JP3892879B2 - Motorcycle clutch device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a clutch device, and more particularly to a motorcycle clutch device that transmits power from an input side member to an output side member and interrupts power transmission by operating a release mechanism.

  In general, in a motorcycle such as a motorcycle or a buggy, a multi-plate clutch device is used to transmit or block power from an engine to a transmission. The multi-plate clutch device includes a clutch housing coupled to the crankshaft side of the engine, an output-side rotating body coupled to the transmission side, a clutch unit for transmitting and shutting power between them, and a clutch And a pressure plate for pressing the part. In the clutch portion, first clutch plates that engage with the clutch housing and second clutch plates that engage with the output side rotating body are alternately arranged.

Then, the rotation of the crankshaft is transmitted to the transmission side by pressing these clutch plates with a pressing member such as a spring through a pressure plate. When the clutch is turned off (rotation transmission is cut off), the release mechanism is operated by the operator holding the clutch lever. The release mechanism releases the pressing of the pressing member against the clutch plate. Power transmission between the two clutch plates is cut off.
JP 2003-222159 A

  In the clutch device as described above, the pressing force (pressing load) of the pressing member and the capacity of the clutch portion (the number and size of the clutch plates) determine the power transmission capacity. Therefore, in order to secure a desired power transmission capacity in a small space, it is necessary to increase the pressing load.

  On the other hand, in a conventional motorcycle clutch device, in order to disconnect the clutch portion, it is necessary to apply a release load equivalent to the pressing load by a release mechanism. Since the release load is determined by the clutch lever gripping force, that is, the operating force, when the pressing load is increased, the operating force of the clutch lever is increased accordingly, and the operability is deteriorated. Therefore, the pressing load cannot be increased too much.

  Therefore, the present applicant can amplify the operation force using the lever mechanism and act on the pressing portion, and can perform the clutch-off operation with an operation force that is less by the lever ratio than the operation force in the conventional clutch device. A patent application has already been filed (Japanese Patent Application No. 2004-367292).

  In this clutch device, the clutch plate is pressed by a diaphragm spring via a pressure plate. And the inner peripheral part of a diaphragm spring is pressed with a release member, and the pressing force by a diaphragm spring is cancelled | released. Therefore, in a state where the clutch is connected (clutch on state), there is a slight gap between the release member and the diaphragm spring, and the release member can move in the axial direction. For this reason, there is a problem that the release member vibrates due to engine vibration or the like, and the operability of the clutch, specifically, the amount of clutch disengagement varies, resulting in poor clutch disengagement. Further, since the release member is not connected to other components, the release member may fall off when the clutch device is transported.

  An object of the present invention is to suppress variation in the amount of clutch disengagement by suppressing vibration of a release member in a device that performs a clutch operation using a lever mechanism.

  Another object of the present invention is to prevent a release member from falling off when a device is transported in a device that performs a clutch operation using a lever mechanism.

A motorcycle clutch device according to claim 1 is a device that transmits power from an input side member to an output side member and interrupts power transmission by operation of a release mechanism, and includes a clutch housing, a rotating body, A clutch portion, a pressure plate, a pressing member, a release member, and a vibration suppression mechanism are provided. The clutch housing is connected to one of the input side member and the output side member. The rotating body is provided on the inner peripheral portion of the clutch housing, and is connected to the other of the input side member and the output side member. The clutch portion has one or more plate members for transmitting and interrupting power between the clutch housing and the rotating body. The pressure plate is for pressing the plate member of the clutch portion. The pressing member includes a pressing portion that presses the pressure plate, and a lever portion that amplifies the operating force of the release mechanism by a predetermined lever ratio and releases the pressing force by the pressing portion. The release member is a member for holding the release mechanism and transmitting the operating force of the release mechanism to the lever portion. The vibration suppression mechanism is a mechanism for suppressing the vibration of the release member. The vibration suppression mechanism is an elastically deformable clip that is attached to the rotating body and holds the release member sandwiched between the pressing member.

  In this clutch device, the pressing force by the pressing member acts on the clutch portion via the pressure plate, and the clutch portion is on (power transmission state). In this state, power from the input side member is input to, for example, the clutch housing, further transmitted to the rotating body via the clutch portion, and output to the output side member. Conversely, when power from the input side member is input to the rotating body, this power is transmitted to the clutch housing via the clutch portion and output to the output side member. When the clutch is turned off (power cut-off state), when the lever portion of the pressing member is operated by the release member, this operating force is amplified by a predetermined lever ratio and acts on the pressing portion, to the pressure plate by the pressing portion. The pressing force of is released.

