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US 6,729,996 B2Granted
Field responsive fluids for lubrication and power transmission
AssigneeGeneral Motors Corporation
InventorsLouis Green, Leonid Charles Lev, Dexter Dean Snyder
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A transmission device that includes a driving member and a driven member in frictional engagement with the driving member. A traction fluid is included at a contact between the driving and driven members. The traction fluid is a field responsive fluid that is capable of changing its rheological properties in response to an external field.
Claims17
A transmission device comprising:
- a driving member;
- a driven member in rolling contact and frictional engagement with the driving member;
- a traction fluid at a region of said rolling contact between the driving and driven members;
- and
- the traction fluid comprising a field responsive fluid capable of changing its rheological properties in response to a field and an electrical or magnetic field acting upon the field responsive fluid at the region of said rolling contact.
2 more elements
A transmission device comprising:
- a traction device having an input and an output disk defining a cavity;
- a roller element disposed in the cavity and in frictional engagement with the input and output disks;
- a traction fluid disposed within the cavity and forming a film between the input and output disks and the roller element, the traction fluid transmitting torque between the input and output disks and the roller element;
- the traction fluid comprising a field responsive fluid capable of changing its rheological properties in response to an external field wherein a traction coefficient between the input and output disks and roller element is greater when compared to a non-field responsive traction fluid.
1 more element
A transmission device comprising:
- a geared device having at least a pair of gears, each of the gears having a body portion with teeth formed thereon, the gears being interengaged for transferring torque;
- a traction fluid in contact with the geared device at a contact point between the interengaged gears;
- the traction fluid comprising a field responsive fluid capable of changing its rheological properties in response to an external field and wherein a viscosity of the traction fluid is increased when exposed to the external field to provide an improved lubrication between the gears.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.