Design of Return Assist Mechanism and Reduction of Dual Clutch Pedal Effort

Abstract

Improved design for high performance machinery has always been the requirement of automotive as well as applied industries. Interaction of machines/mechanism with its user and easiness in operation is a very important field of study for better customer satisfaction. Present study involves a long term customer demand to decrease the effort applied on clutch pedal to actuate the bulky single plate dry friction clutch. long hours of continuous usage of agri machinery during seasonal crop cultivation, put lot of fatigue on drivers muscles, which same time lead to permanent disability in the body parts of drivers over few years. Present work addresses this practical issue and tried to eliminate the tedious task of pure mechanical linkage for engagement & disengagement of clutch pedal. The process of optimization includes various design, starting from linkage redesign to addition of motor or solenoid actuator to make the task simpler and effective. In the final stage the design mechanism with ‘V’ shape and 4 bar mechanism linkages and solenoid actuator comes out to be the best among all the designs involved in the present study.