Horton, Inc.

Bastian Brand

David R Hennessy

Scott Miller

Derek Savela

Thomas Schmidt

Raimund Krammer

A viscous clutch () includes a housing assembly (), a rotor assembly (), a reservoir () to hold a supply of a shear fluid, a working chamber () operatively positioned between the housing assembly and the rotor assembly, and a fluid return bore (-B) that optionally extends radially through at least an outer diameter portion of the rotor assembly to the working chamber. Selective introduction of the shear fluid to the working chamber facilitates selective torque transmission between the housing assembly and the rotor assembly. The fluid return bore can form at least a portion of a fluid return path () from the working chamber to the reservoir.

Viscous clutch with return bore through rotor

A viscous clutch includes a shaft, a rotor attached to the shaft, a housing located adjacent to the rotor, a working chamber defined between the rotor and the housing, a reservoir used to store a shear fluid, a valve assembly, an electromagnetic coil, and a flux insert in the housing. Selective introduction of the shear fluid to the working chamber facilitates selective torque transmission between the rotor and the housing. The valve assembly regulates flow of the shear fluid between the reservoir and the working chamber, and includes an armature. Selective energization of the electromagnetic coil governs actuation of the valve assembly. A flux circuit is provided that extends from the electromagnetic coil to the armature and back to the electromagnetic coil. The flux circuit passes through the flux insert and through the shaft, and the flux circuit crosses a radial air gap between the flux insert and the armature.

Viscous clutch and associated flux circuit configuration

A viscous clutch () includes a shaft (), a rotor () attached to the shaft, a housing () located adjacent to the rotor, a working chamber () defined between the rotor and the housing, and a reservoir () used to store a shear fluid. Selective introduction of the shear fluid to the working chamber facilitates selective torque transmission between the rotor and the housing. The reservoir is attached to the shaft separately from the rotor.

Viscous clutch and associated reservoir configuration

Viscous clutch with adjustable pump mechanism

A viscous clutch includes a shaft, a rotor attached to the shaft, a housing located adjacent to the rotor, a working chamber defined between the rotor and the housing, and a reservoir used to store a shear fluid. Selective introduction of the shear fluid to the working chamber facilitates selective torque transmission between the rotor and the housing. The reservoir is attached to the shaft separately from the rotor.

An electromagnetically actuated viscous clutch assembly includes a rotor arranged relative to an axis of rotation, an electromagnetic coil for generating magnetic flux, a housing positioned adjacent to the rotor to create a fluid working chamber therebetween with the housing and the rotor being selectively rotatable relative to one another, an insert extending through the housing and configured to conduct magnetic flux from the electromagnetic coil along a flux path, a valve assembly electromagnetically linked to the insert along the flux path for selectively controlling fluid flow into the working chamber to selectively engage the rotor and the housing, and a plurality of recesses defined in a portion of the housing located at an interior of the flux path to reduce eddy currents.

Viscous clutch with eddy current reduction

A viscous clutch assembly () includes a rotor (), a selectively rotatable member () surrounding the rotor and defining a working chamber () therebetween, a first opening (A) defined through the rotor () between front and rear sides of the rotor () and in fluid communication with the working chamber () at both the front and rear sides of the rotor (), a reservoir () supported by the rotor () and having a second opening (), a valve assembly () supported by the rotor () having a cover plate () for selectively covering the second opening (), and a channel () defined in the rotor () between the first opening (A) and an area adjacent to the second opening (). The channel () is in fluid communication with the first opening (A).

Viscous clutch

A viscous clutch assembly () includes a rotational input structure (), a rotor () attached to the rotational input structure (), a selectively rotatable member () surrounding the rotor () and rotatably supported by the rotational input structure (), an electromagnetic coil () positioned relative to a driven side of the rotor (), a valve assembly () supported by the rotor (), and a magnetic flux circuit for controlling the valve assembly () with magnetic flux generated by the electromagnetic coil (). The valve assembly () includes a cover plate () for regulating flow of a shear fluid. The rotational input structure () comprises a material capable of conducting magnetic flux. The magnetic flux circuit is configured to include no more than four air gaps (G-G).

A valve assembly () for an electromagnetically actuated viscous clutch () includes a cover plate () defining a seating portion configured to selectively cover an opening () from a reservoir (), a flexible mounting plate (), and an armature () that is movable in response to applied magnetic flux to move the cover plate () relative to the opening () from the reservoir (). The armature () includes a base portion () connected to the cover plate () and the mounting plate (), and a finger () extending from the base portion (). The finger () and the base portion () define a path for conducting magnetic flux.

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Schonungen, Germany

Bastian Brand