Actuating mechanism, in particular for a clutch actuator

{
  "publication_number": "US11441616B2",
  "country": "US",
  "kind": "B2",
  "title": "Actuating mechanism, in particular for a clutch actuator",
  "abstract": "An actuating mechanism for a clutch actuator includes: an actuating element which is designed to be acted on by an actuating force and thereby displaced in an actuation direction, a transmitting element which is designed to carry out a displacement in the actuation direction, wherein a tensioning element is provided between the actuating element and the transmitting element. The tensioning element is designed to generate, for the transmission of the actuating force to the transmitting element, a clamping pressure force which generates a friction force for the transmission of the actuating force. The friction force is configured so as to be capable of transmitting a maximum actuating force.",
  "claims": [
    "1. An actuating mechanism for a clutch actuator, comprising: an actuating element configured to be loaded with an actuating force and, as a result, to be displaced in an actuating direction; a transmission element configured to carry out a displacement in the actuating direction; and a tensioning element provided adjacent to the actuating element and the transmission element, which tensioning element is configured as a spring which applies a tensioning pressing force in order to transmit the actuating force to the transmission element, wherein the tensioning pressing force generates a frictional force for transmission of the actuating force, the tensioning element is configured so that the frictional force is capable of transmitting a maximum actuating force, and the spring has a closed configuration as a ring configured to apply the tensioning pressing force over the full circumference between the transmission element and the actuating element.",
    "2. The actuating mechanism as claimed in claim 1, further comprising: a compensation mechanism configured to apply a reinforcing pressing force between the transmission element and the actuating element when an actuating force is applied to the actuating element, and to reduce the reinforcing pressing force between the transmission element and the actuating element to zero, if no actuating force is applied to the actuating element, wherein the reinforcing pressing force acts in addition to the tensioning pressing force in the form of an overall pressing force, and therefore increases the maximum actuating force.",
    "3. The actuating mechanism as claimed in claim 2, wherein the compensation mechanism is configured to generate the reinforcing pressing force between a contact face of the transmission element and a contact section of a clamping element.",
    "4. The actuating mechanism as claimed in claim 3, wherein the clamping element is configured in one piece with the actuating element, or is connected to the actuating element via a torque-free articulated connection.",
    "5. The actuating mechanism as claimed in claim 3, wherein the clamping element is configured to deflect the actuating force, which acts on the actuating element, into the reinforcing pressing force, and the magnitude of the reinforcing pressing force is proportional to the magnitude of the actuating force.",
    "6. The actuating mechanism as claimed in claim 3, wherein the contact face of the transmission element and/or the contact section of the clamping element has a coefficient of friction which is increased in comparison with the surface of the transmission element, which surface does not belong to the contact face.",
    "7. The actuating mechanism as claimed in claim 3, wherein the contact face has a contour which is configured such that a supporting force of the clamping element on the contact face has a contact angle at different positions along the actuating direction on the contact face, which contact angle: is between 70° and 90° with respect to a tangent of the contact face in a first position.",
    "8. The actuating mechanism as claimed in claim 1, wherein the actuating element and the transmission element are configured such that, if the maximum actuating force is exceeded by way of the actuating force or by way of a force which is introduced into the transmission element, a relative movement starts between the actuating element and the transmission element in the actuating direction.",
    "9. The actuating mechanism as claimed in claim 1, wherein the actuating mechanism is configured to decrease the overall pressing force between the transmission element and the actuating element when the actuating element is situated in an end position, and the decrease takes place such that, as a result, the maximum actuating force is decreased so that a relative movement between the actuating element and the transmission element in the actuating direction is made possible.",
    "10. The actuating mechanism as claimed in claim 9, wherein the end position is defined by way of a stop which is configured in a stationary manner with respect to the transmission element and the actuating element.",
    "11. The actuating mechanism as claimed in claim 10, wherein the clamping element is configured to bear against the stop in the end position of the actuating element, and a force which reduces the overall pressing force acts between the stop and the clamping element.",
    "12. The actuating mechanism as claimed in claim 1, wherein the actuating mechanism is configured to apply the actuating force pneumatically, hydraulically, mechanically, electrically, magnetically, or a combination thereof, to the actuating element.",
    "13. A clutch actuator, comprising: an actuating mechanism as claimed in claim 1, wherein the clutch actuator is configured to disengage a clutch by way of the transmission element, and the actuating mechanism is configured, if no actuating force acts on the actuating element, to enable relative movement between the actuating element and the transmission element.",
    "14. The clutch actuator as claimed in claim 13, wherein the transmission element is loaded with an elastic prestressing force in the actuating direction, which elastic prestressing force is generated by way of a spring, and the elastic prestressing force is configured such that, when no actuating force is applied to the actuating element, it is in equilibrium with an elastic prestressing force of a clutch spring."
  ],
  "description_excerpt": "The invention relates to an actuating mechanism for the conversion of an actuating force into a displacement of a transmission element. Furthermore, the invention relates to a clutch actuator which has an actuating mechanism of this type.\n\nActuating mechanisms convert an actuating force which is applied to an actuating element into a displacement of a transmission element, in order, for example, to disengage a clutch, by the displacement being introduced into the clutch. Other technical apparatuses can also be actuated by means of an actuating mechanism of this type, however.\n\nIn the case of actuating mechanisms of this type, there is the problem, in particular, that an overload protection means is required, in order firstly not to convert an excessively high actuating force into a displacement of the transmission element, as a result of which downstream apparatuses, such as, for example, a clutch actuator, might be damaged, and in order secondly not to support a force which is introduced by the downstream apparatus into the actuating mechanism in the latter, with the result that it might be damaged. Moreover, it has to be ensured that a reliable displacement of a transmission element by way of a desired actuating force can nevertheless take place.\n\nTherefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide an actuating mechanism of the above-described type and a clutch actuator, which solve at least one of the abovementioned problems.\n\nThis object is achieved by way of the subjects of the independent claims. Advantageous developments are the subject matter of the dependent claims.",
  "cpc": [
    "F16D 23/143",
    "F16B 2/22",
    "F16D 13/30",
    "F16D 13/752",
    "F16D 2125/582",
    "F16D 2125/587",
    "F16D 23/12",
    "F16D 23/14",
    "F16D 2500/102",
    "F16D 3/02"
  ],
  "ipc": [
    "F16D 125/58",
    "F16D 23/14"
  ],
  "assignees": [
    "Knorr Bremse Systeme fuer Nutzfahrzeuge GmbH"
  ],
  "inventors": [
    "Daniel Geis-Esser",
    "Juergen SCHUDY",
    "Alexander Koch"
  ],
  "filing_date": "2019-07-29",
  "publication_date": "2022-09-13",
  "grant_date": "2022-09-13",
  "priority_date": "2018-08-31",
  "application_number": "US-201917272411-A",
  "family_id": "67667798",
  "cited_by_count": 0,
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    "CN105202056A"
  ]
}