Systems and methods of controlling a clutch in a hybrid vehicle with a manual transmission, are provided. With the goal of enabling autonomous/assisted clutch control in a hybrid vehicle, while preserving the familiar mechanical feeling at the clutch pedal that driving enthusiasts prefer, embodiments of the disclosed technology use a shuttle valve to blend control of clutch engagement between a driver and an ECU. In these embodiments, a clutch pedal in the vehicle may be mechanically connected to a piston in a first hydraulic cylinder (just like in a traditional mechanical/hydraulic clutch actuation system), and an ECU may actuate a second hydraulic cylinder. Accordingly, a shuttle valve may be used to route the fluid coming from the cylinder with the greater pressure (i.e. the driver actuated cylinder or the ECU actuated cylinder), to a third hydraulic cylinder which adjusts engagement of a clutch by a mechanical linkage.

Systems and methods of controlling a clutch in a hybrid vehicle with a manual transmission, are provided. With the goal of enabling autonomous/assisted clutch control in a hybrid vehicle, while preserving the familiar mechanical feeling at the clutch pedal that driving enthusiasts prefer, embodiments of the disclosed technology use a shuttle valve to blend control of clutch engagement between a driver and an ECU. In these embodiments, a clutch pedal in the vehicle may be mechanically connected to a piston in a first hydraulic cylinder (just like in a traditional mechanical/hydraulic clutch actuation system), and an ECU may actuate a second hydraulic cylinder. Accordingly, a shuttle valve may be used to route the fluid coming from the cylinder with the greater pressure (i.e. the driver actuated cylinder or the ECU actuated cylinder), to a third hydraulic cylinder which adjusts engagement of a clutch by a mechanical linkage.

A friction clutch with a clutch plate having a hub member, a rim portion and a plurality of rib members. The hub member has a plurality of female hub teeth. The rim portion is disposed concentrically about the hub member and has a rim member and a friction material that is coupled to the rim member. Each of the rib members extend radially between the hub member and the rim member to couple the hub member and the rim member to one another. Each one of the rib members is intersected by at least three of the other rib members. Each of the other rib members intersecting the one of the rib members at a distinct location such that the distinct locations are spaced apart from one another along the one of the rib members.

A viscous friction clutch includes a rotor, a housing that is rotatable relative to the rotor, a working chamber located between the rotor and the housing such that a volume of shear fluid can be selectively introduced to the working chamber to contact both the rotor and the housing, an electromagnetic coil, a valve assembly that controls the volume of the shear fluid present in the working chamber, and a flux path that magnetically links the electromagnetic coil and the valve assembly. The flux path passes through a flux guide part made of a ferromagnetic material that extends through the rotor in an interior of the viscous friction clutch and across a flux gap that traverses both an air gap and a non-ferromagnetic portion of the housing.

A viscous friction clutch includes a rotor, a housing that is rotatable relative to the rotor, a working chamber located between the rotor and the housing such that a volume of shear fluid can be selectively introduced to the working chamber to contact both the rotor and the housing, an electromagnetic coil, a valve assembly that controls the volume of the shear fluid present in the working chamber, and a flux path that magnetically links the electromagnetic coil and the valve assembly. The flux path passes through a flux guide part made of a ferromagnetic material that extends through the rotor in an interior of the viscous friction clutch and across a flux gap that traverses both an air gap and a non-ferromagnetic portion of the housing.

A friction clutch with a clutch plate having a hub member, a rim portion and a plurality of rib members. The hub member has a plurality of female hub teeth. The rim portion is disposed concentrically about the hub member and has a rim member and a friction material that is coupled to the rim member. Each of the rib members extend radially between the hub member and the rim member to couple the hub member and the rim member to one another. Each one of the rib members is intersected by at least three of the other rib members. Each of the other rib members intersecting the one of the rib members at a distinct location such that the distinct locations are spaced apart from one another along the one of the rib members.

A shifting group for a drive train of a motor vehicle for coupling and decoupling a drive shaft of a drive train as required, with an actuator for actuating a blocking element, a selector rod and a selector fork which is connected to the selector rod. The first drive shaft and the second drive shaft are arranged coaxially with respect to one another, the blocking element blocks an axial displacement of the selector rod in a first switching position and enables said axial displacement in a second switching position, the selector fork engages into a groove of one of the drive shafts, an actuation of the shifting group brings about an axial displacement of a drive shaft, and a clutch between the first drive shaft and the second drive shaft is opened or closed by way of the axial displacement of the selector fork.

A system for assisting a user in moving a device relative to a structure comprises a magnetorheological (MR) fluid actuator unit including at least one torque source and at least one MR fluid clutch apparatus having an input coupled to the at least one torque source to receive torque from the at least one torque source, the MR fluid clutch apparatus controllable to transmit a variable amount of assistance force via an output thereof. An interface is configured for coupling the output of the at least one MR fluid clutch apparatus to the device or surrounding structure. At least one sensor provides information about a movement of the device. A processor unit for controlling the at least one MR fluid clutch apparatus in exerting the variable amount of assistance force as a function of said information, wherein the system is configured for one of the MR fluid actuator unit and the interface to be coupled to the structure, and for the other of the MR fluid actuator unit and the interface to be coupled to the device for the assistance force from the MR fluid actuator unit to assist in moving the device.

A system for assisting a user in moving a device relative to a structure comprises a magnetorheological (MR) fluid actuator unit including at least one torque source and at least one MR fluid clutch apparatus having an input coupled to the at least one torque source to receive torque from the at least one torque source, the MR fluid clutch apparatus controllable to transmit a variable amount of assistance force via an output thereof. An interface is configured for coupling the output of the at least one MR fluid clutch apparatus to the device or surrounding structure. At least one sensor provides information about a movement of the device. A processor unit for controlling the at least one MR fluid clutch apparatus in exerting the variable amount of assistance force as a function of said information, wherein the system is configured for one of the MR fluid actuator unit and the interface to be coupled to the structure, and for the other of the MR fluid actuator unit and the interface to be coupled to the device for the assistance force from the MR fluid actuator unit to assist in moving the device.

A shifting group for a drive train of a motor vehicle for coupling and decoupling a drive shaft of a drive train as required, with an actuator for actuating a blocking element, a selector rod and a selector fork which is connected to the selector rod. The first drive shaft and the second drive shaft are arranged coaxially with respect to one another, the blocking element blocks an axial displacement of the selector rod in a first switching position and enables said axial displacement in a second switching position, the selector fork engages into a groove of one of the drive shafts, an actuation of the shifting group brings about an axial displacement of a drive shaft, and a clutch between the first drive shaft and the second drive shaft is opened or closed by way of the axial displacement of the selector fork.