FRICTION PART

Abstract

A friction part includes a friction surface with a first row of first friction lining pieces arranged radially inwardly, a second row of second friction lining pieces arranged between the first friction lining pieces and a third row of third friction lining pieces, and the third row of third friction lining pieces arranged radially outwardly. Stem grooves are formed between adjacent pairs of the first friction lining pieces. Radially inner branch grooves emerge from the stem grooves and are delimited by the adjacent pairs of the first friction lining pieces and by the second friction lining pieces. Radially outer branch grooves are delimited by the second friction lining pieces and the third friction lining pieces. The radially inner branch grooves and the radially outer branch grooves are connected to each other by offset grooves with a tangential offset between the radially inner branch grooves and the radially outer branch grooves.

Claims

1.-10. (canceled)

11. A friction part for a frictionally operating device comprising: an annular disk-like friction surface comprising: a first row of first friction lining pieces extending in a circumferential direction and arranged radially inwardly; a second row of second friction lining pieces extending in the circumferential direction and arranged between the first friction lining pieces and a third row of third friction lining pieces; the third row of third friction lining pieces extending in the circumferential direction and arranged radially outwardly; stem grooves formed in the circumferential direction between adjacent pairs of the first friction lining pieces; radially inner branch grooves emerging from the stem grooves, delimited by the adjacent pairs of the first friction lining pieces and by the second friction lining pieces; and radially outer branch grooves delimited by the second friction lining pieces and the third friction lining pieces, wherein the radially inner branch grooves and the radially outer branch grooves are connected to each other by offset grooves having a direction component in the circumferential direction that provides a tangential offset between the radially inner branch grooves and the radially outer branch grooves.

12. The friction part of claim 11, wherein the offset grooves comprise a direction component radially outward.

13. The friction part of claim 12, wherein the offset grooves form an angle between five degrees and twenty degrees relative to a tangent to a circumferential line extending between the first friction lining pieces and the third friction lining pieces.

14. The friction part of claim 11, wherein the offset grooves have a length which is less than half the length of the radially inner branch grooves or the radially outer branch grooves.

15. The friction part of claim 11, wherein the second friction lining pieces have a greater expansion in a radial direction than the third friction lining pieces.

16. The friction part of claim 11, wherein: the first friction lining pieces are shaped as triangles, pentagons or hexagons; the second friction lining pieces are shaped as triangles, pentagons or hexagons; and the third friction lining pieces are shaped as triangles, pentagons or hexagons.

17. The friction part of claim 11, wherein the first friction lining pieces and the third friction lining pieces have smaller dimensions in a radial direction than the second friction lining pieces.

18. The friction part of claim 11, wherein the radially inner branch grooves and the radially outer branch grooves have different groove widths.

19. The friction part of claim 11, wherein the second friction lining pieces are substantially diamond-shaped.

20. The friction part of claim 11, wherein the second friction lining pieces have a substantially hexagonal shape.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0024] Further advantages, features and details of the disclosure emerge from the following description, in which various exemplary embodiments are described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the figures:

[0025] FIG. 1 shows a top view of a section of a friction part for a frictionally operating device with an annular friction surface formed by friction lining pieces which are designed and arranged according to a first groove design;

[0026] FIG. 2 shows a top view of a section of a friction part for a frictionally engaged device with an annular friction surface formed by friction lining pieces which are designed and arranged according to a second groove design; and

[0027] FIG. 3 shows a top view of a section of a friction part for a frictionally engaged device with an annular friction surface formed by friction lining pieces which are designed and arranged according to a third groove design.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0028] FIGS. 1 to 3 show a friction part 1; 2; 3 with three different groove constructions or groove patterns. The same reference symbols are used in FIGS. 1 to 3 to denote identical or similar parts. To avoid repetition, common features of the exemplary embodiments or groove designs are described only once in FIGS. 1 to 3. Following the description of the common features of the exemplary embodiments, the differences between the three exemplary embodiments or groove designs of the friction parts 1; 2; 3 are explained.

[0029] The friction part 1; 2; 3 comprises a friction lining 4, which is composed of the individual friction lining pieces 11 to 15; 21 to 25; 31 to 35. The friction lining pieces 11 to 15; 21 to 25; 31 to 35 are bonded to a friction lining carrier 5 in such a way that the gaps between the friction lining pieces 11 to 15; 21 to 25; 31 to 35 represent grooves in a friction lining 4. The friction lining 4 represents a grooved friction surface 6, which has an inner edge 8 and an outer edge 9.

