CROSS-REFERANCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

[0001] This application claims priority to U.S. Non-Provisional Application 17/573,583, filed January 11, 2022, the entire disclosure of which are incorporated by reference herein.

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0002] The present disclosure generally relates to clutch assemblies and more particularly clutch assemblies for hybrid transmission applications.

BACKGROUND

[0003] A clutch is a device used to selectively couple components such as a pair of rotating shafts or the like. A clutch may also be used to ground a rotating component to a fixed structure such as a housing. Here, the clutch is typically referred to as a brake. Clutches may be bidirectional, lock in both directions, or one-way, lock in one direction and freewheel in the other.

SUMMARY

[0004] A clutch assembly is provided including a ring rotatable about a center axis defining an axial direction. The ring includes a profile facing the axial direction. The clutch assembly also includes a rocker having an engagement section that is movable in the axial direction toward and away from the profile; a strut configured for being rotated to move the rocker in the axial direction toward the profile; and an actuator configured to move the strut in an engagement direction to move the engagement section of the rocker in the axial direction into engagement with the profile to prevent the ring from rotating about the center axis in a first rotational direction.

[0005] A method of constructing a clutch assembly is provided including inserting a ring into a housing. The ring is rotatable a first rotational direction and a second rotational direction with respect to the housing about a center axis defining an axial direction. The ring includes a profile facing the axial direction. The method includes inserting a plurality of plates, a rocker and a strut into the housing such that the rocker and strut are supported in the plates in the housing, the plates including an actuation plate; and coupling an actuator to the actuation plate, the actuator configured to rotate the actuation plate about the center axis to force the strut to move in an engagement direction, the strut being configured such that movement of the strut in the engagement direction causes an engagement section of the rocker to move in the axial direction into engagement with the profile to prevent the ring from rotating about the center axis in the first rotational direction.

[0006] A clutch assembly is also provided that includes a housing; a ring rotatable inside the housing with respect to the housing about a center axis defining an axial direction, the ring including a profile facing the axial direction; an actuation assembly inside the housing including a rocker including an engagement section that is actuatable in the axial direction; and an actuator configured to actuate the actuation assembly to move the engagement section of the rocker in the axial direction into engagement with the profile to prevent the ring from rotating about the center axis in a first rotational direction.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0007] The present disclosure is described below by reference to the following drawings, in which:

[0008] Fig. 1 shows a cross-sectional view of a clutch assembly where an actuation assembly in a deactivated configuration and thus a ring is freely rotatable about a center axis;

[0009] Fig. 2 shows a cross-sectional view of the clutch assembly where the actuation assembly is in an activated configuration and thus the actuation assembly blocks ring from rotating about the center axis in a first rotational direction;

[0010] Fig. 3 shows a perspective view of the clutch assembly; and

[0011] Fig. 4 shows an exploded view of the clutch assembly.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0012] Fig. 1 to 4 shows a clutch assembly 10 including a housing 12 and a ring 14 rotatable inside housing 12 with respect to housing 12 about a center axis CA defining an axial direction DA. Ring 14 is in the form of a cam wheel and includes a profile 16 facing axial direction DA. Ring 14 has a stepped shape and includes an axially facing surface 14a contacting a first abutment surface 12a of housing 12. Clutch assembly 10 also includes an actuation assembly 18 inside housing 12 including a rocker 20 having an engagement section 20b that is actuatable in axial direction DA by pivoting the rocker 20. Housing 12 includes a stepped bore 17 therein that receives ring 14 and actuation assembly 18. Actuation assembly 18 has a greater diameter than ring 14 and thus is received in a radially larger portion of housing 12.

[0013] Fig. 1 shows a cross-sectional view of clutch assembly 10 where actuation assembly 18 is in a deactivated configuration and thus ring 14 is freely rotatable about center axis CA. During normal operation, ring 14 rotates in a first rotational direction DRI, but in certain instances, ring 14 may rotate in a second rotational direction DR2. Fig. 2 shows a cross-sectional view of actuation assembly 18 in an activated configuration and thus actuation assembly 18 blocks ring 14 from rotating about center axis CA in first rotational direction DRI. Fig. 3 shows a perspective view of clutch assembly 10 and Fig. 4 shows an exploded view of clutch assembly 10.

[0014] Clutch assembly 10 further includes an electromechanical actuator 22 (Figs. 3 and 4), which may include a solenoid, configured to actuate actuation assembly 18 to move the engagement surface 20b of rocker 20, via intermediate mechanisms as discussed below, in axial direction DA into engagement with profile 16 to prevent ring 14 from rotating about center axis CA in first rotational direction DRI. Ring 14 is also prevented from rotating in second rotational direction DR2, which is opposite of the first rotational direction DRI, when rocker 20 is engaged with the profile 16.

