Patent Grant
9073190
This application claims the benefit of priority under 35 U.S.C. §119 of German Utility Model DE 20 2010 011 341 filed Aug. 10, 2011, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
The present invention pertains to a device for pressing a double clutch onto a transmission shaft of a double clutch transmission, which transmission shaft is arranged in a clutch housing of a gearbox.
So-called double clutches have been known for a rather long time. They are characterized in that the torque delivered by a motor vehicle engine can be optionally transmitted to one of two transmission input shafts of a double clutch transmission. Contrary to single clutches, such double clutches form a compact unit which are not flanged to the flywheel or to the disk flywheel of the motor vehicle engine but in the area of the two transmission shafts. A transmission and especially a double clutch transmission is known to be connected to the motor vehicle engine via a housing-like clutch housing. The “clutch kit” or the double clutch becomes accessible after the transmission together with the clutch housing has been removed from the motor vehicle engine. The two transmission shafts of the double clutch transmission are arranged coaxially with one another, and one, “outer” transmission shaft is designed as a recess shaft, in which the other, “inner” transmission shaft is mounted. To make it possible to mechanically connect the two transmission shafts to a “carrier plate,” the inner transmission shaft is made axially longer than the outer transmission shaft designed as a recess shaft.
Combinations of double clutch transmissions and double clutch, in which the double clutch is mounted on the transmission shafts, especially on the outer transmission shaft designed as a recess shaft, have been known from the state of the art. The double clutch has a correspondingly centrally arranged rolling bearing for this purpose, with which the double clutch is pressed with an at least slight press fit onto the outer transmission shaft. Since the complete clutch arrangement of the double clutch is arranged recessed in the clutch housing, various requirements arise here, especially for pressing the double clutch with its rolling bearing onto the outer transmission shaft.
Concerning special embodiments of such double clutch, reference shall be made, for example, to DE 10 2009 039 991 A1, DE 10 2009 042 071 A1 as well as DE 10 2009 048 277 A1. It is common to all these constructions that the double clutch or double clutch arrangement is mounted on one of the transmission shafts, especially the outer transmission shaft, of the double clutch transmission via at least one rolling bearing.
Special problems arise here concerning the pressing on, especially concerning the supporting of a corresponding pressing device. Even though the passage holes or threaded holes of the clutch housing, which are present for mounting the clutch housing on the motor vehicle engine, may be generally used to support the pressing rod, it is necessary to provide support devices of different shapes for this in order to make it possible to use the pressing rod in a correspondingly variable manner, because the passage holes or threaded holes are not arranged in a uniformly distributed pattern on the circumference of the clutch housing in different variants of double clutch transmissions or clutch housings due to the construction.
It is known in this connection from the state of the art that support devices for supporting the pressing rod are provided in multiple embodiments, so that a separate support device must be made available for each transmission. However, if new transmission designs are introduced onto the market, especially with, in turn, differently designed clutch housings, a new support device must consequently be made available for each type of clutch housing in order to make it possible to couple this fittingly with the corresponding passage holes and/or threaded holes.
Accordingly, a basic object of the present invention is to make available a device for pressing a double clutch onto a transmission shaft of a double clutch transmission arranged in a clutch housing of a gearbox, which can be used variably for different embodiments, especially of the clutch housing of the double clutch transmission.
The object is accomplished according to the present invention by a device that comprises: a plurality of tie bolts, which can be stationarily connected to the clutch housing; a pressing device, which is provided with an axially adjustable pressing rod and can be brought into pressing connection with the double clutch; a support device, which connects the tie bolts to the pressing device. The support device has a central mounting element, in which the pressing device is mounted. The support device has a plurality of support arms, which can be caused to mesh with one of the tie bolts each. The support arms are mounted at the mounting element pivotably about a pivot axis extending in parallel to the pressing rod of the pressing device for the concentric alignment of the pressing device with the pressing rod thereof with the transmission shaft.
