Clutch And Motor Vehicle

Abstract

A clutch for a motor vehicle with a wear compensation mechanism which includes a sensor element for detecting wear, wherein the sensor element is formed of a plurality of parts, and at least two sensor component parts are rotatably connected to one another.

Claims

1. A clutch (4) for a motor vehicle (1) comprising: a wear compensation mechanism (14) comprising a sensor element (16) for detecting wear, the sensor element (16) is formed of a plurality of sensor component parts; and wherein at least two sensor component parts (22, 24) are rotatably connected to one another.

2. The clutch according to claim 1, wherein the sensor element (16) has two sensor component parts (22, 24).

3. The clutch according to claim 1, wherein the sensor component parts (22, 24) form a knee lever (32) having a knee (34).

4. The clutch according to claim 3, additionally comprising a clutch housing (5) and wherein the knee (34) of the knee lever (32) faces in the direction of the clutch housing (5).

5. The clutch according to claim 3, wherein the knee lever (32) comprises a base 34a, 34b facing in direction of a pressure plate (7).

6. The clutch according to claim 1, wherein the sensor component parts (22, 24) are constructed in a bar-shaped or plate-shaped manner.

7. The clutch according to claim 1, wherein one sensor component part (22) of the two sensor component parts (22, 24) is fastened to a pressure plate (7) of the clutch (4).

8. The clutch according to claim 1, wherein two sensor component parts (22, 24) are loaded by pretensioning.

9. The clutch according to claim 1, additionally comprising at least one element (38) compensating for wear and a drive element (36) for displacing the at least one element (38); the drive element (36) being fastened to a sensor component part (24).

10. The clutch according to claim 9, wherein the drive element (36) is rotatably fastened to the sensor component part (24).

11. The clutch according to claim 1, wherein the wear compensation mechanism (14) comprises two oppositely running ramp arrangements (38).

12. The clutch according to claim 1, additionally comprising a displaceable ramp (44) arranged at the sensor surface of the sensor element (16).

13. The clutch according to claim 1, wherein the sensor element (16) senses a change in the distance between a pressure plate (7) and a diaphragm spring (6).

14. The clutch according to claim 1, additionally comprising a guide rail (26) for guiding the sensor element (16), the guide rail being arranged at a pressure plate (7) of the clutch (4).

15. The clutch according to claim 2, wherein the sensor component parts (22, 24) form a knee lever (32).

16. A motor vehicle (1) having a clutch (4) constructed according to claim 1.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0023] Further advantages, features and details of the invention are indicated in the following description of embodiment examples and drawing figures in which:

[0024] FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a motor vehicle;

[0025] FIG. 2 is a perspective and partial cross-sectional view of a clutch of the present invention;

[0026] FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the clutch of the present invention; and

[0027] FIG. 4 is a partial cross-sectional view of the clutch of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PRESENTLY PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0028] FIG. 1 shows a motor vehicle 1 with a drive unit 2, a transmission 3 and a clutch 4 arranged between drive unit 2 and transmission 3. The drive unit 2 can be an internal combustion engine or an electric motor. The connection of the drive unit 2 to the transmission 3 can also be such that the drive unit 2 is an auxiliary drive, i.e., such that further drive units and clutches can exist. The motor vehicle 1 can have a powertrain with an internal combustion engine, a hybrid drivetrain or a purely electrical drivetrain. Further, the described wear compensation mechanism can also be used in dual clutches or multiple-disk clutches, provided they have pressure plates.

[0029] FIG. 2 shows the clutch 4 in detail. The clutch 4 has as basic component parts the clutch housing 5, a diaphragm spring 6 and pressure plate 7. The pressure plate 7 and the clutch housing 5 are connected to one another via leaf springs or leaf spring packages 8 so as to be rotatable and axially movable. The leaf spring packages 8 are fastened to the clutch housing 5 and the pressure plate 7 by rivets 9.

[0030] The diaphragm spring 6 is supported at the clutch housing 5 via spacer bolts 10 which are fastened by a retaining ring 12.

[0031] Further, the clutch 4 comprises a wear compensation mechanism 14.

[0032] A wear compensation mechanism 14 usually comprises a sensor element 16, a drive unit 18 and a compensation mechanism 20 which cooperate in the following manner:

[0033] The sensor element 16 senses wear of the clutch disk lining so that the drive unit 18 is activated, which generally causes a displacement of the compensation mechanism 20 when a threshold value is exceeded so that the wear, for example, wear of the clutch disk lining, is compensated.