  Here, since the operation force by the lever mechanism is amplified by the lever ratio of the lever portion and acts on the pressing portion, the clutch-off operation can be performed with an operation force that is less by the lever ratio than the operation force in the conventional clutch device. It becomes possible. Further, since the vibration of the release member is suppressed, the release member can be prevented from moving in the axial direction, and the amount of clutch disengagement is stabilized, so that the clutch disengagement is improved.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the motorcycle clutch device according to the first aspect, the pressing member is a diaphragm spring having a pressing portion on the outer peripheral portion and a lever portion on the inner peripheral portion. In this case, the configuration of the pressing member is simplified.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided the motorcycle clutch device according to the first or second aspect, wherein the rotating body has a friction portion facing the pressure plate on the outer peripheral portion, and the clutch portion is engaged with the clutch housing. A clutch plate and a second clutch plate that engages with the rotating body are included, and the first and second clutch plates are sandwiched between the friction portion of the rotating body and the pressure plate.

  Here, the first and second clutch plates constituting the clutch part are sandwiched between the friction part of the rotating body and the pressure plate, and the power is transmitted from the clutch housing, the first clutch plate, the second clutch plate, and the rotating body. It is transmitted by route.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided the motorcycle clutch device according to the second or third aspect, wherein the diaphragm spring is configured such that the outer peripheral portion of the pressing portion presses the pressure plate and the inner peripheral portion of the pressing portion is on the outer peripheral portion of the rotating body. Further, the inner peripheral portion of the lever portion is moved to the pressure plate side by the release mechanism.

  Here, by operating the inner peripheral part of the lever part of the diaphragm spring by the release mechanism, the outer peripheral part of the pressing part moves away from the pressure plate, and the pressing force to the pressure plate by the pressing part is released.

Here, since the inner peripheral portion of the pressing portion of the diaphragm spring is supported by the outer peripheral portion of the rotating body, the configuration for supporting the diaphragm spring is simplified and the axial dimension is also shortened. In a general automobile clutch device, the inner peripheral portion of the diaphragm spring pressing portion is supported by a clutch cover in a type in which the clutch spring is turned off by operating the inner peripheral end portion of the diaphragm spring to the engine side. Yes. In this support structure using the clutch cover, the clutch cover is supported by a portion extending from the outer peripheral portion of the clutch cover to the inner peripheral side so as to cover the outer side of the diaphragm spring from the outer peripheral side. In such a structure, a relatively long space is required in the axial direction in order to support the diaphragm spring. However, in the invention according to the present invention, as described above, the diaphragm spring is supported by the outer peripheral portion of the rotating body, so that it can be supported in a relatively short axial space .

Motorcycle clutch device according to 請 Motomeko 5, The apparatus of any of claims 1 to 4, the rotating body is pressed between the rotating body and the rotating body, is fixed to the rotary body And a support plate for supporting the member. The clip includes an attachment portion attached to the support plate and an elastically deformable pressure contact portion that extends from the attachment portion and presses the side surface of the release member toward the pressing member.

  Here, the clip is mounted on a support plate. The release member is pressed against the pressing member by the elastic force of the press-contact portion formed on the clip. For this reason, vibration of the release member can be suppressed.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, there is provided the motorcycle clutch device according to the fifth aspect , wherein the clip mounting portion is formed in an annular shape, and the clip press-contact portion extends from the annular mounting portion toward the inner peripheral side. The sides are pressed.

  In the motorcycle clutch device according to the present invention, the vibration of the release member can be suppressed to suppress variations in the amount of clutch disengagement, and the disengagement of the clutch is improved. Further, by suppressing the release member with the clip, it is possible to prevent the release member from falling off when the apparatus is transported.

[First Embodiment]
<Overall configuration>
The motorcycle clutch device shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 transmits power from an engine crankshaft to a transmission and cuts off power by operating a release mechanism. This clutch device is configured such that the clutch is turned off by pushing the release bearing inward in the axial direction. Power is transmitted between the clutch housing 1, the output-side rotating body 2, and the clutch housing 1 and the output-side rotating body 2. The clutch part 3 for performing transmission and interruption | blocking, the pressure plate 4, the diaphragm spring 5, the release member 6, and the clip 7 for suppressing the vibration of the release member 6 are provided.

<Clutch housing>
The clutch housing 1 has a disk-shaped part 10 and a cylindrical part 11 extending from the outer peripheral side of the disk part 10 to the axially outer side (right side in FIG. 1). An input gear 13 is attached to the disc portion 10 via a plurality of annular rubber members 12. The input gear 13 meshes with a drive gear (not shown) fixed to the crankshaft on the engine side. The rubber member 12 is provided to absorb vibration from the engine, and other types such as a coil spring may be used. The cylindrical portion 11 is formed with a plurality of concave portions that are recessed radially outward in a portion on the inner peripheral side, and a plurality of notches extending in the axial direction are formed at predetermined intervals in the circumferential direction. This notch is for letting internal lubricating oil escape to the outer peripheral side.

