Patent Application
20170173592
The present disclosure relates to debris collecting and retaining magnets for motor vehicle transmissions and more particularly to a novel and non-obvious configuration for a debris collecting and retaining magnet configuration for motor vehicle transmissions.
The statements in this section merely provide background information related to the present disclosure and may or may not constitute prior art.
It has long been known that metallic particles from various components of a motor vehicle transmission such as gears, shafts, bearings, clutches, synchronizers, brakes, shift rails and even the transmission housing itself can break off and circulate in the transmission fluid. Moreover, and in spite of a manufacturer's best efforts to clean them, some metallic particles may remain on machined parts that are assembled into the transmission. Notwithstanding the much higher density of such particles relative to the transmission fluid which suggests that they will sink to the bottom of the transmission during periods of vehicle inactivity, given the relatively significant forces and fluid flows within an operating transmission, even if the particles have settled out, they will generally be disturbed and again circulate with the fluid flow, harm other components and may reduce the service life of the transmission.
It is also generally known that since many of these components are fabricated of iron, steel, other ferrous alloys or other magnetic materials, they can relatively easily be collected by a permanent magnet disposed within the transmission. The difficulty of this approach is three fold. First of all, modern transmissions tend to be quite compact and thus suitably locating such a magnet so that is is reasonable exposed to fluid flow may be difficult. Second of all, even if a suitable location is found, the space available for the magnet may be limited and thus the size and surface area of the magnet exposed and available to collect particles may also be limited. Last of all, the magnet may be located so that it is both inaccessible and thus unreplaceable. Accordingly, as the magnet collects particles and becomes covered with an increasingly thick layer of such particles, it becomes increasingly ineffective and eventually ceases to provide its function. In order to clean or replace the magnet, it may be necessary to open the transmission case.
The present invention addresses and solves these difficulties.
The present invention provides an improved debris collecting and retaining magnet structure for disposition in a motor vehicle transmission. The magnet structure is cylindrical in form and defines a plurality of axially and circumferentially extending and intersecting bars or ribs. The intersecting bars or ribs form a cylindrical cage. The cage is secured to a mounting structure having a radially extending arm or lug with a mounting opening in which a threaded fastener may be installed to secure the magnet assembly to a transmission housing. The mounting structure includes a gasket to seal it within the transmission. The cylindrical magnet cage exhibits significantly increased surface area relative to conventional magnets thereby increasing the amount of metal particles that may be attracted to and retained by the magnet. Additionally, since the magnet cage assembly is readily removable from the transmission, the magnet cage is easily inspected and serviced to remove collected debris, thereby greatly extending the effective service life of the debris collecting magnet as well as the transmission.
The invention also includes an additional embodiment: the debris trapping magnet cage without the mounting arm or lug that may be mounted to any suitable internal surface at any suitable location within the transmission.
Thus it is an aspect of the present invention to provide a debris trapping magnet for a motor vehicle transmission.
It is a still further aspect of the present invention to provide a metal particle collecting and retaining magnet for a motor vehicle transmission.
It is a still further aspect of the present invention to provide a debris trapping magnet having a plurality of axially and circumferentially extending and intersecting bars or ribs.
It is a still further aspect of the present invention to provide a debris trapping magnet having a plurality of axially and circumferentially extending and intersecting bars or ribs forming a cage.
It is a still further aspect of the present invention to provide a debris trapping magnet having a plurality of axially and circumferentially extending and intersecting bars or ribs forming a cylindrical cage.
It is a still further aspect of the present invention to provide a debris trapping magnet having a plurality of axially and circumferentially extending and intersecting bars or ribs having a mounting structure such as a radially extending arm or lug and a gasket.
It is a still further aspect of the present invention to provide a debris trapping magnet having a plurality of axially and circumferentially extending and intersecting bars or ribs which form a cylindrical cage having a mounting structure such as a radially extending arm or lug with a mounting opening.
It is a still further aspect of the present invention to provide a debris trapping magnet having a plurality of axially and circumferentially extending and intersecting bars or ribs which form a cylindrical cage having a gasket and a mounting feature such as a radially extending arm or lug having a mounting opening.
Further aspects, advantages and areas of applicability will become apparent from the description provided herein. It should be understood that the description and specific examples are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.
The drawings described herein are for illustration purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure in any way.
The following description is merely exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit the present disclosure, application, or uses.
With reference now to
Referring now to
Disposed on the cylindrical portion 30 of the body 28 adjacent the mounting arm or lug 32 is circumferential groove 52 which receives and retains an elastomeric gasket or seal 54 such as a O-ring which provides a fluid tight seal when the debris trapping magnet cage assembly 20 is disposed in the opening 22 of the transmission 10. Secured to the cylindrical portion 30 of the body 28 adjacent the circumferential groove 52 and gasket or seal 54 by any suitable means, such as a press or interference fit or an adhesive, and extending away from the mounting arm or lug 32 is a debris trapping magnet cage 60. The magnet cage 60 is preferably cylindrical and defines an inside diameter the same as or just slightly smaller than the outside diameter of the cylindrical portion 30 of the body 28.
The magnet cage 60 includes a plurality of axially extending, circumferentially spaced apart parallel ribs or bars 62 which intersect a plurality of axially spaced apart circumferentially extending bars or ribs 64. Preferably, the magnet cage 60 is fabricated of hard ferrite 26/24 (DIN IEC 60404-8-1) or a magnetic material having similar characteristics. The magnet cage 60 may be fabricated by powdered metal manufacturing techniques. The axial and circumferential bars or ribs 62 and 64 form an open cage having significantly greater surface area than any prior art plug or button magnet and thus are capable of collecting and retaining a significantly higher volume or quantity of debris or metallic particles. Thus, the useful and effective life of the debris trapping magnet cage 60 is much longer than that of a prior art plug or button magnet. Such extended life, in turn, extends the life of the transmission 10. Since the debris trapping magnet 60 is readily removable, for example, for inspection or cleaning, this feature further extends its useful and effective life.
Referring briefly to
Referring now to
The description of the invention is merely exemplary in nature and variations that do not depart from the gist of the invention are intended to be within the scope of the invention. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention.
