JP2000320570A - Clutch disc wear detection device, operating cylinder, clutch disc wear detection system and clutch - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To inform an operator of the wearing limit of a clutch disc, in a clutch cover assembly body using a wear follow-up mechanism. SOLUTION: A clutch disc wear detection device is used for a clutch 2. A diaphragm spring can give an energing force to the clutch disc for connection to a flywheel. The wear detection device has a switch 16 and wear follow-up mechanism. The switch 16 detects the wear amount of the clutch disc. The wear follow-up mechanism maintains the attitude of the diaphragm spring to be a constant, regardless of the wear of the clutch disc, until the wear of the clutch disc reaches a prescribed amount, and when the wear of the clutch disc reaches the prescribed amount, hereafter the posture change of the diaphragm spring is allowed. Thereby, the switch 16 detects the wear amount of the clutch disc from the attitude change of the diaphragm spring.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a clutch disk wear detecting device, an operating cylinder, a clutch disk wear detecting system, and a clutch used for a clutch provided with a wear following mechanism.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A clutch cover assembly is mounted on a flywheel of an engine, and is used to transmit a driving force of the engine to a transmission side by holding a clutch disk between the clutch cover and the flywheel. There has been a demand for a longer life in such a clutch cover assembly and a clutch disk. Therefore, in the clutch disk, the effective thickness of the facing is increased by fixing the facing to the cushioning plate without using rivets or the like. Further, the clutch cover assembly has a wear following mechanism. When the facing is worn, the wear following mechanism moves the portion supporting the diaphragm spring on the pressure plate side toward the transmission by the amount of wear, for example, to maintain the attitude of the diaphragm spring in the initial attitude. As a result, the set load of the diaphragm spring always automatically returns to the initial load.

[0003]

In the clutch cover assembly using the conventional wear following mechanism, even when the wear amount of the facing approaches the limit, the driver may not notice it. This is because there is no change in pedal effort despite the facing wear by the wear following mechanism.

An object of the present invention is to notify a driver of a wear limit of a clutch disk in a clutch cover assembly using a wear following mechanism.

[0005]

According to the present invention, a clutch disk wear detecting device is used for a clutch having an urging member for urging a clutch disk and connecting the clutch disk to a flywheel. The clutch disk wear detecting device includes a detecting mechanism and a wear following mechanism. The wear following mechanism keeps the posture of the urging member constant irrespective of clutch disk wear until the clutch disk wear reaches a predetermined amount, and thereafter, when the clutch disk wear reaches the predetermined amount, the biasing member Posture change is allowed. The detection mechanism is a mechanism for detecting a wear amount of the clutch disk from a change in the posture of the urging member.

In this clutch disk wear detecting device,
When the wear following mechanism allows the posture change of the biasing member, the detection mechanism detects the wear amount of the clutch disk from the change in posture. As described above, the wear following mechanism allows the urging member to change the posture of the urging member in the middle, thereby notifying the driver of the wear limit of the clutch disk. For this reason, the operator can know the wear limit without being adversely affected by the wear.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a clutch disk wear detecting device according to the first aspect, further comprising a driving mechanism for driving the urging member so that the urging force is released. The detection mechanism is incorporated in the drive mechanism. Since the detection mechanism is incorporated in the drive mechanism, the entire structure is simplified. According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the clutch disk wear detecting device according to the second aspect, the drive mechanism has a drive unit that is in an interlocking relationship with the urging member. The detection mechanism detects the amount of wear of the clutch disk based on the position of the drive unit.

In this clutch disk wear detecting device,
The drive mechanism drives the biasing member by moving the drive unit. When the posture of the urging member changes due to the wear of the clutch disk, the urging member moves the drive unit, and the detection mechanism detects the wear amount of the clutch disk from the moved position.
In the clutch disk wear detecting device according to claim 4,
In claim 2, the drive mechanism is an operating cylinder for driving the biasing member in the axial direction, and includes a cylinder body to which pressure is externally supplied and a piston movable in the cylinder body. The piston applies a force to the urging member by moving from the clutch connection position to the clutch release position by supplying pressure to the cylinder body, and when the pressure supply to the cylinder body is released, the clutch is released by the force from the urging member. Move from position to clutch engagement position. The detection mechanism is a switch that detects the wear amount of the clutch disk based on a change in the clutch connection position of the piston due to a change in the posture of the biasing member.

In this clutch disk wear detecting device,
When the urging member changes posture, the urging member changes the clutch connection position of the piston. The switch detects the amount of wear of the clutch disk based on the clutch engagement position of the piston, thereby notifying the driver of the limit of wear of the clutch disk. In the clutch disk wear detecting device according to the fifth aspect, in the first aspect,
The detecting mechanism detects a wear amount of the clutch disk from a change in the urging force of the urging member.

