A clutch mechanism includes a friction clutch with a clutch spring, a clutch lever connected to the friction clutch via clutch wires and being manually operable against the urging force of the clutch spring, and a clutch assisting device. The clutch assist device has an assist mechanism having an au
A clutch mechanism includes a friction clutch with a clutch spring, a clutch lever connected to the friction clutch via clutch wires and being manually operable against the urging force of the clutch spring, and a clutch assisting device. The clutch assist device has an assist mechanism having an auxiliary force member (e.g., a spring) that urges the clutch wires in such a direction as to disengage the friction clutch while the clutch lever is moved from a disengage start position, where the clutch lever receives the reactive force of the clutch spring, to a disengaged position, where the disengagement of the friction clutch is completed. The assist mechanism maintains the urging force of the auxiliary spring applied to the clutch wires within a fixed range while the clutch lever is shifted from the midpoint between the disengage start position and the disengaged position to the disengage position. The clutch assist device reduces the manual force required to operate the clutch while preserving the operational feel of the clutch lever when moving the lever from a released position to a half clutched position, to a full clutch position.
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What is claimed is: 1. A clutch mechanism for a vehicle comprising a clutch assist device operating between a clutch and a clutch operator, the clutch operator being connected to the clutch by a transmitting component, the clutch including a clutch element being biased by a clutch spring toward an
What is claimed is: 1. A clutch mechanism for a vehicle comprising a clutch assist device operating between a clutch and a clutch operator, the clutch operator being connected to the clutch by a transmitting component, the clutch including a clutch element being biased by a clutch spring toward an engaged position and being movable by the clutch operator and the transmitting component from the engaged position to a disengaged position, the clutch assist device comprising an auxiliary force member which is disposed relative to the transmitting component, at least when the clutch operator is moved to disengage the clutch element, to apply an assist force to the transmitting component in such a direction as to assist disengaging the clutch element while the clutch operator is moved from a disengage start position, at which point the clutch operator works against the bias of the clutch spring, to a disengaged position where the clutch element is in the disengaged position, wherein the assist force of the auxiliary force member applied to the transmitting component is maintained within a fixed range while the clutch operator is moved from an intermediate position, lying between the disengage start position and the disengaged position, to the disengage position, wherein the clutch has a clutch release mechanism, and the transmitting component has a first clutch wire connected to the clutch operator and a second clutch wire connected to the clutch release mechanism, and wherein the clutch assist device is disposed between the first clutch wire and the second clutch wire. 2. The clutch mechanism of claim 1, wherein the auxiliary force member urges the transmitting component toward a position corresponding to the engaged position of the clutch when the clutch operator is in a return position, and the direction of the assist force applied to the transmitting component is changed from such a direction to a direction assisting disengagement of the clutch when the clutch operator is moved toward the disengaged position from the return position through the disengage start position, additionally comprising a canceling force member, which applies an urging force to cancel the urging force of the auxiliary force member that is applied to the transmitting component when the clutch operator is initially moved from the return position toward the disengage start position. 3. The clutch operation assisting device of claim 1, wherein the clutch assist device is configured to directly transmit displacement of the first clutch wire to the second clutch wire such that the displacements of the first and second clutch wires are equal to each other at the time when the clutch operator is actuated. 4. A clutch assist device operating between a clutch and a manual clutch operator, the clutch operator being connected to the clutch by a transmitting component, the clutch including a clutch element being biased by a clutch spring toward an engaged position and being movable by the clutch operator and the transmitting component from the engaged position to a disengaged position, the clutch assist device comprising: a movable member movable in synchronization with the transmitting component, auxiliary force member which is disposed relative to the transmitting component to apply an assist force to the transmitting component, at least when the clutch operator is moved to disengage the clutch element, in such a direction as to assist disengaging the clutch element while the clutch operator is moved from a disengage start position, at which point the clutch operator works against the bias of the clutch spring, to a disengaged position where the clutch element is in the disengaged position, a rotatable member for transmitting the urging force of the auxiliary force member to the movable member; and a cam mechanism being interposed between the movable member and the rotatable member, the cam mechanism including a cam surface configured to maintain the urging force applied by the rotatable member to the movable member within a fixed range while the clutch operator is moved from an intermediate position between the disengage start position and the disengaged position to the disengaged position; wherein the transmitting component has a first clutch wire connected to the clutch operator and a second clutch wire connected to a clutch release mechanism of the clutch, and wherein the first and second clutch wires are connected to the movable member. 5. The clutch assist device of claim 4, wherein the cam mechanism has a cam groove formed through one of the movable member and the rotatable member that defines the cam surface, and a cam follower being in contact with the cam groove and supported by the other of the movable member and the rotatable member. 6. The clutch operation assisting device of claim 5, wherein the auxiliary force member comprises a spring, and the cam groove in conjunction with the cam follower are configured to restrain the spring from expanding or contracting freely while the clutch operator is moved from the intermediate position to the disengaged position. 7. The clutch mechanism of claim 4, wherein the auxiliary force member urges the transmitting component toward a position corresponding to the engaged position of the clutch when the clutch operator is in a return position, and the direction of the assist force applied to the transmitting component is changed from such a direction to a direction assisting disengagement of the clutch when the clutch operator is moved toward the disengaged position from the return position through the disengage start position, additionally comprising a canceling force member, which applies an urging force to cancel the urging force of the auxiliary force member that is applied to the transmitting component when the clutch operator is initially moved from the return position toward the disengage start position. 