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US-12624733-B2 - Disconnect flexible sensor target

US12624733B2US 12624733 B2US12624733 B2US 12624733B2US-12624733-B2

Abstract

The invention relates to a transmission system for a motor vehicle including a first element and a second element movable in rotation with respect to each other about an axis X, and a coupling device which includes a first coupling part which is locked in rotation with the first element and movable with respect thereto between a coupled position and a decoupled position. Also included is a disk having a fixing region which is fixed axially to the first coupling part. The disk includes an annular portion forming a target and at least one elastic return portion which is configured to elastically return the first coupling part to the decoupled position. A sensor which is arranged facing the annular portion of the disk.

Inventors

  • Roel Verhoog
  • Michael Hennebelle

Assignees

  • VALEO EMBRAYAGES

Dates

Publication Date
20260512
Application Date
20220314
Priority Date
20210315

Claims (18)

  1. 1 . A transmission system for a motor vehicle, comprising: a first element and a second element movable in rotation with respect to each other about an axis X, one of the first and second elements being intended to be driven by a motor and the other of the first and second elements being intended to drive at least one wheel shaft of the motor vehicle; and a coupling device which comprises: a first coupling part which is locked in rotation with the first element and a second coupling part which is locked in rotation with the second element, the first coupling part being movable with respect to the first element between a coupled position in which the first coupling part is coupled to the second coupling part to transmit a torque between the first element and the second element and a decoupled position in which the first coupling part and the second coupling part are decoupled from each other, a disk which comprises a fixing region which is fixed axially to the first coupling part, the disk comprising an annular portion forming a target and at least one elastic return portion which is configured to deform elastically during the movement of the first coupling part from the decoupled position to the coupled position and to exert a return force capable of elastically returning the first coupling part to the decoupled position, wherein the disk comprises a plurality of elastic return portions each comprising an elastic blade capable of bearing against a bearing region of the transmission system, said bearing region being axially fixed with respect to the second coupling part wherein the first element comprises a housing which includes studs projecting axially toward the outside of the housing in the direction of the disk, each stud having one end forming one of the bearing regions.
  2. 2 . The transmission system as claimed in claim 1 , comprising a sensor which is arranged facing the annular portion of the disk and which is configured to deliver a signal representative of a distance between the sensor and the annular portion forming a target.
  3. 3 . The transmission system as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the disk comprises a plurality of elastic return portions each comprising an elastic blade capable of bearing against a bearing region of the transmission system, said bearing region being axially fixed with respect to the second coupling part.
  4. 4 . The transmission system as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the first element comprises a housing inside which the second coupling part is housed, the first coupling part comprising an inner portion which is housed inside the housing, an outer portion which is positioned outside the housing and a plurality of connecting portions which axially connect the inner portion and the outer portion of the first coupling part, each of the connecting portions passing through a corresponding through-opening formed in the housing.
  5. 5 . The transmission system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the second coupling part is housed inside the housing, the first coupling part comprising an inner portion which is housed inside the housing, an outer portion which is positioned outside the housing and a plurality of connecting portions which axially connect the inner portion and the outer portion of the first coupling part, each of the connecting portions passing through a corresponding through-opening formed in the housing.
  6. 6 . The transmission system as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the disk is arranged outside the housing and is fixed to the outer portion of the first coupling part, each bearing region being positioned on the housing.
  7. 7 . The transmission system as claimed in claim 6 , wherein the second element comprises a carrier ring which is guided in rotation about the axis X inside the housing, two planet gears which are mounted in rotation on the carrier ring about an axis Z perpendicular to the axis X and two sun gears which are movable in rotation about the axis X, are each engaged with the two planet gears and are each intended to be locked in rotation with a wheel shaft.
  8. 8 . The transmission system as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the second element comprises a carrier ring which is guided in rotation about the axis X inside the housing, two planet gears which are mounted in rotation on the carrier ring about an axis Z perpendicular to the axis X and two sun gears which are movable in rotation about the axis X, are each engaged with the two planet gears and are each intended to be locked in rotation with a wheel shaft.
  9. 9 . The transmission system as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the second coupling part of the coupling device is locked in rotation with the carrier ring with respect to the axis X.
  10. 10 . The transmission system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the disk comprises a plurality of fixing tabs which are fixed to the first coupling part.
  11. 11 . The transmission system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the coupling device comprises an actuator comprising a casing intended to be fixed to the chassis of the vehicle and a piston movable axially with respect to the casing between a retracted position and a deployed position and wherein the piston bears against an actuating region of the disk such that movement of the piston from the retracted position to the deployed position causes the movement of the first coupling part of the coupling device from the decoupled position to the coupled position; and wherein the disk is capable of deforming elastically between the actuating region and the fixing region of the disk during the movement of the piston of the actuator from the retracted position to the deployed position.