[0030] During operation of the friction part 1; 2; 3, a fluid, in particular cooling oil, enters the friction lining 4 at the inner edge 8, flows through the grooves in the friction lining 4 on the friction lining carrier 5 between the friction lining pieces 11 to 15; 21 to 25; 31 to 35 for cooling, and exits again at the outer edge 9 of the friction lining 4.

[0031] The friction part 1; 2; 3 is, for example, a plate of a multi-plate clutch or a multi-plate brake. The plate may be equipped on both sides with the friction lining 4, so that two friction surfaces 6 are provided. In the multi-plate brake, the friction part 1; 2; 3 is arranged between two steel plates which can be frictionally connected to the friction part 1; 2; 3 in order to transmit a torque.

[0032] The friction lining pieces 11 to 15; 21 to 25; 31 to 35 are arranged in three rows 10, 20; 30. The first friction lining pieces 11 to 15 are arranged radially inwardly in a first row 10. The second friction lining pieces 21 to 25 are arranged in a second row 20 between the first friction lining pieces 11 to 15 and the third friction lining pieces 31 to 35. The third friction lining pieces 31 to 35 are arranged in a third row 30. The friction lining pieces 11 to 15; 21 to 25; 31 to 35 are evenly spaced apart in the three rows 10, 20, 30 in the circumferential direction.

[0033] The first friction lining pieces 11 to 15 each have an essentially straight edge radially inwardly, which represents the inner edge 8 of the friction surface 6. The friction lining pieces 31 to 35 also have an essentially straight edge radially outwardly, which represents the outer edge 9 of the friction surface 6.

[0034] The first friction lining pieces 11 to 15 have the shape of pentagons, each of which are composed of a square and a triangle with the tip pointing radially outwardly. The squares of the pentagonal friction linings 11 to 15 are spaced apart from each other in the circumferential direction so that a stem groove 41 to 44 is left free between two of the friction lining pieces 11 to 15. The stem grooves 41 to 44 run in a radial direction.

[0035] At the radially inner ends of the stem grooves 41 to 44, the liquid enters the friction lining 4 during operation of the friction part 1; 2; 3. Two branch grooves 51, 52; 53, 54; 55, 56; 57 each start from the radially outer ends of the stem grooves 41 to 44. The stem grooves 41 to 44 each represent a y-shaped branching with two connected branch grooves 51, 52; 53, 54; 55, 56; 57.

[0036] The radially inner branch grooves 51 to 57 are limited in the first row 10 by the first friction lining pieces 11 to 15 and in the second row 20 by the second friction lining pieces 21 to 25. The radially outer branch grooves 61 to 69 are limited by the second friction lining pieces 21 to 25 in the second row 20 and by the third friction lining pieces 31 to 35 in the third row 30. The radially outer branch grooves meet in the discharge areas 71, 72 at the outer edge 9 of the friction surface 6, where the fluid emerges from the friction lining 4.

[0037] During operation of the friction part 1; 2; 3, a cooling oil/air mixture flows in the grooves past the friction lining carrier 5. Experiments and investigations carried out within the context of the present disclosure have shown that it can be advantageous both for cooling and for the coefficient of friction curve of the friction surface 6 to design the course of the grooves in such a way that the radially inner branch grooves 51 to 57 and the radially outer branch grooves 61 to 69 do not meet or cross each other at one point, but are arranged offset in a tangential direction.

[0038] FIG. 1 shows that the radially inner branch grooves 51 to 57 are connected to the radially outer branch grooves 61 to 69 by offset grooves 101, 102. Lines 85 in FIG. 1 show a flow path of the oil/air mixture within the grooves of friction lining 4. The oil/air mixture enters the friction lining 4 on the flow path 85 through the stem groove 41.

[0039] At the radially outer end of the stem groove 41, the flow path 85 branches off into the two radially inner branch grooves 51 and 52. At the end of the branch groove 51, the offset groove 101 represents a kind of flow barrier. Similarly, the offset groove 102 at the end of the radially inner branch groove 52 represents a flow barrier. From the offset grooves 101, 102 the flow path 85 then runs via the radially outer branch grooves 61, 64 to the outer edge 9 of the friction surface 6, where the oil/air mixture emerges at the discharge areas 71.