8. The clutch operation assisting device of claim 7, wherein the urging force of the clutch spring applied to the movable member is zero and the rotatable member receives the urging force of the canceling force member while the clutch operator is moved from the return position to the disengaged start position. 9. The clutch operation assisting device of claim 7, additionally comprising a stopper for receiving the rotatable member when the clutch operator is in the return position, the stopper being urged by the canceling force member. 10. A clutch assist device incorporated in a clutch mechanism having a friction clutch with a clutch spring, a transmitting component connected to the friction clutch, and a clutch operator which is connected to the transmitting component and which changes the engagement state of the friction clutch when operated against the urging force of the clutch spring, the clutch assist device comprising: a movable member movable in synchronization with the clutch operator; a rotatable member; an auxiliary elastic member for applying an urging force to rotate the rotatable member, the auxiliary elastic member being pivotal through a fixed path with movement of the movable member; and a cam mechanism interposed between the movable member and the rotatable member for transmitting the urging force applied to the rotatable member to the movable member, wherein, when the clutch operator is operated in such a direction as to disengage the friction clutch, the auxiliary elastic member applies an urging force to move the movable member in such a direction as to assist disengaging the friction clutch while the clutch operator is moved from a disengage start position, at which point the clutch operator works against the bias of the clutch spring, to a disengaged position where the clutch element is in the disengaged position, and wherein the cam mechanism is configured to change a velocity ratio, which is the ratio of the rotational velocity of the rotatable member to the traveling velocity of the movable member, while the clutch operator is moved from the disengage start position to the disengaged position. 11. The clutch operation assisting device of claim 10, wherein the velocity ratio at the time when the clutch operator is at the disengage start position is greater than that at the time when the operating element is in the disengaged position. 12. The clutch operation assisting device of claim 10, wherein the average of the velocity ratio at the time when the clutch operator is moved from the disengage start position to an intermediate position between the disengage start position and the disengaged position is greater than the average of the velocity ratio at the time when the clutch operator is moved from the intermediate position to the disengaged position. 13. The clutch operation assisting device of claim 10, wherein the cam mechanism is configured to gradually decrease the velocity ratio while the clutch operator is moved from the disengage start position to the disengaged position. 14. The clutch operation assisting device of claim 10, wherein the movable member is a second rotatable member. 15. The clutch operation assisting device of claim 10, wherein the cam mechanism has a cam groove formed through one of the movable member and the rotatable member, and a cam follower being in contact with the cam groove and supported by the other of the movable member and the rotatable member. 16. The clutch operation assisting device of claim 10, wherein the auxiliary force member comprises a spring. 17. A clutch assist device incorporated in a clutch mechanism having a friction clutch with a clutch spring, a transmitting component connected to the friction clutch, and a clutch operator which is connected to the transmitting component and which changes the engagement state of the friction clutch when operated against the urging force of the clutch spring, the clutch assist device comprising: a movable member movable in synchronization with the clutch operator; a rotatable member; an auxiliary elastic member for applying an urging force to rotate the rotatable member, the auxiliary elastic member being pivotal through a fixed path with movement of the movable member; and a cam mechanism interposed between the movable member and the rotatable member for transmitting the urging force applied to the rotatable member to the movable member, wherein, when the clutch operator is operated in such a direction as to disengage the friction clutch, the auxiliary elastic member applies an urging force to move the movable member in such a direction as to assist disengaging the friction clutch while the clutch operator is moved from a disengage start position, at which point the clutch operator works against the bias of the clutch spring, to a disengaged position where the clutch element is in the disengaged position, and wherein the cam mechanism is configured to maintain a ratio between the reactive force of the clutch spring and the load applied to the clutch operator within a preset range while the clutch operator is moved from the disengaged start position to an intermediate position between the disengage start position and the disengaged position. 18. A clutch assist device incorporated in a clutch mechanism having a friction clutch with a clutch spring, a transmitting component connected to the friction clutch, and a clutch operator which is connected to the transmitting component and which changes the engagement state of the friction clutch when operated against the urging force of the clutch spring, the clutch assist device comprising: a movable member movable in synchronization with the clutch operator; a rotatable member; an auxiliary elastic member for applying an urging force to rotate the rotatable member, the auxiliary elastic member being pivotal through a fixed path with movement of the movable member; and a force transmitting component interposed between the movable member and the rotatable member for transmitting the urging force caused by the auxiliary elastic member which the rotatable member receives to the movable member, wherein, when the clutch operator is operated in such a direction as to disengage the friction clutch, the auxiliary elastic member applies an urging force to move the movable member in such a direction as to disengage the friction clutch while the clutch operator is moved from a disengage start position to a disengaged position, and wherein the urging force transmitting component is configured to change a velocity ratio, which is the ratio of the rotational velocity of the rotatable member to the traveling velocity of the movable member, while the clutch operator is moved from the disengage start position to the disengaged position.
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이 특허에 인용된 특허 (6)
Lyon Kim M., Algorithm for electro-mechanical clutch actuator.
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