Concentric Clutch Disengaging Device with Overload Protection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Concentric slave cylinders for clutch disengagement in compact vehicles require significant axial installation space and have complex, costly assembly processes, especially for cover-fixed releasers, and existing connection methods for fluid lines are prone to damage under drag torque.
Innovation Solution
A release device with a concentrically arranged housing and annular piston, supported by a cover bearing, featuring a line adapter connected via rivets and a fastening flange with pine cone geometry for secure attachment, and an overload protection plate with a cantilever arm to support drag torque, reducing axial space and assembly complexity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If a cover bearing is used to support the housing axially and radially on the clutch cover, then the housing is stably fixed, but the assembly becomes more complex and expensive
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the cover bearing assembly with the housing into a single integrated component. The bearing is pressed directly into a bearing recess in the housing, eliminating the need for separate mounting operations and complex connection solutions for both the bearing and pressure line
Solution Approach 2:
The housing serves multiple functions: it contains the pressure chamber, provides structural support, and integrates the bearing mounting function directly into its structure through the bearing recess, reducing the need for additional specialized components
2Stability of the object's composition
If a cover bearing is used to fix the housing to the clutch cover, then the housing is stably supported, but more axial installation space is required
Solution Approach 1:
The bearing is nested directly within the housing structure through the bearing recess, allowing the bearing to be housed within the existing housing volume rather than requiring additional external axial space for separate bearing mounting
3Reliability
If the release bearing is designed with a larger diameter than the pressure chamber, then the release bearing can engage the plate spring effectively, but the axial installation space increases
Solution Approach 1:
The release bearing is positioned radially outward from the pressure chamber rather than extending axially, allowing it to engage the plate spring effectively while maintaining compact axial dimensions through radial nesting
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 reduces axial installation space, simplifies assembly, and provides robust connection and torque support for fluid lines, preventing damage from drag torque, thus enhancing the reliability and efficiency of clutch disengagement in compact vehicles.
Implementation Method 1
a pressurized fluid is then pressed into the pressure chamber, so that the piston, which is supported on a plate or lever spring of a clutch via a release bearing, moves out of the pressure chamber to actuate this lever or plate spring
Implementation Method 2
between the inner and outer rings rolling bodies, in particular balls, are guided in a raceway
Implementation Method 3
which is sealed off from the pressure chamber with a seal and thus, in connection with the housing, forms a closed pressure chamber
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3~4
AI summary
Device for disengaging a clutch, in particular a clutch in the drivetrain of a motor vehicle, comprising a housing arranged concentrically around an axis and forming a pressure chamber in which an axially movable annular piston is arranged, the housing being supported on a cover bearing of the clutch, and a supply line for feeding a hydraulic fluid into the pressure chamber being connected to the housing. According to the invention, to provide overload protection, a sheet metal plate is rotationally fixed to the housing, which has a cantilever arm parallel to the supply line, wherein at least one retaining arm for supporting the supply line against torque load is arranged at the end of the cantilever arm.