[0034] The wear mechanism usually comprises two ramp arrangements with oppositely running ramps.

[0035] The sensor element 16 which is constructed of one part in known wear compensation mechanisms is formed of two parts in wear compensation mechanism 14 and comprises sensor component part 22 and sensor component part 24.

[0036] Sensor component part 22 is fastened to pressure plate 7, specifically via the guide rail 26. The movement of the sensor component part 24 can be controlled in particular via the guide rail.

[0037] Sensor component part 22 and sensor component part 24 are pretensioned by springs 28. In this way, the sensor element 16 in the form of sensor component parts 22 and 24 obtains a basic position. This basic position is defined by a stop 30 at the guide rail 26.

[0038] Sensor component part 22 and sensor component part 24 form a knee lever or toggle lever 32 whose knee 34 faces in axial direction of the clutch housing 5 or of the diaphragm spring 6 and whose base 34a, 34b faces in the direction of the pressure plate 7.

[0039] Sensor component parts 22 and 24 are constructed in a bar-shaped manner.

[0040] The drive unit 18 of the wear compensation mechanism 14 merely comprises a tie rod 36 which is rotatably fastened to sensor component part 24 and which slides along one of the ramp rings 38 of the compensation mechanism 20.

[0041] The functioning of the wear compensation mechanism 14 will be described with reference to FIG. 3. When engaging, the outer part of the diaphragm spring moves in the direction of the pressure plate 7. This is always the case when the clutch 4 is constructed as a so-called pressed clutch. The greater the wear, or in the presence of wear, the distance between diaphragm spring 6 and pressure plate 7 becomes smaller so that sensor component parts 22 and 24 are pressed apart at the base, i.e., at the ends facing the pressure plate 7. They are rotatably fastened to the knee 34 and cannot move away from one another. The smaller the distance between diaphragm spring 6 and pressure plate 7, the farther the tie rod 36 is rotated counterclockwise in circumferential direction. The wear compensation mechanism can, of course, also be constructed in a mirror-inverted manner, and the movement in counterclockwise direction is therefore purely exemplary. When a wear which can be predetermined via the lengths of sensor component parts 22 and 24 is exceeded, the tie rod 36 reaches the next teeth 40 which are fixedly connected to the ramp ring 38. The teeth 40 can be worked into the ramp ring 38 directly, but they can also be located on a plate which is fixedly connected to the ramp ring 38, for example. In any case, the tie rod 36 hooks into the next tooth 40 when a predetermined path has been exceeded. During the next disengagement of the clutch 4, the ramp ring 38 is released and can be moved in clockwise direction by spring 28 until the knee lever 32 is again in the basic position.

[0042] Accordingly, the connection element 42 between sensor component part 24 and tie rod 36 serves a dual function because the sensor component part 24 acts as a guide and at the same time acts as a stop.

[0043] Further, a ramp 44 which forms the opposing surface of the sensor surface of the knee lever 32 is fastened to the ramp ring 38. The ramp 34 is not compulsory, the knee 34 can also sense wear directly at the diaphragm spring 6. Accordingly, the sensor surface is the knee 34 which comes in contact with ramp 44 when the diaphragm spring 6 moves toward the pressure plate 7. Ramp 43 is connected to ramp ring 38 so as to be fixed with respect to rotation relative to it so that during rotation of the ramp ring 38 ramp 44 is rotated by the same degree. Housing wear is included in the overall compensation by ramp 44. The wear compensation mechanism 20 can then compensate not only for lining wear but also housing wear.

[0044] FIG. 4 shows the wear compensation mechanism and a portion of the clutch 4 in cross section. The guide rail 26, sensor component parts 22 and 24 and ramp 44 can be seen.

[0045] Thus, while there have shown and described and pointed out fundamental novel features of the invention as applied to a preferred embodiment thereof, it will be understood that various omissions and substitutions and changes in the form and details of the devices illustrated, and in their operation, may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention. For example, it is expressly intended that all combinations of those elements and/or method steps which perform substantially the same function in substantially the same way to achieve the same results are within the scope of the invention. Moreover, it should be recognized that structures and/or elements and/or method steps shown and/or described in connection with any disclosed form or embodiment of the invention may be incorporated in any other disclosed or described or suggested form or embodiment as a general matter of design choice. It is the intention, therefore, to be limited only as indicated by the scope of the claims appended hereto.