Asymmetric Clutch Disc Fastener Arrangement
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing clutch discs face improper assembly issues due to symmetrical hole arrangements, leading to excessive wear and sub-optimal performance, especially when different friction materials are used on each side.
Innovation Solution
The clutch disc features through-bores arranged at different radial distances, ensuring that fasteners are asymmetrically disposed to prevent incorrect placement of friction linings, with specific configurations such as arcs passing through sets of through-bores to ensure correct alignment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If fasteners are arranged symmetrically on the clutch disc, then assembly is facilitated, but friction materials can be inadvertently placed on the wrong side
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies asymmetry by arranging fasteners at different radial distances from the center axis on opposite sides of the clutch disc. The first side has fasteners at a first radial distance while the second side has fasteners at a second radial distance, creating an asymmetric pattern that prevents incorrect assembly. This resolves the contradiction by maintaining ease of assembly through standardized fastener components while ensuring reliable correct placement through the asymmetric geometric arrangement.
2Reliability
If different friction materials are used on each side, then clutch performance is optimized, but the risk of improper assembly increases
Solution Approach 1:
The asymmetric fastener arrangement directly encodes the correct orientation for different friction materials. The first friction material with first set of fastener holes aligns with fasteners at the first radial distance, while the second friction material with second set of fastener holes aligns with fasteners at the second radial distance. This asymmetric configuration ensures that each friction material can only be correctly assembled on its designated side, maintaining optimal clutch performance while preventing improper assembly.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by having different fastener hole patterns at different locations (radial distances) on the clutch disc. Each side of the clutch disc has locally optimized fastener arrangement matched to its specific friction material requirements. This allows the clutch disc to accommodate different friction materials with their specific assembly requirements, ensuring each side has the appropriate fastener configuration for its intended friction material.
3Ease of manufacture
If fasteners are arranged at the same radial distance, then manufacturing is simplified, but assembly errors cannot be prevented
Solution Approach 1:
The patent resolves this contradiction by implementing asymmetry in the fastener radial distances while maintaining manufacturing feasibility. The first side has fasteners at a first radial distance and the second side has fasteners at a second radial distance, creating an asymmetric pattern that prevents assembly errors. This asymmetric arrangement can be integrated into standard manufacturing processes through programmed drilling or punching operations, balancing manufacturing simplicity with assembly error prevention.
Data Source
AI summary
A clutch disc including a drive plate concentrically arranged about an axis of rotation, the drive plate having: a first side facing a first axial direction; a second side facing a second axial direction, opposite the first axial direction. The drive plate includes a first plurality of through-bores at a first radial distance from the axis of rotation and a second plurality of through-bores at a second radial distance from the axis of rotation, where the second radial distance is different from the first radial distance. The first and second pluralities of through-bores are arranged such that an arc passes through the first and second pluralities of through-bores.