Pneumatic clutch actuator with self-adjustment mechanism

1. A pneumatic clutch actuator, comprising:

a piston housing; and

a piston slidably received within said piston housing and configured to selectively change a clutch state between an engaged state and a disengaged state;

said piston having a self-adjustment mechanism configured to adjust an axial length of said piston with said self-adjustment mechanism including a position locking assembly;

said position locking assembly having a locking member including a plurality of locking flanges spaced along an outer surface of said locking member; and

a positioning member including a plurality of positioning slots spaced along said positioning member, each positioning slot configured to receive a locking flange therein;

wherein said position locking assembly is positionable between an unlocked state with said locking member spaced a distance from said positioning member, and a locked state with at least one locking flange inserted into a corresponding positioning slot.

2. A pneumatic clutch as in claim 1 , wherein said locking member further includes a locking disk including said plurality of locking flanges extending outwardly from an outer surface of said locking disk.

3. A pneumatic clutch as in claim 2 , wherein said plurality of locking flanges are spaced along a circumference of said locking disk.

4. A pneumatic clutch as in claim 2 , wherein said positioning member further includes a positioning ring including said plurality of positioning slots.

5. A pneumatic clutch actuator as in claim 4 , wherein said plurality of positioning slots are defined along a radial inner surface of said positioning ring.

6. A pneumatic clutch actuator as in claim 1 , wherein said piston further includes:

a piston assembly;

an axial tubular extension extending outwardly from said piston assembly along a first axis; and

a mounting member which is disposed within an end portion of said tubular extension; and

wherein said self-adjustment mechanism is coupled between said piston assembly and said mounting member for adjusting an axial distance between said piston assembly and said mounting member.

7. A pneumatic clutch actuator as in claim 6 , wherein self-adjustment mechanism further includes:

said position locking assembly positioned within a chamber defined within said piston assembly; and

a lead screw extending outwardly from said position locking assembly, said lead screw extends into a threaded internal cavity of said mounting member such that a rotation of said lead screw causes a movement of said mounting member along the first axis, said position locking assembly prevents the rotation of said lead screw with the position locking assembly in the locked state.

8. A pneumatic clutch actuator as in claim 1 , wherein said self-adjustment mechanism further includes a plurality of locking members, each locking member including a locking plate, said plurality of locking flanges extend outwardly from an outer surface of said locking plate.

9. A pneumatic clutch actuator as in claim 8 , wherein said self-adjustment mechanism further includes a plurality of positioning members, each positioning member includes a positioning plate, said plurality of positioning slots extend through said positioning plate.

10. A pneumatic clutch actuator as in claim 9 , wherein said piston further includes:

a bearing assembly; and

a piston assembly including a piston head and an extension member extending from said piston head towards said bearing assembly; and

wherein said self-adjustment mechanism is coupled to said piston assembly and said bearing assembly for adjusting an axial distance between said piston assembly and said bearing assembly.

11. A pneumatic clutch actuator as in claim 10 , wherein said self-adjustment mechanism further includes a first adjustment member disposed about said bearing assembly, said first adjustment member includes a plurality of first inclined surfaces, each positioning plate is coupled to a corresponding first inclined surface.

12. A pneumatic clutch actuator as in claim 11 , wherein said self-adjustment mechanism further includes a plurality of second adjustment members disposed annularly about said extension member, each second adjustment member further includes a second inclined surface extending toward said first adjustment member and orientated in an opposing facing relationship with a corresponding first inclined surface; and

wherein said each locking plate is coupled to a corresponding second adjustment member.

13. A pneumatic clutch actuator as in claim 10 , wherein said piston assembly is configured to rotate with respect to said bearing assembly, said position locking assembly prevents a rotation of said piston assembly with respect to said bearing assembly with said position locking assembly in the locked state.

14. A method of operating a pneumatic clutch actuator to selectively change a clutch state between an engaged state and a disengaged state, the pneumatic clutch actuator including a piston housing and a piston slidably received within the piston housing, the piston including a self-adjustment mechanism for adjusting an axial length of the piston, the self-adjustment mechanism further includes a position locking assembly, said method comprising the steps of:

channeling compressed air into the piston housing to cause the piston to move from a first position to a second position;

moving the position locking assembly to a locked state to fix an axial length of the piston as the piston moves from the first position;

releasing compressed air from the piston housing to cause the piston to move from the second position to the first position; and

moving the position locking assembly to an unlocked state to facilitate adjusting the axial length of the piston as the piston moves toward the first position.

15. A method as in claim 14 , wherein position locking assembly further includes a locking disk and a positioning ring, said method further comprising the steps of:

moving the locking disk into contact with the positioning ring to move the position locking assembly to the locked state; and

moving the locking disk away from the positioning ring to move the position locking assembly to the unlocked state.

16. A method as in claim 15 , wherein the locking disk further includes a plurality of locking flanges and the positioning ring further includes a plurality of positioning slots, said method further comprising the step of:

inserting at least one locking flange into a corresponding positioning slot to move the position locking assembly to the locked state.

17. A method as in claim 15 , further comprising rotating the locking disk with respect to the positioning ring as the piston moves towards the first position.

18. A method as in any one of claim 15 , wherein the piston further includes a piston assembly, an axial tubular extension extending outwardly from the piston assembly, and a mounting member which is disposed within an end portion of the tubular extension, the self-adjustment mechanism further includes the locking disk positioned within the piston assembly and a lead screw extending outwardly from the locking disk and extending into a threaded internal cavity of the mounting member, said method further comprising the step of:

rotating the locking disk and the lead screw with respect to the mounting member as the piston moves towards the first position to adjust the axial length of the piston.

19. A method as in claim 14 , wherein the position locking assembly further includes a locking member and a positioning member, said method further comprising the steps of:

moving the locking member into contact with the positioning member to move the position locking assembly to the locked state; and

moving the locking member away from the positioning member to move the position locking assembly to the unlocked state.

20. A method as in claim 19 , wherein the locking member further includes a plurality of locking flanges and the positioning member further includes a plurality of positioning slots, said method further comprising the step of:

inserting at least one locking flange into a corresponding positioning slot to move the position locking assembly to the locked state.

21. A method as in any one of claim 19 , wherein the piston further includes a bearing assembly and a piston assembly, said method further comprising the step of:

moving the bearing assembly away from the piston assembly to adjust the axial length of the piston as the piston moves towards the first position.

22. A method as in claim 21 , wherein the positioning member is coupled to the bearing assembly and the locking member is coupled to the piston assembly, said method further comprising the step of:

rotating the bearing assembly with respect to the piston assembly as the piston moves towards the first position.