Non-linear spring rate clutch damper

Claim 2

A vibration damper assembly for transmitting torque between two elements comprising a driving member and a driven member, said driven member including a hub provided with an integral radial flange having a plurality of circumferentially spaced openings therein, said driving member including at least one plate journalled on said hub and having a plurality of circumferentially spaced openings therein generally axially aligned with the openings in the hub flange, and a spring pack comprising a plurality of closely stacked leaf springs received in each set of aligned openings, said spring pack being divided into two sets of leaf springs oppositely bowed in the direction of rotation and having the opposite end extremities thereof operatively connected to the hub flange and plate such that the opposite end extremities move in opposite circumferential directions when torque is applied to either of the members.

Claim 3

A vibration damper assembly as set forth in claim 1, in which spacers are located between the ends of the leaf springs.

Claim 4

A vibration damper assembly as set forth in claim 1, in which one or more friction washers are journalled on said hub to engage said driving plate, and a diaphragm spring is mounted on said hub to bias said driving plate and friction washers toward said hub flange.

Claim 5

A vibration damper assembly for transmitting torque between two elements comprising a driving member and a driven member, said driven member including a hub provided with a radial flange having a plurality of circumferentially spaced openings therein, and said driving member including a driving plate and an annular plate located on opposite sides of the hub flange and suitably secured together, a plurality of generally axially aligned circumferentially spaced openings in said plates generally axially aligned with the openings in the hub flange, at least one notch in the radially inner edge of each plate opening, a notch in the radially outer edge of each flange opening, a spring pack comprising a plurality of outwardly bowed leaf springs received in each set of openings, said spring pack being divided into sets of oppositely bowed leaf springs operatively connected to the driving and driven members to provide a non-linear spring rate when torque is applied to either of the members, the notches receiving the end extremities of the bowed leaf springs in each spring pack.

Claim 6

A vibration damper assembly for transmitting torque between two elements comprising a driving member and a driven member, said driven member including a hub provided with a radial flange having a plurality of circumferentially spaced openings therein, and said driving member including a driving plate and an annular plate located on opposite sides of the hub flange and suitably secured together, a plurality of generally axially aligned circumferentially spaced openings in said plates generally axially aligned with the openings in the hub flange, at least one notch in the radially inner edge of each plate opening, a notch in the radially outer edge of each flange opening, a spring pack comprising a plurality of outwardly bowed leaf springs received in each set of openings, said spring pack being divided into sets of oppositely bowed leaf springs operatively connected to the driving and driven members to provide a non-linear spring rate when torque is applied to either of the members, the notches receiving the end extremities of the bowed leaf springs in each spring pack.

Claim 7

A vibration damper assembly as set forth in claim 4, in which the inner edge of each plate opening includes a pair of spaced notches, the spring pack comprising two groups of oppositely bowed leaf springs, the ends of one group being received in one notch and the ends of the second group received in the other.

Claim 8

A vibration damper assembly as set forth in claim 4, in which the inner edges of the hub flange openings are located on a circle radially inwardly of a circle containing the inner edges of the plate openings, and the outer edges of the plate openings are located in a circle radially outwardly of a circle containing the outer edges of the flange openings.

Claim 9

A vibration damper assembly as set forth in claim 4, in which each leaf spring has a relatively wide notch in the inner end so as to encompass said plates and flange and a relatively narrow notch in the outer end so as to encompass the hub flange alone.

Claim 10

A vibration damper assembly as set forth in claim 7, in which the notched portions of the leaf springs are received in the notches formed in the plates and hub flange.

Claim 11

A vibration damper assembly as set forth in claim 1, in which said driving member is an annular plate journalled on said hub, and a pair of annular concentric compression loading rings are positioned between said driving plate and said hub flange and operatively connected to both said spring packs, said hub flange and said driving plate.

Claim 12

A vibration damper assembly as set forth in claim 9, in which said loading rings comprise an inner ring having a radially inwardly extending flange journalled on said hub, and spacer washers between said last-mentioned flange, said hub flange and said driving plate, and an outer ring floatingly mounted between said hub flange and driving plate.

Claim 13

A vibration damper assembly as set forth in claim 10, in which said rings have circumferentially spaced notches receiving the inner and outer ends of the bowed leaf springs in each spring pack.

Claim 14

A vibration damper assembly as set forth in claim 11, in which said hub flange and driving plate have a plurality of circumferentially spaced slots on circles generally axially aligned with said loading rings, and a plurality of laterally projecting loading lugs on each loading ring and received into the corresponding slots in the hub flange and driving plate.

Claim 15

A vibration damper assembly as set forth in claim 12, in which each slot is greater in length than the width of the loading lug received therein to permit relative rotation of either ring relative to either the hub flange or the driving plate.

Claim 16

A vibration damper assembly as set forth in claim 13, in which the slots in either the hub flange or the driving plate on the inner circle are radially offset from the slots on the outer circle.

Claim 17

A vibration damper assembly as set forth in claim 14, in which said spring packs place said loading rings under an initial load with the inner ring biased in one direction of rotation and the outer ring biased in the opposite direction of rotation.

Claim 18

A vibration damper assembly as set forth in claim 15, in which said inner and outer slots are radially offset opposite to the biased directions of rotation of the loading ring, the slots cooperating with the loading lugs limiting the rotation of the rings.

Claim 19

A vibration damper assembly as set forth in claim 11, in which the notches in the inner and outer loading rings are radially offset so that said spring pack is in a one-way offset orientation.

Claim 20

A vibration damper assembly as set forth in claim 17, in which the circumferentially spaced openings in the hub flange and driving plate are dimensioned so as to receive the projecting edges of the leaf springs in the spring pack without being in operative engagement therewith.

Claim 21

A vibration damper assembly as set forth in claim 18, including friction washers journalled on said hub engaging the surface of the driving plate opposite to said hub flange, and a diaphragm spring mounted on the hub to engage the friction washers and urge them into frictional contact with the driving plate.

Claim 22

A vibration damper assembly as set forth in claim 19, in which said diaphragm spring biases the driving plate toward said hub flange.

Claim 23

A vibration damper assembly as set forth in claim 9, including a spacer located between the ends of each leaf spring in the spring pack.