<Output side rotating body>
The output-side rotator 2 is disposed on the inner peripheral portion of the clutch housing 1. The output-side rotator 2 is formed in a substantially disk shape, and a spline 15 is formed on the outer peripheral portion, and a spline hole 16 is formed on the inner peripheral portion. The spline hole 16 in the inner peripheral portion meshes with the input shaft 17 of the transmission. Further, in the outer peripheral portion of the output-side rotator 2, a disc-shaped friction flange 18 is formed at the end on the inner side in the axial direction, and further extends radially outward. Furthermore, a plurality of supporting protrusions 2a projecting in the axial direction at predetermined intervals in the circumferential direction are formed on the outer peripheral end of the axially outer surface of the output-side rotator 2, and the inner peripheral end is formed on the inner peripheral end. As is apparent from FIG. 2, a plurality of spigot projections 2b projecting in the axial direction are formed at predetermined intervals in the circumferential direction.

  Further, a support plate 19 for supporting the diaphragm spring 5 on the output side rotating body 2 is fixed to the output side rotating body 2 by rivets 20. The support plate 19 is an annular member, and an inner peripheral end portion thereof is supported by the spigot protrusion 2 b of the output side rotating body 2. In addition, an annular support protrusion 19 a that protrudes inward in the axial direction is formed on the outer peripheral portion of the support plate 19, and this support protrusion 19 a faces the support protrusion 2 a of the output side rotating body 2. Yes. Further, as is apparent from FIG. 2, a plurality of engagement recesses 19 b that are recessed radially outward are formed at the inner peripheral end of the support plate 19. The plurality of engaging recesses 19b are arranged at equiangular intervals in the circumferential direction. A thrust plate 21 is provided between the inner peripheral portion of the input gear 13 and the inner peripheral portion of the output side rotating body 2.

<Clutch part>
The clutch unit 3 has two first clutch plates 25 and one second clutch plate 26. Both of these clutch plates 25 and 26 are formed in an annular shape and are alternately arranged in the axial direction. Further, a plurality of engaging projections projecting outward are formed on the outer peripheral portion of the first clutch plate 25, and the engaging projections are recessed portions formed on the inner peripheral portion of the tubular portion 11 of the clutch housing 1. Are engaged. The first clutch plate 25 has friction facings on both sides. The second clutch plate 26 has a spline formed on the inner peripheral portion thereof, and the spline on the inner peripheral portion meshes with the spline 15 formed on the outer periphery of the output side rotating body 2.

<Pressure plate>
The pressure plate 4 is an annular member, and is disposed further outward in the axial direction of the first clutch plate 25 disposed on the outermost side. A spline hole 4 a is formed in the inner peripheral portion of the pressure plate 4 so as to protrude inward in the axial direction, and the spline hole 4 a meshes with the outer peripheral spline 15 of the output side rotating body 2. An annular projecting portion 4b projecting in the axial direction is formed on the outer peripheral portion of the outer surface in the axial direction of the pressure plate 4, and further projecting in the axial direction on the inner peripheral side of the annular projecting portion 4b. A pressing protrusion 4c is formed. The annular protrusion 4b protrudes more outward in the axial direction than the pressing protrusion 4c.

<Diaphragm spring>
The diaphragm spring 5 is an annular plate member having a pressing portion 5a as a disc spring on the outer peripheral portion and a lever portion 5b for releasing the pressing of the pressing portion 5a on the inner peripheral portion. A contact portion 5c that protrudes outward in the axial direction is formed at the inner peripheral end of the lever portion 5b. Further, the outer periphery of the diaphragm spring 5 is supported on the inner periphery of the annular projecting portion 4b of the pressure plate 4, whereby the diaphragm spring 5 is centered. The outer peripheral portion of the pressing portion 5 a of the diaphragm spring 5 is supported by the pressing protrusion 4 c of the pressure plate 4, and the inner peripheral portion of the pressing portion 5 a of the output side rotating body 2 and the supporting protrusion 19 a of the support plate 19. It is sandwiched and supported by.

  When such a diaphragm spring 5 is set as shown in FIG. 1, the pressure plate 4 is pressed inward in the axial direction by a predetermined pressing force by the biasing force of the disc spring. Therefore, the first and second clutch plates 25 and 26 of the clutch portion 3 are sandwiched between the friction portion 18 of the output side rotating body 2 and the pressure plate 4.

