Clutch Hub Assembly With Support Teeth for Flex and Heat Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Clutch hubs in vehicle transmissions often experience overheating and damage due to friction between plates, leading to instability and flexing, which existing designs fail to adequately address.
Innovation Solution
A clutch hub assembly design featuring a hollow shaft with a radially extending plate and collar, multiple teeth, a support member, and passageways for oil flow, along with splines and a circular support member to enhance strength and stability, preventing flexing and improving heat dissipation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If a traditional clutch hub design is used, then the structure is simple, but the strength and stability are insufficient leading to flexing under load
Solution Approach 1:
The clutch hub assembly is divided into multiple functional components: a hub body, a support portion with teeth, and a separate support member with additional teeth. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized for its specific function while collectively providing enhanced strength and stability without excessive overall complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention employs a composite structural design combining the hub body, support portion, and support member into an integrated assembly. This composite approach creates a multi-layered structural system that distributes mechanical loads more effectively, preventing flexing while maintaining reasonable complexity through functional integration.
2Power
If friction between plates occurs during operation, then torque transmission is achieved, but overheating and damage occur
Solution Approach 1:
Oil is introduced as an intermediary substance that flows between the friction plates during operation. This mediator serves dual functions: enabling smooth torque transmission by reducing direct metal-to-metal contact and carrying away heat generated by friction, thereby preventing overheating while maintaining power transmission capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention utilizes hydraulic principles by employing oil circulation through the clutch hub assembly. The oil acts as a hydraulic fluid that absorbs and transports thermal energy away from the friction interface, providing active thermal management during torque transmission operations.
3Force
If the clutch hub assembly is subjected to high loads, then torque transmission is maintained, but flexing and instability occur
Solution Approach 1:
The support member with teeth is pre-positioned and engaged with the support portion before full operational loads are applied. This preliminary engagement establishes a stable mechanical interface that prevents flexing and maintains stability during subsequent high-torque operations, rather than relying on the structure to resist deformation reactively.
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 design significantly enhances the strength and stability of the clutch hub assembly, reducing the risk of overheating and damage by providing additional contact points and efficient oil circulation, thus improving the durability and performance of the clutch system.
Implementation Method 1
a passageway extending between an outer surface of each tooth to the bottom surface of the plate
Implementation Method 2
The plates may be mounted to a clutch hub, which is positioned between a clutch basket and a pressure plate. The clutch hub rotates with the main shaft and during use the plates may overheat, causing damage.
Data Source
AI summary
A clutch hub assembly includes a hollow shaft extending in the longitudinal direction having an internal surface, an external surface, a first end, and a second end. A plate is engaged to the external surface of the shaft, extending outwardly from the external surface of the shaft in the radial direction and having a top surface and a bottom surface. A collar is engaged to the plate having an internal surface and an external surface, wherein the top surface of the plate and the internal surface of the collar define a cavity. A plurality of teeth radially extending from the external surface collar, and a support member extends outwardly from the collar.