Clutch Actuation Force Redirection via Input Shaft
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing motor vehicle drive train systems, particularly hybrid drive trains, face issues with high axial forces on components due to clutch actuation and are often bulky, necessitating a more robust and space-saving design that evenly supports these forces.
Innovation Solution
A clutch device with an input shaft, a non-rotatable clutch component directly connected to the shaft, and an actuation unit that transmits forces directly to the shaft, supporting axial forces and allowing for a more compact design by not transferring them to the second clutch component, which can be dimensioned smaller.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a disconnect clutch is actuated to engage or disengage components in the drivetrain, then the clutch can be switched between open and closed positions to enable hybrid operation modes, but high axial forces act on the individual components during actuation
Solution Approach 1:
The actuating force is extracted from the traditional clutch actuation path and redirected through the actuating bearing directly into the input shaft. This separates the force transmission path from the clutch components, allowing the clutch to engage/disengage without bearing the full actuating load, thereby reducing axial forces on clutch components while maintaining engagement capability
Solution Approach 2:
The actuating bearing serves as an intermediary element between the actuating mechanism and the input shaft. It mediates the force transmission by channeling the actuating force directly into the input shaft rather than through the clutch components, thus protecting the clutch from high axial forces during actuation
2Reliability
If the drivetrain components are designed to robustly support high axial forces, then the system becomes more reliable under load, but the overall size of the drivetrain unit increases
Solution Approach 1:
The function of supporting axial actuating forces is extracted from the clutch components and assigned to the input shaft and actuating bearing. This allows the clutch components to be dimensioned smaller since they no longer need to support the full actuating load, reducing overall drivetrain volume while maintaining reliability through the reinforced input shaft support
Solution Approach 2:
The force support function is shifted from the radial/clutch assembly dimension to the axial input shaft dimension. By supporting forces axially through the input shaft and actuating bearing rather than radially through clutch components, the design achieves robust force support with more compact clutch assembly dimensions
Data Source
Figure 1
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Figure 3~4
AI summary
The invention relates to a clutch device (1) for a motor vehicle powertrain, comprising an input shaft (4) which is provided for attaching to the output (2) of the transmission (3) in a rotationally fixed manner, a clutch (5, 6) which is arranged on the input shaft (4), wherein a first clutch component (7a, 7b) of the clutch (5, 6) is directly connected to the input shaft (4) in a rotationally fixed manner and is axially supported on the input shaft (4), and a second clutch component (8a, 8b) of the clutch (5, 6) is designed for coupling to another component (9, 10) in a rotationally fixed manner, and an actuation unit (11a, 11b) which is operatively connected to the clutch (5, 6). The actuation unit (11a, 11b) additionally has a lever actuator (12a, 12b) and an actuation bearing (13a, 13b) which can be moved by the lever actuator (12a, 12b). The actuation bearing (13a, 13b) interacts with an actuation force introducing mechanism (14a, 14b) rotationally fixed to the first clutch component (7a, 7b) such that an actuation force which adjust the clutch (5, 6) from its open position into its closed position and which is generated by the lever actuator (12a, 12b) is introduced directly into the input shaft (4) via a support (15a, 16a) of the first clutch component (7a, 7b) and is directed from the input shaft (4) against a housing wall (18) via a support bearing (17). The invention additionally relates to a transmission unit (30) comprising said clutch device (1) and to a powertrain (31).