Viscous shear clutch with free-floating damper ring

Claim 2

A viscous fluid clutch comprising first, second and third relatively rotatable drive members, said first drive member having an annular operating chamber and a reservoir chamber formed therein, a predetermined volume of fluid operable in said operating and reservoir chambers, said second and third drive members being mounted in said operating chamber such that said second drive member is freely mounted intermediate said third drive member and an inner wall surface of said first drive member so as to be completely surrounded by said fluid when all of said fluid is in said operating chamber and providing shear spaces adjacent opposite sides of said second drive member, said operating chamber having outlet opening means at an outer portion and inlet opening means at an inner portion, pump means operatively connected to said first drive member to pump said fluid from said operating chamber through said outlet opening means to said reservoir chamber, and said shear spaces on opposite sides of said second drive member providing fluid shear drive relationships between said second drive member and each of said first and third drive members wherein said second drive member rotates at a speed intermediate the speeds of said first and third drive members.

Claim 3

A viscous fluid clutch comprising first and second relatively rotatable drive members, a cooperating ring member, said first drive member having an annular operating chamber and a reservoir chamber formed therein, said second drive member and said ring member being mounted in said operating chamber such that said ring member is free-floating intermediate said second drive member and an inner wall surface of said first drive member for providing dynamic balancing during clutch operation and providing shear spaces adjacent opposite sides of said ring member, said operating chamber having outlet opening means at an outer portion and inlet opening means at an inner portion, pump means on said first drive member cooperating with said relatively rotating second drive member to pump said fluid from said operating chamber through said outlet opening means to said reservoir chamber, and said shear spaces on opposite sides of said ring member providing fluid shear drive relationships with said first and second drive members, said shear spaces varying in thickness depending upon the balanced position of said ring member.

Claim 4

A viscous fluid clutch comprising first and second relatively rotatable drive members, a cooperating ring member, said first drive member having an annular operating chamber and a reservoir chamber formed therein, said second drive member and said ring member being mounted in said operating chamber such that said ring member is free-floating intermediate said second drive member and an inner wall surface of said first drive member for providing dynamic balancing during clutch operation and providing shear spaces adjacent opposite sides of said ring member, said operating chamber having outlet opening means at an outer portion and inlet opening means at an inner portion, pump means on said first drive member cooperating with said relatively rotating second drive member to pump said fluid from said operating chamber through said outlet opening means to said reservoir chamber, and said shear spaces on opposite sides of said ring member providing fluid shear drive relationships with said first and second drive members, said shear spaces varying in thickness depending upon the balanced position of said ring member.

Claim 5

A viscous fluid clutch comprising a first drive member including a first wall, a second wall and a divider wall sealed between said first and second walls providing a working chamber between said divider and second walls and a second chamber between said first and divider walls, a drive shaft extending into said working chamber, a second drive member mounted on said drive shaft in said working chamber adjacent said divider wall, first opening means in said divider wall for providing communication from said working chamber to said second chamber, pump means on one of said second drive member and said divider wall for causing said fluid medium to flow from said working chamber through said first opening means to said second chamber, second opening means formed in said divider wall for communicating said fluid medium from said second chamber to said working chamber, and a ring member mounted intermediate said second drive member and said second wall of said first drive member and having its inner and outer peripheral surfaces spaced apart from said adjacent drive members for providing a shear drive relationship with each of said second drive member and said second wall to bring said first drive member up to maximum speed at a predetermined ambient temperature.

Claim 6

A viscous fluid clutch comprising a first drive member including a first wall, a second wall and a divider wall sealed between said first and second walls providing a working chamber between said divider and second walls and a second chamber between said first and divider walls, a drive shaft extending into said working chamber, a second drive member mounted on said drive shaft in said working chamber adjacent said divider wall, first opening means in said divider wall for providing communication from said working chamber to said second chamber, pump means on one of said second drive member and said divider wall for causing said fluid medium to flow from said working chamber through said first opening means to said second chamber, second opening means formed in said divider wall for communicating said fluid medium from said second chamber to said working chamber, and a ring member mounted intermediate said second drive member and said second wall of said first drive member and having its inner and outer peripheral surfaces spaced apart from said adjacent drive members for providing a shear drive relationship with each of said second drive member and said second wall to bring said first drive member up to maximum speed at a predetermined ambient temperature.

