US4920929A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Variable speed coupling system for cooling an engine
Assignee: Jaguar Land Rover Ltd
•
Filing: 1988-11-18
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Granted: 1990-05-01
•
Expires: 2008-11-18
Abstract
Abstract An engine cooling fan includes a first member adapted to be drivingly connected to the engine and a second member mounted rotatably relative to the first member, a series of fan blades are provided on the second member, the first and second members having opposed parallel faces separated from one another, the space between the faces being filled with a fluid the viscosity of which may be varied by applying a magnetic or electric field, the first and second members being arranged such that an electric or magnetic field may be applied therebetween. The electric or magnetic field is controlled by a control unit in response to signals corresponding to coolant temperature and engine speed.
Inventors
- 👤 Edward T. Bishop
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-02 00:31
CPC Classifications
F; F01; F01P; F01P7/00; F01P7/02; F01P7/04; F16; F16D; F16D37/00; F16D37/008; F16D37/02; F16D2037/005
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 8
Claim 1
Independent Claim
142 words
An engine cooling fan comprising a first member which is adapted to be drivingly connected to the engine and second member mounted rotatably relative to the first member, a series of fan blades being provided on said second member, said first and second members having opposed parallel faces separated from one another, the space between said faces being filled with a fluid the viscosity of which may be varied by applying a magnetic or electric field and means being provided responsive to engine operating parameters to apply a magnetic or electric field to the fluid whereby the strength of the magnetic or electric field applied to the fluid is determined by said operating parameters to vary transmission of rotational energy from the first member to the second member to provide a desired transmission ratio therebetween up to the maximum possible transmission ratio.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
142 words
An engine cooling fan comprising a first member which is adapted to be drivingly connected to the engine and second member mounted rotatably relative to the first member, a series of fan blades being provided on said second member, said first and second members having opposed parallel faces separated from one another, the space between said faces being filled with a fluid the viscosity of which may be varied by applying a magnetic or electric field and means being provided responsive to engine operating parameters to apply a magnetic or electric field to the fluid whereby the strength of the magnetic or electric field applied to the fluid is determined by said operating parameters to vary transmission of rotational energy from the first member to the second member to provide a desired transmission ratio therebetween up to the maximum possible transmission ratio.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
15 words
A cooling fan according to claim 1 in which the fluid is an electrorehological fluid.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
43 words
A cooling fan according to claim 2 in which the first and second members are made of electrically conductive material, the members being insulated from one another and an electric field is established between the members by applying an EMF across the members.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
16 words
An engine cooling fan according to claim 1 in which the fluid is a magnetorheological fluid.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
24 words
An engine cooling fan according to claim 4 in which an electromagnet is supported with one or both of the first and second members.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
65 words
An engine cooling system comprising a fan as claimed in claim 1, a control unit for controlling the electric or magnetic field applied to the fluid, a coolant temperature sensor and an engine speed sensor, signals from the coolant temperature sensor and engine speed sensor being processed by the control unit to determine the strength of the electric or magnetic field applied to the fluid.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
52 words
An engine cooling system according to claim 6 in which means is provided to sense the degree of opening of the throttle, the signal produced by such means being processed by the control unit and taken into account in determining the strength of the electric or magnetic field applied to the fluid.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1993-04-30 | 1993-10-30 | 1994-05-01 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1997-04-30 | 1997-10-30 | 1998-05-01 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2001-04-30 | 2001-10-30 | 2002-05-01 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |