The invention relates to a torsion vibration damper for a drive train, comprising flange components, rotatable within limits relative to one another about a common axis of rotation against the effect of at least one energy accumulator, wherein the at least one energy accumulator is supported against the effects of centrifugal forces by at least one support element, which is supported radially within the at least one energy accumulator.
Torsion vibration dampers are known in drive trains for dampening inconsistencies in the rotation of combustion engines used as drive units. Thus, between an input side of the torsion vibration damper from the combustion engine and an output side towards the transmission, two flange components are rotated relative to one another against the effect of energy accumulators, like e.g. compression springs. When torque spikes of the combustion engine occur, energy is absorbed by the energy accumulator, and released back to the drive train, when the torque is reduced. With increasing speed of the combustion engine, and of the torsion vibration damper, rotating about the same axis of rotation, the energy accumulators mostly disposed in circumferential direction of the torsion vibration damper are accelerated to the radial outside. This leads to an increased friction of the energy accumulator at outer surfaces of the torsion vibration damper or to an increased radial loading of the energy accumulators by centrifugal force effects, if said energy accumulators cannot be supported at respective outer surfaces.
As a protection against negative effects of the centrifugal forces, so-called slider dishes or slider shoes are used at the outside of the energy accumulators. It is furthermore suggested to support the energy accumulators on the radial outside by respective support elements, reaching around the energy accumulators, wherein said support elements are supported at inner components of the torsion vibration damper.
It is the object of the present invention to improve torsion vibration dampers in an advantageous manner. In particular, the properties of torsion vibration dampers with respect to their behavior relative to centrifugal force effects shall be improved.
The object is accomplished by a torsion vibration damper for a drive train, comprising two flange components, rotatable within limits, as an input component and an output component about a common axis of rotation against the effect of at least one energy accumulator, wherein the at least one energy accumulator is supported against centrifugal force effects by means of at least one support element, which his radially supported within the at least one energy accumulator, and the at least one support element is rotatably supported about the axis of rotation relative to the flange components. Thus, the two flange components can be supported on one another or they can be jointly supported on a hub, wherein one flange component can be rotatable and the other can be fixated, and thus, an in-feed or an out-feed of the torque transferred into the torsion vibration damper can be performed through the hub, e.g. through an interior teething. The flange components can be formed from forged components, which are machined, and/or from sheet metal components, which are fabricated in a one-step stamping process, which are manufactured by respective sheet metal working methods known to those having skill in the art. The remaining flange type components can also be fabricated according to one of said methods.
The flange components can comprise respective moldings or embossing for loading the at least one energy accumulator and/or for forming an interlock for additional driving or driven components of the drive train. The limited rotation angle of the two flange components can be provided in one respective direction of rotation by soft or hard stops, like e.g. rubber stops or metallic stops at the respective flange component or at components provided for this purpose. Alternatively, energy accumulators going into blockage can be used as stops. A slipping clutch can be used between the flange components.
The rotation axis is defined as the rotation axis of the torsion vibration damper about itself. The rotation axis can be identical to the rotation axis of the crank shaft of a combustion engine, besides possible axial offsets or relative angles between the axes. The torsion vibration damper can be received in a drive train on the crankshaft side or on the transmission side. In particularly heavy embodiments, the torsion vibration damper can be received rotatably in a support component, wherein the support component is fixated at a housing component.
The at least one energy accumulator can be comprised of plural particular coil springs, which are combined in groups and distributed about the circumference on a certain diameter. Furthermore, additional groups of coil springs can be disposed on another diameter, wherein they can comprise identical spring constants or different spring constants, and contact the loading surfaces of input and output components at the same rotation angle or at different rotation angles relative to the other springs, which determines the effect of each particular spring, so that they form a multistage spring characteristic. In particular, on the outer diameter of the energy accumulators to be disposed, so-called arc springs can be provided, which are pre-bent to the installation diameter already before assembly, and which cover an angle of approximately 180° when using two arc springs, so that they cover the entire circumference, only leaving the flanges open, which are loading them. When using three arc springs, said angle advantageously comprises approximately 120°. When using springs, which are short compared to the arc springs, depending on the length and the diameter, on which the coil springs are disposed, four to eight coil springs, in special cases only three, preferably four to eight coils springs can be disposed. These can be disposed in order to obtain a soft spring unit with low stiffness, analogous to a loading of arc springs, so that the loading surfaces loading the spring units load a respective group of coils springs at the two end sides of said spring group, wherein the ends, located there between, of the respectively adjacent springs are connected by a support component and radially supported. The coil springs can be loaded in tension- or compression direction; preferably they are used as compression coil springs. The spring groups can be connected in series or in parallel amongst one another. Arc- and short coil spring groups can be combined amongst one another.
A friction device can be associated in parallel or in series with at least one group of springs. Respective free angles without friction can be provided.
