SHEET METAL PRESSURE PLATE AND PRESSURE POT AS JOINT COMPONENT

Abstract

The invention relates to a clutch for a motor vehicle, having a pressure plate which is set up to clamp a torque transmission member, such as a disk or friction disk, together with a counterpressure plate, wherein a force transmission path is provided between an actuating unit via a pressure transmission member, wherein the pressure transmission member is configured as an integral part of the pressure plate. The invention also relates to a method for producing a pressure plate for a clutch, wherein the pressure plate is formed with an integrated pressure transmission member from a sheet metal plate via a chipless forming process.

Claims

1. A clutch for a motor vehicle, comprising a pressure plate adapted for clamping a torque transmission member together with a counter-pressure plate, with a force transmission path being provided via a pressure transmission member to an actuator unit, wherein the pressure transmission member is an integral component of the pressure plate.

2. The clutch according to claim 1, wherein the pressure plate is formed as a metal plate and includes a section providing the pressure transmission member.

3. The clutch according to claim 2, wherein the metal plate is formed in a chipless fashion.

4. The clutch according to claim 2, wherein the metal plate has a constant thickness or a reducing thickness towards a contact area of the pressure transmission member with the actuating unit.

5. The clutch according to claim 2, wherein the metal plate comprises a spring-elastic section.

6. The clutch according to claim 1, wherein the pressure plate comprises a friction area adapted to cooperate with at least one of the torque transmission member or an actuator group.

7. The clutch according to claim 1, wherein the pressure transmission member is perforated by recesses in order to allow a supply of cooling fluid in a direction of the torque transmission member.

8. The clutch according to claim 1, wherein a spring element engages the pressure plate acting primarily in an axial direction.

9. The clutch according to claim 1, wherein individual parts are adjusted and arranged in reference to each other such that in a slippage phase energy is absorbed.

10. A method for producing a pressure plate for a clutch, comprising forming the pressure plate from a metal plate via a chipless formation process with a pressure transmission member integrated therein.

11. The clutch according to claim 2, wherein the pressure transmission member is embodied like a tongue.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] In the following the figure is explained in greater detail with the help of a drawing, in which different exemplary embodiments are illustrated. Shown are:

[0021] FIG. 1 a duplex clutch according to the invention with a friction disk contacting a pressure plate of a partial clutch K2, showing a section of a pressure transmission member like a pressure pot in a partial longitudinal cross-section,

[0022] FIG. 2 a second exemplary embodiment of a multi-disk clutch with only a section of a longitudinal cross-section and only one of the partial clutches being shown,

[0023] FIG. 3 another exemplary embodiment of a clutch according to the invention, in which a one-piece pressure pot forms the pressure plate in the multi-disk clutch system in a manner comparable to the illustration of FIG. 2.

[0024] The drawing only serves for illustrating purposes and to understand the invention. Identical elements are marked with the same reference characters. Features of the individual examples can also be interchanged.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0025] FIG. 1 shows a first exemplary embodiment of a clutch 1 according to the invention. It comprises a pressure plate 2, which is prepared to clamp a torque transmission member 3 between itself and a counter pressure plate 4. The counter-pressure plate 4 is here embodied as an intermediate plate, to separate another counter-plate 5, which cooperates with a pressure plate 6. The counter-plate 5 and the pressure plate 6 are parts of a first partial clutch K1, while the pressure plate 2 and the counter-pressure plate 4 are parts of a second partial clutch K2.

[0026] A pressure transmission member 7 is an integral component of the pressure plate 2 and has a contact section 8 which contacts an actuating unit 9. The actuating unit 9 is embodied like a concentric slave cylinder (CSC). An inner actuator section 10 is particularly directly contacting the contact area 8. An exterior actuator section 11 contacts a pressure pot 12 or the pressure transmission member 7, which acts upon the pressure plate 6 in a pressure transmitting fashion.

[0027] At least one torque transmission member 3, embodied as a friction disk 13 with friction coatings 14, can be clamped between the pressure plate 2 and the counter-pressure plate 4 as well as between the counter-plate 5 and the pressure plate 6.

[0028] The pressure plate 2 and the pressure transmission member 7, thus the section similar to a pressure pot, are connected, particularly representing integral components of each other, thus connected to each other in one piece, made from one material, and inseparable. They are formed from a single sheet metal material, which however has a thinned section 15, thus an area with lower thickness. They are made from a metal sheet by way of punching and/or deep-drawing and/or compression and/or bending. A spring element 16 is directly contacting the pressure plate 2 and allows an active lifting of the partial clutch K2.

[0029] FIG. 2 shows a detail of a multi-disk clutch system. Here, too the pressure plate 2 is connected in one piece with the pressure transmission member 3 or the pressure transmission member 7 is an integral component of the pressure plate 2 and vice versa. Here, the sheet metal plate forming the pressure plate 2 and the pressure transmission member 7 are embodied towards the radially inner edge in a tapering fashion, however it may also have a consistent thickness. The thinning area 15 therefore acts like a spring-elastic section.

[0030] A similar implementation of the concept according to the invention is discernible from FIG. 3, in which a multiple-disk clutch is shown. Here, the pressure plate 2, which in turn has a radially inwardly projecting section, namely the pressure transmission member 7, presses upon the torque transmission member 3, abutting the disks 17. The spring element 16 used in this solution is embodied as a cup spring. Thus, here a dry clutch is realized which represents a special form of a clutch 1 according to the invention.

LIST OF REFERENCE CHARACTERS

[0031] 1 Clutch [0032] 2 Pressure plate [0033] 3 Torque transmission member [0034] 4 Counter-pressure plate [0035] 5 Counter plate [0036] 6 Pressure plate [0037] 7 Pressure transmission member [0038] 8 Contact area [0039] 9 Actuating unit [0040] 10 Inner actuator section [0041] 11 Exterior actuator section [0042] 12 Pressure pot [0043] 13 Friction disk [0044] 14 Friction coating [0045] 15 Tapering section [0046] 16 Spring element [0047] 17 Disk