In this clutch disk wear detecting device,
When the wear following mechanism allows the posture of the urging member to change, the urging force from the urging member gradually increases thereafter. When the change in the urging force reaches a predetermined value, the detection mechanism detects the amount of wear, and based on the detected amount, the driver can be notified of the wear limit of the clutch disk. In the clutch disk wear detecting device according to the sixth aspect, in any one of the first to fifth aspects, an alarm unit for notifying a driver of a detection result by the detection mechanism is further provided. By this alarm means, the driver who is actually driving in the driver's seat can be notified of the wear limit of the clutch disk.

According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, the warning means is a warning lamp provided in a driver's seat. In this device, when the wear limit of the clutch disk is reached, the driver can know the wear limit of the clutch disk by turning on a warning lamp. The operating cylinder according to claim 8 is used for a clutch having an urging member for applying an urging force to a clutch disk to connect the clutch disk to a flywheel. The operating cylinder is a mechanism for driving the urging member so that the urging force is released. The operating cylinder includes a cylinder body, a piston, and a switch. The cylinder body can be externally supplied with pressure. The piston is movable within the cylinder body. When pressure is supplied to the cylinder body, the piston moves from the clutch connection position to the clutch release position to apply a force to the biasing member, and when the supply of pressure to the cylinder body is released, the piston causes a force from the biasing member. The force moves from the clutch release position to the clutch engagement position by force. The switch detects the wear amount of the clutch disk based on a change in the clutch engagement position of the piston due to a change in the posture of the biasing member.

In this operating cylinder, when the position of the urging member changes, the urging member changes the clutch engagement position of the piston. The switch detects the amount of wear of the clutch disk based on the clutch engagement position of the piston, thereby notifying the driver of the limit of wear of the clutch disk. A clutch disk wear detection system according to a ninth aspect includes the operating cylinder according to the eighth aspect, and an alarm unit for notifying a driver's seat when a switch detects a wear limit of the clutch disk.

In this clutch disk wear detection system, when the switch detects the limit of wear of the clutch disk, the alarm means notifies the driver in the driver's seat of the limit of wear of the clutch disk. According to a tenth aspect of the present invention, in the eleventh aspect, the warning means is a warning lamp provided in a driver's seat.

[0014] The clutch according to the eleventh aspect is a clutch for transmitting the torque of the flywheel to the transmission side, and includes a clutch disk assembly, a clutch cover assembly, a wear following mechanism, and a detection / warning system. ing. The clutch disc assembly has a clutch disc connectable to a flywheel. The clutch cover assembly includes a clutch cover fixed to the flywheel, a pressure plate disposed close to the clutch disc, and a biasing member supported by the clutch cover and biasing the pressure plate toward the flywheel. . The wear following mechanism keeps the position of the urging member constant even when the clutch disk wears. The detection / warning system is for informing the driver of the wear limit of the clutch disk by interference between the pressure plate and the clutch disk assembly.

In this clutch, as the wear of the clutch disk progresses, the posture of the biasing member is kept constant by the wear following mechanism. Also, when the wear of the clutch disk reaches the limit, the pressure plate and the clutch disk assembly interfere with each other to generate an interference sound. This allows the driver to know the wear limit of the clutch disk. Here, the operator can know the wear limit without being adversely affected by the wear.

In the clutch according to the eleventh aspect, in the tenth aspect, the detection mechanism includes a first interference part and a second interference part. The first interference unit is provided on the pressure plate. The second interference portion is provided on the clutch disk assembly, and faces the first interference portion with an axial gap corresponding to the wear limit of the clutch disk in an initial clutch connection state. The second interference unit generates an interference sound when it interferes with the first interference unit.

In this clutch disk wear detecting device,
When the wear of the clutch disk advances and reaches the wear limit, the first interference portion and the second interference portion interfere with each other and generate an interference sound.
The driver can know the wear limit of the clutch disk from the interference sound.

[0018]

FIG. 1 schematically shows a clutch system 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The clutch system 1 includes a clutch 2 and a detection / warning system 3. The clutch 2 mainly includes a clutch disk assembly 4, a clutch cover assembly 5, and a release mechanism 6. The clutch 2 is moved from the engine flywheel 52 on the left side of FIGS. 1 and 2 to the main drive shaft 53 of the transmission on the right side of FIGS.
This is a mechanism for intermittently transmitting torque to the motor. The flywheel 52 is connected to the crankshaft 51 on the engine side. A main drive shaft 53 extending from the transmission is spline-fitted to the center of the clutch disk assembly 4. A transmission front wall 5 is provided on the axial transmission side of the clutch 2.
The outer periphery of the clutch 2 is covered with a clutch housing 55 extending from the front wall 54.

