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US 2016/0123410 A1Published application
Viscous clutch with high-speed reservoir, valve in housing, and bimetal member
AssigneeBorgWarner Inc.
InventorsGerard M. Light, Darin Gwin, Mike Tuttle
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A viscous fan drive including a fluid valve activated by a bimetal member, and including a clutch disk member and fluid reservoir rotatable at input speed. The fluid reservoir is contained in a reservoir chamber member positioned on the clutch disk member. The bimetal member controls the operation of a valve member in the housing which in turn controls the passage of fluid from a scavenge passageway into the fluid chamber and working chamber for operation of a cooling fan.
Claims36
A viscous clutch drive comprising:
- a housing;
- a rotatable clutch disk member positioned in said housing, said clutch disk member rotatable at input speed;
- a working chamber comprising said housing and said clutch disk member;
- a fluid reservoir positioned on said clutch disk member and rotatable therewith;
- a rotatable valve member positioned in said housing for selectively allowing viscous fluid to pass from said working chamber to said fluid reservoir;
- and
- a bimetal member connected to said valve member;
- wherein when said bimetal coil member is heated, it causes said valve member to rotate and allow passage of viscous fluid to said fluid reservoir to said working chamber.
5 more elements
A viscous clutch fan drive comprising:
- a housing;
- a fan drive member attached to said housing and rotatable therewith;
- a shaft member operably connected to said housing by a bearing member and connected to a pulley member for rotating at input speed;
- a clutch disk member positioned in said housing and fixedly connected to said shaft member, wherein said clutch disk member is rotatable at input speed;
- a fluid chamber member in said housing forming a fluid reservoir, said fluid chamber member fixedly attached to said clutch disk member;
- a working chamber comprising at least one shearing member on said housing and at least one mating shearing member on said clutch disk member;
- a scavenge passageway in said housing for returning fluid from said working chamber to said fluid reservoir;
- a rotatable valve member positioned in said housing, said rotatable valve member being rotatable with said housing;
- a bimetal coil member positioned externally to said housing and connected internally to said valve member;
- wherein thermal deformation of said bimetal coil member rotates said valve member to regulate passage of fluid from said scavenge passageway to said fluid reservoir and to said working chamber.
7 more elements
The viscous clutch fan drive as described in claim 14 wherein said base member comprises a plate member and said wall member comprises a curved member.
A viscous clutch drive comprising:
- a housing;
- said housing having a body member and a cover member;
- a fan member attached to said housing and rotatable therewith;
- a fluid working chamber in said housing for activating rotation of said fan member;
- a shaft member positioned at least partially in said housing and connected to a pulley member for rotating at input speed;
- a clutch disk member positioned in said housing and fixedly connected to said shaft member, wherein said clutch disk member is rotatable at input speed;
- said working chamber comprising at least one labyrinth member on said housing and at least one labyrinth member on said clutch disk member;
- a fluid reservoir in said housing and connected to said clutch disk member and rotatable therewith;
- a scavenge passageway in said housing for passing fluid from said working chamber to said fluid reservoir;
- a rotatable valve member positioned on said housing for selectively allowing fluid to pass from said scavenge passageway to said fluid reservoir;
- a bimetal coil member positioned externally to said housing and connected to said rotatable valve member;
- wherein thermal deformation of said bimetal coil member rotates said rotatable valve member to allow passage of fluid from said scavenge passageway to said fluid reservoir.
9 more elements
A viscous clutch accessory drive comprising:
- a housing;
- a fluid working chamber in said housing;
- a shaft member operably connected to said housing for connection to a pulley member for rotating at input speed;
- a clutch disk member positioned in said housing and fixedly connected to said shaft member, wherein said clutch disk member is rotatable at input speed;
- said working chamber comprising at least one labyrinth member on said housing and at least one labyrinth member on said clutch disk member;
- a fluid reservoir in said housing and connected to said clutch disk member and rotatable therewith;
- a scavenge passageway in said housing for passing fluid from said working chamber to said fluid reservoir;
- a valve member positioned in said housing for selectively allowing fluid to pass from said scavenge passageway to said fluid reservoir;
- a bimetal coil member connected to said valve member;
- wherein thermal deformation of said bimetal coil member causes said valve member to allow passage of fluid from said scavenge passageway to said fluid reservoir.
7 more elements
A viscous clutch fan drive comprising:
- a housing;
- a fan member attached to said housing and rotatable therewith;
- a fluid working chamber in said housing for activating rotation of said fan member;
- a shaft member operably connected to in said housing by a bearing member and connected to a pulley member for rotating at input speed;
- a clutch disk member positioned in said housing and fixedly connected to said shaft member, wherein said clutch disk member is rotatable at input speed;
- a fluid reservoir in said housing and connected to said clutch disk member and rotatable therewith;
- a scavenge passageway in said housing for passing fluid from said working chamber to said fluid reservoir;
- a rotatable valve member positioned on said housing for selectively allowing fluid to pass from said scavenge passageway to said fluid reservoir;
- a bimetal coil member positioned on said housing and connected to said rotatable valve member;
- wherein thermal deformation of said bimetal coil member rotates said rotatable valve member to allow passage of fluid from said scavenge passageway to said fluid reservoir.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.