The design according to the present invention makes available a device that can be used variably for clutch housings of different shapes. In particular, the support device is designed for this purpose in a very special manner. Thus, this support device has, on the one hand, a central mounting element, into which the pressing device can be inserted. This support device is provided, furthermore, with a plurality of support arms, preferably three, which are each mounted pivotably at the mounting element of the support device. The support arms can thus be adjusted in terms of their angular positions in relation to one another at least approximately as desired, so that a concentric alignment of the pressing device with the transmission shaft of the double clutch transmission is possible in a simple manner and this is independent from the particular positioning of the passage holes or threaded holes of the clutch housing. The support arms can thus be aligned freely with these passage holes or threaded holes in a simple manner for different clutch housings with differently arranged passage holes and/or threaded holes. Tie bolts, which can be stationarily coupled, on the one hand, with the passage holes or threaded holes of the clutch housing and, on the other hand, adjustably mesh with the respective support arm, are provided according to the present invention for coupling the support arms and hence the entire support device with these passage holes or threaded holes.
Thus, provisions may be made for the support arms of the support device to have an adjusting slot extending in the longitudinal extension of the respective support arm for adjustably and fixably mounting one tie bolt each. This embodiment makes possible, in particular, the concentric alignment of the pressing device with the transmission shaft of a double clutch transmission in a continuous manner. Due to the fixable mounting of the tie bolts in the respective adjusting slot of the associated support arm, the support arm can be stationarily fixed at the respective tie bolt after the coaxial alignment of the pressing device with the transmission shaft of the double clutch transmission, so that canting is ruled out with certainty during the subsequent pressing-on operation of the double clutch with its rolling bearing onto the transmission shaft.
Furthermore, provisions may be made for the support arms to be able to be fixed in a predetermined angular position in relation to one another at the mounting element and for the mounting element to have a locking screw or an axially adjustable locking pin each, which said screw or pin can be caused to mesh with the respective associated support arm in a non-positive or positive-locking manner, for fixing the angular positions of the individual support arms. Due to this embodiment, the support device can also be used, in particular, to extract such a double clutch. If, for example, three support arms are provided, these may have a set angle of 120° each among each other, so that uniform extraction of a double clutch from the clutch housing or pulling off from the transmission shaft is made possible by means of corresponding draw hooks.
Furthermore, provisions may be made for the mounting element to have a central threaded bushing, and for the pressing rod of the pressing device to be designed as a pressing screw and mounted axially adjustably in a central internal thread of the threaded bushing, and for the threaded bushing to have, in the horizontal alignment of the support arms, an upper mounting cylinder in its upper axial end area and a lower mounting cylinder in its lower axial end area, and for a bearing plate with a bearing bore to be mounted on the upper mounting cylinder, and for a support plate with a bearing bore to be mounted on the lower mounting cylinder, and for the threaded bushing to form, axially between its mounting cylinders, a radially expanded bearing flange, at which the bearing plate is axially supported on the top side and at which the support plate is supported axially on the underside. This embodiment makes possible an extremely simple manufacture of the mounting element, especially for mounting the pressing device, which is preferably designed as a pressing screw, i.e., as a threaded spindle, and can correspondingly be screwed through the internal thread of the threaded bushing. Due to the special embodiment of the threaded bushing with the radially expanded bearing flange thereof, the bearing plate and the support plate have a predefined distance from each other, so that the support arms can be pivotably mounted between these.
Furthermore, provisions may be made for the bearing plate and support plate to be nonrotatably fixed at the bearing flange by means of at least one spring-type straight pin and for the upper bearing plate and lower support plate to form radially outwardly projecting bearing tongues each, and for the bearing tongues of the bearing plate and the bearing tongues of the support plate to be associated with one another in pairs and for mounting one of the support arms between them in pairs in a pivotingly movable manner.
An extremely simple manufacturability and an extremely simple design of the mounting element are achieved, in particular, the mounting of the support arms is solved in an extremely simple manner, and an extremely high inherent stability is achieved due to the bearing tongues being arranged on both sides one on top of another in the axial direction for mounting one of the support arms each.
An extremely simple and functional design of the locking pins, each associated with one of the support arms, is achieved due to the locking pins being of identical design and each having a guide element, with which elements the respective locking pin is screwed into a through thread of the bearing plate, and the respective guide element receiving, in an axially adjustable manner, a locking pin, which can be brought from a fixing position, in which it meshes axially with a fixing hole of the respective support arm, into a retracted neutral position, in which it does not mesh with the fixing hole.
