Electrorheological fluid force transmission and conversion device

A system for condition responsive control of torque transmission and conversion between drive elements, comprising:

• an electrorheological fluid clutch assembly for providing variable transmission of torque between the drive elements responsive to yield strength developed in an electrorheological fluid by application of an electric field to said electrorheological fluid;
• transducer means operatively coupled to said ER fluid clutch assembly for converting motion between said drive elements to an electrical signal;
• control means for processing said electrical signal and selecting the magnitude of said electric field to be applied to said electrorheological fluid;
• and
• power means for supplying a high voltage potential necessary for providing the selected electric field to said electrorheological fluid, said power means comprising a generator which converts mechanical rotational energy of said electrorheological fluid clutch assembly into high voltage potential.

Apparatus for transmission and conversion of torque responsive to selective and variable application of an electric field to an electrorheological fluid, comprising:

• an enclosed chamber containing the electrorheological fluid, said enclosed chamber including at least one interface surface;
• a first member structurally isolated within said enclosed chamber and positioned within and moveable relative to said enclosed chamber, such that torque may be transmitted alternately between said enclosed chamber and said first member responsive to intercoupling thereof by the electrorheological fluid in accordance with the particular yield strength of the electrorheological fluid produced by the electric field;
• a second member positioned externally from said enclosed chamber in proximity to said interface surface;
• an internal magnet housing operatively connected to said first member within said enclosed chamber and having a plurality of permanent magnets associated therewith;
• an external magnet housing operatively connected to said second member and having a plurality of permanent magnets associated therewith, said external magnet housing being positioned in sufficiently close proximity to said internal magnet housing such that said internal magnet housing and said external magnet housing become magnetically coupled through said interface surface.

Apparatus for transmission and conversion of torque responsive to selective and variable application of an electric field to an electrorheological fluid, comprising:

• an enclosed chamber containing the electrorheological fluid;
• a first member structurally isolated within said enclosed chamber and movable relative to said enclosed chamber through which torque may be transmitted by the electrorheological fluid responsive to the particular yield strength thereof determined by the magnitude of the electric field;
• a second member positioned externally from said enclosed chamber in close proximity to a surface of said enclosed chamber;
• drive magnet means connected to said first member including a multiple pole permanent magnet;
• output magnet means connected to said second member including a multiple pole annular permanent magnet;
• said drive magnet means and said output means operatively coupling said first member to said second member through said surface such that said first member and said second member rotate together.

Apparatus for transmission and conversion of torque responsive to selective and variable application of an electric field to an electrorheological fluid, comprising:

• a first member for containing the electrorheological fluid having a plurality of first disc elements axially spaced therein for increasing the operative contact surface area of said first member to said electrorheological fluid;
• a second member structurally isolated within said first member for movement relative thereto having a plurality of second disc elements axially spaced thereon for increasing the operative contact surface area of said second member to the electrorheological fluid, said first disc elements and said second disc elements being alternately interspaced such that torque may be transmitted between said first member and said second member by said first disc elements and said second disc elements responsive to intercoupling thereof by the electrorheological fluid in accordance with the particular yield strength therebetween of the electrorheological fluid produced by the electric field;
• and,
• inner and outer ring members for exchangeably interspacing each of said first disc elements and said second disc elements axially one from another a selected distance apart.

Apparatus for transmission and conversion of torque to an output responsive to selective and variable application of an electric field to an electrorheological fluid, comprising:

• a first member forming an enclosed chamber having a inner diameter wall and containing the electrorheological fluid;
• an annular drive magnet positioned within said enclosed chamber and movable relative to said first member such that torque may be transmitted alternately between said first member and said second member responsive to intercoupling thereof by the electrorheological fluid in accordance with the particular yield strength thereof produced by said electric field;
• a cylindrical output magnet operatively coupled to said output and positioned relative to said drive magnet such that said output magnet and said drive magnet are magnetically coupled through said inner diameter wall;
• and,
• said first member being bisected electrically by insulator means and having an applied voltage potential such that said annular drive magnet is capacitively coupled through the electrorheological fluid to said first member.

A method for the transmission and conversion of torque to an output using an electrorheological fluid responsive to selected and variable application of an electric field thereto, comprising the steps of:

• providing a first member which forms an enclosed chamber containing electrorheological fluid;
• providing a second member within said enclosed chamber which is movable relative to said first member such that torque may be transmitted between said first member and said second member responsive to intercoupling thereof by said electrorheological fluid in accordance with the particular yield strength of said electrorheological fluid produced by the electric field;
• isolating said second member structurally within said first member;
• and
• providing indirect coupling of said second member to said output by a permanent magnetic field.

A method for constructing an electrorheological fluid clutch or brake assembly, comprising the steps of:

• providing a first member which forms an enclosed chamber containing the electrorheological fluid;
• providing a second member within said enclosed chamber which is movable relative to said first member such that torque may be transmitted between said first member and said second member responsive to intercoupling thereof by the electrorheological fluid in accordance with the particular yield strength of the electrorheological fluid;
• providing a variable electric potential between said first member and said second member to vary the yield strength of the electrorheological fluid;
• providing outer disc members connected to said first member for increasing the contact surface area thereof with the electrorheological fluid;
• interspacing said outer disc members with removeable outer ring members having a desired thickness which may be varied to select the spacing distance between said outer disc members;
• providing inner disc members connected to said second member for increasing the contact surface area thereof with the electrorheological fluid;
• interspacing said inner disc members with removeable inner ring members having a desired thickness which may be varied to select the spacing distance between said inner disc members.