Accessory On-Off Drive With Friction Clutch
AssigneeBorgWarner Inc.
InventorShiwei Qin
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An ON-OFF vehicle accessory for driving vehicle cooling pump or cooling fan. The accessory having a friction clutch assembly with a friction plate member connected to a central rotatable shaft member. A biased armature member is adapted to force a friction plate member with friction linings thereon against a housing or cover which is rotating at input speed. A solenoid assembly is used to overcome the spring bias and pull the armature and friction plate member away from the housing.
Claims18
An ON-OFF accessory drive assembly, the assembly having a housing member with a cover member and a solenoid portion, a pulley member attached to the cover member, an internal shaft member which is selectively rotatable for operating the accessory, and a solenoid assembly positioned in the solenoid portion of the housing, said friction clutch assembly comprising:
- an armature member, said armature member made of a magnetic material and capable of axial movement relative to the shaft member when energized by a solenoid assembly;
- said armature member having spring retaining members;
- a friction plate member positioned axially adjacent said armature member;
- friction members positioned on opposite sides of said friction plate member;
- coil spring members positioned on said spring retaining members and biasing said armature member in an axial direction away from the pulley member;
- wherein when said solenoid assembly is actuated, said armature member is pulled axially toward said solenoid member preventing at least one of said friction members from contacting the cover member;
- and
- wherein when said solenoid assembly is not activated, said coil spring members bias said armature member axially against said friction plate member causing one of said friction members to contact said cover member and thereby causing rotation of said internal shaft member and operating said accessory.
A friction clutch assembly for a vehicle coolant pump, said coolant pump having a central shaft member for rotating an impeller, said friction clutch assembly comprising:
- a solenoid assembly comprising a solenoid housing and a solenoid coil member;
- a pulley member rotatable at input speed;
- a housing member attached to said pulley member and rotatable therewith;
- an axially moveable magnetic armature member;
- biasing members for biasing said armature member axially away from said solenoid assembly;
- friction plate member connected to said central shaft member and rotatable therewith;
- a first friction lining member positioned on a first surface of said friction plate member and adjacent said armature member;
- a second friction lining member positioned on a second and opposite surface of said friction plate member and adjacent said housing member;
- and
- a stop member positioned adjacent said friction plate member;
- wherein when said solenoid assembly is not electrically actuated, said biasing members force said armature member and said friction plate member axially in a direction toward said housing member wherein said second friction lining member contacts said housing cover member causing said friction plate member and said central shaft member to rotate at input speed;
- wherein said stop member restricts axial movement of said friction plate member when said solenoid assembly is activated.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.