JPH0227237Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] (Industrial application field) The present invention relates to a centrifugal lock-up clutch.
More specifically, the present invention relates to an improvement in a centrifugal lock-up clutch of a type used in hydraulic torque converters for automobiles and the like, which is displaced radially outward by centrifugal force and connects an input shaft and an output shaft through frictional engagement.

(Prior Art) In a conventional hydraulic torque converter, blades are provided in a housing that rotates integrally with the input shaft, and a turbine having blades facing the blades is arranged in the housing, and the turbine is connected to the turbine through the flow of fluid in the housing. The rotation of the input shaft, that is, the housing, was transmitted to the turbine, and the rotation of the turbine was transmitted to the output shaft.

A clutch has been proposed in which this hydraulic torque converter is provided with a centrifugal lockup device to transmit the rotation of the housing to the turbine side through frictional engagement.

That is, a clutch means that rotates integrally with the turbine is provided between the housing and the turbine.
The clutch means includes a plurality of friction members or shoes spaced circumferentially on the radially outer peripheral end surface. These shoes have frictional engagement surfaces parallel to and opposed to the inner circumferential surface of the housing, which is provided substantially parallel to the housing, turbine, input shaft, and output shaft.

In the clutch configured as described above, when the housing rotates together with the input shaft, the fluid in the housing flows and transmits torque to the turbine. At this time, the clutch means rotates together with the turbine, and the shoe generates centrifugal force. receive. The shoe subjected to the centrifugal force is displaced toward the inner peripheral surface of the housing and comes into frictional engagement with the housing. At this time, the shoe intermittently or continuously slides on the housing and directly transmits torque to the turbine side.

(Problems to be Solved by the Invention) In the conventional example described above, when the housing rotates, foreign matter floating in the fluid within the housing is also biased toward the outside in the radial direction by centrifugal force.
These foreign substances tend to get stuck between the inner circumferential surface of the housing, which is provided substantially parallel to the input/output axis, and the shoe opposing thereto. Foreign matter that has entered between the shoe and the housing wears out the friction material bonded to the shoe when it slides into contact with the inner peripheral surface of the housing, reducing durability.

The present invention aims to solve the above-mentioned drawbacks of the conventional centrifugal lock-up clutch.
That is, the purpose is to prevent wear of the housing and the shoe and improve durability by creating a structure in which foreign matter in the housing does not accumulate between the shoe and the housing.

(Means for solving the problems) The present invention achieves the above object with the following configuration. That is, the configuration includes: a housing that is rotationally driven by a drive source and has a cavity; a turbine that is rotatably supported within the cavity and transmits rotational output to an output shaft; a stator that can rotate only in one direction; A fluid is sealed in a cavity of the housing and transmits the rotation of the housing to the turbine; a fluid is provided integrally with the turbine between the housing and the turbine within the cavity, and is caused to move radially outward by centrifugal force when the turbine rotates; A centrifugal lock-up clutch having a clutch means that is displaced and frictionally engaged with the inner circumferential surface of the housing in the cavity and directly transmits the rotation of the housing to the turbine; The centrifugal lock-up clutch is characterized in that a passage is provided between the inner peripheral surface of the housing and the clutch means.

(Embodiments) Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a side sectional view showing the entire centrifugal lock-up clutch according to the present invention. The nut 10 is connected to an input shaft (not shown) from a drive source such as an automobile engine, and rotates together with the cover 12. The cover 12 has a cup shape, and a pump 14 is fitted thereinto to form an annular cavity therein, thereby forming a housing. A fluid 28 for transmitting torque is sealed within the cavity of the housing.

The inner surface of the pump 14 has a plurality of vanes 14' projecting into the cavity. Cover 12 and pump 1
The housing constituted by the input shaft 10 rotates integrally with the rotation of the input shaft 10. A cavity within the housing encloses a turbine 18 having vanes 18' opposed to vanes 14' of the pump 14. pump 1
A stator 16 is interposed between the stator 4 and the turbine 18 to form a flow of fluid 28 .

