Patent ID: 6089983
Filing Date: 2000-07-18
Classification: F16F

Abstract:
A rotary coupling comprising an input element, an output element, and a torsion damping device coupling said input and output elements together, said torsion damping device comprising a main damper associated with the input element so as to be acted on kinematically directly by the input element, and a predamper disposed operatively between the main damper and the output element for directly driving the output element, the output element comprising a hub, the main damper and the predamper comprising, respectively, first and second circumferentially acting resilient means, the main damper further including a damper plate and a pair of guide rings disposed in axial positions on either side of the damper plate in flanking relationship with the damper plate, the guide rings having first apertures, the damper plate having second apertures in facing relationship with the first apertures, the first resilient means being mounted in said first and second apertures so as to act between the guide rings and the damper plate, said second resilient means being less stiff than the first resilient means and mounted operatively between the damper plate and the hub, the main damper and predamper further including, respectively, a first axially acting friction device and a second axially acting friction device, the hub having an outer periphery carrying a hub ring, the hub ring having an outer periphery with external splines formed thereon, the damper plate having an inner periphery formed with internal splines meshing with the external splines of the hub ring, with said splines defining a circumferential clearance between the internal splines and the external splines, said first and second friction devices constituting a single component comprising a first friction ring and a second friction ring surrounded by the first friction ring, the single component further including radial arms flexible in the axial direction and integrally formed with the first and second friction rings to define circumferential apertures discretely disposed about the circumference of said hub, so that the first and second friction rings are rotatable together but able to undergo relative axial displacement.