FIG. 3 shows the clutch cover assembly 5 in detail. The clutch cover assembly 5 is a mechanism for connecting the clutch by urging the clutch disk 23 of the clutch disk assembly 4 to the flywheel. The bias from the clutch cover assembly 5 is released by driving from a release mechanism 6 described later. The clutch cover assembly 5 includes a clutch cover 20 fixed to the flywheel 52 on the engine side, a pressure plate 21 disposed in the clutch cover 20, and a diaphragm spring for pressing the pressure plate 21 toward the flywheel 52. 22. The clutch cover assembly 5 further includes a wear following mechanism 11.

The pressure plate 21 is a substantially annular member, and is axially (in the vertical direction in FIG. 3) with respect to the clutch cover 20 via a strap plate (not shown).
Mounted movably. On the pressure plate 21, a pressing surface 21 a for holding the clutch disk 23 of the clutch disk assembly 4 between the pressure plate 21 and the flywheel 52 is formed on the flywheel 52 side.
A groove 21b extending in the circumferential direction is formed on a side surface of the pressure plate 21 on the side of the diaphragm spring 22.

The diaphragm spring 22 is arranged concentrically with the clutch cover 20. As shown in FIG. 2, the diaphragm spring 22 has a radially intermediate portion serving as a supported portion supported on the clutch cover 20 side. The wear following mechanism 11 includes a clutch disk 23.
By maintaining the posture of the diaphragm spring 22 in the initial state with respect to the wear of the
This is a mechanism for keeping the urging force of a constant. The wear following mechanism 11 includes a full clam ring 24, a biasing mechanism 25, a regulating mechanism 40, and a compensation operation stopping mechanism 60.

The full crumb ring 24 is a member pressed by the outer peripheral portion of the diaphragm spring 22, is disposed on the clutch cover 20 side of the pressure plate 21, and is movable in the axial direction with respect to the pressure plate 21 without the groove 21b. is there. The fulcrum ring 24 has a flange 24a, and a plurality of holes 24b are formed in the flange 24a. A radially outer portion of the diaphragm spring 22 is in contact with the full-clam ring 24, and the full-clam ring 24 is urged toward the flywheel 52 by the diaphragm spring 22.

Next, the urging mechanism 25 will be described with reference to FIGS.
Will be described. The urging mechanism 25 is a full clam ring 2
4 is a mechanism for applying an urging force to the transmission in the axial direction. The urging mechanism 25 is a pressure plate 2
One groove 21b is provided in each groove 21b. The urging mechanism 25
It has a plurality of first taper blocks 26 and second taper blocks 27 that are arranged in each groove 21b and whose slopes are in contact with each other. The first taper block 26 has two screws 28
To the full crumb ring 24. The second taper block 27 is movable within the groove 21b. In the groove 21b, the second taper block 27
A spring 29 is disposed at one end of the first taper block 26 and biases the second taper block 27 toward the first taper block 26. That is, the first taper block 26 is constantly receiving an upward force by the second taper block 27. The other end of the spring 29 is supported by a fastener 30 locked on the pressure plate 21.

The regulating mechanism 40 regulates the movement of the full crumb ring 24 toward the diaphragm spring 22 and, when the clutch disc 23 is worn, allows the full crumb ring 24 to move toward the transmission in the axial direction by the amount of wear. It is a mechanism for. As a result, the axial position of the radially outer portion of the diaphragm spring 22 does not change, and the posture of the diaphragm spring 22 is kept constant. That is, the set load by the diaphragm spring 22 is constant. Regulation mechanism 40 shown in FIG.
Are provided on a plurality of fixing portions 21c integrally formed on the outer peripheral side of the pressure plate 21. Fixed part 21c
Are formed with a plurality of holes 21d. Regulatory mechanism 40
Is mainly composed of a wedge collar 31, a wedge 32, and a bolt 33. Wedge color 31
Is fitted into the hole 21d via a cylindrical liner 34, and is slidable in the axial direction. In addition, liner 3
4 indicates that the pressure plate 21 is a flywheel 52
When they move to the side, they move together.
The wedge collar 31 has a tapered inner peripheral surface 31a that separates from the flywheel 52 and thus has a reduced diameter. The wedge collar 31 further has a locking flange 31b that comes into contact with the pressure plate 21 on the clutch cover 20 side. As shown in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 7, a slit 31c is formed, and therefore, can be radially expanded and contracted. When the clutch disc 23 shown in FIG. 2 is sandwiched between the pressure plate 21 and the flywheel 52, the wedge collar 3
One end of 1 is in contact with the flywheel 52.