  The lever portion 5b of the diaphragm spring 4 is formed of a plurality of levers arranged in a radial pattern. A wide slit is formed between two levers adjacent to each other in the circumferential direction, and a plurality of bosses 2c protruding outward in the axial direction formed in a part of the output-side rotator 2 are provided. The slit passes through the outer side in the axial direction and abuts against the inner surface in the axial direction of the support plate 19.

<Release material>
The release member 6 is an annular plate member and holds a release bearing 30 on the inner peripheral portion. That is, a bearing holding portion 6a is formed on the outer peripheral side of the inner peripheral portion of the release member 6, and the axially inner shoulder portion of the outer ring of the release bearing 30 is fitted to the bearing holding portion 6a. . Further, a plurality of engaging protrusions 6 b are formed on the outer peripheral portion of the release member 6, and each of the plurality of engaging protrusions 6 b is engaged with the engaging recess 19 b of the support plate 19. By this engagement, the release member 6 is centered, and relative rotation with respect to the support plate 19 and the diaphragm spring 5 is prohibited.

<Clip>
As described above, the clip 7 is a member for restricting the movement of the release member 6 in the axial direction and suppressing the vibration thereof. The clip 7 is formed of a thin plate member that can be elastically deformed, and as shown in FIG. That is, the clip 7 has an attachment portion 7a formed extending in the circumferential direction of the support plate 19, and a pressure contact portion 7b extending radially inward from the attachment portion 7a. Both ends of the attachment portion 7a are fixed to the support plate 19 by rivets 20 for fixing the support plate 19 to the output side rotating body 2. Further, the pressure contact portion 7b can be elastically deformed with respect to the mounting portion 7a, is mounted in an elastically deformed state, and presses the engagement protrusion 6b of the release member 6 from the outside in the axial direction to the inside. In this way, the release member 6 is sandwiched between the clip 7 and the contact portion 5c of the diaphragm spring 5, and vibration of the release member 6 during operation is suppressed.

<Operation>
Next, the operation will be described.

  In the state shown in FIG. 1, the pressure plate 4 is pressed inward in the axial direction by the pressing portion 5 a of the diaphragm spring 5 with a predetermined pressing force, and the first and second clutch plates 25, 26 of the clutch portion 3 are output side rotating bodies. 2 between the two friction portions 18 and the pressure plate 4. In this case, the clutch is in an on state, and rotation input from the crankshaft via the input gear 13 and the rubber member 12 is transmitted to the first clutch plate 25 via the clutch housing 1 and further to the second clutch plate 26. To the output side rotating body 2 and to the input shaft 17 of the transmission.

  On the other hand, when the driver grips the clutch lever, the operating force is transmitted to the release bearing 30 via a clutch wire or the like, and the release bearing 30 is moved inward in the axial direction. The movement of the release bearing 30 is transmitted to the lever portion 5b of the diaphragm spring 5 through the release member 6, and the inner peripheral portion of the lever portion 5b is moved inward in the axial direction. Then, the outer peripheral portion of the pressing portion 5a moves outward in the axial direction with the radial middle portion of the diaphragm spring 5 as a fulcrum, and the pressing portion 5a moves away from the pressing protrusion 4c of the pressure plate 4. Thereby, the pressing force of the pressure plate 4 is released, and the clutch portion 3 is turned off. In this clutch-off state, the rotation from the clutch housing 1 is not transmitted to the output-side rotator 2.

Here, the operation force is reduced by the action of the lever portion 5b during the release operation of the clutch-off. More specifically, for example, if the pressing force by the pressing portion 5a of the diaphragm spring 5 is P, the release load R that must be applied to the lever portion 5b in order to release the pressing force P is:
R = P × (L1 / L2)
L1: Distance from the support portion of the inner peripheral portion of the pressing portion to the pressing point of the outer peripheral portion of the pressing portion L2: Distance from the support portion of the inner peripheral portion of the pressing portion to the contact portion with the release member of the lever portion. That is, the release load is reduced by the lever ratio (L1 / L2). Therefore, when the release load is set to be the same as that of the conventional device, the pressing load of the pressing portion 5a can be increased by the lever ratio, and when the clutch transmission capacity is the same, the number of clutch plates is reduced. be able to. Therefore, the clutch device can be made compact.

  Further, here, the release member 6 is sandwiched between the clip plate 7 and the support plate 19 to suppress vibration thereof. For this reason, the amount of clutch disengagement does not vary and the disengagement of the clutch is improved. Furthermore, since the release member 6 is united with other members by the clip 7 when the apparatus is transported, it is possible to prevent the release member 6 from falling off during transport.

