Temperature and speed responsive fluid coupling

Claim 2

A fluid friction coupling (viscosity coupling) which comprises a driving part and a driven part and in which a working space provided with a working gap is arranged between the driving part and the driven part while additionally a reservoir space is provided which is in communication with the working space by way of aperture means, the cross section of the aperture means being controllable both by the temperature as also the rotational speed, characterized in that mutually separate control means are provided for controlling said aperture means in dependence on the temperature and independently thereof on the rotational speed.

Claim 3

A coupling according to claim 1, characterized in that the coupling is part of a fan drive in internal combustion engines.

Claim 4

A fluid friction coupling (viscosity coupling) which comprises a driving part and a driven part and in which a working space provided with a working gap is arranged between the driving part and the driven part while additionally a reservoir space is provided which is in communication with the working space by way of aperture means, the cross section of the aperture means being controllable both by the temperature as also the rotational speed, characterized in that mutually separate control means are provided for controlling said aperture means in dependence on the temperature and independently thereof on the rotational speed, and characterized in that a wall means separates the reservoir space from the working space, at least one aperture means being proVided in said wall means which is closed on one side by the rotational speed-dependent control means and on the other side by the temperature-dependent control means, said aperture means being more or less opened by said control means below a predetermined upper rotational speed and above a predetermined temperature.

Claim 5

A fluid friction coupling (viscosity coupling) which comprises a driving part and a driven part and in which a working space provided with a working gap is arranged between the driving part and the driven part while additionally a reservoir space is provided which is in communication with the working space by way of aperture means, the cross section of the aperture means being controllable both by the temperature as also the rotational speed, characterized in that mutually separate control means are provided for controlling said aperture means in dependence on the temperature and independently thereof on the rotational speed, and characterized in that a wall means separates the reservoir space from the working space, at least one aperture means being proVided in said wall means which is closed on one side by the rotational speed-dependent control means and on the other side by the temperature-dependent control means, said aperture means being more or less opened by said control means below a predetermined upper rotational speed and above a predetermined temperature.

Claim 6

A coupling according to claim 3, characterized in that the driving part includes an annular body means T-shaped in cross section with an outer circumferential surface which forms the working gap together with an inner circumferential surface of the driven part which is constructed housing-shaped, the web of said T-shaped annular body means forming the wall means between the reservoir space and the working space.

Claim 7

A coupling according to claim 4, characterized in that a feed screw means is arranged in at least one of the surfaces forming the working gap.

Claim 8

A coupling according to claim 5, characterized in that the web of the T-shaped annular body means is offset from its plane of symmetry in the direction toward the inlet of the feed screw means and thus the reservoir space is formed at the discharge of the feed screw means.

Claim 9

A coupling according to claim 6, characterized in that said aperture means comprises a cross aperture means which is provided in the web to which is coordinated on the side of the reservoir space a rotational speed-dependent closure means forming part of the corresponding control means and on the opposite side a temperature dependent closure means forming part of the other corresponding control means.

Claim 10

A coupling according to claim 7, characterized in that the temperature-dependent closure means includes a bimetallic strip which covers the aperture means and which, upon exceeding a predetermined temperature, increasingly lifts off therefrom.

Claim 11

A coupling according to claim 8, characterized in that the rotational speed-dependent closure means includes a pivot lever supported at the web and acted upon by centrifugal forces which is pulled by a spring against an abutment into a first position opening up the aperture means and which is adapted to be moved by centrifugal forces above a predetermined rotational speed into a second position covering said aperture means.

Claim 12

A coupling according to claim 9, characterized in that the pivot lever is constructed knee-shaped and is supported at the web with its approximately radially inwardly facing end.

Claim 13

A coupling according to claim 10, characterized in that the support and fastening places of the closure means are offset with respect to the aperture means in the direction of rotation of the driving coupling part.

Claim 14

A coupling according to claim 11, characterized in that the coupling is part of a fan drive in internal combustion engines.

Claim 15

A fluid friction coupling (viscosity coupling) which comprises a driving part and a driven part and in which a working space provided with a working gap is arranged between the driving part and the driven part while additionally a reservoir space is provided which is in communication with the working space by way of aperture means, the cross section of the aperture means being controllable both by the temperature as also the rotational speed, characterized in that mutually separate control means are provided for controlling said aperture means in dependence on the temperature and independently thereof on the rotational speed, the driving part includes an annular body means T-shaped in cross section whose outer circumferential surface forms the working gap together with an inner circumferential surface of the driven part which is constructed housing-shaped, and the web of said T-shaped annular body means forms a partition wall means between the reservoir space and the working space.