The wedge 32 has a tapered outer peripheral surface 32a fitted to the inner peripheral surface 31a of the wedge collar 31, and has a screw hole inside. A bolt 33 is screwed into the screw hole. One end of the wedge 32 on the flywheel 52 side is not in contact with the flywheel 52. At the other end of the wedge 32, a disk-shaped plate 35
3b. A conical coil spring 36 is arranged between the plate 35 and the locking flange 31b of the wedge collar 31, and the wedge 32 is pulled upward with respect to the wedge collar 31 in FIG. Therefore, the wedge collar 31 and the wedge 32 are in a locked state in which they cannot move relative to each other, and rattling is prevented. The bolt 33 penetrates a hole 24b formed in the flange 24a of the fulcrum ring 24, and its head 33a is engaged with the flange 24a on the clutch cover side. By locking the flange 24a to the head 33a, the fulcrum ring 24 is moved outwardly in the axial direction (FIG. 3).
Upward movement is regulated.

The liner 34 is disposed for adjusting the coefficient of friction between the members. That is, the liner 34
Is made of a material having a large coefficient of friction, so that the friction locking force between the wedge collar 31 and the pressure plate 21 via the liner 34 is larger than the friction locking force between the wedge collar 31 and the wedge 32. ing.

A hole 20a is formed in the clutch cover 20 at a portion corresponding to the head 33a of the bolt 33. As described above, the clutch cover assembly 5
Has a wear following mechanism 11, and has a clutch disc 2
Even if the surface 3 is worn, the posture of the diaphragm spring 22 can be maintained constant for a long period of time.

When the amount of wear on the clutch disk 23 reaches a predetermined amount, the compensation operation stopping mechanism 60
4 is a mechanism for stopping the movement. The compensation operation stopping mechanism 60 includes a second flange 72 and a bolt 71 provided on the inner peripheral side of the full clam ring 24. The second flange 72 is provided with a hole 77 penetrating in the axial direction.
The bolt 71 passes through the hole 77 and is fixed to the pressure plate 21 from the transmission side in the axial direction.
More specifically, the bolt 71 is connected to the main body 73 and the threaded portion 75.
And a head 74. The main body 73 passes through the hole 77. The head 74 is arranged at an interval from the second flange 72 toward the transmission in the axial direction. Head 7
The gap A between the fourth flange 72 and the second flange 72 in the axial direction is the movable amount of the full clam ring 24. If the clutch disc 23 is worn any more, it means that the attitude of the diaphragm spring 22 changes. The size of the gap A is smaller than the total wear amount of the clutch disk 23. For example, if the total wear amount is 5 mm, the gap A is 4
mm.

As the compensation operation stopping mechanism, for example, a structure may be employed in which when the urging mechanism 25 rotates by a predetermined angle, two members come into contact in the rotating direction to stop the rotation. When the radially inner portion is pushed toward the engine in the axial direction, the radially outer portion of the diaphragm spring 22 moves toward the transmission in the axial direction.
And the pressure on the pressure plate 21 is released.

The release mechanism 6 is a mechanism for interrupting the power transmission of the clutch 2 by operating the pedal in the driver's seat. Specifically, the release mechanism 6 performs the release by pushing the inner peripheral portion of the diaphragm spring 22 toward the engine in the axial direction. The release mechanism 6 includes a release bearing 8, a release lever 9, and a hydraulic operating mechanism 10.

The release bearing 8 is arranged around the main drive shaft 53 so as to be movable in the axial direction. The inner race of the release bearing 8 is in contact with the inner peripheral end of the diaphragm spring 22 from the transmission side in the axial direction, as shown in FIG. The release lever 9 is a mechanism for moving the release bearing 8 in the axial direction. The release lever 9 has an intermediate portion supported on the axial transmission side by a fulcrum 56. The inner end of the release lever 9 is in contact with the outer race of the release bearing 8 from the transmission side in the axial direction. The radially outer end of the release lever 9 projects outside the clutch housing 55. A fulcrum 56 is provided on the front wall 54 of the transmission.

The hydraulic operating mechanism 10 is a mechanism for releasing the clutch 2 by driving the release lever 9. The hydraulic operating mechanism 10 mainly includes a master cylinder 13 and an operating cylinder 14. The master cylinder 13 can supply and release hydraulic pressure to the operating cylinder 14 by operation from the clutch pedal 12. The operating cylinder 14 is provided outside the clutch housing 55, and a part thereof can act on the radially outer end of the release lever 9 from the engine side in the axial direction.

