Polygonal spring coupling

• US 10,895,286 B2
• Filed: 04/13/2020
• Issued: 01/19/2021
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems LLC (Estate of Heinz Hermann Thiele)
• Original Assignee: Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems LLC (Estate of Heinz Hermann Thiele)
• Inventors: Clark, Sean J., Colavincenzo, David D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Knight, Derek D
• Application Number:
  US16/846,641
• Publication Number:
  US 20200240474A1
• Time in Patent Office: 281 Days
• CPC Class Codes: F01P 2050/24 Hybrid vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: F01P 5/04 Pump-driving arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: F01P 5/10 Pumping liquid coolant; Arrangements of coolant pumps
• CPC Class Codes: F01P 7/046 using mechanical drives
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 63/042 Rotating electric generators
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 67/06 driven by means of chains, belts, or like endless members
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 2001/102 the torque is transmitted via polygon shaped connections
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 2200/0021 Steel
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 2200/0034 non-metallic
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 2200/0056 Elastomers
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 3/12 specially adapted for accumulation of energy to absorb shocks or vibration by making use of fluid elements F16D3/80
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 3/64 comprising elastic elements arranged between substantially-radial walls of both coupling parts

Abstract

A polygonal coupling couples torque source to a torque consumer such that input and output portions of the coupling may elastically rotate relative to one another during torque transfer to accommodate rotational speed variations in delivery of torque from the torque source. In an embodiment the torque source is an internal combustion engine with an integrated switchable coupling between the engine crankshaft and a torque transfer segment supporting a motor-generator. The polygonal coupling includes axially-overlapping polygonal-shaped male and female portions which cooperate to pass torque between the output of the integrated switchable coupling and an input of the torque transfer segment. At least one of the male and female portions includes recesses which form flexible arms adjacent to the lobes of the polygonal shape that allow the portions to rotate relative to one another over small angular displacements, and thereby improve damping of crankshaft rotational vibrations.

Claims

1. A polygonal coupling, comprising:

an input element configured to transfer torque passing through the coupling segment;

an output element configured to rotate coaxially with the input element,

wherein

one of the input element and the output element includes a polygonal-shaped male portion of the polygonal coupling and the other of the input element and the output element includes a polygonal-shaped female portion of the polygonal coupling,

the female portion of the polygonal coupling is configured to axially overlap the male portion of the polygonal coupling along a rotation axis of the input element,

the female portion is configured to cooperate with the male portion to transfer torque across the polygonal coupling,

at least one of the male and female portions of the polygonal coupling includes a plurality of recesses configured such that elastically flexible arms are formed adjacent to lobes of the polygonal coupling, and

the elastically flexible arms at each lobe are connected to one another adjacent to an apex of the respective lobe, and are configured to be displaced at least one of radially inward and radially outward in a manner permitting rotation of the male and the female portions relative to one another about the rotation axis.

2. The polygonal coupling of claim 1, wherein:

the input element is a rotating element of a component drivable by torque transferred by the output element to the input element.

3. The polygonal coupling of claim 2, wherein

the component is an electric motor, a compressor, a pump, a gear drive or a transmission.

4. The polygonal coupling of claim 3, wherein:

the rotating element is a shaft or a gear.

5. The polygonal coupling of claim 2, wherein:

the component is a torque transfer segment of a hybrid electric front end motor-generator system, and

the output element is an output of a clutch-pulley-damper unit of the hybrid electric front end motor-generator system.

6. The polygonal coupling of claim 5, wherein

the input element is a gear of the torque transfer segment, and

the output element is a pulley of the clutch-pulley-damper unit.

7. The polygonal coupling of claim 1, wherein

the male portion is at the input element, and

the female portion is at the output element.

8. The polygonal coupling of claim 1, wherein

the female portion is at the input element, and

the male portion is at the output element.

9. The polygonal coupling of claim 1, wherein

the plurality of recesses are adjacent to the lobes of the male portion.

10. The polygonal coupling of claim 1, wherein

the plurality of recesses are adjacent to the lobes of the female portion.

11. The polygonal coupling of claim 1, wherein

the elastically flexible arms are configured such that the arms change an amount of arm displacement in response to changes in an amount of torque being transferred across the polygonal coupling.

12. The polygonal coupling of claim 11, wherein

the elastically flexible arms are configured such that when the polygonal coupling is coupled to a power transmission device, the elastically flexible arms change the amount of arm displacement in response to changes in an amount of torque being transferred across the polygonal coupling caused by oscillating rotational speed variations of the power transmission device.

13. The polygonal coupling of claim 12, wherein

the power transmission device is an internal combustion engine.

14. The polygonal coupling of claim 13, wherein

the output element is coupled to a crankshaft of the internal combustion engine.

15. A polygonal coupling, comprising:

input means for transfer of torque passing through the coupling segment;

output means for transfer the torque to the input means, the output means being arranged rotate coaxially with the input means,

wherein

one of the input means and the output means includes a first polygonal-shaped torque transfer means and the other of the input means and the output means includes a second polygonal-shaped torque transfer means,

the second torque transfer means axially overlaps the first torque transfer means along a rotation axis of the input means and is arranged to cooperate with the first torque transfer means to transfer torque across the polygonal coupling,

at least one of the first and second torque transfer means includes a plurality of recesses configured such that elastically flexible arms are formed adjacent to lobes of the polygonal torque transfer means, the elastically flexible arms at each lobe being connected to one another adjacent to an apex of the respective lobe, and

the first and second torque transfer means are rotatable relative to one another about the rotation axis.

16. A polygonal coupling, comprising:

an input element configured to transfer torque passing through the coupling segment;

an output element configured to rotate coaxially with the input element,

wherein

one of the input element and the output element includes a polygonal-shaped male portion of the polygonal coupling and the other of the input element and the output element includes a polygonal-shaped female portion of the polygonal coupling,

the female portion of the polygonal coupling is configured to axially overlap the male portion of the polygonal coupling along a rotation axis of the input element,

the female portion is configured to cooperate with the male portion to transfer torque across the polygonal coupling,

at least one of the male and female portions of the polygonal coupling includes a plurality of recesses configured such that elastically flexible arms are formed adjacent to lobes of the polygonal coupling,

the elastically flexible arms are configured to be displaced at least one of radially inward and radially outward in a manner permitting rotation of the male and the female portions relative to one another about the rotation axis, and

a damping material is located in the recesses.

17. The polygonal coupling of claim 16, wherein

the elastically flexible arms at each lobe are connected to one another adjacent to an apex of the respective lobe.