Fluid friction clutch

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9328780-B2
Application number	US-201314410614-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 24, 2013
Priority date	Jun 26, 2012
Publication date	May 3, 2016
Grant date	May 3, 2016

Abstract

The invention relates to a fluid friction clutch ( 1 ) having a housing ( 2, 3 ) and a clutch disk ( 4 ), which is rotatable relative to the housing ( 2, 3 ), and which is rotatably arranged at one end ( 5 ) of a shaft ( 6 ) centrally supported inside the housing ( 2, 3 ), having a working chamber ( 9 ) between the housing ( 2, 3 ) and the clutch disk ( 4 ), having a storage chamber ( 10 ) for clutch fluid; and having a feed duct ( 11 a, 11 b ), which leads from the storage chamber ( 10 ) to the working chamber ( 9 ), characterized by a supply pump element ( 14 ), which is rotatable relative to the housing ( 2, 3 ) and which is arranged, rotationally fixed, on the shaft ( 6 ), and which defines a shear gap ( 12 ) with the housing ( 2, 3 ); and by a valve ( 17 ), which is arranged in the feed duct ( 11 ), characterized in that an operative element ( 7 ) is arranged on the housing ( 2, 3 ).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A fluid friction clutch ( 1 )
having a housing ( 2 , 3 )
having a clutch disk ( 4 ),
which is rotatable relative to the housing ( 2 , 3 ), and
which is arranged at one end ( 5 ) of a shaft ( 6 ) centrally supported inside the housing ( 2 , 3 ),

having a working chamber ( 9 ) between the housing ( 2 , 3 ) and the clutch disk ( 4 );
having a storage chamber ( 10 ) for clutch fluid; and
having a feed duct ( 11 a , 11 b ), which leads from the storage chamber ( 10 ) to the working chamber ( 9 ), characterized
by a supply pump element ( 14 ) which is rotatable relative to the housing ( 2 , 3 ) and
which is arranged, rotationally fixed, on the shaft ( 6 ), and
which defines a shear gap ( 12 ) with the housing ( 2 , 3 ); and

by a valve ( 17 ), which is arranged in the feed duct ( 11 a , 11 b ), said valve being a multiway valve and characterized in
that an operative element ( 7 ) is arranged on the housing ( 2 , 3 ).

2. The fluid friction clutch as claimed in claim 1 , characterized in that a stationary clutch part ( 13 ) is provided, relative to which the housing ( 3 ) is rotatable.

3. The fluid friction clutch as claimed in claim 2 , characterized by a return valve ( 20 ), which is operatively connected to the valve ( 17 ) and which opens and closes a return duct ( 23 ) to the storage chamber ( 10 ).

4. The fluid friction clutch as claimed in claim 3 , characterized by an actuator ( 27 ) for actuating the valve ( 17 ) and the return valve ( 20 ).

5. The fluid friction clutch as claimed in claim 4 , characterized in that the actuator ( 27 ) comprises an armature ( 28 ), rotatable relative to the shaft ( 6 ), and a flux ring ( 29 ), which is rotatable with the shaft ( 6 ) and which is excited by the stationary clutch part ( 13 ).

6. The fluid friction clutch as claimed in claim 4 , characterized in that the actuator ( 27 ) can be moved by means of a bimetal strip arrangement.

7. The fluid friction clutch as claimed in claim 1 , characterized by an internal reservoir ( 18 ), which is connected to the storage chamber ( 10 ) by way of the feed duct ( 11 a , 11 b ) with insertion of the valve ( 17 ).

8. The fluid friction clutch as claimed in claim 7 , characterized by a return flow barrier ( 19 ), which is arranged between the valve ( 17 ) and the reservoir ( 18 ).

9. The fluid friction clutch as claimed in claim 7 , characterized in that the internal reservoir ( 18 ) is positioned in said housing and rotatable therewith.

10. The fluid friction clutch as claimed in claim 1 , characterized in that the multiway valve ( 17 ) comprises a valve element ( 24 ), which has a passage ( 25 ) and a fluid inlet recess ( 26 ) for introducing fluid into the working chamber ( 9 ).

11. The fluid friction clutch as claimed in claim 1 , characterized by a return pump ( 16 ) for returning clutch fluid from the working chamber ( 9 ) to the storage chamber ( 10 ).