The structure of the operating cylinder 14 will be described with reference to FIG. The operating cylinder 14 includes a cylinder body 41, a piston 42, a cup 43, a spring 44, a push rod 45, and a boot 4.
6 is comprised. The cylinder body 41 is fixed outside the clutch housing 55 and extends in the axial direction. A piston 42 is provided in the cylinder body 41 so as to be movable in the axial direction. A cup 43 is provided on the axial side of the piston 42 on the engine side. The cup 43 is constantly urged toward the transmission side in the axial direction (the first direction side) by a spring 44. Push rod 45
Has one end supported by the piston 42 in the cylinder body 41 and the other end protruding from the cylinder body 41 to the outside. The other end of the push rod 45 is in contact with the radially outer end of the release lever 9 on the axial engine side. The push rod 45 is fixed to the cylinder body 41 by a boot 46. Cylinder body 4
A bleeder 47 and a hydraulic inlet 49 are provided on the second axial direction side of the piston 42 in 1. The hydraulic inlet 49 is connected to the master cylinder 13.

When the supply of hydraulic pressure from the master cylinder 13 to the operating cylinder 14 is released, the inner peripheral portion of the diaphragm spring 22 moves the release bearing 55 toward the transmission in the axial direction. As a result, the radially inner end of the release lever 9 moves toward the axial transmission, and the radially outer end moves toward the axial engine. The radially outer end of the release lever 9 urges the push rod 45 toward the engine in the axial direction. Therefore, the piston 42 is connected to the push rod 4
5 and is located on the second direction side (the lower side in FIG. 7) in the cylinder main body 41. This is defined as the clutch engagement position of the piston 42.

When hydraulic pressure is supplied from the master cylinder 13 to the operating cylinder 14, the piston 4
2 moves to the first direction side (upper side in FIG. 7) in the cylinder body 41 and pushes the push rod 45. The push rod 45 pushes the radially outer end of the release lever 9 to rotate the release lever 9. As a result, the radial inner end of the release lever 9 moves toward the transmission in the axial direction. The release bearing 8 pushes the inner peripheral portion of the diaphragm spring 22 toward the engine in the axial direction, and moves the outer peripheral end of the diaphragm spring 22 in a direction away from the full clam ring 24 and the pressure plate 21. At this time, the position of the piston 42 is defined as a clutch release position.

As described above, the diaphragm spring 22 is interlocked with the change in the position of the piston 42, and the piston 42 is connected to the diaphragm spring 22.
It is linked to a change in posture. For example, when the clutch disc 23 is worn and the inner peripheral portion of the diaphragm spring 22 moves toward the transmission in the axial direction (when the lever height increases) in the clutch connected state, the clutch connecting position of the piston 42 retreats in the second direction. I will do it.

The detection / warning system 3 is a mechanism for detecting wear of the clutch disk 23 and notifying the driver when the wear limit is reached. Detection of the wear of the clutch disk 23 by the detection / warning system 3 is performed by the wear following mechanism 1.
Diaphragm spring 2 after compensation operation 1 has stopped
The change is performed based on the change in the posture of No. 2, more specifically, the change in the clutch engagement position of the piston 42 described above. Further, it may be considered that the detection / warning system 3 detects the wear amount of the clutch disk 23 based on a change in the release mechanism 6 caused by the wear of the clutch disk 23.

The detection / warning system 3 mainly includes a switch 16
And a warning lamp 17. A battery 18 is connected between the switch 16 and the warning lamp 17 via a cord 50. The switch 16 is disposed in the cylinder body 41 on the second direction side of the cup 43. Although the cup 43 is in contact with the switch 16 in FIG. 7, a predetermined gap is secured between the switch 16 and the cup 43 in the clutch connected state in the initial stage. When the switch 16 is pressed by the cup 43, the warning lamp 17 and the battery 18 are connected to each other so that the warning lamp 1 is connected.
7 is a mechanism for lighting 7. The warning lamp 17 is arranged at a position in the driver's seat where the driver can confirm it.

Next, the operation will be described. In the initial setting state, as shown in FIG. 2, the full clam ring 24 is in contact with the outer peripheral portion of the diaphragm spring 22. When the outer peripheral portion of the diaphragm spring 22 moves outward in the axial direction by the release operation described above, the pressure plate 21 is moved to a strap plate (not shown).
Moves upward in FIG. As a result, the pressing of the clutch disk 23 by the pressure plate 21 is released.

When the clutch disk 23 wears due to the use of the clutch 2, the diaphragm spring 22
, The full crumb ring 24 and the entire pressure plate 21 move to the flywheel 52 side. At this time, one end of the wedge collar 31 of the regulating mechanism 40 is in contact with the flywheel 52, and the wedge collar 31, the wedge 32, and the bolt 33 do not move with respect to the flywheel 52. As a result, a gap corresponding to wear is generated between the flange 24a of the fulcrum ring 24 and the head 33a of the bolt 33.

