JPH077623Y2 - Separate type self-aligning clutch release bearing device - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Industrial field of application] The present invention relates to a clutch release bearing used for a clutch that is interposed between an engine and a transmission of an automobile to transmit and cut off power from the former to the latter. Regarding the device.

[Conventional technology]

As an example of a conventional clutch release bearing device, FIG. 7 shows a self-centering type device which corrects the eccentricity between the rotation center of the diaphragm spring and the rotation center of the bearing. A slide element (A) that is axially moved, a bearing assembly (B) having a portion that acts on the clutch release device by the operation of the slide element (A), and a slide assembly (B). The elastic member (C) is a main constituent element that is pressed in the axial direction toward (A) to fix the both members so that they can be aligned.
The slide element (A) comprises a side plate (4) which can be engaged with the clutch releasing fork member, and a resin sleeve (2) which is integrated with the side plate (4). The bearing assembly (B) includes an inner ring (12), an outer ring (14) and a steel ball (16), and one end of the inner ring (12) is in contact with a diaphragm spring (3) of a clutch cover (12a). Have. The elastic member (C) is mounted in a groove formed by machining on the outer circumference of the sleeve (2) and presses the outer ring (14) toward the side plate (4).

[Problems to be solved by the device]

The above-mentioned conventional clutch release bearing device has the inner ring (12) and the sleeve (2) for mounting the elastic member (C).
It is necessary to provide a relatively large clearance between them and, moreover, special jigs and tools must be used for their attachment. Then, once the elastic member (C) is attached, the clutch release bearing device becomes non-separable. Therefore, even if either the slide element (A) or the bearing assembly (B) is damaged, the entire clutch release bearing device must be replaced, which is uneconomical.

Therefore, the object of this invention is to improve the self-aligning clutch release bearing device of the type described above,
The structure should be separable and easy to connect while taking advantage of the aligning property.

[Means for Solving the Problems]

The clutch release bearing device of this invention is separated from each other.
It consists of a mating slide element and a bearing assembly.

The slide element includes a resin sleeve that is integrally injection-molded with the side plate and the annular body fixed to the outer periphery thereof. The annular body has spring members that are provided so as to project at equal circumferential positions. Each spring member has a base portion that rises radially outward from one end of the annular body at an axial position separated from the side plate, and a leaf spring portion that extends in the circumferential direction from the base portion. The leaf spring portion is curved with respect to a plane parallel to the side plate, and has an elastic restoring force toward the side plate in the axial direction. The side plate has a stopper adjacent to the spring member and protruding toward the spring member.

The bearing assembly includes an inner ring, an outer ring, and steel balls interposed between the inner and outer rings. The inner ring has a contact portion at one end for contacting the clutch release device. The outer ring has a flange portion inwardly in the radial direction at an end portion of the inner ring opposite to the contact portion. A recess is formed in the flange at a position corresponding to the pair of the spring member and the stopper of the slide element, the recess penetrating the flange in the axial direction. Each recess, the pair of spring members and the stopper are associated with the following relationship. That is, when the collar portion is in the angular position where one wall of the recess and the stopper abut, the spring member and the collar portion engage, and the collar portion is in the angular position where the other wall of the recess abuts the stopper. At this time, the phase of the recess and the pair of the spring member and the stopper match.

[Action]

The recess in the collar of the outer ring is aligned with the spring member and stopper pair to push the bearing assembly over the sleeve of the slide element toward the side plate. Then, when the collar portion comes into contact with the side plate, the outer ring is rotated in a predetermined direction until one wall of the recess hits the stopper. This allows
The bearing assembly and slide element combine to form a clutch release bearing assembly. In this condition, the spring member presses the collar of the outer ring against the side plate to maintain the coupling between the bearing assembly and the slide element. Since it is elastically pressed by the spring member, the aligning action between the two is not impaired.

To separate the bearing assembly and the sliding element, the outer ring only has to be rotated in the opposite direction and then pulled axially away. That is, by rotating the outer ring until the other wall of the recess hits the stopper,
The recesses and the spring member and the stopper are in phase with each other, so that they can be separated from each other in the axial direction.

〔Example〕

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

In FIG. 1, the bearing assembly and slide element are designated generally by the reference numerals (20) and 40, respectively, which are joined together to form a clutch release bearing assembly.

First, the slide element (40) will be described. In the slide element (40), the side plate (44) and the annular body (46) are fixed to the outer periphery, and the sleeve (42) made of resin is integrally formed with them. It is injection molded. Annular body (4
Spring members (48) are arranged at equal positions in the circumferential direction of 6). Each spring member (48) has a base portion (48a) rising outward in the radial direction and a leaf spring portion (48b) extending in the circumferential direction from the base portion (48a) at an end portion separated from the side plate (44). Have. The leaf spring portion (48b) is curved with respect to a plane parallel to the side plate (44) to give an elastic restoring force to the side plate (44) side in the axial direction. The side plate (44) has a stopper (44a) adjacent to the spring member (48) and protruding toward the spring member (48). This stopper (44a) is attached to the side plate (4
4) is integrally formed, and side plate (4
It may be fixed to 4).