  12. 12 . The transmission system as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the actuating region of the disk is separated from an abutment region of the first coupling part by an axial clearance which is dimensioned such that the disk deforms during the movement of the piston of the actuator from the retracted position to the deployed position in order to compensate for axial manufacturing tolerances of the coupling device and that the actuating region of the disk comes into abutment against the abutment region of the first coupling part when said axial manufacturing tolerances of the coupling device have been compensated for.
  13. 13 . The transmission system as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the disk is dimensioned to generate a stiffness opposing axial approach of the piston toward the first coupling part which is between 50 and 500 N/mm.
  14. 14 . The transmission system as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the actuating region of the disk is an inner annular portion.
  15. 15 . The transmission system as claimed in claim 14 , wherein the inner annular portion comprises oil passage grooves.
  16. 16 . The transmission system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the coupling device is a dog clutch device, one of the first and second coupling parts comprising teeth and the other comprising corresponding grooves in which said teeth are engaged when the first coupling part is in the coupled position.
  17. 17 . The transmission system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the coupling device is a disconnection device capable of selectively interrupting the transmission of the torque between the first element and the second element.
  18. 18 . A motor vehicle comprising an electric machine and a transmission system as claimed in claim 1 , the first element of the transmission system being driven by the electric machine.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The invention relates to the field of vehicle drivetrains. It relates more particularly to a transmission system comprising a first element intended to be driven by a motor, a second element intended to drive at least one wheel shaft of a vehicle and a coupling device capable of selectively coupling the first element to the second element. The invention relates in particular to a differential-type transmission system for transmitting and distributing a torque from a motor to two wheel shafts of an axle of the vehicle. TECHNOLOGICAL BACKGROUND Document US 2015114786 discloses a differential-type transmission system. The transmission system comprises a differential housing which is movable in rotation about an axis A and is equipped with a toothed wheel driven by a motor of the vehicle. Inside the housing are housed a carrier ring guided in rotation in the housing, two planet gears which are mounted in rotation on the carrier ring about an axis B perpendicular to the axis A, and two sun gears, each of which engages with the two planet gears and each of which is locked in rotation with a wheel shaft. In addition, the transmission system comprises a coupling device which makes it possible either to couple the housing of the transmission system to the carrier ring to allow transmission and distribution of the torque from the engine to the two wheel shafts of the axle or to decouple them in order to interrupt the transmission torque between the motor and the wheel shafts. The coupling device is a dog clutch device. It comprises a first coupling part having an annular portion arranged outside the housing and projecting elements extending from the annular portion and passing through orifices formed in the housing, which makes it possible to rotationally secure the first coupling part and the housing. The projecting elements comprise teeth intended to cooperate with complementary grooves formed on the carrier ring. The first coupling part is axially movable with respect to the housing between a decoupled position and a coupled position in which the teeth of the first coupling part engage with the grooves of the carrier ring. An electromagnetic actuator is capable of exerting an axial force on the first coupling part so as to move it from the decoupled position to the coupled position. Furthermore, the transmission system comprises an annular target which is axially fixed to the annular portion of the first coupling part. The annular target is arranged axially facing a sensor, such as a Hall effect sensor, which delivers a signal representative of an axial distance between the sensor and the annular target. The transmission system further comprises an elastic washer which is arranged axially between the annular target and the housing. The function of this elastic washer is in particular to exert a return force on the first coupling part so as to return it to its decoupled position when the electromagnetic actuator no longer exerts a force on the first coupling part. Such a transmission system is not fully satisfactory. In particular, the coupling device of the transmission system has many different parts, in particular to ensure the target and return functions of the coupling device in its decoupled position, which increases its complexity, its cost and/or its bulk. SUMMARY An idea underlying the invention is to propose a transmission system equipped with a coupling device, a target and a sensor capable of delivering a signal representative of the state of the coupling device; this transmission system being simpler and/or less bulky. According to one embodiment, the invention provides a transmission system for a motor vehicle, comprising: a first element and a second element movable in rotation with respect to each other about an axis X, one of the first and second elements being intended to be driven by a motor and the other of the first and second elements being intended to drive at least one wheel shaft of the motor vehicle; anda coupling device which comprises: a first coupling part which is locked in rotation with the first element and a second coupling part which is locked in rotation with the second element, the first coupling part being movable with respect to the first element between a coupled position in which the first coupling part is coupled to the second coupling part to transmit a torque between the first element and the second element and a decoupled position in which the first coupling part and the second coupling part are decoupled from each other,a disk which comprises a fixing region which is fixed axially to the first coupling part, the disk comprising an annular portion forming a target and at least one elastic return portion which is configured to deform elastically during the movement of the first coupling part from the decoupled position to the coupled position and to exert a return force capable of elastically returning the first coupling part to the decoupled positi