[0040] In the experiments and investigations carried out within the context of the present disclosure, it has also been shown that it can be advantageous, for example in the case of radially large annular disk-like friction surfaces 6, to radially stretch the second friction lining pieces 21 to 25 in the second row 20 in the middle, which are essentially diamond-shaped in FIGS. 1 to 3, in such a way that hexagonal friction lining pieces 21 to 24 are formed.

[0041] Due to the radial expansion of the diamond-shaped friction lining pieces 21 to 24 in the center, connection areas 121, 122, 123 are created between the radially inner branch grooves 51 to 57 and the radially outer branch grooves 61 to 68, which represent radially running connection grooves with a relatively large groove width. This results in a groove proportional curve in the circumferential direction between the second friction lining pieces 21 to 24 in FIG. 2, which is essentially constant in the second row 20.

[0042] The friction lining pieces or pads 21 to 24 in the second row 20 are tangential, i.e., not too wide in the circumferential direction, which counteracts an undesirable floating effect. In addition, three-row friction lining patterns or pad patterns can be used instead of four-row groove patterns, which has a positive effect on production costs.

[0043] In FIGS. 1 and 2, the friction lining pieces 31 to 35 in the third row 30 have the shape of triangles with tips pointing radially inward. In FIGS. 1 to 3, the friction lining pieces 11 to 15 in the first row 10 have the shape of pentagons, each of which are composed of a square and a triangle with the tip pointing radially outward.

[0044] The friction linings 21 to 25 in the second row 20 are diamond-shaped in FIGS. 1 to 3, wherein the diamond shape of the friction lining pieces 21 to 24 in FIG. 2 is stretched in the radial direction in the center of each row.

[0045] In the friction part 3 shown in FIG. 3, the friction surface 6 is provided with radially outer stem grooves 131 to 134, which represent discharge grooves for the oil/air mixture. The diagonally running radially outer branch grooves 61 to 68 first meet at a branching point.

[0046] The oil/air mixture then flows in a closed system through the stem grooves 31 to 34 and out of the friction surface 6. This variant enables further optimization, which is necessary in individual cases, with regard to a possible inclination of the friction system consisting of the friction lining 4, oil and steel plate surface to high static friction values.

REFERENCE NUMERALS

[0047] 1 Friction part [0048] 2 Friction part [0049] 3 Friction part [0050] 4 Friction lining [0051] 5 Friction lining carrier [0052] 6 Friction surface [0053] 8 Inner edge [0054] 9 Outer edge [0055] 10 Row [0056] 11 Friction lining piece [0057] 12 Friction lining piece [0058] 13 Friction lining piece [0059] 14 Friction lining piece [0060] 15 Friction lining piece [0061] 20 Row [0062] 21 Friction lining piece [0063] 22 Friction lining piece [0064] 23 Friction lining piece [0065] 24 Friction lining piece [0066] 25 Friction lining piece [0067] 30 Row [0068] 31 Friction lining piece [0069] 32 Friction lining piece [0070] 33 Friction lining piece [0071] 34 Friction lining piece [0072] 35 Friction lining piece [0073] 41 Stem groove [0074] 42 Stem groove [0075] 43 Stem groove [0076] 44 Stem groove [0077] 51 Branch groove (inner) [0078] 52 Branch groove (inner) [0079] 53 Branch groove (inner) [0080] 54 Branch groove (inner) [0081] 55 Branch groove (inner) [0082] 56 Branch groove (inner) [0083] 57 Branch groove (inner) [0084] 61 Branch groove (outer) [0085] 62 Branch groove (outer) [0086] 63 Branch groove (outer) [0087] 64 Branch groove (outer) [0088] 65 Branch groove (outer) [0089] 66 Branch groove (outer) [0090] 67 Branch groove (outer) [0091] 68 Branch groove (outer) [0092] 69 Branch groove (outer) [0093] 71 Discharge area [0094] 72 Discharge area [0095] 85 Flow path [0096] 101 Offset groove [0097] 102 Offset groove [0098] 121 Connection area [0099] 122 Connection area [0100] 123 Connection area [0101] 131 Stem groove [0102] 132 Stem groove [0103] 133 Stem groove [0104] 134 Stem groove