Next, when a release operation is performed, the radially outer portion of the diaphragm spring 22 moves in a direction away from the full clam ring 24, and
4. The pressure plate 21 and the regulating mechanism 40 move integrally to the diaphragm spring 22 side. Also,
By this release operation, the pressing force of the diaphragm spring 22 to the full crumb ring 24 is released.
Due to the repulsive force of the spring 29, the second taper block 27
Pushes up the first taper block 26, and as a result, the full clam ring 24 moves axially outward. The flange 24a of the full clam ring 24 is
, A force for pulling up the bolt 33 acts on the wedge collar 31 via the wedge 32. However, when the wedge 32 is pulled outward in the axial direction by the wedge collar 31, the outer peripheral surface 32a pushes up the inner peripheral surface 31a, and the wedge collar 31 expands radially outward. Therefore, the wedge collar 31 is locked to the liner 34 (pressure plate 21). Therefore, the positions of the bolt 33 and the head 33 a do not move with respect to the pressure plate 21.

The above operation is assured by the liner 34 setting the friction locking force between the wedge collar 31 and the wedge 32 to be greater than the friction locking force between the wedge collar 31 and the pressure plate 21. When the magnitude of the friction locking force is opposite, the wedge collar 31 is moved by the wedge 32 with respect to the pressure plate 21 during the release operation after the wear.

As described above, since the restricting mechanism 40 is restricted from moving outward in the axial direction with respect to the pressure plate 21, the axial movement of the fulcrum ring 24 is restricted. As a result, the full crumb ring 24 projects toward the diaphragm spring 22 by the amount of wear of the clutch disc 23 and stops. Next, when the release operation is released, the full crumb ring 24 moves to the flywheel 52 side integrally with the pressure plate 21 and the regulating mechanism 40 by the pressing force of the diaphragm spring 22. In this set state, as described above, since the flange 24a of the full clam ring 24 is in contact with the bolt head 33a of the regulating mechanism 40, the axial height of the full clam ring 24 is set at the initial height position. I have. Thereby, the axial distance between the full crumb ring 24 and the supported portion of the diaphragm spring 22 pressed against the ring is kept constant. That is, the pressing posture of the diaphragm spring 22 during setting does not change, and the setting load is maintained at the initial load.

As described above, the urging mechanism 25 and the regulating mechanism 4
0 means that the full clam ring 24 is
3, the diaphragm spring 22 protrudes toward the diaphragm spring 22 in accordance with the amount of wear, so that the diaphragm spring 22 is always maintained at the initial set load. As a result, the following effects can be obtained. (A) The clutch disk 23 can be sufficiently used up to the wear limit, and the life of the clutch can be extended.

(B) Since the set load is kept constant, the torque transmission performance of the clutch 2 can be maintained during use. (C) The release operation can always be performed with the same release load without changing the release characteristics. In addition, since the amount of protrusion of the fulcrum ring 24 is regulated by the regulating mechanism 40, the second taper block 27 is not pushed by the first taper block 26 by the action of the centrifugal force due to the rotation of the engine, but rather outward in the circumferential direction. By being pressed, it is fixed at a fixed position. Therefore, the full crumb ring 24 can be projected accurately by an amount corresponding to the wear amount without being affected by the engine speed, whereby the set load is always accurately maintained.

The fixing portion 21c of the regulating mechanism 40 may be formed as a separate member and fixed to the pressure plate 21 with bolts or the like. As a modification of this embodiment, the liner 34
May be omitted and the outer peripheral surface of the wedge collar 31 may be directly engaged with the hole 21d of the pressure plate 21. In this case, for example, the outer peripheral surface of the wedge 32 is treated with a solid lubricant, and the friction locking force between the wedge collar 31 and the wedge 32 is reduced by the wedge collar 31 and the pressure plate 21.
Adjust so as to be smaller than the friction locking force with

As described above, the posture of the diaphragm spring 22 does not change even if the wear of the clutch disk 23 progresses due to the wear following operation, so that the initial set load is maintained. When the wear amount of the clutch disc 23 becomes equal to the gap A, the second flange 72 of the compensation operation stopping mechanism 60 comes into contact with the head 74 of the bolt 71. Then, the wear following mechanism 11 does not operate thereafter, so that the diaphragm spring 22
Attitude changes. Specifically, the outer peripheral end of the diaphragm spring 22 moves toward the engine in the axial direction according to wear, and the inner peripheral end moves toward the transmission in the axial direction. Therefore, the release bearing 8 moves toward the transmission in the axial direction, the inner end in the radial direction of the release lever 9 moves toward the transmission in the axial direction, and the outer end outside in the radial direction moves toward the engine in the axial direction. As a result, the push rod 45 of the operating cylinder 14 is pushed, and the piston 42 and the cup 43 are moved toward the engine in the axial direction. When the wear amount of the clutch disk 23 reaches a predetermined amount (for example, when the wear amount reaches the total wear amount and hits the facing rivet), the cup 43 is switched to the switch 16.
And switch 16 is turned on. As a result, the warning lamp 17 lights up. By looking at the warning lamp 17, the driver can know that the clutch disk 23 has reached the wear limit. As a result, even in a structure in which the posture of the diaphragm spring 22 does not change over a long period of time due to the wear following mechanism 11, the driver can easily know the replacement time of the clutch disk 23.

