System for neutral position shift lever clutch disengagement

摘要

In a motor vehicle equipped with a countershaft manual transmission for producing various ratios of the speed of an engine that is clutched to the transmission and the speed of a transmission output shaft, a system for maintaining the clutch disengaged while the transmission shift lever is in the neutral position and the clutch pedal is released includes a hydraulic damper actuated by a clutch pedal arm that moves a piston within a master cylinder connected hydraulically through an interrupter valve to a slave cylinder, which is connected mechanically to a clutch arm whose movement engages and disengages the clutch. An electrical circuit includes an ignition switch in series with a neutral switch and with a clutch switch, an interrupter valve coil in series with the switches and a clutch switch relay in parallel with the clutch switch. When the electrical circuit is closed, the interrupter valve closes hydraulic communication between the master cylinder and the slave cylinder.