The at least one support element can be formed from plural support elements, distributed about the circumference of the energy accumulators, or can be formed at their joining ends by short coil springs. It can be formed from sheet metal or plastic and radially envelopes the energy accumulators to be protected against the effects of centrifugal forces, so that the centrifugal force is supported on the radial inside of the energy accumulators at a component of the torsion vibration damper. Said component can be a flange component acting as input component or output component, or it can be a hub, on which both flange components or at least one of the flange components are disposed. The respective component thus has suitable receivers. Thus, circular segment shaped recesses or openings can be provided in the component, in which one or plural support components are received, so that the support components can rotate in the direction of the supported energy accumulators about the rotation axis during a compression or unloading. This is performed so that during a rotation about the rotation axis due to a displacement of the receiver surface of the energy accumulator by a specified rotation angle, the connection point also preferably rotates by the same rotation angle in the circular segment shaped recess. Additionally, it can be provided that the support element comprises an additional connection point at the respectively adjusted connection point, or in case of an embodiment with two components, radially between the connection point and the support surface for the associated energy accumulator.
The at least one support element can be supported on the component of the torsion vibration damper, so that a rotation is optimized with respect to friction, for example, a straight bearing or a roller bearing can operate between the circular segment shaped recesses and the at least one support element. In a similar manner, the pivotable support can be supported in a straight bearing or in roller bearing, radially between the connection point and the outer support surface for the energy accumulator(s).
The support elements distributed about the circumference can be spoke units, distributed about the circumference, wherein the support surface of the spoke units is adapted to the geometric configuration of the energy accumulator(s). Thus, e.g. in a support element or in a spoke unit, which receives or supports two adjacent short coil springs, a wedge-shaped support surface for supporting the face side spring ends of the two adjacent coil springs can be provided with a radially outward expanding wedge, which additionally comprises supports in circumferential direction on the radial outside against the effects of centrifugal forces. Another embodiment with support surfaces for coil- or arc springs in the portion distal from their ends can be in particular on the radial outside a radially inward oriented profile, which reconfigures at least one winding, or the free cavity formed between two windings, so that a sliding or displacement of the spoke unit relative to the spring can be avoided in an advantageous manner. Furthermore, an elastic component, e.g. a spring shoe, e.g. made of plastic or metal, can be provided between the spoke unit and the support surface of the energy accumulator.
In a particular embodiment, the support elements can be configured as spoke units, wherein these are received at a flange rotatable relative to the rotation axis. The flange in turn is supported and possibly centered on a component of the torsion vibration damper. The component can be the input component or the output component or a lug receiving both of them. Thus, when the energy accumulator is rotated, the flange rotates by the same angle relative to the component receiving it. In order to absorb differences in the rotation angle, at least some of the spoke units can be configured rotatable relative to the flange. The flange can be supported on the component in a straight bearing and can be secured axially.
The torsion vibration damper can be used in a torque converter in an advantageous embodiment. For this purpose, the input component of the torsion vibration damper can be coupled to an input component of a torque converter, e.g. to the converter housing, or in case of an existing converter lockup clutch, to the output component of the converter lockup clutch, and the output component of the torsion vibration damper can be operatively coupled in rotation direction to a turbine of the torque converter. By operatively connected or operatively coupled is meant that a component or device is connected either directly or indirectly to a second component and causes that second component to function. In a particular embodiment, the torsion vibration damper can be connected between the converter housing and the converter lockup clutch. An arrangement of the torsion vibration damper can also be performed according to the arrangement of a dual mass flywheel between crankshaft and converter housing outside of the torque converter.
The same or an additional torsion vibration damper can be provided as so-called turbine damper between turbine and transmission input shaft by connecting e.g. an input component of the torsion vibration damper to the turbine, and operatively connecting an output component of the torsion vibration damper to an output component of the torque converter in rotation direction. For example, the output component can be connected through a teething to the transmission input shaft and the input component can be connected through a teething to a turbine hub.
In another advantageous embodiment as a clutch disk in a friction clutch or as a dual mass flywheel, the input component can be connected to a crankshaft or to a flywheel, and the output component can be connectable to a transmission input shaft. When using the torsion vibration damper in a dual mass flywheel, the input and the output components each carry a mass with a predetermined mass moment of inertia, and the output component forms the secondary component, at which a friction clutch can be disposed, while the input component forms the primary component, which is connected to the crankshaft of the combustion engine. It is appreciated that the torsion vibration damper can also be used for other application geometries with the same advantages.
The invention is furthermore implemented by a hydrodynamic torque converter, comprising a pump shell, connected to a housing, and by a turbine shell, which can be bridged by a converter lockup clutch, wherein at least one energy accumulator is supported by at least one support element against centrifugal force effects, wherein the at least one support element is rotatable within limits radially inside of the at least one energy accumulator at a component of the torsion vibration damper about its rotation axis. The component can be an input component, an output component, a hub or a comparable component of the torsion vibration damper.
