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 about an axis of rotation relative to said rotor member; (d) coil means for producing an electromagnetic field for electromagnetically coupling said rotor member and said inductor drum means; (e) said inductor drum means including a generally 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 being obliquely disposed relative to said axis of rotation for 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 directs 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 said plurality of fluid-directing means are disposed generally parallel to one another 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: (a) each of said fluid-directing means including at least a pair of elongated, generally cylindrical members having adjacent ends; and (b) said expansion means comprises a joint member restraining the adjacent ends of said adjacent members against relative transverse movement and providing for relative movement between said pair of members in a direction substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of each of said members.

Claim 9

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

Claim 10

An electromagnetic coupling as defined in claim 6 wherein each of said fluid-directing means including a pair of adjacent elongated members each of which has one end thereof fixedly attached to said drum portion and an opposite end associated with the opposing end of said adjacent elongated member for relative movement therebetween.

Claim 11

An electromagnetic coupling as defined in claim 5 wherein each of said plurality of fluid directing means comprises an elongate generally cylindrical straight member.

Claim 12

An electromagnetic coupling as defined in claim 5 wherein each of said plurality of fluid directing means comprises a pair of elongate generally cylindrical members which cooperate to form a V-shaped configuration.

Claim 13

An electromagnetic coupling as defined in claim 4 wherein said plurality of elongated generally cylindrical members are unequally spaced about the circumference of said cylindrical drum portion and are spaced about the circumference of said cylindrical drum portion to balance the centrifugal forces acting on said cylindrical drum portion.

Claim 14

An electromagnetic coupling comprising: (a) a housing; (b) a rotor member rotatably disposed within said housing; (c) inductor drum means rotatably disposed about an axis of rotation 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; (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 being obliquely disposed relative to said axis of rotation and directing said cooling fluid inwardly into said heat-dissipating groove to effect cooling of said inductor drum means.

Claim 15

An electromagnetic coupling comprising: (a) a housing; (b) a rotor member rotatably disposed within said housing; (c) inductor drum means rotatably disposed about an axis of rotation 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; (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 being obliquely disposed relative to said axis of rotation and directing said cooling fluid inwardly into said heat-dissipating groove to effect cooling of said inductor drum means.

Claim 16

An electromagnetic coupling as defined in claim 13 wherein each of said plurality of fluid-directing members is disposed generally parallel to one another.

Claim 17

An electromagnetic coupling as defined in claim 13 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 dissipating groove to impinge upon said bottom heat-dissipating surface to cool said cylindrical drum portion.

Claim 18

An electromagnetic coupling as defined in claim 13 wherein said fluid-directing members are elongated, generally cylindrical members.

Claim 19

An electromagnetic coupling as defined in claim 13 wherein each of said plurality of fluid direction means comprises an elongate generally cylindrical straight member.

Claim 20

An electromagnetic coupling as defined in claim 13 wherein each of said plurality of fluid directing means has an elongate generally cylindrical V-shaped configuration.

Claim 21

An electromagnetic coupling as defined in claim 13 wherein said plurality of fluid directing means are unequally spaced about the circumference of said cylindrical drum portion and are spaced about the circumference of said cylindrical drum portion to balance the centrifugal forces acting on said cylindrical drum portion.