IP Library Granted Patent US 12,331,792
Granted Patent B1
US 12,331,792 · App. 18/632,159 · Granted Jun 17, 2025

In-shaft selective lube implementation for a wet clutch

Inventors: Jan A. Bedert (Oostduinkerke, BE); Kurt Cattoor (Koolkerke, BE); Jan Markey (Wingene, BE); Filip D. Schacht (Meulebeke, BE)
Assignee: DANA BELGIUM N.V.
F16D25/123F16D13/72F16D13/74F16K11/07F16D2048/029
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,331,792
App. No.
18/632,159
Granted
Jun 17, 2025
Kind
B1
Abstract

A transmission system comprising: a lubrication valve that fluidly couples a lubrication line in fluidic communication with a multi-disc wet clutch; a clutch line in fluidic communication with a clutch actuator of the multi-disc wet clutch and the lubrication valve; a clutch control valve fluidly coupled to the clutch line; and a controller configured to adjust a pressure of the clutch line to open and close the lubrication valve based on wet clutch temperature.

Claims (14)

1. A transmission system comprising:

a lubrication valve that fluidly couples a lubrication line in fluidic communication with a multi-disc wet clutch;

a clutch line in fluidic communication with a clutch actuator of the multi-disc wet clutch and the lubrication valve;

a clutch control valve fluidly coupled to the clutch line; and

a controller configured to adjust a pressure of the clutch line to open and close the lubrication valve based on wet clutch temperature.

2. The transmission system of claim 1 , where the lubrication valve is a spool valve with an anti-spin feature, where the anti-spin feature rigidly couples the lubrication valve to a structure of the transmission system.

3. The transmission system of claim 2 , where the spool valve divides a volume into a first chamber, a second chamber, and a third chamber, where the first chamber is an actuation chamber and in fluidic communication with a pressure source of the clutch line, where the second chamber is in fluidic communication with the lubrication line, where the third chamber is a counter-pressure chamber for the lubrication valve and houses a spring.

4. The transmission system of claim 1 , further comprising a drive component that drivingly couples an input to the multi-disc wet clutch, the drive component including a main lubrication line and a selective lubrication line, where the main lubrication line is in fluidic communication with the multi-disc wet clutch, and the selective lubrication line is placed in fluidic communication with the multi-disc wet clutch via opening the lubrication valve.

5. The transmission system of claim 4 , where the drive component comprises a cavity that houses the lubrication valve, and the cavity fluidly couples a lubricant source, and the cavity is in selective fluidic communication with the lubrication line via the lubrication valve.

6. The transmission system of claim 5 , where the main lubrication line supplies a first fluid flow to the multi-disc wet clutch from the lubricant source.

7. The transmission system of claim 6 , where the selective lubrication line supplies a second fluid flow to the multi-disc wet clutch from the lubricant source when the lubrication valve is open.

8. The transmission system of claim 7 , further comprising a counter-pressure chamber for the clutch actuator in fluidic communication with the main lubrication line and selective lubrication line.

9. The transmission system of claim 8 , where the counter-pressure chamber is pressurized to an activation pressure via the first fluid flow and the second fluid flow.

10. The transmission system of claim 4 , where the lubrication valve has a through passage, where the through passage places an actuation fluid source for the clutch control valve and the clutch actuator in fluidic communication with the clutch line.

Assignments (2)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Oct 27, 2025
From: DANA BELGIUM N.V.
To: DANA BELGIUM
Reel/Frame 073288/0564 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 10, 2024
From: BEDERT, JAN A.; CATTOOR, KURT; MARKEY, JAN; SCHACHT, FILIP D.
To: DANA BELGIUM N.V.
Reel/Frame 067067/0843 →
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