The bearing assembly (20) includes an inner ring (22), an outer ring (24), and a steel ball (2) interposed between the inner and outer rings (22, 24).
6) is included. In addition, it is desirable to provide a seal (28) that is normally used to prevent foreign matter from entering the bearing and leakage of the lubricant to the outside. The inner ring (22) has a contact portion (22a) formed at one end. This contact part (22a)
Is the diaphragm spring of the clutch release member (30)
Abut. The outer ring (24) is connected to the contact part (22
Radial inward flange (24a) at the end opposite to a)
Have. This collar (24a) has an outer ring (2
4) is integrally formed with the outer ring (2)
4) may be crowned. The collar portion (24a) is formed with the same number of recesses (24b) as the above-described spring member (48). The recess (24b) has a spring member (48) and a stopper (4).
Set the position, interval, and dimension corresponding to the pair of 4a). That is, the radial position and the circumferential interval are associated with each other, and the circumferential width of the recess (24b) is larger than the distance between the circumferential end portions of the pair of the spring member (48) and the stopper (44a). To do. In other words, one recess (24b)
The dimensional relationship is such that the pair of spring members (48) and the stopper (44a) can be housed.

The inner diameters of the inner ring (22) and collar (24a) are
It is larger than the outer diameters of 2) and the annular body (46), and allows the bearing assembly (20) to be eccentric with respect to the slide element (40) to ensure alignment.

The bearing assembly (20) and the slide assembly (40) can be freely combined and separated. First, when connecting the two, the bearing assembly (20) is attached to the collar (24) of the outer ring (24).
The recess (24b) of (a) and the pair of spring member (48) and stopper (44a) are in phase with each other, and the sleeve (42) is pushed toward the side plate (44). Then, when the collar portion (24a) hits the side plate (44) (Figs. 4 and 5), the outer ring (24) is moved to the fourth position until one wall of the recess (24b) hits the stopper (44a). Turn clockwise in the figure (Figs. 2 and 3). At this time, the flange portion (24a) enters between the side plate (44) and the spring member (48) while elastically deforming the leaf spring portion (48b) of the spring member (48). As a result, the flange portion (24a) is pressed by the spring member (48) toward the side plate (44), and the bearing assembly (20) and the slide element (40) are integrated. In this state, the spring member (48) and the collar (24
It is impossible for the bearing assembly (20) and the slide element (40) to be axially separated from each other by interfering with each other.

Next, in order to separate the bearing assembly (20) and the slide element (40) thus integrated, the outer ring (24) is first moved counterclockwise in FIG. 2 to the other side of the recess (24b). Turn until the wall of comes into contact with the stopper (44a). Then, the recess (24b) and the spring member (48) and the stopper (44a) are in phase with each other (FIGS. 4 and 5). Therefore, by axially separating the bearing assembly (20) and the slide element (40) from this state, the recess (24b) passes without interfering with the spring member (48) and the stopper (44a), and both Can be separated.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 6, the leaf spring portion (48b) of the spring member (48) is extended with the hook (48c). This hook (48c) is a collar (24) that is one wall of the recess (24b).
The outer ring (24) freely rotates around the end of (a) and the bearing assembly (20) and slide element (4)
0) is prevented from being separated. When they are to be separated, the outer ring (24) may be rotated while forcibly elastically deforming the hook (48c) against the elastic restoring force of the collar (24a), and then separated in the axial direction.

In any of the above-described embodiments, the spring member (48)
The leaf spring portion (48b) is rounded and curved so that engagement / disengagement with the collar portion (24a) is facilitated. Further, the number of spring members (48) and the elastic restoring force of the leaf spring portion (48b) are set so as to obtain appropriate values in consideration of the reverse rotation prevention of the outer ring (24) and the centering function. .

[Effect of device]

As described above, in the clutch release bearing device of the present invention, the bearing assembly and the slide element can be separated from each other, so that when the bearing, the sleeve, or the like is damaged, either the bearing assembly or the slide element is damaged. Only the corresponding one needs to be replaced, which is very economical as compared with the conventional case where the entire clutch release bearing device is replaced.

Moreover, at the time of replacement, the bearing assembly and the slide element can be separated by simply rotating the outer ring of the bearing assembly in a predetermined direction and pulling it out, and by simply fitting the bearing assembly into the sleeve and rotating the outer ring in the opposite direction. This completes the combination of both. In this way, the separation / connection work can be performed with one touch without using any special tool.

By providing the spring member with a hook as in the embodiment of FIG. 6, a more secure connection between the bearing assembly and the sliding element is maintained.

[Brief description of drawings]

1 is a half sectional view of the clutch release bearing device, FIG. 2 is a view taken along the line II-II in FIG. 1, FIG. 3 is a view taken along the line III-III in FIG. 2, and FIG. A view similar to FIG. 2 showing the positional relationship of the recesses, FIG. 5 is a view taken along the line VV of FIG. 4, FIG. 6 is a view showing a modification of the spring member, and FIG. 7 is a conventional example. FIG. 20: Bearing assembly 22: Inner ring 22a: Contact part 24: Outer ring 24a: Collar part 24b: Recessed part 40: Slide element 42: Sleeve 44: Side plate 44a: Stopper 46: Annular body 48: Spring member

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] 1. A bearing assembly and a slide element, wherein the bearing assembly has an inner ring formed at one end with a contact portion for abutting with a clutch release device, and a radial inward direction at an end opposite to the contact portion of the inner ring. The slide element includes an outer ring having a collar portion and a steel ball interposed between the inner and outer rings, and the slide element is made of resin integrally molded with the side plate and the annular body in a fixed state on the outer periphery thereof. The sleeve includes a sleeve, and the annular body has a spring member equidistantly circumferentially arranged at an end portion separated from the side plate, and the side plate has a stopper adjacent to the spring member and protruding toward the spring member. A recess having a circumferential width that allows the pair of spring member and stopper to pass through in the axial direction is formed, and when the flange is at an angular position where one wall of the recess abuts the stopper, the spring member and the flange. Engage with each other, and the collar part strikes the other wall of the recess. A separable self-aligning clutch release bearing device in which a pair of a spring member and a stopper and a recess are in phase when they are in an angular position where they come into contact with each other.