Fluid shear-friction coupling

Abstract

A rotating fluid shear friction coupling with at least one shear friction gap formed by a wall rotating along with the input side and by a wall rotating along with the output side, and with two spaces in communication with the working gap, one on the inlet side and one on the outlet side; the radially outermost passage of the inlet side space into the working gap has radially a larger spacing from the center of rotation than the radially outermost passage from the outlet side space whereby the two spaces are separated from one another by a wall provided with controllable passages; the working gap is also provided with means, for example, in the form of a helical feed groove for the continuous automatic feed of the working medium through the working gap in the direction toward the space on the outlet side; the space on the outlet side has thereby a space portion which is delimited radially outwardly by walls that preferably rotate with one another as a unit, and is disposed radially outwardly of the radius of the radially outermost passage from the gap to the outlet side space whereby the volume of this space portion is such as to be sufficient for accommodating at least the predominant part of the volume of the working medium.