To release the locked position of the particular locking pin with its locking pin, provisions may, furthermore for the locking pin to have a tie rod, which is provided in its end area located axially opposite the locking pin with an external thread, with which the tie rod is screwed into an actuating element, and for the actuating element nonrotatably meshing with a locking web in a top-side cross slot of the guide element in the locked position of the locking pin. Together with the locking pin, this actuating element can be retracted in the axial direction against a spring force, so that the “locking” meshing of the locking pin with the corresponding support arm is abolished and this pin can be pivoted approximately as desired.
To secure the non-locking or locking, neutral position of the locking pin the actuating element can be axially extracted from the cross slot of the guide element with the locking web. The locking web is thus disengaged from the cross slot of the guide element in this neutral position of the locking pin. To secure this axially retracted, neutral position, the actuating element can be caused to mesh with a locking groove arranged extending at right angles to the cross slot on the top side of the guide element by rotation by 90° in relation to the cross slot. This locking groove has, contrary to the cross slot of the guide element, only an extremely small axial depth, so that the locking pin, which is connected to the actuating element, cannot certainly mesh in this retracted position with the associated support arm.
The present invention will be explained in more detail below as an example based on the drawings. The various features of novelty which characterize the invention are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and specific objects attained by its uses, reference is made to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which preferred embodiments of the invention are illustrated.
In the drawings:
Referring to the drawings in particular,
The threaded bushing 2 has a central internal thread 8, which is used during the operation for mounting a pressing device in an axially adjustable manner. Furthermore, it is seen in
Bearing plate 3 has a central bearing bore 15, with which bearing plate 3 can be fittingly attached to the upper mounting cylinder 9 of threaded bushing 2. Two likewise diametrically opposite through holes 16 and 17 are arranged in bearing plate 3 in the edge area of the bearing bore 15. In the mounted state, these through holes 16 and 17 of the mounting plate 3 can be aligned flush with the two through holes 12 and 13 of bearing collar 11 of threaded bushing 2. Two spring-type straight pins 18 and 19, which can be inserted into the respective through holes 16 and 17 as well as 12 and 13 in a correspondingly clamping manner, are provided in this flush alignment for nonrotatably fixing the bearing plate 3 relative to threaded bushing 2.
It can also be seen from
The lower support plate 4 is likewise provided with a central bearing bore 30, with which support plate 4 can be fittingly attached to the lower mounting cylinder 10 of threaded bushing 2. Furthermore, support plate 4 likewise has, in the edge area of its bearing bore 30, two diametrically opposite through holes 31 and 32, which can be aligned, in the mounted state of support plate 4 on the mounting cylinder 10, flush with the through holes 12 and 13 of bearing collar 11 of threaded bushing 2. The two spring-type straight pins 18 and 19 are shown in terms of their length such that these pass through the through holes 12, 16 and 31 as well as 13, 17 and 32 in the mounted state of bearing plate 3 and of support plate 4 on threaded bushing 2, so that both the upper bearing plate 3 and lower support plate 4 are held nonrotatably at threaded bushing 12 or the bearing collar 4 thereof by the two spring-type straight pins 18 and 19. Furthermore, support plate 4 is also provided with a total of three radially outwardly projecting bearing tongues 33, 34 and 35, which correspond in terms of their shape and alignment to the bearing tongues 20, 21 and 22 of the upper bearing plate 3. Thus, the bearing tongues 20 and 33, 21 and 34 as well as 22 and 35 are associated with one another each in pairs and are arranged flush “one after another” in the mounted state.
Furthermore, it can be seen from
A bearing bush 45, 46 and 47, respectively, whose axial length approximately corresponds to the axial height of the support arms 5, 6 and 7, respectively, is associated with each of the fitting screws 39, 40 and 41, respectively. The axial length of the bearing bushes 45, 46 and 47 is preferably minimally greater than the axial height of the respective corresponding support arm 5, 6 and 7, so that these support arms 5, 6 and 7 cannot be jammed between the associated bearing tongues 20, 33 and 21, 34 and 22, 35, respectively, in the mounted state, but remain freely movable. Provisions may also be made for the bearing collar 11 of threaded bushing 2 to be made higher in its axial extension in the direction of the internal thread 2 than the axial height of the support arms 5, 6 and 7. An undesired jamming of the support arms 5, 6, 7 between the associated bearing tongues 20, 33 and 21, 34 and 22, 35, respectively, is avoided with certainty by such an embodiment as well.
