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US 2003/0192763 A1Published application
Magnet type fan clutch apparatus
AssigneeUsui Kokusai Sangyo Kaisha Limited
InventorsHiroshi Inoue, Kazunori Takikawa, Shoichiro Usui
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AssigneeUsui Kokusai Sangyo Kaisha Limited
InventorsHiroshi Inoue, Kazunori Takikawa, Shoichiro Usui
Estimating the term…
A magnet type fan clutch apparatus is formed of an electromagnetic clutch mounted on one driving shaft, and a magnet coupling operatively connected to the electromagnetic clutch. The magnetic coupling includes a permanent magnet rotary body to which a fan is fixed, and a disc having a conductor or a hysteresis member opposed to the permanent magnet rotary body with a narrow clearance left therebetween; and formed so that the permanent magnet rotary body and disc are rotated together or relatively owing to an attraction working between the permanent magnet and conductor. The magnetic coupling is formed so as to be ON/OFF controlled by the electromagnetic clutch, and a seal structure is provided between the disc and permanent magnet rotary body.
A magnet type fan clutch apparatus including an electromagnetic clutch formed of a clutch rotor supported on a driving shaft and having an exciting coil supported on an outer part and incorporated in the clutch rotor, and an armature fixed to a disc supported rotatably on the driving shaft via a bearing;
A magnet type fan clutch apparatus including an electromagnetic clutch formed of a clutch rotor supported on a driving shaft, an exciting coil supported on a flange which is supported rotatably on the driving shaft via a bearing and fixed to an outer part, and an armature held longitudinally movably via a bearing on the portion of a driven side cylinder supported rotatably on the driving shaft which is on a side of the exciting coil;
A magnet type fan clutch apparatus including a magnet coupling formed of a permanent magnet rotary body mounted fixedly on a driven shaft the rotation of which is controlled by an electromagnetic clutch, and a fan-carrying disc which has a conductor opposed to the permanent magnet rotary body with a narrow clearance left therebetween, and which is supported rotatably on the driven shaft via a bearing;
A magnet type fan clutch apparatus including an electromagnetic clutch formed of a clutch rotor supported rotatably on a non-rotatably fixed shaft via a bearing, an exciting coil mounted fixedly on the fixed shaft and provided in the clutch rotor, and an armature longitudinally movably held on a rear surface of the permanent magnet rotary body that is supported rotatably via a bearing on the fixed shaft and being on a side of the exciting coil;
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.
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Magnetic couplings consisting of only two coaxial rotary elements, i.e. the driving element and the driven element: with an axial air gap
With axially movable clutching members: with flat friction surfaces, e.g. discs
Of the synchronous type: hysteresis type
Magnetic couplings consisting of only two coaxial rotary elements, i.e. the driving element and the driven element: with a radial air gap
Term end not estimated
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a magnet type fan clutch apparatus adapted to control the rotation of a cooling fan applied mainly to a vehicular internal combustion engine, operable with low noise and at a low fuel consumption and receiving a small shock during an initial period of the rotation thereof.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 1 is a sectioned side elevation showing an embodiment of the magnet type fan clutch apparatuses corresponding to the first and second present inventions;
FIG. 2 is a sectioned side elevation showing another embodiment of the magnet type fan clutch apparatus shown in FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a sectioned side elevation showing an embodiment of the magnet type fan clutch apparatuses corresponding to the first and third present inventions;
According to the present invention, reference numerals 11, 21, 31, 41, 71 denote driving shafts, 51 a driven shaft, 61 a fixed shaft, 12, 22, 32, 42, 52, 62, 72 electromagnetic clutches, 13, 23, 33, 43, 53, 63, 73 magnet couplings, 15, 25, 35, 45, 55, 65, 75 bearings, 16, 26, 36, 46, 56, 66, 76 fans, and 34 a driven side housing.
A magnet type fan clutch apparatus shown in FIG. 1 includes an electromagnetic clutch 12 and a magnet coupling 13 which are mounted on one driving shaft 11. The electromagnetic clutch 12 includes a clutch rotor 12-1 supported on an end portion of the driving shaft 11 so as to be united therewith, an exciting coil 12-2 fitted in and rotatable with the clutch rotor 12 via the bearing 15 in the clutch motor 12-1 and fixed to an outer part via a bracket 12-3, and an armature 12-4 held longitudinally movably on the portion of a disc 13-3 supported rotably on the driving shaft 11 via the bearing 15 which is on the side of the exciting coil 12-2. The armature 12-4 is fixed to the clutch rotor 12-1 via a spring 12-6 fixed at one end thereof to a stay 12-7 fitted around the driving shaft 11 and attached at one end portion thereof to the disc 13-3 by a bolt 12-5. The magnet coupling 13 is formed by fixing a fan 16 to a permanent magnet rotary body 13-1 supported rotatably on the driving side portion of the driving shaft 11 which is on the opposite side of the electromagnetic clutch 12 via the bearings 15, and securing a conductor 13-4, which is opposed to a permanent magnet 13-2 attached to the permanent magnet rotary body 13-1 with a narrow clearance left therebetween, to the disc 13-3 via a core 13-5, the permanent magnet 13-2 and conductor 13-4 being thereby rotated together or relatively owing to an attraction of an eddy current working therebetween. A reference numeral 13-6 denotes radiation fins.
When the electromagnetic clutch 12 is turned on with the driving shaft 11 in a rotating state in the magnet type fan clutch apparatus of the construction shown in FIG. 1, the armature 12-4 held on the portion of the disc 13-3 which is on the side of, the magnet coupling 13 is attracted to the clutch rotor 12-1, which is rotated with the driving shaft 11, owing to the exciting coil 12-2 provided in the clutch rotor 12-1, so that the clutch rotor 12-1 and armature 12-4 and disc 13-3 are rotated together. When this disc 13-3 is rotated, the permanent magnet rotary body 13-1 starts being rotated owing to an attraction working between the conductor 13-4 attached to the disc 13-3 and the permanent magnet 13-2 of the permanent magnet rotary body 13-1, and the fan 16 also starts being rotated. During this time, the magnet coupling 13 starts a cushioning action. Therefore, a load at the time of starting the energization of the electromagnetic clutch 12 is low, and the noise of the fan can be reduced remarkably. When the electromagnetic clutch 12 is turned off, the armature 12-4 leaves the clutch rotor 12-1 owing to a resilient force of a spring 12-6. This causes a rotational speed of the disc 13-3 to decrease greatly, or the disc 13-3 to stop. Consequently, a rotational speed of the fan 16 decreases greatly, or the fan 16 stops. Namely, the rotation of the fan 16 can be controlled by turning on and off the electromagnetic clutch 12. Since the turning on and off of the electromagnetic clutch 12 can be controlled in accordance with a cooling water temperature, a degree of opening of a throttle, an engine speed, an operation of an air-conditioner switch, etc., the rotation of the fan 16 can be controlled accurately and stably.