The invention is now described with reference to the
The disk component 6 is preferably connected on the radial outside to the disk component 5 for forming the input component 3, e.g. welded or riveted. The input component 3 loads the two arc springs 14 by means of the loading devices 13, wherein the arc springs are also loaded by the output component 4, and thus compressed during a relative rotation of the input component 3 and output component 4. The output component 4 is received torque proof e.g. welded, riveted, shrunk or connected in a similar manner at the annular collar 10 of the hub 8, wherein the collar is produced e.g. by a transversal flow press process. The torque transferred into the torsion vibration damper 1 through the input component 3 is transferred through the arc springs 14 onto the output component 4, and thus onto the hub 8, which can transfer the torque through an inner teething, which is not shown, onto a transmission input component, e.g. to a transmission input shaft. In the same way, the input- and output component 3 and 4 can be interchanged, whereby e.g. the hub 8 can be provided as a receiver at a crankshaft, and the disk component 5 can comprise a press plate and receiver elements for a friction clutch. In consideration of respectively necessary masses at the input- and output component 3, 4, thus a dual mass flywheel can be configured. It is appreciated, that other changes of the torsion vibration damper 1 can also be performed, in order to form an object comprising the advantageous support elements.
The support elements 2 are formed by one spoke unit 15 each, which are preferably formed from sheet metal and bent and which reach around the arc springs 14 in radial direction in hook-in element 16. In order to stabilize the spoke units 15, in particular in the transition portion of the hook-in element, substantially following the arc spring 14 and in the portion of the flat ears on both sides, in particular a chord 18 can be provided at least at one side. The two ears are connected to a flange component 19, which is supported in a straight bearing 20 on the shoulder 7, and centered. It is appreciated, that at least one of the two straight bearings 7, 20 can also be replaced by roller bearing, e.g. by a needle bearing. The flange component 19 can furthermore be directly supported on the hub 8. Thus, the disk component 6 can be supported on the flange component, or can also be supported axially next to it on the hub 8. The two ears 17 enclose the annular shoulder 21 provided at the flange component 19 in a rotatable fixation, so that the shoulder 21 can also be replaced by particular radially aligned ring segments, provided at the flange component 19 in the portion of the receiver of the ear 17. For this purpose, the ears 17 are riveted together with the annular shoulder 21. In order to reduce friction and/or wear, a bearing bushing 22, which preferably comprises annular shoulders 24 along the flange component on both sides, wherein said shoulders are disposed as spacers, and/or for reducing the friction between the flange component 21 and the ears 17, can be provided from softer material than the flange component 19 for receiving rivets 23, bolts or pins. In an advantageous manner, headless fasteners like rivets 23 are being used in order to optimize the axial installation space.
The torsion vibration damper comprises additional support elements 25 in the illustrated embodiment, which are approximately offset by 90°, relative to the support elements 2, such that the support elements 25 only partially reach over the arc springs. They are formed from radially extending arms and they are worked on the radial outside following the radius of the cross section of the arc springs 14. For example, they may be rolled. The support elements can preferably be integrally connected to the disk component 6, the output component 4 and/or the flange component 19, wherein they are respectively run by in the portion of the inner diameter and by the other disk or flange components through respective kinking or forming.
The input component 39 is rotatable in the illustrated embodiment by means of an axial shoulder 43, and centered on the hub 42, and possibly received on said hub with a bearing, like e.g. a straight bearing 44 or a roller bearing in between. The output component is centered on the shoulder 43 with a bearing 45 placed in between and received rotatable. The form locking between the hub 42 and the input or output component is typically performed by means of a teething or a connection which is not shown.
It is apparent from
Through the illustrated embodiment of the flange component 61 with the bar 66, cinematically linked by the rollers 64, a displacement of the support elements 68 relative to the flange component in the same direction and with low friction is performed when the flange component 61 is rotated relative to the other flange component. Possibly remaining tensions between the support elements when the arc springs 14 are compressed can be at least partially reduced by the linked disposition of the spokes 69, on the one hand, relative to the bar 66, and, on the other hand, relative to the hookup elements 70.
In order to stabilize the transitions of the front faces 78 within the group of springs, support elements 79 are provided, which are supported at one of the flange components, or at one hub radially within the coil springs. In the illustrated embodiment, these coil springs are hooked up in a similar manner, as the support elements 57 of
The support elements 72 are particular because they are expanded radially in circumferential direction for supporting the front faces 78. Respective extensions 80 are provided for said purpose, which can already be provided during stamping, when producing the hookup elements 87 from sheet metal. The hookup elements can be configured so that they form an intermediary component for forming an elastic or inelastic buffer between the front faces 78 of the coil springs 72, or so that they bring the face sides of the adjacent coil springs into direct contact with one another (not shown). They can furthermore form contact surfaces 88, which are disposed opposite at a slant angle with respect to a section line along the respective support element 79, leading through the point of rotation D of the torsion vibration damper 71. Hereby, the coil springs 72 can be disposed at an arc, while evenly loading their front faces 78.
The hookup of the spokes 89 in the flange component 75 is performed rotatable about the rotation axis, and optionally rotatable about the rotation axis of the hookup. Furthermore, spokes 89 and hookup elements 87 can be linked together, like in the embodiments previously shown. It is appreciated, that the stop surface 76 shown in a sketch can also comprise a safety against a deflection of the coil springs 72 to the radial outside.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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10 2007 043 101.7 | Oct 2007 | DE | national |