Patent ID: 7743900
Filing Date: 2010-06-29
Classification: F16F,F16H

Abstract:
1. A torsional vibration damper for a bridging clutch of a hydrodynamic clutch arrangement, said damper comprising: a plurality of energy storage devices, each said device having a pair of opposed final turns; a drive-side transmission element which is rotatable about an axis in a first and second direction; a takeoff-side transmission element which is rotatable about said axis by a limited amount relative to the drive-side element against the action of said energy storage devices; wherein each of said transmission elements has at least one opening for each direction of relative rotation of the transmission elements, each said opening having a pair of opposed circumferential boundaries and accommodating a respective said energy storage device, wherein said energy storage devices are precurved and are inserted without preloading into respective said openings; wherein, in the absence of any relative rotation of said transmission elements, one of said circumferential boundaries of each said opening in one of said transmission elements is separated from the adjacent final turn of the energy storage device in the corresponding opening in the one of said transmission elements by a predetermined angular gap; and wherein, in the presence of relative rotation in either of two selected directions sufficient to take up one of said angular gaps, one of said circumferential boundaries contacts the adjacent final turn and said one of said transmission elements rotates with the other of said transmission elements in the selected direction; wherein each of said boundaries of each of said openings in said one of said transmission elements being essentially aligned with a respective first connecting line leading to a first axis of curvature; each of said boundaries of each of said openings in the other of said transmission elements being essentially aligned with a respective second connecting line leading to a second axis of curvature; one of said second connecting lines forming an adjustment angle with a corresponding one of said first connecting lines; wherein, in the absence of any relative rotation of said transmission elements, each said final turn of each said energy storage device is aligned with a respective said second connecting line, said one of said second connecting lines forming a starting adjustment angle with said one of said first connecting lines; wherein, as relative rotation of said transmission elements occurs, said adjustment angle changes until the relative rotation reaches a predetermined limit and said adjustment angle reaches a final adjustment angle; and wherein, when said relative rotation exceeds said predetermined limit, said adjustment angle undergoes essentially no further change; and a clutch housing having an axis of rotation coincident with the second axis of curvature, the first axis being an axis of curvature.