Viscous fluid clutch

Claim 2

A viscous fluid clutch comprising a housing rotatably mounted by bearings on a central shaft, said housing being formed of interconnected body and cover members and having first and second adjacent annular chambers formed therein, a pump plate serving as a divider wall between said first and second chambers, a plurality of closely adjacent notches formed around the inner peripheral edge of said pump plate forming a notched opening therein, a pair of oppositely disposed arcuate-shaped collarportions formed on said cover member within said notched opening and deformed radially outwardly into mesh with adjacent notches of said notched opening at a predetermined circumferential relationship therewith, a clutch plate mounted on said central shaft in said second chamber, a predetermined shear space intermediate said clutch plate and the adjacent surface of said body member in said first chamber and operable with a fluid medium therein to provide a shear-type fluid drive between said housing and said clutch plate, said pump plate having an outlet opening formed in an outer radial portion thereof and an inlet opening formed at an inner radial portion thereof, pump means formed on said pump plate adjacent said outlet opening to pump said fluid medium from said first chamber through said outlet opening into said second chamber, and a temperature-responsive valve member operatively connected between said cover member and said inlet opening and in a predetermined circumferential relationship with said inlet opening corresponding to said predetermined circumferential relationship between said collarportions and said notches for controlling the flow of said fluid medium from said second chamber through said inlet opening into said first chamber in response to changes in ambient temperature.

Claim 3

A viscous fluid clutch comprising a housing rotatably mounted by bearings on a central shaft, said housing being formed of interconnected body and cover members and having first and Second adjacent annular chambers formed therein, a pump plate serving as a divider wall between said first and second chambers, a plurality of closely adjacent notches formed around the inner peripheral edge of said pump plate forming a notched opening therein, a pair of oppositely disposed arcuate-shaped collar-portions formed on said cover member within said notched opening and deformed radially outwardly into mesh with adjacent notches of said notched opening at a predetermined circumferential relationship therewith, a clutch plate mounted on said central shaft in said second chamber, a plurality of annular ridges formed on one of said housing and said clutch plate and a plurality of cooperating annular grooves formed on the other of said housing and said clutch plate in said first chamber, said annular ridges and grooves forming a shear space therebetween and operable with a fluid medium to provide a shear-type fluid drive between said housing and said clutch plate, said pump plate having an outlet opening formed in an outer radial portion thereof and a rectangular inlet opening formed at an inner radial portion thereof, pump means formed on said plate adjacent said outlet opening to pump said fluid medium from said first chamber through said outlet opening into said second chamber, and a temperature-responsive valve member operatively connected between said cover member and said rectangular inlet opening and in a predetermined circumferential relationship with said rectangular inlet opening corresponding to said predetermined circumferential relationship between said collar-portions and said notches for controlling the flow of said fluid medium from said second chamber through said rectangular inlet opening into said first chamber in response to changes in ambient temperature.

Claim 4

A viscous fluid clutch comprising a housing rotatably mounted by bearings on a central shaft, said housing being formed of interconnected body and cover members and having first and Second adjacent annular chambers formed therein, a pump plate serving as a divider wall between said first and second chambers, a plurality of closely adjacent notches formed around the inner peripheral edge of said pump plate forming a notched opening therein, a pair of oppositely disposed arcuate-shaped collar-portions formed on said cover member within said notched opening and deformed radially outwardly into mesh with adjacent notches of said notched opening at a predetermined circumferential relationship therewith, a clutch plate mounted on said central shaft in said second chamber, a plurality of annular ridges formed on one of said housing and said clutch plate and a plurality of cooperating annular grooves formed on the other of said housing and said clutch plate in said first chamber, said annular ridges and grooves forming a shear space therebetween and operable with a fluid medium to provide a shear-type fluid drive between said housing and said clutch plate, said pump plate having an outlet opening formed in an outer radial portion thereof and a rectangular inlet opening formed at an inner radial portion thereof, pump means formed on said plate adjacent said outlet opening to pump said fluid medium from said first chamber through said outlet opening into said second chamber, and a temperature-responsive valve member operatively connected between said cover member and said rectangular inlet opening and in a predetermined circumferential relationship with said rectangular inlet opening corresponding to said predetermined circumferential relationship between said collar-portions and said notches for controlling the flow of said fluid medium from said second chamber through said rectangular inlet opening into said first chamber in response to changes in ambient temperature.