Electromagnetic coupling and cooling system therefor

Claim 2

An electromagnetic coupling comprising: a. a housing; b. a rotor member disposed in said housing; c. inductor drum means disposed in said housing and rotatable relative to said rotor member; d. coil means for electromagnetically coupling said rotor member and said inductor drum means; e. said inductor drum means including a generally cylindrical drum portion having a substantially uniform magnetic reluctance in a direction generally parallel to the longitudinal axis of said cylindrical drum portion, said drum portion defining an outer, heat-dissipating surface, said heat-dissipating surface including a plurality of circumferentially extending, heat-dissipating grooves spaced apart along the longitudinal axis of said cylindrical drum portion; f. means for directing cooling fluid into said housing to dissipate heat generated in said inductor drum means; and g. a plurality of fluid-directing means attached to said outer, heat-dissipating surface of said inductor drum means for rotation therewith, said fluid directing means directing said cooling fluid inwardly into said heat-dissipating grooves to cool said inductor drum means.

Claim 3

An electromagnetic coupling as defined in claim 1 wherein said cylindrical drum portion of said inductor drum means is substantially impermeable to radial flow of said cooling fluid.

Claim 4

An electromagnetic coupling as defined in claim 1 wherein each of said plurality of heat-dissipating grooves terminates, inwardly, in a bottom surface, said fluid-directing means direct said cooling fluid inwardly to contact said bottom surface of said heat-dissipating grooves and said bottom surface directs said cooling fluid outwardly from said cylindrical drum portion to dissipate heat from said inductor drum means.

Claim 5

An electromagnetic coupling as defined in claim 1 wherein said fluid-directing means are elongated, generally cylindrical members.

Claim 6

An electromagnetic coupling as defined in claim 4 wherein each of said plurality of fluid-directing means are disposed generally parallel to the longitudinal axis of said drum portion, and extend across each of said plurality of circumferentially extending, heat-dissipating grooves.

Claim 7

An electromagnetic coupling as defined in claim 1 wherein each of said fluid-directing means includes expansion means to accommodate thermal expansion of said drum portion.

Claim 8

An electromagnetic coupling as defined in claim 6 wherein said expansion means comprises: a. each of said fluid-directing means including at least a pair of axially-aligned members; and b. a joint member restraining the adjacent ends of said axially-aligned members against relative transverse movement.

Claim 9

An electromagnetic coupling as defined in claim 7 wherein said axially-aligned members are elongated, generally cylindrical members, and said joint member comprises a generally cylindrical sleeve member surrounding the adjacent ends of said axially-aligned members, permitting relative axial movement thereof.

Claim 10

An electromagnetic coupling as defined in claim 6 wherein said expansion means comprises each of said fluid-directing means including an elongated member having one end thereof fixedly attached to said drum portion and restraint means fixedly attached to said drum portion and associated with the other end of said elongated member for relative axial movement therebetween.

Claim 11

An electromagnetic coupling comprising: a. a housing; b. a rotor member rotatably disposed within said housing; c. inductor drum means rotatably disposed in said housing and rotatable relative to said rotor member; d. said inductor drum means including a generally cylindrical drum portion defining a generally cylindrical, outer, heat-dissipating surface, said heat-dissipating surface defining at least one circumferentially extending, heat-dissipating groove extending substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said cylindrical drum portion; e. coil means for establishing a flux path upon energization thereof to electromagnetically couple said rotor member and said inductor drum means, said flux path extending through said rotor member longitudinally through said cylindrical drum portion to electromagnetically couple said rotor member and said inductor drum means, said drum portion having a substantially uniform magnetic reluctance; f. means for directing cooling fluid to the interior of said housing to dissipate heat generated in said inductor drum means, said cylindrical drum portion being substantially impermeable to radial flow of said cooling fluid; and g. a plurality of fluid-directing members disposed contiguous to said outer, heat-dissipating surface, and attached thereto, said fluid directing members directing said cooling fluid inwardly into said heat-dissipating groove to effect cooling of said inductor drum means.

