英文翻译原文Word格式.docx
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[0001]Thisapplicationclaimspriorityunder35U.S.C.§
119ofaprovisionalapplicationSer.No.61/436,433filedJan.26,2011,whichapplicationisherebyincorporatedbyreferenceinitsentirety.
FIELDOFTHEINVENTION
[0002]Thepresentinventionisgenerallyrelatedtoaclutchassembly.Moreparticularly,butnotexclusively,theinventionrelatestoanimprovedclutchassemblycoverandamethodofmakingthecover,aswellasanoptionalheatmanagementfeaturethatcanbeincludedwiththecover.
RACKGROIJNDOFTHEINVENTION
[0003]Asiswellknown,clutchesforvehiclesoperatetoselectivelycoupleanddecoupleanenginetoatransmissionforthepurposeofstartingthevehiclemovementwhiletheengineisingear,bringingthevehicletoastopwhiletheengineisrunning,changinggearswhilethevehicleisinmotionandputtingthevehicleinmotionfromadeadstop.Conventionalclutchesincludeacoverassemblyhavinganannularcoverorhousingandanannularpressureplateconnectedtothecoverforconjointrotationwiththecover.Thecoverisfixedlyattachedtoaflywheeldrivenbythevehicleengine,sothatthepressureplateislocatedbetweenthecoverandtheflywheel.Attachmentofthecovertotheflywheelisbyapluralityofbolts,whichspacethecoverandpressureplatefromtheflywheel.
[0004]Adriveshaftisreceivedthroughthecoverassemblyandflywheelfreeoffixedconnectiontoanyofthesesothatabsentactionoftheclutch,thedriveshaftandflywheelrotateindependentlyofeachother.Thedriveshaftissplinedandoneormoreclutchfrictiondiscsaremountedonthesplinesforconjointrotationwiththedriveshaft,whilebeingfreetoslidelongitudinallyonthedriveshaft.Theclutchfrictiondiscsarepositionedbetweenthepressureplateandthefly-wheel.Heatshieldsaredisposedbetweenthepressureplateandnearestfrictiondisc,andalsobetweentheflywheelandnearestfrictiondisc.Floaterplatesaredisposedbetweenadjacentfrictiondiscs.
[0005]Springsbetweenthecoverandpressureplateforcearingawayfromthecovertoclampthefrictiondiscsagainsttheflywheel.Theclampingactionmatesthedriveshaftandflywheelforconjointrotationsothatthedriveshaftisdrivenbytheengine.However,somerelativerotationorslidingbetweenthefrictiondiscsandflywheeldesirablyoccursbeforethereisconjointrotationtoreducetheimpactloadsontheengineanddriveshaftaswellastomakethemotionofthevehiclesmoother.
[0006]Theclutchisreleasedtopermitindependentrotationoftheflywheelanddriveshaftbyamechanicallinkage.Leverspivotallymountedonthecoverareconnectedtopinsfixedlyattachedtothepressureplate.Theleversmaybeengagedbyareleasememberofthemechanicallinkagetopullthepressureplatetowardthecoveragainsttheforceofthespringstoreleasetheclutch.
[0007]Thecoverprotectstheclutchandflywheelfrombeingobstructedbyforeignelements.Thecoveralsoprovidesabarriertoaccesswithintheclutchassemblytopreventaccidentalcontactwiththefast-spinningpartswithintheclutchassembly.Atypicalclutchcoverisstampedorcastmetal.Theshapescanvarydependingonanumberoffactorsincludingtypeandmanufacturerofclutch.
[0008]However,castingandstampingrequirestheuseofanexpensivemold,andanewmoldisrequiredforeachtypeorstyleofcover.Onetypeorstyleofcastorstampedcoveronlyfitsonetypeorbrandofmotororcar,andisnottransferrablebetweendifferentautomobilesorengines.Multiplemoldsincreasecostsgreatly.Inaddition,specialstrengtheningmethodsmustbeincorporated,suchashavingagreaterthicknessofmetal,moremetalmaterial,specialstructuralfeatures,orthelike.Thestrengtheningisduetocastingorstampingandthestressesexperiencedbythecover.Thestrengtheningmethodscanaddweight,increasethesize,andotherwisebeantagonistictoefficiencyandeconomyofmanufacturingthecover,useofspaceontheautomobile,andoperationoftheautomobile.
[0009]Itisthereforeaprimaryobject,feature,and/oradvantageofthepresentinventiontoprovideanapparatusandmethodthatimprovesoverthedeficienciesintheart.
[0010]Itisanotherobject,feature,and/oradvantageofthepresentinventiontoprovideanimprovedclutchcoverandmethodofmakingthesamethatislighterinweightthanpriorartclutchcovers.
[0011]Itisanotherobject,feature,and/oradvantageofthepresentinventiontoprovideanimprovedclutchcoverandmethodofmakingthesamethathasasmallerprofilefromtheplaneofamountingflangetotheplaneattheoppositesideofthecover.
[0012]Itisanotherobject,feature,and/oradvantageofthepresentinventiontoprovideanimprovedclutchcoverandmethodofmakingthesamethatoccupieslessspacetobeabletofitmoreclutchlininglayersontheclutchdisctobetterhandlehigherhorsepowerengines.
