Fan clutch mechanism

A fan clutch mechanism for decoupling the rotation of a fan from a driving element including:

• a shaft adapted for connection to the driving element having:
• a rotor connected thereto, said rotor including:
• a first radial surface having:
• a first plurality of depressed grooves therein;
• and
• a mounting flange, said mounting flange including:
• four radially extending bolt slots defining first, second, third, and fourth quadrants therebetween, said first and third quadrants being opposite each other and being shaped to have a predetermined outer diameter and said second and fourth quadrants being opposite each other and being shaped to have an outer surface with a maximum outer dimension less than said predetermined outer diameter of said first and third quadrants;
• and
• a housing having:
• bearing means therein for allowing relative rotation of said housing with respect to said shaft and rotor;
• fan mounting means thereon;
• a first housing surface positioned parallel to and closely spaced to said first radial surface of said rotor, said first housing surface in part with said housing defining a cavity about said rotor, said first housing surface having:
• a second plurality of depressed grooves therein;
• and
• nonlinear fluid in said cavity with said rotor, whereby said nonlinear fluid between said first radial surface and said first housing surface shears when subjected to predetermined torque levels to rotationally decouple said rotor from said housing.

A fan clutch mechanism for decoupling the rotation of a fan from a driving element including:

• a shaft adapted for connection to the driving element having:
• a rotor connected thereto, said rotor including:
• a first radial surface having:
• a first plurality of depressed grooves therein, and
• a housing having:
• bearing means therein for allowing relative rotation of said housing with respect to said shaft and rotor;
• fan mounting means thereon;
• a first housing surface positioned parallel to and closely spaced to said first radial surface of said rotor, said first housing surface in part with said housing defining a cavity about said rotor, said first housing surface having:
• a second plurality of depressed grooves therein;
• a housing back surface including:
• a plurality of tall vanes disposed radially of said shaft and extending away from said first housing surface, and
• a plurality of short vanes radial to the shaft and extending away from said first housing surface, one of said short vanes being disposed between each adjacent pair of said tall vanes,
• the fan mounting means including a plurality of fan mounting bosses, at least some of which are positioned at different diameters from others,
• nonlinear fluid in said cavity with said rotor, whereby said nonlinear fluid between said first radial surface and said first housing surface shears when subjected to predetermined torque levels to rotationally decouple said rotor from said housing, and
• said grooves of the first plurality and second plurality of depressed grooves being sized and configurated to impart a sweeping action to the fluid to effect a random non-directional fluid movement to prevent development of hot spots within the mechanism.

A fan clutch mechanism for decoupling the rotation of a fan from a driving element including:

• a shaft adapted for connection to the driving element having:
• a rotor connected thereto, said rotor including:
• a first radial surface having:
• a first plurality of depressed grooves therein, and
• a housing having:
• bearing means therein for allowing relative rotation of said housing with respect to said shaft and rotor;
• fan mounting means thereon;
• a first housing surface positioned parallel to and closely spaced to said first radial surface of said rotor, said first housing surface in part with said housing defining a cavity about said rotor, said first housing surface having:
• a second plurality of depressed grooves therein;
• a back surface further including a plurality of fan mounting bosses, at least some of which are positioned at different diameters from others,
• nonlinear fluid in said cavity with said rotor, whereby said nonlinear fluid between said first radial surface and said first housing surface shears when subjected to predetermined torque levels to rotationally decouple said rotor from said housing, and
• said grooves of the first plurality and second plurality of depressed grooves being sized and configurated to impart a sweeping action to the fluid to effect a random non-directional fluid movement to prevent development of hot spots within the mechanism.

A fan clutch mechanism for decoupling the rotation of a fan from a driving element including:

• a shaft adapted for connection to the driving element having:
• a rotor connected thereto, and
• a housing having:
• bearing means therein for allowing relative rotation with respect to said shaft,
• fan mounting means thereon,
• a first housing surface positioned parallel to and closely spaced to said rotor, said first housing surface in part with said housing defining a cavity about said rotor,
• nonlinear fluid in said cavity with said rotor, whereby said nonlinear fluid between said rotor and said first housing surface shears when subjected to predetermined torque levels to decouple said rotor from said housing, and
• a back surface including:
• a plurality of tall vanes disposed radially of said shaft and extending away from said first housing surface,
• a plurality of short vanes radial to the shaft and extending away from said first housing surface, one of said short vanes being disposed between each adjacent pair of tall vanes,
• a plurality of fan mounting bosses, at least some of which are positioned at different diameters from others, and
• a plurality of spacer members shaped to fit on at least some of said bosses to vary the height of said bosses.

