Clutch System
First Claim
1. A fan clutch device that is removably mountable to a drive member, the fan clutch device comprising:
- a hub portion selectively movable in a rotational direction relative to a drive member when the fan clutch device is mounted to the drive member;
a piston portion selectively movable in an axial direction relative to the drive member when the fan clutch device is mounted to the drive member;
a channel in fluid communication with a fluid-receiving space at least partially defined by a surface of the piston portion; and
a clutch ring including an outer frusto-conical surface and an inner frusto-conical surface that both have an increasingly larger radius as the clutch ring extends away from the drive member when the fan clutch device is mounted to the drive member, the clutch ring including a frictional engagement surface that is at least partially defined by one of the outer and inner frusto-conical surfaces.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A clutch system may include in certain embodiments a clutch body attached to a drive member such as a drive pulley, wherein the clutch body may be removed from the drive member without disassembling the clutch body. In various embodiments, the clutch body may include two clutch plates which enclose a spring-loaded pneumatic reciprocating assembly that in operation causes the plates to selectively separate and engage one another. In certain embodiments, the clutch body may be readily attached to a associated drive pulley in a single step by installation of a single set of fasteners.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A fan clutch device that is removably mountable to a drive member, the fan clutch device comprising:
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a hub portion selectively movable in a rotational direction relative to a drive member when the fan clutch device is mounted to the drive member; a piston portion selectively movable in an axial direction relative to the drive member when the fan clutch device is mounted to the drive member; a channel in fluid communication with a fluid-receiving space at least partially defined by a surface of the piston portion; and a clutch ring including an outer frusto-conical surface and an inner frusto-conical surface that both have an increasingly larger radius as the clutch ring extends away from the drive member when the fan clutch device is mounted to the drive member, the clutch ring including a frictional engagement surface that is at least partially defined by one of the outer and inner frusto-conical surfaces. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A fan clutch device that is removably mountable to a drive pulley, the fan clutch device comprising:
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an input member mountable to the drive pulley so as to rotate with the drive pulley; an output member to selectively couple with the input member when the fan clutch device is mounted to the drive pulley, the output member comprising; (i) one or more mounting members to receive one or more fan blade devices, (ii) a hub portion selectively movable in a rotational direction relative to the drive pulley when the fan clutch device is mounted to the drive pulley, and (iii) a piston portion selectively movable in an axial direction relative to the drive pulley when the fan clutch device is mounted to the drive pulley, a fluid-receiving space at least partially defined by a surface of the piston portion of the output member; a spring device to urge the piston portion toward a first position relative to the input member; and a frusto-conical clutch ring to provide frictional coupling between the input member and the output member, the frusto-conical clutch ring including outer and inner surfaces that each have an increasingly larger radius as the clutch ring extends axially away from the drive member when the fan clutch device is mounted to the drive member, the clutch ring including a frictional engagement surface that is at least partially defined by one of the outer and inner frusto-conical surfaces. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A fan clutch device, comprising:
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input means for removably mounting to a drive pulley so as to rotate with the drive pulley; output means for selectively rotating with a drive pulley when the fan clutch device is mounted to the drive pulley; means for coupling one or more fan blade devices to the output means; means for biasing the output means toward a first position relative to the input means; means for receiving a pressurized fluid to adjust the output means toward a second position relative to the input means; and clutch means for frictionally engaging the output means with the input means with a torque transfer capability of about 3000 in-lbs to about 5000 in-lbs without slippage between the input means and the output means when the output means is arranged in one first and second positions. - View Dependent Claims (20)
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Specification