Usui Kokusai Sangyo Kaisha Limited

Yasuhei Kikuchi

Mitsuaki Hatori

Satoshi Tsuyuki

A fluid clutch comprising a driving section, a rotational shaft rotated by the driving section, a driving disk driven rotationally by the rotational shaft, a casing containing the disk and rotatable around the rotational shaft as a center, a partitioning member disposed in the casing for dividing the inside of the casing into a torque transmission chamber and an oil reservoir in which an oil is supplied from the oil reservoir to the torque transmission chamber thereby transmitting the torque from the driving disk to the casing, wherein the fluid clutch comprises a pump mechanism that rotates due to a difference between the number of rotations of the rotational shaft and the number of rotation of the casing, a first flow channel for sucking the oil in the torque transmission chamber by the pump mechanism and a second flow channel for sending the oil pressurized by the pump mechanism into the oil reservoir, a valve member for opening and closing a supply aperture formed in the partitioning member for causing the oil in the oil reservoir chamber to flow into the torque transmission chamber, and a solenoid type actuator for operating the valve member.

Fluid clutch

A fluid clutch includes a rotatably driven shaft. A closed casing is rotatably mounted on the shaft by bearings. The casing includes an oil basin chamber and a torque transfer chamber. A driving disc is rigidly mounted to the shaft and in the torque transfer chamber. An exhaust passage extends from an outer position in the torque transfer chamber to the oil basin chamber. A dam in the torque transfer chamber urges oil into the exhaust passage and to the oil basin chamber. A pump is disposed between the oil basin chamber and the torque transfer chamber and is operative to urge oil from the oil basin chamber downstream into the torque transfer chamber. A valve is operative to selectively open or close access to the pump in accordance with sensed temperature. Thus, the dam and exhaust passage urge oil from the torque transfer chamber to prevent accompanying rotation. However, the pump urges oil into the torque transfer chamber in accordance with cooling needs.

A temperature-controlled fluid coupling for intermittently driving a cooling fan of an internal combustion engine. The coupling comprises a drive input shaft having a rotor thereon, a housing for supporting a cooling fan, a plurality of radial vanes accommodated within the rotor, and a valve member within the housing. The vanes are movable in radial directions within an elliptic chamber in the housing. The rotor and the vanes provide a kind of vane pump system. A temperature sensitive element is disposed outside of the housing and connected to the valve member. The element operates to open and close the valve in response to a change of ambient temperature. The fan rotates to cool the engine only when the temperature goes up to a predetermined level.

Fluid coupling having a vane pump system

A temperature-controlled fluid friction coupling for intermittently driving a cooling fan of an internal combustion engine. The coupling comprises a drive input shaft having a rotor thereon, a housing rotatably supported on the drive input shaft for supporting a cooling fan, a fixed partition for dividing an interior space of the housing into a torque transmitting chamber and a reservoir chamber, a movable partition for dividing the reservoir chamber into an active chamber and a vacant chamber, a flexible annular diaphragm disposed between the movable partition and the housing, and a temperature sensitive element disposed outside of the housing. Surfaces of the rotor provide shearing surface gaps around the rotor. The temperature sensitive element moves the movable partition in axial directions depending upon a change of ambient temperature thereby changing the distance between the two partitions and controlling a fan revolution speed.

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Shizuoka, Japan

Yasuhei Kikuchi