[0015] Actuation assembly 18 includes a strut 24 configured for being rotated in an engagement direction DE to move engagement section 20b of rocker 20 in axial direction DA toward profile 16. Housing 12 encloses ring 14, rocker 20 and strut 24 in a radial direction defined with respect to the center axis CA. Actuation assembly 18 also includes a plurality of annular plates 26a to 26e stacked together inside of housing 12, and a snap ring 34 fixing plates 26a to 26e axially in place inside of 12. The plates include housing plates 26a to 26c fixed non-rotatably to housing 12 by teeth 28 (Fig. 4) of the housing plates 26a to 26c engaging teeth 30 (Fig. 4) of housing 12. Rocker 20 and strut 24 are receiving in housing plates 26a to 26c, as is a return spring 32 of actuation assembly 18. Return spring 32 is configured for acting on rocker 20 to force engagement section 20b of rocker 20 in axial direction DA away from profile 16. Return spring 32 is configured such that the movement of the strut 24 by the actuator 22 in the engagement direction DE overcomes the force of return spring 32 to move rocker 20 into engagement with profile 16.

[0016] The plates also include an actuation plate 26d coupled to actuator 22 such that actuator 22 can rotate actuation plate 26d about center axis CA in first rotational direction DRI to force strut 24 to move in engagement direction DE (Fig. 2). An actuation return spring 23 moves actuation plate 26d in second rotational direction DR2 to force strut 24 in a disengagement direction DD (Fig. 1) to return rocker 20 into a disengaged state, moving strut 24 out of the path of rocker 20 such that return spring 32 forces rocker 20 away from profile 16. When rocker 20 is held away from the profile by return spring 32, ring 14 is free to rotate in first rotational direction DRI.

[0017] The plates further include a cover plate 26e that axially abuts snap ring 34 to hold plates 26a to 26e axially in place in housing 12. Cover plate 26e abuts actuation plate 26d, which abuts housing plate 26c. Housing plates 26a to 26c are stacked in contact with each other and an axially facing surface 33 of the end housing plate 26a axially contacts a second abutment surface 12b of housing 12.

[0018] Actuation assembly 18 further includes a first actuation spring 36 for aiding movement of strut 24 in engagement direction DE and a second actuation spring 38 for aiding movement of strut 24 in disengagement direction DD. AS shown in Fig. 4, rocker 20, strut 24, return spring 32 and actuation springs 36, 38 form a transmission section 40 of actuation assembly 18, and actuation assembly 18 includes a plurality of transmission sections 40 that are circumferentially spaced apart from each other.

[0019] Referring further to Fig. 4, each set of actuation springs 36, 38 is received in a respective circumferentially extending slot 42 in actuation plate 26d and each rocker 20 is received in a respective circumferentially extending slot 44 is housing plate 26a. Return springs 32 each extend though aligned slots 46a, 46 in housing plates 26b, 26c, respectively. Struts 24 each extend axially through all of plates 26a to 26d. [0020] Each strut 24 includes a finger 24a that is sandwiched circumferentially between actuation springs 36, 38, a body 24b that is pivotably held by plates 26b, 26c and a contact nose 24c that contacts rocker 20. Each rocker 20 is positioned to pivot about a respective internal edge 48 of housing plate 26a at pivot location 20d to move the engagement section 20b in the axial direction toward and away from profile 16. Each internal edge 48 is positioned within a respective one of slots 44. Pivot location 20d divides rocker 20 into a first section 20a that contacts return spring 32 and a second section 20b - defining the engagement section of rocker 20 - that contacts nose 24c of strut 24. Return spring 32 acts to force an abutment surface 20c of first section 20a into an abutment surface 44a of the housing plate 26a in slot 44. Abutment surface 20c of rocker 20 is spaced from abutment surface 44a of housing plate 26a when rocker 20 is in engagement with profile 16.

