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US 7,083,032 B2Granted
Electronically controlled fluid coupling device
AssigneeBorgWarner Inc.
InventorRick L. Boyer
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An electronically-controlled fluid coupling device having a front mounted fan and electrical actuation without a tethered harness. The fluid coupling device combines an inverted viscous clutch, drive pulley and a split electromagnetic actuator package. In this arrangement, the electrical portion of the split electromagnetic actuator is not physically attached to the fan drive, but is instead mounted to a stationary member. The remaining actuator components are integral to the fan drive and are composed of only mechanical parts. The inverted clutch arrangement having remote electronic control allows three output modes: engaged, partially engaged, or disengaged.
Claims19
An electronically controlled fluid coupling device comprising:
- an output member including a center shaft;
- an input member bearing mounted around said output member, said input member comprising a body and a cover;
- a stationary waterpump housing assembly bearing mounted to said input member;
- a rotor mounted to said output member and contained within said cover and said body, said body and said rotor defining a working chamber;
- a reservoir plate mounted to said input member, said reservoir plate having a fill port:
- a fluid reservoir defined between said reservoir plate and said cover, said fluid reservoir having a quantity of viscous fluid;
- a fluid chamber defined between said reservoir plate and said rotor, said fluid chamber fluidically coupled to said working chamber and fluidically coupled to said fluid reservoir through said fill port;
- a rotatable armature subassembly coupled to said input member, said rotatable armature subassembly rotatable to any of an infinite number of positions between a first position, a midlevel position, and a second position;
- a valve arm fixedly coupled to said rotatable armature subassembly, said valve arm capable of covering said fill port when said rotatable armature subassembly is in said second position, therein preventing flow of said quantity of viscous fluid from said fluid reservoir to said fluid chamber, said valve arm capable of partially covering said fill port when said rotatable armature is in said midlevel position, therein allowing partial flow of said quantity of viscous fluid from said fluid reservoir to said working chamber to partially engage said rotor and said output member;
- an electromagnetic subassembly mounted to said stationary waterpump housing;
- a power source electrically coupled to said electromagnetic subassembly;
- a controller electrically coupled to said power source, said controller directing said power source to provide an electrical current to said electromagnetic subassembly, wherein said electromagnetic subassembly induces a magnetic field in response to said electrical current, wherein said armature valve subassembly rotates from said first position to said midlevel position to said second position depending upon a strength of said magnetic field.
9 more elements
An electronically controlled fluid coupling device comprising:
- an output member including a center shaft;
- an input member bearing mounted around said output member, said input member comprising a body and a cover;
- a stationary waterpump housing assembly bearing mounted to said input member;
- a rotor mounted to said output member and contained within said cover and said body, said body and said rotor defining a working chamber;
- a reservoir plate mounted around said output member and coupled between said cover and said rotor, said reservoir plate having a fill port;
- a fluid reservoir defined between said reservoir plate and said cover, said fluid reservoir having a quantity of viscous fluid;
- a fluid chamber defined between said reservoir plate and said rotor, said fluid chamber fluidically coupled to said working chamber and fluidically coupled to said fluid reservoir through said fill port;
- a rotatable armature subassembly coupled to said input member, said rotatable armature subassembly rotatable to any of an infinite number of positions between a first position, a midlevel position, and a second position;
- a valve arm fixedly coupled to said rotatable armature subassembly, said valve arm capable of uncovering said fill port when said rotatable armature subassembly is in said second position, therein allowing flow of said quantity of viscous fluid from said fluid reservoir to said fluid chamber, said valve arm capable of partially covering said fill port when said rotatable armature is in said midlevel position, therein allowing partial flow of said quantity of viscous fluid from said fluid reservoir to said working chamber to partially engage said rotor and said output member;
- an electromagnetic subassembly mounted to said stationary waterpump housing;
- a power source electrically coupled to said electromagnetic subassembly;
- a controller electrically coupled to said power source, said controller directing said power source to provide electrical current to said electromagnetic subassembly, wherein said electromagnetic subassembly induces a magnetic field in response to said electrical current, wherein said armature valve subassembly rotates from said first position to said midlevel position to said second position in response depending upon a strength of said magnetic field.
9 more elements
A method for controlling the engagement of an electronically controlled fluid coupling device, the method comprising:
- (a) forming the electronically controlled fluid coupling device comprising:
- an output member including a center shaft;
- an input member bearing mounted around said output member said input member comprising a body and a cover;
- a stationary waterpump housing assembly bearing mounted to said input member;
- a rotor mounted to said output member and contained within said cover and said body, said body and said rotor defining a working chamber;
- a reservoir plate mounted around said output member and coupled between said cover and said rotor, said reservoir plate having a fill port;
- a fluid reservoir defined between said reservoir plate and said cover, said fluid reservoir having a quantity of viscous fluid;
- a fluid chamber defined between said reservoir plate and said rotor, said fluid chamber fluidically coupled to said working chamber and fluidically coupled to said fluid reservoir through said fill port;
- a rotatable armature subassembly coupled to said input member, said rotatable armature subassembly rotatable between a first position and a second position;
- a valve arm fixedly coupled to said rotatable armature subassembly, said valve arm uncovering said fill port when said rotatable armature subassembly is in said first position and covering said fill port when said rotatable armature subassembly is in said second position and partially covering said fill port in a midlevel position;
- an electromagnetic subassembly mounted to said stationary waterpump housing, said electromagnetic subassembly including a coil;
- a power source electrically coupled to said coil;
- a controller electrically coupled to said power source;
- and
- at least one sensor electrically coupled to said controller;
- (b) measuring an engine operating condition using said at least one sensor at a given engine speed, said given engine speed corresponding to a rotational speed of said input member;
- (c) comparing said measured engine operating condition with a desired engine operating condition range at said given engine speed;
- (d) generating an electrical current within said power source when said measured engine operating condition is not within said desired engine operating condition range, wherein the generation of said electrical current activates said coil, therein generating a magnetic field, wherein said magnetic field causes said rotatable armature subassembly to rotate in response to the strength of said magnetic field from said first position to either said midlevel position or said second position to control the flow of viscous fluid from said fluid reservoir to said working chamber through said fill port to control the rotational rate of said output member.
15 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.