Fluid shear coupling

Claim 2

A fluid shear coupling which comprises: a housing defining a reservoir chamber; a coupling disc received within said housing, said coupling disc including a disc-shaped body portion and a flange extending axially from the body portion, the flange having inside and outside working surfaces, said housing including working portions adjacent each of the working surfaces of the flange and defining therewith a working chamber; means for mounting said housing and said coupling disc to be rotatable about a common axis; pump means for moving a working fluid from the reservoir chamber to the working chamber; and several cooling fins located upon the exterior of the working portions of said housing, said fins extending radially inward of the inside working surface of said coupling disc and radially outward of the outside working surface of said coupling disc, each of said fins including portions positioned adjacent each of the working surfaces of said coupling disc.

Claim 3

The apparatus of claim 1 in which the working portions of said housing are of generally-constant thickness.

Claim 4

The apparatus of claim 1 in which the inside and outside working surfaces of said coupling disc are cylindrical and extend perpendicularly from the body portion of said coupling disc.

Claim 5

The apparatus of claim 1 in which the inside and outside working surfaces of said coupling disc define helical grooves, and further in which said coupling disc defines a plurality of apertures adjacent the body portion of said coupling disc and communicating between the inside and outside working surfaces.

Claim 6

The apparatus of claim 3 in which the inside and outside working surfaces of said coupling disc define helical grooves, and further in which said coupling disc defines a plurality of apertures adjacent the body portion of said coupling disc and communicating between the inside and outside working surfaces.

Claim 7

The apparatus of claim 5 in which the axial dimension of the flange is at least about 1.5 times the radial distance between the inside and outside working surfaces.

Claim 8

The apparatus of claim 1 in which said coupling disc includes a second flange extending axially from the body portion of said coupling disc in a direction opposite the axial extension of the first flange, the second flange having inside and outside working surfaces and said housing including second working portions adjacent each of the working surfaces of the second flange, the working chamber being further defined by the space between the working surfaces of the second flange and the second working portions of said housing, the apparatus further comprising several cooling fins located adjacent the exterior of the second working portions of said housing.

Claim 9

The apparatus of claim 7 in which each of the inside and outside working surfaces of said coupling disc define helical grooves, and further in which said coupling disc defines a plurality of apertures adjacent the body portion of said coupling disc and communicating between the inside and outside working surfaces of the first flange and communicating between the inside and outside working surfaces of the second flange.

Claim 10

The apparatus of claim 8 in which the axial dimension of each of the flanges is at least about 1.5 times the radial distance between the inside and outside working surfaces.

Claim 11

The apparatus of claim 9 in which the working portions of said housing are of generally-constant thickness.

Claim 12

ll. The apparatus of claim 7 in which the reservoir chamber is positioned radially outward of said coupling disc, said housing defining a passageway communicating between the reservoir chamber and the working chamber, the passageway being radially aligned with the plurality of apertures defined by said coupling disc.

Claim 13

The apparatus of claim 11 in which said housing defines a second reservoir chamber diametrically opposed from the first reservoir chamber, said pump means being for moving a working fluid from each of the reservoir chambers to the working chamber, said housing defining a second paassageway communicating between the second reservoir chamber and the working chamber, the second passageway being radially aligned with the plurality of apertures defined by said coupling disc.

Claim 14

The apparatus of claim 7 in which said pump means includes a pumping mechanism associated with the reservoir chamber, said pump means further including means for monitoring a preselected parameter and actuating the pumping mechanism in response to changes in the preselected parameter.

Claim 15

The apparatus of claim 13 in which the preselected parameter is the temperature in a given location.

Claim 16

A fluid shear coupling which comprises: a housing defining a reservoir chamber; a coupling disc received within said housing, said coupling disc including a disc-shaped body portion and a flange extending axially from the body portion, the flange having inside and outside working surfaces, said housing including working portions adjacent each of the working surfaces of the flange and defining therewith a working chamber, the inside and outside working surfaces of said coupling disc defining helical grooves, said coupling disc further defining a plurality of apertures adjacent the body portion and communicating between the inside and outside working surfaces; means for mounting said housing and said coupling disc to be rotatable about a common axis; and pump means for moving a working fluid from the reservoir chamber to the working chamber.

Claim 17

A fluid shear coupling which comprises: a housing defining a reservoir chamber; a coupling disc received within said housing, said coupling disc including a disc-shaped body portion and a flange extending axially from the body portion, the flange having inside and outside working surfaces, said housing including working portions adjacent each of the working surfaces of the flange and defining therewith a working chamber, the inside and outside working surfaces of said coupling disc defining helical grooves, said coupling disc further defining a plurality of apertures adjacent the body portion and communicating between the inside and outside working surfaces; means for mounting said housing and said coupling disc to be rotatable about a common axis; and pump means for moving a working fluid from the reservoir chamber to the working chamber.