12. The fluid friction clutch as claimed in claim 1 , characterized in that the storage chamber ( 10 ) is rotatable relative to said housing.

13. The fluid friction clutch as claimed in claim 1 , characterized by a return bore ( 30 ) for the purpose of pressure relief, which connects a feed duct portion ( 11 a ) of the feed duct ( 11 a , 11 b ) to the storage chamber ( 10 ) by way of a further fluid inlet aperture of the valve ( 17 ).

14. A fluid friction clutch ( 1 ), comprising:
a housing ( 2 , 3 );
a clutch disk ( 4 ), said clutch disk rotatable relative to the housing ( 2 , 3 ), and arranged at one end ( 5 ) of a shaft ( 6 ) centrally supported inside the housing ( 2 , 3 );
a working chamber ( 9 ) between the housing ( 2 , 3 ) and the clutch disk ( 4 );
a storage chamber ( 10 ) for clutch fluid;
a feed duct ( 11 a , 11 b ), which leads from the storage chamber ( 10 ) to the working chamber ( 9 );
a supply pump element ( 14 ) which is rotatable relative to the housing ( 2 , 3 ); said supply pump element arranged, rotationally fixed, on the shaft ( 6 ), and defining shear gap ( 12 ) with the housing ( 2 , 3 );
a valve ( 17 ), which is arranged in the feed duct ( 11 a, 11 b ), and characterized in that an operative element ( 7 ) is arranged on the housing ( 2 , 3 ); and
a return bore ( 30 ) for the purpose of pressure relief, which connects a feed duct portion ( 11 a ) of the feed duct ( 11 a , 11 b ) to the storage chamber ( 10 ) by way of a further fluid inlet aperture of the valve ( 17 ).

15. The fluid friction clutch as claimed in claim 14 , characterized in that a stationary clutch part ( 13 ) is provided, relative to which the housing ( 3 ) is rotatable.

16. The fluid friction clutch as claimed in claim 15 , characterized by a return valve ( 20 ), which is operatively connected to the valve ( 17 ) and which opens and closes a return duct ( 23 ) to the storage chamber ( 10 ).

17. The fluid friction clutch as claimed in claim 16 , characterized by an actuator ( 27 ) for actuating the valve ( 17 ) and the return valve ( 20 ).

18. The fluid friction clutch as claimed in claim 17 , characterized in that the actuator ( 27 ) comprises an armature ( 28 ), rotatable relative to the shaft ( 6 ), and a flux ring ( 29 ), which is rotatable with the shaft ( 6 ) and which is excited by the stationary clutch part ( 13 ).

19. The fluid friction clutch as claimed in claim 17 , characterized in that the actuator ( 27 ) can be moved by means of a bimetal strip arrangement.

20. The fluid friction clutch as claimed in claim 14 , characterized by an internal reservoir ( 18 ), which is connected to the storage chamber ( 10 ) by way of the feed duct ( 11 a , 11 b ) with insertion of the valve ( 17 ).

21. The fluid friction clutch as claimed in claim 20 , characterized by a return flow barrier ( 19 ), which is arranged between the valve ( 17 ) and the reservoir ( 18 ).

22. The fluid friction clutch as claimed in claim 20 , characterized in that the internal reservoir ( 18 ) is positioned in said housing and rotatable therewith.

23. The fluid friction clutch as claimed in claim 14 , characterized in that the valve ( 17 ) is a multiway valve.

24. The fluid friction clutch as claimed in claim 23 , characterized in that the multiway valve ( 17 ) comprises a valve element ( 24 ), which has a passage ( 25 ) and a fluid inlet recess ( 26 ) for introducing fluid into the working chamber ( 9 ).

25. The fluid friction clutch as claimed in claim 14 , characterized by a return pump ( 16 ) for returning clutch fluid from the working chamber ( 9 ) to the storage chamber ( 10 ).

26. The fluid friction clutch as claimed in claim 14 , characterized in that the storage chamber ( 10 ) is rotatable relative to said housing.

Assignees

• Borgwarner Inc
• Borgwarner Inc

Inventors

• Buchholz Thomas
• Gerber Frank

Classifications

• F16D35/024 Primary

  the valve being actuated electrically, e.g. by an electromagnet (F16D35/026 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F16D35/022 Primary

  the valve being actuated by a bimetallic strip (F16D35/026 takes precedence) · CPC title