolving the contradiction between vibration reduction and structural strength
3Ease of manufacture
If a thin sheet metal spring element is used, then manufacturing cost is reduced and installation space is minimized, but stiffness adjustment capability is limited
Solution Approach 1:
Rather than using a uniform thin sheet metal element with limited adjustability, the invention varies the thickness locally across different regions of the spring element. This allows a thin overall structure to achieve complex stiffness characteristics through localized thickness variations, maintaining ease of manufacture while enabling sophisticated damping adjustment
Solution Approach 2:
The variable thickness design transforms a static thin sheet metal element into a dynamically adjustable spring structure. By controlling thickness distribution, the spring element can be optimized for specific damping requirements while maintaining the manufacturing and space advantages of thin sheet metal construction
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution provides enhanced damping properties and adjustable stiffness, reducing unwanted vibrations and ensuring efficient coupling/uncoupling of the engine with the drive train, while maintaining design flexibility and cost-effectiveness.
Implementation Method 1
the at least one spring element has a first region with a first thickness and a second region with a second thickness, wherein the first thickness differs from the second thickness
Implementation Method 2
at least one annular spring element arranged between the finger elements and the annular piston, which is provided and configured to couple the finger elements to the annular piston
Data Source
AI summary
An actuating element for a clutch includes an annular piston, a plurality of finger elements arranged for displacing a sliding sleeve, and an annular spring element arranged to couple the plurality of finger elements to the annular piston. The annular spring element may have a circumference and a plurality of recesses arranged along the circumference. Each of the plurality of finger elements may be arranged perpendicular to the annular spring element in an assembled state of the actuating element. Each of the plurality of finger elements may have a groove arranged for receiving a peripheral projection of the sliding sleeve in a form-fitting manner.