Claim 18

The apparatus of claim 15 in which the axial dimension of said flange is about 0.2 to about 2.0 times the radial dimension to the outside working surface of said flange.

Claim 19

The apparatus of claim 15 in which the reservoir chamber defined by said housing is located radially outward of said coupling disc, said housing defining a passageway communicating between the reservoir chamber and the working chamber, the passageway being radially aligned with the plurality of apertures defined by said coupling disc.

Claim 20

The apparatus of claim 15 in which the inside and outside working surfaces of said coupling disc are cylindrical and extend perpendicularly from the body portion of said coupling disc.

Claim 21

The apparatus of claim 15 in which said coupling disc includes a second flange extending axially from the body portion of said coupling disc in a direction opposite the axial extension of the first flange, the second flange having inside and outside working surfaces and said housing including second working portions adjacent each of the working surfaces of the second flange, the working chamber being further defined by the space between the working surfaces of the second flange and the second working portions of said housing, each of the inside and outside working surfaces of said coupling disc defining helical grooves, said coupling disc defining a plurality of apertures adjacent the body portion and communicating between the inside and outside working surfaces of the second flange.

Claim 22

The apparatus of claim 19 in which the total of the axial dimensions of said first and second flanges is about 0.2 to about 2.0 times the average of the radial dimensions to the outside working surfaces of said flanges.

Claim 23

The apparatus of claim 19 in which the reservoir chamber defined by said housing is located radially outward of said coupling disc, said housing defining a passageway communicating between the reservoir chamber and the working chamber, the passageway being radially aligned with the plurality of apertures defined by said coupling disc.

Claim 24

A fluid shear coupling which comprises: a housing defining a reservoir chamber; a coupling disc received within said housing, said coupling disc including a disc-shaped body portion, said coupling disc including first and second flanges extending in opposite axial directions from the periphery of the body portion, each of the flanges having inside and outside working surfaces, said housing including working portions adjacent each of the working surfaces of each of the first and second flanges and defining therewith a working chamber, the inside and outside working surfaces being clyindrical and extending perpendicularly from the body portion of said coupling disc, each of the inside and outside working surfaces defining a helical groove, said coupling disc defining a plurality of apertures adjacent the body portion and communicating between the inside and outside working surfaces of the first flange and a plurality of apertures adjacent the body portion and communicating between the inside and outside working surfaces of the second flange; means for mounting said housing and said coupling disc to be rotatable about a common axis; and pump means for moving a working fluid from the reservoir chamber to the working chamber.

Claim 25

A fluid shear coupling which comprises: a housing defining a reservoir chamber; a coupling disc received within said housing, said coupling disc including a disc-shaped body portion, said coupling disc including first and second flanges extending in opposite axial directions from the periphery of the body portion, each of the flanges having inside and outside working surfaces, said housing including working portions adjacent each of the working surfaces of each of the first and second flanges and defining therewith a working chamber, the inside and outside working surfaces being clyindrical and extending perpendicularly from the body portion of said coupling disc, each of the inside and outside working surfaces defining a helical groove, said coupling disc defining a plurality of apertures adjacent the body portion and communicating between the inside and outside working surfaces of the first flange and a plurality of apertures adjacent the body portion and communicating between the inside and outside working surfaces of the second flange; means for mounting said housing and said coupling disc to be rotatable about a common axis; and pump means for moving a working fluid from the reservoir chamber to the working chamber.

Claim 26

The apparatus of claim 22 in which the axial dimension of each of the flanges is at least about 1.5 times the radial distance between the inside and outside working surfaces.

Claim 27

The apparatus of claim 22 in which the total of the axial dimensions of said first and second flanges is about 0.2 to about 2.0 times the average of the radial dimensions to the outside working surfaces of said flanges.

Claim 28

The apparatus of claim 23 in which the reservoir chamber is positioned radially outward of said coupling disc, said housing defining a passageway communicating between the reservoir chamber and the working chamber, the passageway being radially aligned with the plurality of apertures defined by said coupling disc.

Claim 29

The apparatus of claim 24 in which the working portions of said housing are of generally-constant thickness.

Claim 30

The apparatus of claim 26 in which said pump means includes a pumping mechanism associated with the reservoir chamber, said pump means further including means for monitoring a preselected parameter and actuating the pumping mechanism in response to changes in the preselected parameter.