Fan clutch for vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9255616-B2
Application number	US-201314035553-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 24, 2013
Priority date	Jul 11, 2013
Publication date	Feb 9, 2016
Grant date	Feb 9, 2016

Abstract

A fan clutch for a vehicle may include a shaft rotated by a drive force and having a first oil line formed in the shaft in a radial direction thereof, a rotor rotated in combination with the shaft, wherein the rotor includes an oil storage chamber formed in the rotor and the oil storage chamber communicates with the first oil line, a valve formed in an end of the oil storage chamber and being selectively opened, wherein the valve may be configured to allow oil stored in the oil storage chamber to flow to an outside of the rotor through the first oil line, and a housing formed to surround the rotor, and provided with a second oil line through which the oil that has flowed through the valve flows to the first oil line through an actuation chamber surrounding the rotor.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A fan clutch for a vehicle, comprising:
a shaft rotated by a drive force and having a first oil line formed in the shaft in a radial direction thereof;
a rotor rotated in combination with the shaft, wherein the rotor includes an oil storage chamber formed in the rotor and the oil storage chamber communicates with the first oil line;
a valve formed in a first end of the oil storage chamber and being selectively opened, wherein the valve is configured to allow oil stored in the oil storage chamber to flow to an outside of the rotor through the valve when the valve is opened, and the oil in the outside of the rotor is allowed to flow into the oil storage chamber through a first end of the first oil line when the valve is closed; and
a housing formed to surround the rotor, and provided with a second oil line to communicate with the first end of the first oil line such that the oil that has flowed through the valve flows to the first oil line through an actuation chamber surrounding the rotor and formed in the housing,
wherein the housing is rotatable by a viscosity resistance of the oil stored in the actuation chamber between the rotor and the housing while the oil stored in the oil storage chamber flows into the actuation chamber through the valve when the valve is opened.

2. The fan clutch for the vehicle as set forth in claim 1 , wherein
the oil storage chamber is formed inside an inner circumference of the rotor in a circumferential direction such that the oil storage chamber surrounds the shaft; and
the actuation chamber is formed between an outer circumference of the rotor and an inner surface of the housing in a circumferential direction.

3. The fan clutch for the vehicle as set forth in claim 1 ,
wherein a second end of the first oil line communicates with a second end of the oil storage chamber;
wherein the first end of the first oil line communicates with a first end of the second oil line; and
wherein a second end of the second oil line communicates with the actuation chamber.

4. The fan clutch for the vehicle as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the valve is installed at one position in an outer surface of the rotor.

5. The fan clutch for the vehicle as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the valve and a part of the first oil line which communicates with the oil storage chamber respectively are arranged to be directed in the same direction based on the shaft.

6. The fan clutch for the vehicle as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the valve and a part of the first oil line which communicates with the oil storage chamber respectively are arranged to be directed in opposite directions based on the shaft.

7. The fan clutch for the vehicle as set forth in claim 1 , wherein an oil seal is installed in a junction between an outer circumferential surface of the shaft and an inner circumferential surface of the housing.

8. The fan clutch for the vehicle as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the shaft is configured to be rotated by a drive force of an engine.

Assignees

• Hyundai Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Lee Seon Min

Classifications

• F16D35/021 Primary

  actuated by valves · CPC title

• F01P2050/22

  Motor-cars · CPC title

• F01P5/04

  Pump-driving arrangements · CPC title

• F01P7/08 Primary

  by cutting in or out of pumps · CPC title

• F16D35/02

  with rotary working chambers and rotary reservoirs, e.g. in one coupling part · CPC title