Viscous shear clutch
AssigneeThe Secretary of State for Defence in Her Britannic Majesty's Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
InventorJames E. Stangroom
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Abstract
An electro-rheological fluid is used as a transmission fluid between confronting, rotatable sets of clutch plates across which a potential difference can be applied so as to vary the viscous shear characteristic of the interjacent fluid. Differential arrangements of the clutch plates ensure cancellation of residual drag effects and the clutch can be electrically varied substantially from complete disengagement to solid engagement.
Claims9
A viscous shear clutch comprising a housing containing an input shaft journalled in said housing, at least two input pluralities of electrically conductive interconnected drive plates rotatable by the input shaft, at least two output pluralities of electrically conductive interconnected plates, the driven plates of each output plurality being non-engageably interleaved in evenly spaced alternating relationship with the drive plates of a respective one of the input pluralities so as to provide a series of intercommunicating interstices interjacent the alternately confronted drive and driven plates, an output shaft journalled in said housing and rotatable by the output pluralities, one of said input and output shafts being connected directly to its respective two pluralities so as to rotate conjointly therewith and the other being connected by gearing to its respective two pluralities so as to rotate differentially therewith, electrical connecting means to each plurality of drive plates and driven plates for the application of control voltages, and an electro-rheological fluid disposed throughout the interstices.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.