Patent · US Expired

Fluid coupling device having improved heat dissipation

US4678070A · kind A · utility

16Cited by
15References
22Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateMay 5, 1986
Grant dateJul 7, 1987
Priority date
Expiry dateMay 5, 2006

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC F)Mechanical Engineering; Lighting; Heating
  • CPC primaryF16D35/023
  • WIPO fieldMechanical elements
  • WIPO sectorMechanical engineering

Abstract

A rotary fluid coupling device is provided of the type including a first rotatable coupling assembly (13) comprising a housing member (15) and a die cast cover member (17). An input coupling member (11) is disposed in a fluid operating chamber (33) and cooperates with an adjacent surface of the cover member (17) to define a viscous shear space therebetween. When the shear space is filled with viscous fluid, torque can be transmitted from the input to the output, such torque transmission resulting in the generation of a substantial amount of heat. The cover member (17) includes a plurality of cooling fins which are divided into a plurality of regions (61). Within each of the regions (61) is a radially-extending cooling fin (63) and a plurality of full-length, parallel cooling fins (65). Also included within each region (61) is a plurality of shorter cooling fins (67) and (69) which are also parallel to the radially-extending cooling fins (63). The parallel fin pattern results in greater total cooling fin length within a given finned area, thus substantially improving the heat dissipation capability of the cover member (17) and the torque-transmitting capability of the coupling devic…

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.