Claim 16

A fluid friction coupling (viscosity coupling) which comprises a driving part and a driven part and in which a working space provided with a working gap is arranged between the driving part and the driven part while additionally a reservoir space is provided which is in communication with the working space by way of aperture means, the cross section of the aperture means being controllable both by the temperature as also the rotational speed, characterized in that mutually separate control means are provided for controlling said aperture means in dependence on the temperature and independently thereof on the rotational speed, the driving part includes an annular body means T-shaped in cross section whose outer circumferential surface forms the working gap together with an inner circumferential surface of the driven part which is constructed housing-shaped, and the web of said T-shaped annular body means forms a partition wall means between the reservoir space and the working space.

Claim 17

A coupling according to claim 13, characterized in that a feed screw means is arranged in at least one of the surfaces forming the working gap.

Claim 18

A coupling according to claim 14, characterized in that the web of the T-shaped annular body means is offset from its plane of symmetry in the direction toward the inlet of the feed screw means and the reservoir space is formed at the discharge of the feed screw means.

Claim 19

A coupling according to claim 13, characterized in that said aperture means comprises a cross aperture means which is provided in the web to which is provided on the side of the corresponding control means and on the opposite side a temperature-dependent closure means forming part of the other corresponding control means.

Claim 20

A coupling according to claim 16, characterized in that the temperature-dependent closure means includes a bimetallic strip which covers the aperture means and which, upon exceeding a predetermined temperature, increasingly lifts off therefrom.

Claim 21

A coupling according to claim 16, characterized in that the rotational speed-dependent closure means includes a pivot lever supported at the web and acted upon by centrifugal forces which is pulled by a spring against an abutment into a first position opening up the aperture means and which is adapted to be moved by centrifugal forces above a predetermined rotational speed into a second position covering said aperture means.

Claim 22

A coupling according to claim 18, characterized in that the pivot lever is constructed knee-shaped and is supported at the web with its radially inwardly facing end.

Claim 23

A coupling according to claim 18, characterized in that the temperature dependent closure means includes a bimetallic strip which covers the aperture means and which, upon exceeding a predetermined temperature, increasingly lifts off therefrom.

Claim 24

A coupling according to claim 19, characterized in that the support and fastening places of the closure means are offset with respect to the aperture means in the direction of rotation of the driving coupling part.

Claim 25

A fluid friction coupling comprising: driving means, driven means to be driven by said driving means, said driving means and said driven means being separated by a working gap, reservoir means in fluid flow communication with said working gap via aperture means for supplying friction fluid to said gap, temperature-responsive control means for controlling the opening size of said aperture means in response to temperature, and rotational speed-responsive control means, mutually separate from said temperature-responsive control means, for controlling the opening size of said aperture means independently of said temperature-responsive control means.

Claim 26

A fluid friction coupling comprising: driving means, driven means to be driven by said driving means, said driving means and said driven means being separated by a working gap, reservoir means in fluid flow communication with said working gap via aperture means for supplying friction fluid to said gap, temperature-responsive control means for controlling the opening size of said aperture means in response to temperature, and rotational speed-responsive control means, mutually separate from said temperature-responsive control means, for controlling the opening size of said aperture means independently of said temperature-responsive control means.

Claim 27

A fluid friction coupling according to claim 22, wherein the driven means comprises an annular housing of U-shaped cross-section and the driving means is enclosed in said housing with an outer circumferential surface of the driving means facing a circumferential surface of the driven means.

Claim 28

A coupling according to claim 22, wherein a wall means separates the reservoir means from the working gap, and wherein said aperture means includes at least one aperture in said wall means which is closed on one side by the rotational speed-responsive control means and on the other side by the temperature-responsive control means, said aperture being at least partially opened by said control means below a predetermined upper rotational speed and above a predetermined temperature.

Claim 29

A coupling according to claim 23, wherein the driving means further comprises an annular body means T-shaped in cross section whose outer circumferential surface forms the working gap together with the circumferential surface of the driven means, and the web of said T-shaped annular body means forms a partition wall means between the reservoir means and a working space.

Claim 30

A coupling according to claim 25, wherein a feed screw means having an inlet and a discharge is arranged in at least one of the surfaces forming the working gap.

Claim 31

A coupling according to claim 26, wherein the web of the T-shaped annular body means is offset from its plane of symmetry in the direcTion toward the inlet of the feed screw means and the reservoir means is formed at the discharge of the feed screw means.

Claim 32

A coupling according to claims 25, wherein said aperture means comprises a cross aperture means which is provided in the web to which is attached on the side of the reservoir means a rotational speed-dependent closure means forming part of the rotational speed-responsive control means and to which is attached on the opposite side a temperature-dependent closure means forming part of the temperature-responsive control means.

Claim 33

A coupling according to claim 28, wherein the temperature-dependent closure means includes a bimetallic strip which covers the aperture means and which, upon exceeding a predetermined temperature, increasingly lifts off therefrom.

Claim 34

A coupling according to claim 28, wherein the rotational speed-dependent closure means includes a pivot lever supported at the web and acted upon by centrifugal forces which is pulled by a spring against an abutment into a first position opening up the aperture means and which is adapted to be moved by centrifugal forces above a predetermined rotational speed into a second position covering said aperture means.