Patent Application
20070295573
So the manner in which the above recited features of the present invention can be understood in detail, a more particular description of the invention, briefly summarized above, may be had by reference to the embodiments thereof, some of which are illustrated in the appended drawings. It is to be noted, however, the appended drawings illustrate only typical embodiments of this invention and are therefore not to be considered limiting of its scope, for the invention may admit to other equally effective embodiments.
To facilitate understanding, identical reference numerals have been used, where possible, to designate identical elements that are common to the figures.
The present invention generally provides for vibration dampers and/or torque transfer devices and methods for assembly thereof that overcome the problems of the prior art described above. In one embodiment, the vibration damper and/or torque transfer device may be an alternator clutch. It is contemplated that the benefits afforded by the clutch and method of assembly disclosed herein may be utilized in diverse applications, such as, but not limited to, vehicular, stationary, marine, or industrial (for example, torque converters, automatic transmissions, starter drives, starter motors, compressors, accessory drives, and the like). As such, the illustrative description of the invention described in the embodiments below are not to be construed as limiting of the scope of the invention with respect to its application.
The pocket plate 110 has a first surface 110 and an opposing second surface 114. At least one recess 116 is formed in the first surface 112 of the pocket plate 110. The recess 116 is generally shaped to receive and support a strut 140 placed therein. A throughbore 118, aligned with each recess 116, is formed in the pocket plate 110 to create a passage connecting the first surface 112 of the pocket plate 110 to the second surface 114.
The strut 140 is typically shaped to fit within the recess 116 and may have a feature formed thereon to facilitate maintaining alignment of the strut 140 within the recess 116. For example, in the embodiment depicted in
A resilient member 150 is disposed within the throughbore 118. The resilient member 150 is typically a compression spring and may have any form or shape suitable to outwardly bias the strut 140 when the clutch 100 is assembled. As used herein, the term “outwardly bias” refers to a bias of the edge 146 of the strut 140 towards the notch plate 136. In one embodiment, the resilient member 150 is a helical coil compression spring of sufficient length to outwardly bias the strut 140. The spring constant and spring length may be selected to control the force of the outward bias of the strut 140 during operation of the clutch 100. The resilient member 150 may be any suitable resilient member having the characteristics described above, such as but not limited to, coil springs, thermosets, engineering resins, elbow springs, torsion springs, flex washers, and the like.
It is contemplated that any practical number of struts and corresponding recesses, throughbores, and springs, may be provided in the automotive clutch of the present invention. For example, in one embodiment of the automotive clutch 100, depicted in
Returning to
The floor plate 120 is disposed against the pocket plate 110 opposite the pulley body 130. The floor plate 120 covers the throughbores 118 in the pocket plate 110, thereby retaining the springs 150 therein. The floor plate 120 may be coupled to pocket plate 110, the shaft 180 or a combination. The floor plate 120 may be held in place by any suitable means, including but not limited to a press fit onto the shaft 180, use of set screws, snap rings, or other fasteners, being welded, glued, or otherwise bonded to either the pocket plate 110 or the shaft 180, or the like. The floor plate can be a stand-alone plate, as shown in
Optionally, a locking mechanism 190 may be utilized to secure the floor plate 120 to the shaft 180. The locking mechanism 190 may be a lock collar or ring, a clamp, a press-fit bearing, or any other suitable locking device known in the art.
Next, at step 306, resilient members 150 are inserted into the throughbores 118 of the pocket plate 110. As discussed above, each throughbore 118 lines up beneath a corresponding recess 116 and, therefore, strut 140. In this manner, the top portion of each of the resilient members 150 lie flat against the bottom surface 142 of the struts 140, thereby advantageously reducing or eliminating the risk of spring misalignment with the struts and providing for even compression distribution among all the spring coils during operation.
At step 308, the floor plate 120 is placed against the second surface 114 of the pocket plate 110. Positioning the floor plate 120 compresses the resilient members 150 between the bottom surface 142 of the strut 140 and the floor plate 120. As discussed above, compressing the resilient members 150 after the struts 140 and pocket plate 110 are positioned against the notch plate 136 advantageously allows for ease of assembly while minimizing the risk of strut and/or spring misalignment. Optionally, step 308 may include providing a locking mechanism 190 to secure the floor plate 120 in place.
Thus, a vibration damper and/or torque transfer device and assembly process are provided herein having improved reliability and reduction in potential field failures due to the reduction or elimination of strut and/or spring misalignment that may occur in conventional clutches. The sequence of steps described above with respect to
While the foregoing is directed to illustrative embodiments of the present invention, other and further embodiments of the invention may be devised without departing from the basic scope thereof.
