Friction Clutch Press Member Alignment for Easier Transmission Assembly
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
The assembly of the press member in existing vehicle drive transmission devices is troublesome due to the need to rotate it relative to the outer support to align splines, making it difficult for assemblers to match the phases correctly, especially when the splines are hard to see.
Innovation Solution
The vehicle drive transmission device includes a press member that is restricted in rotation relative to the second support using a protrusion and insertion hole configuration, allowing the assembler to easily adjust the rotation phase and insert the protrusion into the hole, facilitating assembly by providing a clear view of the alignment from the axial direction.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If the press member is assembled to the outer support through the opening from the first side in the axial direction, then the assembly can be performed from the open side, but the assembler needs to rotate the press member to align the splines which makes the assembly troublesome
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediate member as a mediator between the press member and the second support. This intermediate member includes a protrusion that fits into an insertion hole in the press member, serving as a alignment guide and rotation phase reference. This intermediary component simplifies the assembly process by providing a clear visual and mechanical guide for aligning the splines, eliminating the need for complex rotation and alignment operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The intermediate member with its protrusion is pre-positioned on the second support before the press member is assembled. This preliminary arrangement of the alignment feature allows the assembler to easily identify the correct rotation phase of the press member by visually observing the alignment between the protrusion and the insertion hole, thereby performing the assembly operation more efficiently.
2Volume of moving object
If the splines are positioned as to be difficult to see, then the structural design is compact, but the assembler needs to press and rotate the press member simultaneously to match the phases which increases assembly difficulty
Solution Approach 1:
The intermediate member acts as a visual and mechanical intermediary that makes the alignment process observable. The protrusion on the intermediate member provides a clear visual reference that can be seen from the first side in the axial direction, allowing the assembler to easily determine the correct rotation phase without needing to see the splines directly or perform complex simultaneous pressing and rotating operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the complex mechanical alignment operation (simultaneous pressing and rotating to match spline phases) with a simpler visual alignment operation. The assembler only needs to visually align the protrusion with the insertion hole and press the press member in the axial direction, substituting a difficult coordinated mechanical operation with a simple visual-guided pressing operation.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
A first support (49) is open toward a first side (L1) in an axial direction. A press member (42) is at such a position as to press a first friction plate (412) and second friction plate (411) of a friction clutch device (CL1) from the first side (L1) in the axial direction. An intermediate member (45) includes a body (451) between the press member (42) and a second support (44) in the axial direction (L) and a protrusion (452) protruding toward the first side (L1) of the body (451) in the axial direction. The press member (42) has an insertion hole (424) extending through the press member (42) in the axial direction (L) and configured to receive the protrusion (452).