  Further, in this apparatus, the release member 6 and the support plate 19 are engaged by the respective engaging projections and the recesses 6b and 19b, and the release member 6 is centered and stopped, so that a smooth release operation can be performed. It becomes possible, and wear of each part by relative rotation can be suppressed.

  In this embodiment, it is necessary to support the diaphragm spring 5 in the middle in the radial direction, that is, the inner peripheral portion of the pressing portion 5a, but this portion is supported from the inner peripheral side by the outer peripheral portion of the output side rotating body 2. Therefore, compared with the support structure by the clutch cover of the conventional clutch device for motor vehicles, it can support in a simple and small space.

[Second Embodiment]
FIG. 3 shows a second embodiment. This embodiment is different from the first embodiment only in the shape of the clip, and the other configurations are the same.

  The clip 40 of the second embodiment has an attachment portion 40a formed in an annular shape and a plurality of pressure contact portions 40b extending radially inward from the attachment portion 40a. The mounting portion 40 a is fixed to the support plate 19 by a rivet 20 for fixing the support plate 19 to the output side rotating body 2. The pressure contact portion 40b can be elastically deformed with respect to the mounting portion 40a, and presses the engagement protrusion 6b of the release member 6 from the outside in the axial direction to the inside. In this way, the release member 6 is sandwiched between the clip 40 and the contact portion 5c of the diaphragm spring 5, and vibration of the release member 6 during operation is suppressed.

[Other Embodiments]
In each of the embodiments described above, the case where rotation is input from the input gear and output to the output-side rotating body has been described. However, the present invention can be similarly applied even when the rotation transmission path is reversed. .

The longitudinal cross-sectional view of the clutch apparatus for motorcycles in 1st Embodiment of this invention. The front view of the said apparatus. The front view of the clutch apparatus for motorcycles in 2nd Embodiment of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Clutch housing 2 Output side rotary body 3 Clutch part 4 Pressure plate 5 Diaphragm spring 5a Press part 5b Lever part 5c Abutting part 6 Release member 6b Engaging protrusion 7, 40 Clip 7a, 40a Mounting part 7b, 40b Pressure contact part 19 Support Plate 30 release bearing

Claims (6)

A clutch device for a motorcycle that transmits power from an input side member to an output side member and interrupts power transmission by operation of a release mechanism,
A clutch housing connected to one of the input side member and the output side member;
A rotating body provided on an inner peripheral portion of the clutch housing and connected to the other of the input side member and the output side member;
A clutch portion having one or more plate members for transmitting and interrupting power between the clutch housing and the rotating body;
A pressure plate for pressing the plate member of the clutch part;
A pressing member that is supported by the rotating body and that presses the pressure plate, and a pressing member that amplifies the operating force of the release mechanism by a predetermined lever ratio and releases the pressing force by the pressing portion. When,
A release member for holding the release mechanism and transmitting an operating force of the release mechanism to the lever portion;
A vibration suppressing mechanism for suppressing vibration of the release member;
Equipped with a,
The vibration suppression mechanism is an elastically deformable clip that is attached to the rotating body and sandwiches and holds the release member between the pressing member,
Motorcycle clutch device.   2. The motorcycle clutch device according to claim 1, wherein the pressing member is a diaphragm spring having the pressing portion on an outer peripheral portion and the lever portion on an inner peripheral portion. The rotating body has a friction portion facing the pressure plate on an outer peripheral portion,
The clutch portion includes a first clutch plate that engages with the clutch housing and a second clutch plate that engages with the rotating body, and the first and second clutch plates include a friction portion of the rotating body and the friction member. Sandwiched between pressure plates,
The motorcycle clutch device according to claim 1 or 2. The diaphragm spring is
The outer peripheral part of the pressing part presses the pressure plate, the inner peripheral part of the pressing part is supported by the outer peripheral part of the rotating body,
The inner peripheral part of the lever part is moved to the pressure plate side by the release mechanism.
The motorcycle clutch device according to claim 2 or 3. The rotating body includes a rotating body main body and a support plate that is fixed to the rotating body main body and supports the pressing member between the rotating body main body and the rotating body.
The clip includes an attachment portion attached to the support plate and an elastically deformable pressure contact portion that extends from the attachment portion and presses a side surface of the release member toward the pressing member.
The motorcycle clutch device according to any one of claims 1 to 4 . The clip mounting portion is formed in an annular shape, and the clip pressing portion extends from the annular mounting portion to the inner peripheral side to press-contact the side surface of the release member.
The motorcycle clutch device according to claim 5 .

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