The turbine 18 is integrally fixed onto the inner ring 19 by a rivet 24, and the hub 19 has an output shaft hole 26 into which an output shaft (not shown) is fitted.

The clutch device 20 includes the turbine 18 and the cover 12.
The turbine 18 and the hub 19 are integrally fixed together by rivets 24. The clutch device 20 includes a plurality of shoes 22 spaced apart at appropriate intervals on the radial outer circumference.

The relationship between the shoe 22 of the clutch device 20 and the cover 12 constituting the housing will be described in detail with reference to FIG.

As described above, the cover 12 is cup-shaped and has an inner recess, which has a radially expanding surface and an inner circumferential surface 12' extending in the axial direction of the pilot shaft 10. have. This inner circumferential surface 12' has a shape that opens outward in the radial direction from the pilot shaft 10 side toward the output shaft side. That is, the inner circumferential surface 12' is not parallel to the input/output axis, but is provided at an angle.

Since the shoe 22 is disposed to face the inner circumferential surface 12', the part of the clutch device to which the shoe 22 is attached is also inclined with respect to a plane perpendicular to the input/output axis. The shoe 22 is biased radially outward from the position shown in FIG. 2 due to centrifugal force, and the friction material 30 bonded to the shoe 22 faces the inner circumferential surface 12'. sliding,
Further, the cover 12 and the clutch device 20 are interlocked with each other to make the cover 12 and the clutch device 20 integral.

The operation of the centrifugal lock-up clutch according to the present invention having the above configuration will be explained.

When rotated by a drive source (not shown) via a nut 11, the cover 12 forming the housing
and the pump 14 also rotate together. When the housing rotates, the fluid within the housing is caused to flow, and through this fluid flow, the turbine 18 facing the pump 14 also gradually rotates.
Rotational power is now output to the output shaft.

When the turbine 18 rotates, the clutch device 20, which is integrally fixed thereto, also rotates at the same time. At this time, the shoe 22 is subjected to centrifugal force and is biased radially outward as described above. The shoe 22 is connected to the cover 12 and the clutch device 20 depending on the magnitude of the centrifugal force.
The torque is transmitted by directly engaging the two.

During operation, foreign matter in the housing is subjected to centrifugal force and does not stay on the inner circumferential surface 12', but instead moves out of the space formed by the shoe 22 and the inner circumferential surface 12' along the slope of the inner circumferential surface 12'. is discharged to.

(Effect of the invention) As described above, the shoe of the centrifugal lock-up clutch and the inner circumferential surface of the housing are formed obliquely with respect to the direction of centrifugal force, and foreign matter in the housing receives centrifugal force between them. Since the structure is such that foreign matter is discharged through the shoe and the housing, no foreign matter remains between the shoe and the housing, and wear of both can be prevented, thereby extending the life of the shoe and the housing.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a side cross-sectional view of a centrifugal lock-up clutch showing an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing details of the shoe of FIG. 1 and a cover portion facing the shoe. Explanation of symbols of main parts, 11...Input nut, 12...Cover, 14...Pump, 18...
Turbine, 20...Clutch device, 22...Shu, 26...Output shaft hole, 30...Friction material.

Claims (1)

[Claims for Utility Model Registration] A housing that is rotationally driven by a drive source and has a cavity; a turbine that is rotatably supported within the cavity and transmits rotational output to an output shaft; a stator that can rotate only in one direction; ; a fluid sealed in the cavity of the housing and transmitting the rotation of the housing to the turbine; and a fluid provided integrally with the turbine between the housing and the turbine within the cavity, which is rotated in the radial direction by centrifugal force when the turbine rotates; A centrifugal lock-up clutch comprising: a clutch means that is outwardly displaced and frictionally engages the inner peripheral surface of the housing within the cavity and directly transmits the rotation of the housing to the turbine; 1. A centrifugal lock-up clutch characterized in that the inner circumferential surface has a tapered shape, and foreign matter in the fluid is discharged outward along the inner circumferential surface by centrifugal force during rotation.