Self-contained fan clutch

A self-contained and temperature controlled, totally "on" or totally "off" fan clutch having no fluid or electric power lines connected externally to the clutch for connection to a live power shaft of an engine comprising, in combination:

• a drive disc having a first clutch friction surface, with the drive disc being coupled to the live power shaft;
• a fluid cavity for receiving fluid;
• means for moveably dividing the fluid cavity into a first section and a second section;
• a second clutch friction surface operably attached to the moveably dividing means for engagement with the first clutch friction surface;
• means for biasing the second clutch friction surface away from the first clutch friction surface;
• means for pumping fluid from the first section of the fluid cavity to the second section of the fluid cavity causing the moveably dividing means to move toward the first section and the second clutch friction surface attached to the dividing means to engage the first clutch friction surface, with the pumping means including a first means mounted on the clutch for sensing engine temperature for actuating the pumping means when the engine temperature reaches a predetermined temperature;
• means for shunting the hydraulic fluid from the second section to the first section of the fluid cavity causing the moveably dividing means to move toward the second section and the second clutch friction surface to disengage from the first clutch friction surface under the action of the biasing means, with the shunting means including a second means mounted on the clutch for sensing engine temperature for actuating the shunting means when the engine temperature reaches a predetermined temperature.

A self-contained and temperature controlled, totally "on" or totally "off" fan clutch having no fluid or electric power lines connected externally to the clutch for connection to a live power shaft of an engine comprising, in combination:

• a drive disc having a first clutch friction surface, with the drive disc being coupled to the live power shaft;
• a fluid cavity for receiving fluid;
• means for moveably dividing the fluid cavity into a first section and a section section;
• a second clutch friction surface operably attached to the moveably dividing means for engagement with the first clutch friction surface;
• means for biasing the second clutch friction surface away from the first clutch friction surface;
• means for pumping fluid from the first section of the fluid cavity to the second section of the fluid cavity causing the moveably dividing means to move toward the first section and the second clutch friction surface attached to the dividing means to engage the first clutch friction surface;
• means for shunting the hydraulic fluid from the second section to the first section of the fluid cavity causing the moveably dividing means to move toward the second section and the second clutch friction surface to disengage from the first clutch friction surface under the action of the biasing means;
• and means mounted on the clutch for sensing engine temperature for actuating the pumping means and the shunting means when the engine temperature reaches a predetermined temperature.

In a self-contained fan clutch including an annular housing having fan blades extending therefrom and mounted for rotation upon and about a drive disc by a live shaft, an annular piston mounted for reciprocation within an annular cylinder carried by and within said housing, said piston dividing said cylinder into a high pressure cavity side and a low pressure cavity side, friction facing means carried by said piston for engagement with said driven drive disc for rotation of said housing and fan blades thereon, the improvement thereof consisting in apparatus for the actuation of said piston for engagement and disengagement of said friction facing means of said piston with said driven drive disc for the rotation and non-rotation of said housing and fan blades thereon,

• said improvement including
• (a) a cam carried by said driven drive disc for rotation of the cam thereby,
• (b) a piston plunger mounted in a recess formed in said annular cylinder for reciprocation therein by said cam,
• (c) a heat sensing member carried by said housing and having engagement with said piston plunger for actuation of the piston plunger into and out of pressure contact with the cam,
• (d) means responsive to the action of said piston plunger in one direction of reciprocation for causing fluid pressure to occur on the high pressure side of said piston to move said piston with the friction facing thereon into contact with said driven drive disc to thereby rotate said housing and fan blades thereon, and
• (e) means for relieving fluid pressure on the low pressure side of said piston when said piston plunger is reciprocated in the opposite direction thereby moving said piston and friction facing thereon out of contact with said driven drive disc.

A self-contained clutch having no external controls comprising, in combination:

• a first member;
• a second member rotatably mounted with respect to the first member;
• a drive disc for rotation with the first member;
• a piston mounted for reciprocation within a cylinder carried by the second member, the piston dividing the cylinder into a high pressure cavity side and a low pressure cavity side;
• friction facing means engaged by the piston for engagement contact with the drive disc for providing rotation of the second member with the first member;
• an environment sensing means carried by the second member;
• and means actuated by the environment sensing means for moving fluid between the high pressure cavity side and the low pressure cavity side of the cylinder for moving the piston within the cylinder to cause the friction facing to engage and disengage with the drive disc so that when the condition of the environment sensed by the environment sensing means is within a first range, the friction facing is disengaged from the drive disc and thus the first and second members are not rotatably interrelated but when the condition of the environment sensed by the environment sensing means is within a second range, the friction facing is engaged with the drive disc and the first and second members are rotatably interrelated.

A self-contained clutch having no external controls comprising, in combination:

• a first member;
• a second member rotatably mounted with respect to the first member;
• a drive disc for rotation with the first member;
• friction facing means reciprocally carried by the second member for engagement with the drive disc of the first member;
• an environment sensing member carried by the second member;
• means actuated by the first member and the condition of the environment sensing member for causing the friction facing to contact the drive disc when the environment sensing means senses a first environment range and to disengage the friction facing from the drive disc when the environment sensing member senses a second environment range so that when the condition of the environment sensed by the environment sensing means is within a first range, the friction facing is disengaged from the drive disc and thus the first and second members are not rotatably interrelated but when the condition of the environment sensed by the environment sensing means is within a second range, the friction facing is engaged with the drive disc and the first and second members are rotatably interrelated;
• and a piston mounted for reciprocation within a cylinder carried by the second member, with the piston dividing the cylinder into a high pressure cavity side and a low pressure cavity side, with the friction facing means being reciprocated by the piston;
• and wherein the means for causing the friction facing to engage and disengage with the drive disc comprises, in combination:
• means for moving fluid between the high pressure cavity side and the low pressure cavity side of the cylinder.