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:
Oct. 10, 2000
Filed:
Apr. 06, 1999
Tatsuya Hirose, Kariya, JP;
Takashi Ban, Kariya, JP;
Shigeru Suzuki, Kariya, JP;
Tatsuyuki Hoshino, Kariya, JP;
Hidefumi Mori, Kariya, JP;
Yasuhiro Fujiwara, Kariya, JP;
Kabushiki Kaisha Toyoda Jidoshokki Seisakusho, Kariya, JP;
Abstract
A viscous fluid type heat generating apparatus having a housing forming a cylindrical heat-generating chamber having a cylindrical wall surface and an axially spaced flat annular wall surface, and a rotatably supported rotor element having a cylindrical base portion and an axially extending tubular portion integral with the base portion forming a substantially cylindrical outer face and a cavity portion used as a fluid-storing chamber, the cylindrical portion of the rotor element cooperating with the cylindrical wall surface of the housing to define a main part of a heat-generating gap holding a viscous fluid which generates heat in response to an application of a shearing force to the viscous fluid in response to the rotation of the rotor element. The heat generating apparatus further having an intercommunicating passage providing a fluid communication between the heat-generating gap and the fluid storing chamber to thereby cause a circulation of the viscous fluid during the rotation of the rotor element, and a flow rate controlling actuator controlling an amount of circulation of the viscous fluid in response to a change in the rotating speed of the rotor element.