Assuming that the lever ratio of the diaphragm spring 22 is 5, if the amount of wear of the clutch disk 23 after stopping the wear following is 1 mm, the change in the lever height of the diaphragm spring 22 is 5 mm. Therefore, the amount of movement of the piston 42 is also 5 mm, and the wear of the clutch disk 23 can be reliably detected. The amount of change in lever height of the diaphragm spring 22 when following wear is ± 1 m.
m, the piston 4
If the distance between the switch 2 and the switch 16 is 5 mm, the switch 16 will not be turned on due to a malfunction. That is, the switch 16 is turned on only when the wear amount of the clutch disk 23 reaches the limit, so that the driver can know the replacement time of the clutch disk assembly 4.

In this embodiment, the driver can be informed of the wear limit of the clutch disk with a simple structure in which only a switch is provided on a conventional operating cylinder. [Other Embodiments] In the above embodiment, the amount of wear of the clutch disc 23 is detected from the change in the position of the diaphragm spring 22 and the change in the position of the release lever 9. For example, the amount of wear is determined based on the change in the urging force of the diaphragm spring 21. It may be detected. In such a case, the pressure can be detected by providing a pressure sensor on the release bearing 8, the release lever 9, the operating cylinder 14, or the like. For example, the switch 16 of the above embodiment may be a pressure sensor. In particular, the diaphragm spring 22
This is effective when the release load is set so as to shift from the valley portion to the peak due to the change in the lever height (displacement).

FIG. 10 shows another embodiment of the detection / warning system. The detection / warning system 70 detects and warns the wear amount by the interference between the clutch disk assembly 62 and the pressure plate 61. The detection / warning system 70 includes a projection 65 provided on the pressure plate 61 and a plate 67 provided on the clutch disk assembly 62. The protrusion 65 protrudes radially inward from the inner peripheral side of the main body of the pressure plate 61. The projection 65 is located on the transmission side in the axial direction of the retaining plate 66 on the outer peripheral side portion of the clutch disk assembly 62. The metal plate 67 is fixed to the outer periphery of the retaining plate 66. That is, the plate 67 faces the projection 65 in the axial direction. The plate 67 is fixed to the retaining plate 66 by rivets 68. The plate 67 is bent so that both ends in the circumferential direction protrude in the axial direction. A gap is secured between the plate 67 and the projection 65 in the axial direction. This gap corresponds to the wear limit of the clutch disc 69.

In this embodiment, when the clutch disc 69 wears, the pressure plate 61 moves toward the flywheel 63 accordingly. Eventually, the protrusion 65 becomes the plate 67.
, The plate 67 repeatedly collides with the projection 65 at the moment of clutch engagement and the moment of clutch release.
The driver can know the wear limit of the clutch disc 69 from the interference sound generated at this time. In this embodiment, the detection and warning of the wear amount are realized with a simple structure.

As a variation of the detection / warning system based on the interference between the clutch disk assembly and the pressure plate, a plate may be provided on the pressure plate side, or both plates may be provided. Further, the shape of the plate is not limited to the above embodiment. [Modification] The present invention is not limited to the type of the clutch cover assembly. That is, the present invention may be any of a push type, a pull type, a diaphragm spring type, and a coil spring type clutch cover assembly. Further, a clutch cover assembly having a biasing member composed of a combination of a diaphragm spring and a lever may be used.

The present invention is not limited to the structure of the hydraulic operating mechanism. For example, a type in which an operating cylinder is arranged around a main drive shaft and directly drives a release bearing can be adopted. Further, the present invention is not limited to the specific structure of the wear following mechanism. That is, either a type in which the fulcrum on the pressure plate side of the urging member moves or a type in which the fulcrum on the clutch cover side moves.

[0054]

In the clutch disk wear detecting device according to the present invention, when the wear following mechanism allows the posture change of the urging member, the detection mechanism detects the wear amount of the clutch disk from the change in the posture. As described above, the wear following mechanism allows the urging member to change the posture of the urging member in the middle, thereby notifying the driver of the wear limit of the clutch disk. With this clutch disk wear detection device, the operator can know the wear limit without being adversely affected by wear.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an overall schematic diagram of a clutch disk wear detection system.

FIG. 2 is a schematic longitudinal sectional view of a clutch.

FIG. 3 is a partial longitudinal sectional view of a clutch cover assembly.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of an adjustment mechanism.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along line VV of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a wedge collar.