For the correspondingly pivotable mounting of the support arms 5, 6 and 7, each of the support arms 5, 6 and 7 is provided in an end area each with a corresponding bearing bore 50, 51 and 52, respectively, with which the corresponding support arm 5, 6 and 7 can be attached to the corresponding bearing bushes 45, 46 and 47 belonging to it fittingly or with a small clearance.
The mounting holes 36, 37 and 38 are arranged in the corresponding bearing tongue 33, 34 and 35 belonging to them corresponding to the mounting threads 23, 24 and 25 of the bearing tongues 20, 21 and 22 of the upper bearing plate 3, so that these are located flush one after another in the mounted state. It is easy to imagine that the corresponding fitting bolts 39, 40 and 41 pass through the mounting holes 36, 37 and 38 as well as the corresponding bearing bushes 45, 46 and 47 and are screwed correspondingly into the mounting threads 23, 24 and 25. The bearing plate 3 and support plate 4 are thus held stationarily at the threaded bushing 2 in this mounted state. At the same time, the corresponding bearing bushes 45, 46 and 47 are fixed by these fitting bolts 39, 40 and 41, so that the attached support arms 5, 6 and 7 are correspondingly mounted in a pivotable manner.
It is also seen in
Furthermore, it can be seen from
As is apparent from
In the axial extension upwards towards the guide element 63, locking pin 73 forms a tie rod 83, which is provided with an external thread 84 in its upper end area. With this external thread 84, the tie rod 83 can be screwed into a corresponding internal thread 85 of actuating element 75 in a defined manner. Furthermore, axial compression spring 86 is provided, by which the centering pin 72 is held in its locked position shown in
Furthermore, it can be seen from
It can be seen that locking pin 72 is held by the axial compression spring 86 in the locked position shown in
In the axial extension of the adjusting thread 103 downwardly, pressing screw 101 forms a guide pin 104, which is used to concentrically receive a thrust bearing 105. A bearing housing 106, which fittingly receives the thrust bearing 105, is provided in this exemplary embodiment for the concentric fixation of this thrust bearing 105. Furthermore, a guide bushing 107, which forms an upwardly directed guide cylinder 108 provided with a through hole, can be inserted into the thrust bearing 105. Furthermore, a circumferential, axially expanded ring web 109, with which guide bushing 107 can be fittingly inserted into the bearing housing 106 and can be fixed in same, for example, by flanging the bearing housing, is provided in the lower end area of guide bushing 107.
Together with guide bushing 107 and thrust bearing 105, bearing housing 106 thus forms a uniform bearing element. To fix this bearing element, especially with its guide cylinder 108 on the guide pin 104, guide pin 104 has, in its upper end area, an O-ring 110, onto which the guide cylinder 108 can be slidingly pushed.
It can be seen that the support arms 5, 6 and 7 are fittingly mounted between the bearing tongues 20, 33 and 21, 34 and 22, 35, which are associated with each other in pairs. The three locking pins 60, 61 and 62 are correspondingly screwed into the upper bearing tongues 20, 21 and 22 of bearing plate 3 in an axially defined position and secured by the corresponding lock nuts 69, 70 and 71. All locking pins are in their locked positions in the position shown in
Furthermore, it can be seen that bearing housing 106 is stationarily attached to the guide pin 104. This guide pin 104 extends downwardly beyond the bearing housing 106 in the direction of arrow 91. Furthermore, it can also be seen from
To make it possible now to press a double clutch with its rolling bearing onto a transmission shaft, a pressing sleeve 115 is provided, which can be seen, for example, in the perspective view in
Furthermore, it can be seen from
Furthermore, it can be seen from
It can be seen from
Due to the possibility of fixing the support arms 5, 6 and 7, this support device 1 can, in particular, also be used to extract such a double clutch 130 by inserting corresponding draw hooks into the adjusting slots 95, 96 and 97 instead of the tie bolts 120. Especially due to a relative angular position of the support arms 5, 6 and 7, preferably equaling 120° each relative to one another, which can be set by the locking pins 60, 61 and 62, pulling forces can thus be uniformly applied to the double clutch 130, so that jamming especially of the rolling bearing 129 on the transmission shaft is avoided during extraction.
While specific embodiments of the invention have been shown and described in detail to illustrate the application of the principles of the invention, it will be understood that the invention may be embodied otherwise without departing from such principles.
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