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US 7,278,524 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.
Claims22
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 housing member bering mounted to said input member;
- a rotor member 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 member 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;
- an armature subassembly coupled to said input member, said armature subassembly moveable to any of an infinite number of positions between a first position, a midlevel position, and a second position;
- a valve member coupled to said moveable armature subassembly, said valve member capable of covering said fill port when said 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 member capable of partially covering said fill port when said 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 mentor, and said valve member capable of substantially uncovering said fill port when said armature is in said first position, thereby allowing full flow of viscous fluid to said fluid chamber;
- an electromagnetic subassembly mounted to said stationary housing member;
- a power source electrically coupled to said electromagnetic subassembly;
- and
- 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 can move from said first position to said midlevel position to said second position depending upon the strength of said magnetic field.
10 more elements
An electronically controlled fluid coupling device comprising:
- an output member including a center shall;
- an input member bearing mounted around said output member, said input member comprising a body and a cover;
- a stationary housing member bearing mounted to said input member;
- a rotor member 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 member 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;
- an armature subassembly coupled to said input member, said armature subassembly moveable to any of an infinite number of positions between a first position, a midlevel position, and a second position;
- a valve member coupled to said moveable armature subassembly, said valve member capable of uneovcring said till port when said 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 member capable of partially covering said fill port when said armaturc 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 housing member;
- 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 subassemhly, wherein said electromagnetic subassembly induces a magnetic field in response to said electrical current, wherein said armature valve subassembly can move from said first position to said midlevel position to said second position in response depending upon the 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 housing member bearing mounted to said input member;
- a rotor member 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 member 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;
- an armature subassembly coupled to said input member, said armature subassembly moveable between a first position, a second position, and midlevel positions between said first and second positions;
- a valve member coupled to said moveable armature subassembly, said valve member uncovering said fill port when said armature subassembly is in said first position and covering said fill port when said armature subassembly is in said second position and partially covering said fill port in any of said midlevel positions;
- an electromagnetic subassembly mounted to said stationary housing member, 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 armature subassembly to move in response to the strength of said magnetic field from said first position to one of said midlevel positions 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
An electronically controlled viscous fluid coupling assembly for a fan comprising:
- (a) an output member including a center shaft and configured for attachment to a fan;
- (b) an input member bearing mounted to said output member and rotatable around said output member and at input speed, said input member comprising a body member and a cover member;
- (c) a stationary mounting member hearing coupled to said input member;
- (d) a viscous fluid supply mechanism positioned within said input member and comprising a rotor member, a reservoir plate member having a fill port, a fluid reservoir, a fluid chamber, a working chamber and a quantity of viscous fluid;
- (e) an electromagnetic member mounted on said stationary mounting member;
- (f) an electromagnetically actuated valve mechanism for controlling viscous fluid engagement of said output member with said input member, said valve mechanism having a moveable member for opening, partially opening and covering said fill port responsive to a magnetic field generated by said electromagnetic member;
- wherein the operation and the speed of a fan is controlled by said viscous fluid coupling assembly without a wire tether member.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.