A fan clutch mechanism for decoupling the rotation of a fan from a driving element including:

• a shaft having:
• a rotor connected thereto;
• and
• a mounting flange connected thereto, said mounting flange including:
• four radially extending bolt slots defining first, second, third, and fourth quadrants therebetween, said first and third quadrants being opposite each other and being shaped to have a predetermined outer diameter and said second and fourth quadrants being opposite each other and being shaped to havie an outer surface with a maximum outer dimension less than said predetermined outer diameter of said first and third quadrants;
• and
• a housing having:
• bearing means therein for allowing relative rotation with respect to said shaft;
• fan mounting means thereon;
• a first housing surface positioned parallel to and closely spaced to said rotor, said first housing surface in part with said housing defining a cavity about said rotor;
• and
• nonlinear fluid in said cavity with said rotor, whereby said nonlinear fluid between said rotor and said first housing surface shears when subjected to predetermined torque levels to rotationally decouple said rotor from said housing.

A fan clutch mechanism for decoupling the rotation of a fan from a driving element including:

• a shaft adapted for connection to the driving element having:
• a rotor connected thereto, and
• a housing having:
• bearing means therein for allowing relative rotation with respect to said shaft,
• fan mounting means thereon,
• a first housing surface positioned parallel to and closely spaced to said rotor, said first housing surface in part with said housing defining a cavity about said rotor,
• nonlinear fluid in said cavity with said rotor, whereby said nonlinear fluid between said rotor and said first housing surface shears when subjected to predetermined torque levels to decouple said rotor from said housing, and
• a back surface including:
• a plurality of tall vanes disposed radially of said shaft and extending away from said first housing surface, and
• a plurality of short vanes extending away from said first housing surface, one of said short vanes being disposed between each adjacent pair of tall vanes, and the short vanes being radially substantially coextensive with the tall vanes.

A fan clutch mechanism for decoupling the rotation of a fan from a driving element including:

• a shaft adapted for connection to the driving element having:
• a rotor connected thereto, said rotor including:
• a first radial surface having:
• a first plurality of depressed grooves therein;
• and
• a housing having:
• bearing means therein for allowing relative rotation of said housing with respect to said shaft and rotor;
• fan mounting means thereon,
• a first housing surface positioned parallel to and closely spaced to said first radial surface of said rotor, said first housing surface in part with said housing defining a cavity about said rotor, said first housing surface having:
• a second plurality of depressed grooves therein,
• a housing back surface including:
• a plurality of tall vanes disposed radially of said shaft and extending away from said first housing surface, and
• a plurality of short vanes radial to the shaft and extending away from said first housing surface, one of said short vanes being disposed between each adjacent pair of said tall vanes, the short vanes being radially substantially coextensive with the tall vanes,
• nonlinear fluid in said cavity with said rotor, whereby said nonlinear fluid between said first radial surface and said first housing surface shears when subjected to predetermined torque levels to rotationally decouple said rotor from said housing, and
• said grooves of the first plurality and second plurality of depressed grooves being sized and configurated to impart a sweeping action to the fluid to effect a random non-directional fluid movement to prevent development of hot spots within the mechanism.

A fan clutch mechanism for decoupling the rotation of a fan from a driving element including:

• a shaft adapted for connection to the driving element having:
• a rotor connected thereto,
• a housing having:
• bearing means therein for allowing relative rotation with respect to said shaft,
• a first housing surface positioned parallel to and closely spaced to said rotor, said first housing surface in part with said housing defining a cavity about said rotor,
• viscous fluid in said cavity with said rotor, whereby said viscous fluid between said rotor and said first housing surface shears when subjected to predetermined torque levels to decouple said rotor from said housing, and
• a back surface including:
• a plurality of fan mounting bosses, at least some of which are positioned at different diameters from others for receiving fans of different sizes.