Patent ID: 6840363

Claim:
A friction device ( 10 ) comprising: a drive member ( 12 ) and a driven member ( 14 ) that are rotatable about a common axis (A) and that define a clutch housing ( 16 ) therebetween; a clutch pack ( 24 ) interposed between said drive and driven members ( 12 , 14 ) and operable to connect and disconnect said drive and driven members for transferring and interrupting torque therebetween; a piston assembly ( 40 ) supported by said clutch housing ( 16 ) and moveable between a disengaged position wherein said drive and driven members ( 12 , 14 ) are disconnected and an engaged position that connects said drive and driven members ( 12 , 14 ) through said clutch pack ( 24 ); a source of pressurized cooling fluid that is provided to said clutch pack ( 24 ) through said clutch housing ( 16 ), a control valve ( 74 ) supported in said clutch housing ( 16 ) and moveable between open and closed positions, said control valve ( 74 ) including an annular sealing plate ( 76 ) and a biasing member ( 78 ) that acts to bias said sealing plate ( 76 ) to said closed position, said control valve ( 74 ) operable to control the flow of cooling fluid from said source to said clutch pack ( 24 ); and an actuator ( 80 ) operatively connected to said piston assembly ( 40 ), said actuator ( 80 ) including an annular hub ( 82 ) extending from said piston assembly ( 40 ) toward said control valve ( 74 ), said hub ( 82 ) including a plurality of fingers ( 84 ) defined at the distal end of said hub ( 82 ), said plurality of fingers ( 84 ) adapted to engage said sealing plate ( 76 ) of said control valve ( 74 ) such that movement of said piston assembly ( 40 ) from said disengaged position to said engaged position moves said sealing plate ( 76 ) of said control valve ( 74 ) from said closed position to said open position against the biasing force of said biasing member ( 78 ) to selectively allow flow of pressurized cooling fluid past said control valve ( 74 ) and into contact with said clutch pack ( 24 ) when said drive and driven members ( 12 , 14 ) are connected and further operable to disengage said control valve ( 74 ) such that said control valve ( 74 ) moves to its closed position when said piston assembly ( 40 ) moves from said engaged position to said disengaged position to selectively terminate flow of pressurized cooling fluid into contact with said clutch pack ( 24 ) when said drive and driven members ( 12 , 14 ) are disconnected.