FIG. 7 is a sectional view of an operating cylinder.

FIG. 8 is a longitudinal sectional view of a detection mechanism and a warning mechanism according to another embodiment.

FIG. 9 is a partial perspective view showing a plate.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Clutch system 2 Clutch 3 Detection / warning system 4 Clutch disk assembly 5 Clutch cover assembly 6 Release mechanism 8 Release bearing 9 Release lever 10 Hydraulic operation mechanism 11 Wear following mechanism 13 Master cylinder 14 Operating cylinder (drive mechanism) 16 Switch ( (Detection mechanism) 17 Warning lamp (warning means) 18 Battery 22 Diaphragm spring (biasing member) 41 Cylinder main body 42 Piston (drive unit) 45 Push rod 65 Projection (first interference unit) 67 Plate (second interference unit) 70 Detection・ Warning system

Claims (12)

[Claims] 1. A clutch disk wear detecting device for use in a clutch having an urging member for urging a clutch disk and connecting the clutch disk to a flywheel, wherein the clutch disk wear detecting device is used until the clutch disk wear reaches a predetermined amount. A wear-following mechanism that maintains the posture of the urging member constant regardless of the wear of the clutch disc, and allows the posture of the urging member to change after the clutch disc wear reaches the predetermined amount; A detection mechanism for detecting the amount of wear of the clutch disk from a change in the attitude of the biasing member. 2. The clutch disk wear according to claim 1, further comprising a drive mechanism for driving the biasing member so that the biasing force is released, wherein the detection mechanism is incorporated in the drive mechanism. Detection device. 3. The drive mechanism according to claim 2, wherein the drive mechanism has a drive unit that is in interlocking relationship with the biasing member, and the detection mechanism detects the wear amount of the clutch disk based on a position of the precursor drive unit. Clutch disc wear detector. 4. The operating mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the driving mechanism is an operating cylinder for driving the urging member, the operating mechanism including a cylinder body to which pressure is externally supplied, and a piston movable in the cylinder body. The piston moves from the clutch engagement position to the clutch release position by applying pressure to the cylinder body, thereby applying a force to the urging member. When the pressure supply to the cylinder body is released, the force from the urging member is released. The clutch is moved from a clutch release position to a clutch engagement position, and the detection mechanism is a switch that detects an amount of wear of the clutch disk based on a change in the clutch engagement position of the piston due to a change in the posture of the urging member. Item 3. A clutch disk wear detecting device according to Item 2. 5. The clutch disk wear detecting device according to claim 1, wherein said detection mechanism detects a wear amount of said clutch disk from a change in an urging force of said urging member. 6. An alarm device for notifying a driver of a result of detection by the detection mechanism.
6. The clutch disk wear detection device according to any one of 5. 7. The clutch disk wear detecting device according to claim 6, wherein said warning means is a warning lamp provided in a driver's seat. 8. An operating cylinder for use in a clutch having an urging member for urging a clutch disk to couple to a flywheel, the operating cylinder driving the urging member so that the urging force is released. A cylinder body to which pressure is supplied from the outside; and a movable inside the cylinder body, and when pressure is supplied to the cylinder body, the cylinder body moves from a clutch connecting position to a clutch release position, thereby causing the urging member to move. A piston that moves from a clutch release position to a clutch engagement position by a force from the urging member when the pressure supply to the cylinder body is released, and a clutch coupling position of the piston due to a change in the posture of the urging member. A switch for detecting the amount of wear of the clutch disk based on a change in It rings cylinder. 9. A clutch disk wear detection system comprising: the operating cylinder according to claim 8; and alarm means for notifying a driver's seat when the switch detects a wear limit of the clutch disk. 10. The clutch disk wear detection system according to claim 9, wherein said alarm means is an alarm lamp provided in a driver's seat. 11. A clutch for transmitting torque of a flywheel to a transmission, comprising: a clutch disc assembly having a clutch disc connectable to the flywheel; a clutch cover fixed to the flywheel; A clutch cover assembly having a pressure plate disposed close to the clutch disk, and a biasing member supported by the clutch cover to bias the pressure plate toward the flywheel; A wear following mechanism for keeping the posture of the urging member constant, and a detection / warning system for notifying a driver of a wear limit of the clutch disk by interference of the pressure plate and the clutch disk assembly. Clutch. 12. The detection / warning system according to claim 1, wherein the first interference portion provided on the pressure plate and the first interference portion provided on the clutch disk assembly with respect to the first interference portion in an initial clutch connection state. The clutch according to claim 11, further comprising: a second interfering portion that faces the first interfering portion with an axial gap corresponding to a wear limit of the second interfering portion and generates an interfering sound when interfering with the first interfering portion.