Patent ID: 6565476
Filing Date: 2003-05-20
Classification: F16D

Abstract:
A car clutch wherein a clutch cover is mounted to a free end surface of a flywheel which is integrally rotated with a crankshaft of an engine, power of the flywheel is transmitted to a clutch shaft by means of a clutch mechanism which is disposed inside the clutch cover, and, when a clutch pedal is depressed, a release bearing presses proximal ends of release levers and, by virtue of lever actions of the release levers, power of the flywheel is not transmitted to the clutch shaft, the clutch mechanism comprising:a disc-shaped clutch base interposed between the flywheel and the clutch cover, coupled to the flywheel along with the clutch cover, and formed at a center portion thereof with a seating part which projects in one direction toward the flywheel; a cylindrical output shaft rotatably fitted at one end thereof through the seating part of the clutch base and at the other end thereof through the clutch cover, and having a first sun gear and a second sun gear which are integrally formed on a circumferential outer surface thereof and spline grooves which are defined on a circumferential inner surface thereof, the first and second sun gears having different numbers of teeth or different modules; a pair of first planetary gear sections oppositely arranged to each other and each possessing a first guide shaft and a first planetary gear, the first guide shaft having one end which is rotatably fitted through the seating part of the clutch base and the other end which is rotatably supported by the clutch cover, the first planetary gear being integrally formed on a circumferential outer surface of the first guide shaft and being meshed with the first sun gear of the cylindrical output shaft; a pair of second planetary gear sections oppositely arranged to each other and each possessing a second guide shaft and a second planetary gear, the second guide shaft having one end which is rotatably fitted through the seating part of the clutch base and the other end which is rotatably supported by the clutch cover, the second planetary gear being integrally formed on a circumferential outer surface of the second guide shaft and being meshed with the second sun gear of the cylindrical output shaft; an annular plate-shaped first rotating member rotatably brought into contact at one surface thereof with the clutch base by the medium of a first thrust bearing, the first rotating member having a first internal ring gear and a first connecting part, the first internal ring gear being formed on a circumferential inner edge of the first rotating member and being meshed with first planetary gears of the pair of first planetary gear sections, the first connecting part being formed on the other surface of the first rotating member adjacent to a circumferential outer edge of the first rotating member and having a plurality of first corrugations which axially project from a plane of the first rotating member to extend in the other direction toward the clutch cover; an annular plate-shaped second rotating member rotatably brought into contact at one surface thereof with the other surface of the first rotating member by the medium of a second thrust bearing and at the other surface thereof with the clutch cover by the medium of a third thrust bearing, the second rotating member having a second internal ring gear and a circumferential recess, the second internal ring gear being formed on a circumferential inner edge of the second rotating member and being meshed with second planetary gears of the pair of second planetary gear sections, the circumferential recess being defined along an axial middle portion of a circumferential outer edge of the second rotating member; an annular plate-shaped third rotating member having a boss which is integrally formed along a circumferential inner edge of the third rotating member in a manner such that the boss axially projects from a plane of the third rotating member to extend in the one direction toward the clutch base, the boss having a second connecting part and a circumferential guide projection, the second connecting part being formed on a free end surface of the boss and having a plurality of second corrugations which axially project from the free end surface of the boss to extend in the one direction toward the clutch base in a manner such that the second corrugations are meshed with the first corrugations of the first rotating member, the circumferential guide projection being formed on a circumferential inner surface of the boss to extend in a radial direction and being brought into sliding contact with the circumferential outer edge of the second rotating member; semi-clutch means having one ends which are connected to the third rotating member and the other ends which are connected to the second rotating member, so as to enable a semi-clutching operation of the clutch to be implemented; a plurality of elastic clutching members having one ends which are fitted into the circumferential recess of the second rotating member and the other ends which elastically bias the third rotating member in the one direction toward the clutch base; and a plurality of disengaging members inserted through the clutch cover and moved in the other direction toward the clutch cover when external force is applied to the proximal ends of the release levers, thereby to disengage the third rotating member from the first rotating member.