Tabbed clutch plates

摘要

A multiple plate friction clutch includes clutch plates or discs having reduced frictional (spin) losses and thus reduced heat generation and improved service life. The clutch plates include both leaf springs or spring tabs at the periphery of the clutch plate that axially bias adjacent plates away from one another and a reduced area of friction material that contacts an adjacent reaction plate. On a typical motor vehicle automatic transmission clutch, a total of six or eight leaf springs or tabs are utilized: with three or four offset to one side and three or four offset to the other side.

主权项

1. A friction clutch assembly having reduced spin loss comprising, in combination,
a first member defining a plurality of axially oriented male splines, a second member disposed coaxially with said first member and defining a plurality of axially oriented female splines, a first plurality of clutch plates having female splines complementary to and engaging said male splines in said first member and a circular outer edge, a second plurality of clutch plates interleaved with said first plurality of clutch plates and having male splines complementary to and engaging said female splines on said second member, and said first plurality of clutch plates having an even numbered plurality of circumferentially extending leaf springs, one half of said plurality of leaf springs extending in one axial direction from said first plurality of clutch plates and another one half of said plurality of leaf springs extending in an opposite axial direction from said first plurality of clutch plates, each of said leaf springs having an outer edge coinciding with said circular outer edge and a plurality of discontinuous regions of friction material on faces of said first plurality of clutch plates.