A friction clutch assembly includes a friction clutch having at least two coupling elements coupled to each other and disposed axially movable with respect to each other. Immediately adjacent coupling elements are each assigned to two sides of a power path defined by the coupling of the at least two coupling elements. An intermediate element is provided on which the coupling elements of one side of the power path are held movably in an axial direction of the coupling elements. The intermediate element is switchable between a locked state and a free-running state. An actuator element opens and closes the friction clutch. In a free-running state, a free rotation of the held coupling elements with respect to the assigned side of the power path is permitted, and in a locked state the held coupling elements are blocked from free rotation.

A centrifugal clutch of a transport refrigeration unit incorporating a wear limiter is provided. The centrifugal clutch includes a drum, a hub, at least two friction pad assemblies, and at least one spring (e.g., leaf or coil) between each respective friction pad assembly. The wear limiter may be configured as part of the leaf spring, as part of the friction pad assemblies, and/or as a standalone component. The wear limiter is configured to prevent the radially outward facing surface of at least one friction pad assembly from engaging the internally facing surface of the drum when the centrifugal clutch is in the extended position and the friction material of at least one friction pad assembly is worn to a worn thickness. This may prevent the centrifugal clutch from engaging when the friction pad is worn.

Operating a drive train of a vehicle having a clutch assembly, wherein the clutch assembly is actuatable via an actuating device for the switchable transmission of a torque, wherein a first state of the actuating device, and thus a second state of the clutch assembly, is settable via a position of a drive unit of the actuating device, comprises: a) determining that a first torque request to the clutch assembly is constant; and b) determining that a first position of the drive unit is constant within the interval; and then c) controlling the drive unit with a dither function, wherein a position of the drive unit is continuously varied about the first position; and d) ending the dither function when the conditions stated in steps a) and b) are no longer met.

Related are a method and an apparatus for protecting a clutch in a vehicle driving process. The method comprises: acquiring a current oil temperature of a space where the clutch is located and judging whether the current oil temperature is within a set temperature interval or not; in a case where the current oil temperature is within the set temperature interval, detecting whether a current wheel speed difference between front shaft and rear shaft reaches to a set wheel speed difference threshold or not; and in a case where the current wheel speed difference between the front shaft and rear shaft reaches to the set wheel speed difference threshold, triggering a first protective mode that is preset to protect the clutch; and in a case where the current oil temperature is higher than the set temperature interval, triggering a second protective mode that is preset to protect the clutch.

Operating a drive train of a vehicle having a clutch assembly, wherein the clutch assembly is actuatable via an actuating device for the switchable transmission of a torque, wherein a first state of the actuating device, and thus a second state of the clutch assembly, is settable via a position of a drive unit of the actuating device, comprises: a) determining that a first torque request to the clutch assembly is constant; and b) determining that a first position of the drive unit is constant within the interval; and then c) controlling the drive unit with a dither function, wherein a position of the drive unit is continuously varied about the first position; and d) ending the dither function when the conditions stated in steps a) and b) are no longer met.

Related are a method and an apparatus for protecting a clutch in a vehicle driving process. The method comprises: acquiring a current oil temperature of a space where the clutch is located and judging whether the current oil temperature is within a set temperature interval or not; in a case where the current oil temperature is within the set temperature interval, detecting whether a current wheel speed difference between front shaft and rear shaft reaches to a set wheel speed difference threshold or not; and in a case where the current wheel speed difference between the front shaft and rear shaft reaches to the set wheel speed difference threshold, triggering a first protective mode that is preset to protect the clutch; and in a case where the current oil temperature is higher than the set temperature interval, triggering, a second protective mode that is preset to protect the clutch.

A heat isolating linkage (5) that includes an elongate link having first and second end portions (10, 12) and a middle portion (14) extending therebetween. A bearing opening (16) is formed in the first end portion (10) and a bearing race (18) is disposed in the bearing opening (16). A rod end ball (20) is disposed in the bearing race (18). At least one aperture (30-36) is formed through the middle portion (14). The middle portion (14) may include a plurality of apertures (30-36) each in the form of a rectangle that forms a ladder pattern. Accordingly, the middle portion (14) has a cross sectional area (A2) that is smaller than the cross sectional area of at least one of the first and second end portions (A1, A3).

Methods and apparatus for predicting clutch local peak temperatures in real time and controlling engagement of a friction clutch are disclosed. The clutch local peak temperature prediction can take into account machine operating parameters such as clutch control current, clutch shaft speed and clutch load to determine clutch local peak temperatures at hot spots within the friction clutch. A thermal-mechanical finite element analysis model may be developed for the friction clutch and used to generate a surrogate model of the friction clutch that can be used by an electronic control module of the machine to predict the local peak temperature of the friction clutch in real time and control engagement and disengagement of the friction clutch to maintain the local peak temperature below a critical peak temperature above which damage to the components of the friction clutch may occur.

A friction clutch assembly includes a friction clutch having at least two coupling elements coupled to each other and disposed axially movable with respect to each other. Immediately adjacent coupling elements are each assigned to two sides of a power path defined by the coupling of the at least two coupling elements. An intermediate element is provided on which the coupling elements of one side of the power path are held movably in an axial direction of the coupling elements. The intermediate element is switchable between a locked state and a free-running state. An actuator element opens and closes the friction clutch. In a free-running state, a free rotation of the held coupling elements with respect to the assigned side of the power path is permitted, and in a locked state the held coupling elements are blocked from free rotation.

A hybrid drive including a first drive motor coupled by a clutch to a shaft, and a second drive motor coupled rigidly to the shaft. A method for determining the temperature of the clutch in the hybrid drive includes the steps of: determining a temperature of the clutch; determining a temperature of the clutch housing; determining the temperature difference between the clutch and the clutch housing; determining the heat conductivity between the clutch and the clutch housing, wherein the heat conductivity is determined as a function of the rotational speed of the first drive motor and the rotational speed of the second drive motor; determining the heat flow between the clutch and the clutch housing on the basis of the product of the heat conductivity and the temperature difference; and adjusting the ascertained clutch temperature on the basis of the ascertained heat flow.