Fluid friction clutch

Claim 1

A fluid friction clutch for a cooling fan of an internal combustion engine, comprising (a) a shaft, (b) a rotor connected fast with the shaft, (c) a housing for the reception of shear fluid, mounted rotatably on the shaft and enclosing the rotor, forming at least one shear gap, which housing has axially oppositely to the shaft a front extending substantially perpendicularly to the shaft axis, (d) a control device temperature-dependently controlling the filling level of the shear fluid in the shear gap, which device comprises a bimetallic element of substantially elongated strip form arranged externally on and spaced outwardly from the front of the housing and substantially parallel to the front, said bimetallic elements having a first end and a second end spaced apart in the elongated direction, (e) tab-like flexible retaining pieces integrally formed on the first and second ends of the bimetallic element, which said retaining pieces are bent inwardly towards the front of the housing, and retaining pieces each having an end spaced outwardly from the first and second ends with the retaining piece ends secured firmly on the front, the retaining pieces include flange tabs at the retaining piece ends located in the plane of the front and provided with a hole, and securing elements passing through the holes in the flange tabs hold the flange tabs on the front.