Viscous coupling with a volumetric-flow setting means

US6269925A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• Mannesmann Sachs AG · DE

Inventor

• Gerd Brunken · Dittelbrunn, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Jun 29, 1999
• Grant date: Aug 7, 2001
• Expiry date: Jun 29, 2019

Classification

• Technology area (CPC F): Mechanical Engineering; Lighting; Heating
• CPC primary: F16D2037/005
• WIPO field: Mechanical elements
• WIPO sector: Mechanical engineering

Abstract

A viscous coupling is designed with a coupling housing and at least one drivable rotor, which is provided for the transmission of torque via shearing areas in a working chamber filled with viscous fluid. This working chamber is partitioned from a supply chamber for viscous fluid by a dividing wall. The viscous fluid can be delivered from the working chamber via a pumping into the supply chamber or from the supply chamber via a feed line. A volumetric-flow setting device having an electromagnetic adjusting device operably complete with the feed line back into the working chamber. The feed line, at least along part of its extension length, is directed through a region in which a magnetic field can be produced by the electromagnet. The viscous fluid is enriched with magnetizable particles, in, order to realize a magnetorheological behavior. As a result the flow velocity of the viscous fluid in tie feed line, when flowing through the magnetic field, can be varied as a function of the intensity of the applied magnetic field, this enables the volumetric flow between supply chamber and working chamber to be selectively, dynamically set.