Claim 12

An electromagnetic coupling comprising: a. a housing; b. a rotor member rotatably disposed within said housing; c. inductor drum means rotatably disposed in said housing and rotatable relative to said rotor member; d. said inductor drum means including a generally cylindrical drum portion defining a generally cylindrical, outer, heat-dissipating surface, said heat-dissipating surface defining at least one circumferentially extending, heat-dissipating groove extending substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said cylindrical drum portion; e. coil means for establishing a flux path upon energization thereof to electromagnetically couple said rotor member and said inductor drum means, said flux path extending through said rotor member longitudinally through said cylindrical drum portion to electromagnetically couple said rotor member and said inductor drum means, said drum portion having a substantially uniform magnetic reluctance; f. means for directing cooling fluid to the interior of said housing to dissipate heat generated in said inductor drum means, said cylindrical drum portion being substantially impermeable to radial flow of said cooling fluid; and g. a plurality of fluid-directing members disposed contiguous to said outer, heat-dissipating surface, and attached thereto, said fluid directing members directing said cooling fluid inwardly into said heat-dissipating groove to effect cooling of said inductor drum means.

Claim 13

An electromagnetic coupling as defined in claim 10 wherein each of said plurality of fluid-directing members is disposed generally parallel to the longitudinal axis of said cylindrical drum portion.

Claim 14

An electromagnetic coupling as defined in claim 11 wherein said heat-dissipating groove terminates, inwardly, in a bottom, heat-dissipating surface and rotation of said cylindrical drum portion defines a leading surface and a trailing surface on each of said plurality of fluid-directing members, said rotation causing positive pressure adjacent said leading surface and negative pressure adjacent said trailing surface, the differential between said positive pressure and said negative pressure forcing a portion of said cooling fluid inwardly into said heat-dissipating groove to impinge upon said bottom heat-dissipating surface to cool said cylindrical drum portion.

Claim 15

An electromagnetic coupling as defined in claim 10 wherein said fluid-directing members are elongated, generally cylindrical members.

Claim 16

Apparatus comprising: a. first and second relatively rotatable mechanisms; b. said first mechanism including a generally cylindrical drum portion being disposed about said second mechanism; c. said first and second mechanism, during operative association, interacting to generate heat in said drum portion; d. said drum portion defining an outer, heat-dissipating surface, said heat-dissipating surface defining at least one circumferentially-extending, heat-dissipating groove oriented generally perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said cylindrical drum portion; and e. a plurality of fluid-directing means attached to said drum portion, and disposed adjacent said outer, heat-dissipating surface, said fluid-directing means being operable to direct cooling fluid into said heat-dissipating groove to effect cooling of said drum means.

Claim 17

Apparatus comprising: a. first and second relatively rotatable mechanisms; b. said first mechanism including a generally cylindrical drum portion being disposed about said second mechanism; c. said first and second mechanism, during operative association, interacting to generate heat in said drum portion; d. said drum portion defining an outer, heat-dissipating surface, said heat-dissipating surface defining at least one circumferentially-extending, heat-dissipating groove oriented generally perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said cylindrical drum portion; and e. a plurality of fluid-directing means attached to said drum portion, and disposed adjacent said outer, heat-dissipating surface, said fluid-directing means being operable to direct cooling fluid into said heat-dissipating groove to effect cooling of said drum means.

Claim 18

Apparatus as defined in claim 14 wherein each of said fluid-directing means is fixedly attached to said drum portion at at least two spaced apart locations, and includes expansion means to accommodate thermal expansion of said drum portion while minimizing stress at the attachment of said fluid-directing means to said drum portion.

Claim 19

Apparatus as defined in claim 15 wherein said expansion means comprises: a. each of said fluid-directing means including at least a pair of axially-aligned members; and b. joint means restraining the adjacent ends of said axially-aligned members against relative transverse movement.

Claim 20

Apparatus as defined in claim 16 wherein said axially-aligned members are elongated, generally cylindrical members, and said joint means comprises a generally cylindrical sleeve member surrounding the adjacent ends of said axially-aligned members, permitting relative axial movement thereof.

Claim 21

Apparatus as defined in claim 14 wherein each of said fluid-directing means includes expansion means to accommodate thermal expansion of said drum portion in excess of thermal expansion of said fluid-directing means.

Claim 22

Apparatus as defined in claim 18 wherein each of said fluid-directing means includes an elongated member having one end thereof fixedly attached to said drum portion and restraint means fixedly attached to said drum portion and asssociated with the other end of said elongated member for relative axial movement therebetween.