Claim 7

A viscous fluid clutch comprising a drive shaft, first, second and third relatively rotatable drive members, said first drive member including front and rear walls and defining a fluid cavity therebetween, a divider wall sealed between said front and rear walls in said fluid cavity and dividing said fluid cavity into first and second chambers, said rear wall being rotatably mounted on said drive shaft, said second and third drive members being rotatable in said first chamber, said second drive member being a free-floating ring member independent of said drive shaft, said third drive member being secured to said drive shaft, said second drive member and said rear wall and said second drive member and said third drive member having opposed spaced parallel surfaces defining a pair of fluid shear spaces therebetween and cooperable with a fluid medium in said shear spaces to provide shear-type fluid drives therebetween, a first opening formed in said divider wall for providing communication between said first chamber and said second chamber, a dam element formed on said divider wall in said first chamber adjacent said first opening for causing said fluid medium to flow through said first opening for varying the volume of said fluid medium in said shear spaces to vary the torque transmitted between said first and second drive members and between said second and third drive members, a second opening formed in said divider wall for at times communicating said fluid medium from said second chamber to said first chamber, and valve means for controlling the flow of said fluid medium through said second opening to further vary the torque transmitted between said first and second drive members and between said second and third drive members.

Claim 8

A viscous fluid clutch comprising a drive shaft, first, second and third relatively rotatable drive members, said first drive member including front and rear walls and defining a fluid cavity therebetween, a divider wall sealed between said front and rear walls in said fluid cavity and dividing said fluid cavity into first and second chambers, said rear wall being rotatably mounted on said drive shaft, said second and third drive members being rotatable in said first chamber, said second drive member being a free-floating ring member independent of said drive shaft, said third drive member being secured to said drive shaft, said second drive member and said rear wall and said second drive member and said third drive member having opposed spaced parallel surfaces defining a pair of fluid shear spaces therebetween and cooperable with a fluid medium in said shear spaces to provide shear-type fluid drives therebetween, a first opening formed in said divider wall for providing communication between said first chamber and said second chamber, a dam element formed on said divider wall in said first chamber adjacent said first opening for causing said fluid medium to flow through said first opening for varying the volume of said fluid medium in said shear spaces to vary the torque transmitted between said first and second drive members and between said second and third drive members, a second opening formed in said divider wall for at times communicating said fluid medium from said second chamber to said first chamber, and valve means for controlling the flow of said fluid medium through said second opening to further vary the torque transmitted between said first and second drive members and between said second and third drive members.

Claim 9

A viscous clutch comprising first, second and third relatively rotatable drive members, said first drive member including a first wall, a second wall and a divider wall sealed between said first and second walls providing a working chamber between said divider and second walls and a reservoir between said first and divider walls, opposing spaced parallel surfaces on said first, second and thIrd drive members forming a pair of fluid shear spaces in said working chamber operable with a fluid medium to provide a shear-type fluid drive therebetween, said second drive member having a central opening formed therethrough, first opening means formed adjacent an outer edge of said divider wall for providing communication from said working chamber to said reservoir, second opening means formed in said third drive member on the same circle as said first opening means, pump means on one of said divider wall and said third drive member in cooperation with said second opening means for causing said fluid medium to flow from said working chamber through said first opening means to said reservoir, ambient temperature-responsive opening means formed in said divider wall for communicating said fluid medium from said reservoir to said working chamber on the side of said third drive member adjacent said divider wall, a plurality of openings formed in said third drive member equidistant from the center thereof and radially inward of the inner periphery of said second drive member for permitting said fluid medium to spill over from said side of said third drive member adjacent said divider wall to fill said fluid shear space between said second and third drive members with a portion of said fluid medium further spilling through said central opening of said second drive member to fill said shear space between said first and second drive members and thereby causing said second drive member to attain a rotary speed intermediate that of said first and third drive members as a result of said fluid shear drive relationships between opposing sides of said second drive member and said adjacent sides of said first and third drive members.