[0021] When actuator 22 rotates actuation plate 26d in first rotational direction DRI, actuation plate 26d compresses actuation spring 36 and actuation spring 36 increases the force exerted by spring 36 on a first side of finger 24a and rotates strut 24 in the engagement direction DE. The rotation of strut 24 in engagement direction DE causes strut 24 to force second section 20b of rocker 20 into engagement with profile 16. Profile 16 includes a plurality of teeth 50 each including a tapered engagement surface 50a extending in second rotational direction DR2, while extending toward plate 26a in the axial direction DA to a lesser extent, to join a radially extending surface 50b of profile 16. Radially extending surface 50b is the portion of profile 16 that is closest to plate 26a. Profile 16 further includes an axially extending engagement surface 50c extending away from surface 50b and plate 26a toward the surface 50a of the directly adjacent tooth 50. When rocker 20 engages profile 16, a longitudinal surface of engagement section 20b of rocker 20 rests flush against tapered engagement surface 50c and the end of engagement section 20b contacts axially extending engagement surface 50a. The contact between the end of engagement section 20b and engagement surface 50c prevents ring 14 from rotating in first rotational direction DRI. The tapered shape of surface 50c is advantageous in that surface 50c allows clutch assembly 10 to have a transition mode. Actuator 22 is activated while ring 14 is still spinning and rocker 20 simply ratchets until rocker fully engages surface 50a and the rotational speed of ring 14 reaches zero, at which point rocker 20 locks up ring 14. If there is a change of mind event before reaching zero speed and locking up, electrical power is shut off to actuator 22 and actuation assembly 18 returns to the deactivated state like nothing ever happened.

[0022] When actuator 22 rotates actuation plate 26d in second rotational direction DR2, actuation plate 26d compresses actuation spring 38 and actuation spring 38 increases the force exerted by spring 38 on a second side of finger 24a and rotates strut 24 in the disengagement direction DD. The rotation of strut 24 in disengagement direction DD moves contact nose 24c of strut 24 away from engagement section 20b of rocker 20. When contact nose 24c comes out of contact with engagement section 20b of rocker, return spring 32 forces engagement section 20b of rocker 20 in axial direction DA away from profile 16, allowing ring 14 to be rotated in rotational direction DRI.

[0023] As shown in Fig. 4, housing 12 has a cylindrically shaped base 12c and includes a protrusion 12d extending away from an outer circumferential surface of base 12c. Protrusion 12d is provided with a slot 12e formed therein that receives a radially extending limb 52 of actuation plate 26d. Actuator 22 is fixed to protrusion 12d of housing 12 and moves limb 52 circumferentially within slot 12e to rotate actuation plate 12d.

[0024] A method of constructing clutch assembly 12 includes inserting ring 14 into housing 12, and then inserting actuation assembly 18 into housing 12. The inserting of actuation assembly 18 includes inserting plates 26a to 26e, rocker 20 and strut 24 into the housing 12 such that rocker 20 and strut 24 are supported in plates 26a to 26d in housing 12. Actuator 22 is fixed to housing 12 and coupled to actuation plate 26d. The inserting of ring 14 into housing 12 includes axially contacting first abutment surface 12a of housing 12 with an axially facing surface 14a of ring 14, which faces away from profile 16 in axial direction DA. The inserting of the plates 26a to 26e into housing 12 includes axially contacting second abutment surface 12b of housing 12 with axially facing surface 33 of the end housing plate 26a, which faces toward the ring 14 in the axial direction. The method also includes inserting return spring 32 into housing 12 such that return spring 32 is supported in plates 26a to 26c in the housing 12

[0025] The preceding specification has described specific exemplary embodiments and examples thereof. It will, however, be evident that various modifications and changes may be made thereto without departing from the broader spirit and scope set forth in the claims that follow. The specification and drawings are accordingly to be regarded in an illustrative manner rather than a restrictive sense.

List of reference characters

10 clutch assembly

12 housing

12a housing first abutment surface

12b housing second abutment surface

12c housing base

12d housing protrusion

12e housing slot

14 ring

16 profile

17 stepped bore

18 actuation assembly

20 rocker

20a rocker first section

20b rocker second section

20c rocker abutment surface

20d rocker pivot location

22 actuator

23 actuation return spring

24 strut

24a strut finger

24b strut body

24c strut contact nose

26a housing plate

26b housing plate

26c housing plate

26d actuation plate

26e cover plate

28 plate teeth

30 housing teeth

32 return spring 33 axially facing surface of the end housing plate

34 snap ring

36 first actuation spring

38 second actuation spring

40 transmission section

42 actuation spring receiving slot

44 rocker receiving slot in housing plate

44a abutment surface of housing plate

46a, 46b return spring slots

48 housing plate internal edge

50 profile teeth

50a profile tooth tapered engagement surface

50b profile tooth radially extending surface

50c profile tooth axially extending engagement surface

52 radially extending limb of actuation plate

CA center axis

DA axial direction

DR1 first rotational direction

DR2 first rotational direction

DE engagement direction