[0013]Itisanotherobject,feature,and/oradvantageofthepresentinventiontoprovideanimprovedclutchcoverandmethodofmakingthesamethatislessexpensivethanadiecaststamp,mold,orform.
[0014]Itisanotherobject,feature,and/oradvantageofthepresentinventiontoprovideanimprovedclutchcoverandmethodofmakingthesamethatincludesanoptionalheatmanagementfeaturethatcandeterdamageordeteriorationoftheclutchplatesduetoincreasedheat.
[0015]Theseand/orotherobjects,features,andadvantagesofthepresentinventionwillbeapparenttothoseskilledintheart.Thepresentinventionisnottobelimitedtoorbytheseobjects,featuresandadvantages.Nosingleembodimentneedprovideeachandeveryobject,feature,oradvantage.
SUMMARYOFTHEINVENTION
[0016]Accordingtooneaspectofthepresentinvention,aclutchcoverforconnectingaclutchassemblytoaflywheelofanengineisprovided.Theclutchcoverincludesabowl-shapedmemberhavinganaxis,awideend,anarrowend,andanaperturethroughthenarrowendalongtheaxis.Thebowl-shapedmemberisformedbydeformingaspinningsheetofmetal.Aflangeextendsaboutthewideendofthebowl-shapedmember.Arimisformedatthenarrowendofthebowl-shapedmemberadjacenttheaperture.Apatternofholesismachinedintheflangeandtherim,withthepatternofholesdeterminedbythetypeofengineused.Apluralityofaperturesisformedthroughthebowl-shapedmemberandisconfiguredtohousereleaseleversofapressureplateassembly.
[0017]Accordingtoanotheraspectofthepresentinvention,amethodofformingauniversalclutchcoverforusewithaclutchassemblyusedwithvirtuallyanymakeofvehicleengineisprovided.Themethodincludesdeterminingthemakeofthevehicleengine.Aforceisappliednormaltoaspinningsheetofmetalhavinganaperturetherethroughtoformagenerallybowl-shapedmemberwithaflangeatawideendandarimatanarrowendofthebowl-shapedmember.Apatternofholesismachinedintheflangeofthebowl-shapedmember,withthepatternofholescorrespondingtothemakeofthevehicleengine.Apluralityofaperturesismachinedthroughthebowl-shapedmemberbetweentheflangeandtherim.
[0018]Accordingtoyetanotheraspectofthepresentinvention,amethodofformingaclutchcoverforaclutchassemblyofanengineisprovided.Themethodincludesformingaholeinasheetofmetal.Thesheetofmetalisspunonaspin-castingmachineaboutthecentralaxisofthehole.Aforceisappliednormaltothesheetofmetalstartingatapredetermineddistancefromtheedgeoftheholetoformabowl-shapedmemberhavingarimadjacentanarrowendandaflangeadjacentawideend,withtherimandflangebeinggenerallyperpendiculartotheaxisofthehole.Apatternofflangeholesismachinedintheflange,whereinthepatternofflangeholesareconfiguredtooperablyattachtheclutchassemblytotheengine.Apluralityofaperturesiscutinthebowl-shapedmember,theaperturesadaptedtohousereleaselevers.
BRIEFDESCRIPTIONOFTHEDRAWINGS
[0019]FIG.1isanexplodedviewofcomponentsofavehicleengine,includinganengineblock,flywheel,clutchassembly,andbellhousing.
[0020]FIG.2isaperspectiveviewofaclutchassemblyusedinvehicles.
[0021]FIG.3isanexplodedviewoftheclutchassemblyofFIG.2.
[0022]FIG.4isaperspectiveviewofaclutchcoveraccordingtothepresentinvention.
[0023]FIG.5isabottomviewoftheclutchcoverofFIG.4.
[0024]FIG.6isasideviewoftheclutchcoverofFIG.4.
[0025]FIG.7Ashowsamethodofformingtheclutchcoverbyuseofaninternalspinformingmachine.
[0026]FIG.7Bshowsamethodofformingtheclutchcoverbyuseofanexternalspinformingmachine.
[0027]FIG.8showsthestepsofaprocessofformingtheclutchcoveraccordingtothepresentinvention.
DETAILEDDESCRIPTIONOFTHEPREFERREDEMBODIMENTS
[0028]FIG.1isanexplodedviewofcomponentsofavehicleengine,includinganengineblock30,aflywheel32,aclutchdisc28,aclutchassembly10,andabellhousing31.Theflywheel32isconnectedtotheengine30andtheclutchassembly10isconnectedtotheflywheel32withtheclutchdisc28therebetween.Asisknownintheart,theclutchassembly10workswiththeclutchdisc28toselectivelypresstheclutchdisc28againsttheflywheel32inordertopoweravehicle.Furthermore,theflywheel32,clutchdisc28andclutchassembly10areconfinedwithinthebellhousing31,whichisattachedtotheengine30.Therefore,itshouldbeunderstoodthattheclutchassembly10ideallyhasalowheightinordertotak