Claim 10

A viscous clutch comprising first, second and third relatively rotatable drive members, said first drive member including a first wall, a second wall and a divider wall sealed between said first and second walls providing a working chamber between said divider and second walls and a reservoir between said first and divider walls, opposing spaced parallel surfaces on said first, second and thIrd drive members forming a pair of fluid shear spaces in said working chamber operable with a fluid medium to provide a shear-type fluid drive therebetween, said second drive member having a central opening formed therethrough, first opening means formed adjacent an outer edge of said divider wall for providing communication from said working chamber to said reservoir, second opening means formed in said third drive member on the same circle as said first opening means, pump means on one of said divider wall and said third drive member in cooperation with said second opening means for causing said fluid medium to flow from said working chamber through said first opening means to said reservoir, ambient temperature-responsive opening means formed in said divider wall for communicating said fluid medium from said reservoir to said working chamber on the side of said third drive member adjacent said divider wall, a plurality of openings formed in said third drive member equidistant from the center thereof and radially inward of the inner periphery of said second drive member for permitting said fluid medium to spill over from said side of said third drive member adjacent said divider wall to fill said fluid shear space between said second and third drive members with a portion of said fluid medium further spilling through said central opening of said second drive member to fill said shear space between said first and second drive members and thereby causing said second drive member to attain a rotary speed intermediate that of said first and third drive members as a result of said fluid shear drive relationships between opposing sides of said second drive member and said adjacent sides of said first and third drive members.

Claim 11

A viscous clutch comprising a housing, a ring member and a clutch plate, said housing, ring member and clutch plate being relatively rotatable, said housing including a first wall, a second wall and a divider wall sealed between said first and second walls providing a working chamber between said divider and second walls and a reservoir between said first and divider walls, opposing spaced parallel surfaces on said housing, ring member and clutch plate forming a pair of fluid shear spaces in said working chamber operable with a fluid medium to provide a shear-type fluid drive therebetween, first opening means formed adjacent an outer edge of said divider wall for providing communication from said working chamber to said reservoir, second opening means formed in said clutch plate on the same circle as said first opening means, pump means on one of said divider wall and said clutch plate in cooperation with said second opening means for causing said fluid medium to flow from said working chamber through said first opening means to said reservoir, ambient temperature-responsive opening means formed in said divider wall for communicating said fluid medium from said reservoir to said working chamber on the side of said clutch plate adjacent said divider wall, a plurality of openings formed in said clutch plate equidistant from the center thereof and located radially inward of the inner periphery of said ring member for permitting said fluid medium to spill over from said side of said clutch plate adjacent said divider wall to fill said fluid shear space between said clutch plate and said ring member with a portion of said fluid medium further spilling over the inner periphery of said ring member to fill the other shear space between said ring member and said second wall and causing said ring member to attain a rotary speed intermediate that of said housing and clutch plate as a result of said fluid shear drive relationships between opposing sides of said ring member and said adjacent sides of said housing and clutch plate, thereby progressively decreasing the speed differential between said housing and clutch plate.

Claim 12

A viscous clutch comprising a housing, a ring member and a clutch plate, said housing, ring member and clutch plate being relatively rotatable, said housing including a first wall, a second wall and a divider wall sealed between said first and second walls providing a working chamber between said divider and second walls and a reservoir between said first and divider walls, opposing spaced parallel surfaces on said housing, ring member and clutch plate forming a pair of fluid shear spaces in said working chamber operable with a fluid medium to provide a shear-type fluid drive therebetween, first opening means formed adjacent an outer edge of said divider wall for providing communication from said working chamber to said reservoir, second opening means formed in said clutch plate on the same circle as said first opening means, pump means on one of said divider wall and said clutch plate in cooperation with said second opening means for causing said fluid medium to flow from said working chamber through said first opening means to said reservoir, ambient temperature-responsive opening means formed in said divider wall for communicating said fluid medium from said reservoir to said working chamber on the side of said clutch plate adjacent said divider wall, a plurality of openings formed in said clutch plate equidistant from the center thereof and located radially inward of the inner periphery of said ring member for permitting said fluid medium to spill over from said side of said clutch plate adjacent said divider wall to fill said fluid shear space between said clutch plate and said ring member with a portion of said fluid medium further spilling over the inner periphery of said ring member to fill the other shear space between said ring member and said second wall and causing said ring member to attain a rotary speed intermediate that of said housing and clutch plate as a result of said fluid shear drive relationships between opposing sides of said ring member and said adjacent sides of said housing and clutch plate, thereby progressively decreasing the speed differential between said housing and clutch plate.