The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Mar. 03, 1998
Filed:
Aug. 30, 1996
Hans Martin, Stuttgart, DE;
Behr GmbH & Co., Stuttgart, DE;
Abstract
A fluid clutch has a driven shaft, a drive disk attached to the driven shaft, and a housing rotatably mounted on the driven shaft. The housing has a dividing wall forming a working chamber and a reservoir chamber. At least one inflow orifice is provided in the dividing wall for communicating fluid in the reservoir chamber to the working chamber and a return flow passage in the housing for communicating fluid in the working chamber to the reservoir chamber. The drive disk is rotatable in the working chamber. The inflow orifice is controlled by an electromagnet stationarily positioned in the reservoir to open and close the inflow orifice using a valve lever. A fluid drive, such as impeller vanes are mounted around the electromagnet positioned in the reservoir chamber. The fluid drive acts on the fluid in contact therewith to force fluid in the reservoir chamber into the working chamber through the inflow orifice as the housing rotates relative to the driven shaft while the valve lever is open.