Clutch System
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
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.
88 Citations
24 Claims
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1. (canceled)
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2. A fan clutch device, comprising:
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an input member mountable to a drive pulley so as to rotate with the drive pulley; an output member including an axially movable component that adjusts from a first position to a second position in which the output member is rotationally coupled with the input member, the output member comprising an output surface to removably couple with a fan blade device, a spring device to urge the piston portion toward one of the first position and the second position; a fluid-receiving space to receive pressurized fluid that causes adjustment of axially movable component to the other of the first position and the second position; and clutch means for frictionally engaging the output member with the input member with a torque transfer capability of about 3000 in-lbs to about 5000 in-lbs without slippage between the input member and the output member when the axially movable component of the output member is arranged in the second position, the clutch means having a maximum outer radius that is no greater than a maximum outer radius of the input member. - View Dependent Claims (3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A fan clutch device that is removably mountable to a drive member, the fan clutch device comprising:
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a mounting member that is secured to and rotates with a drive pulley when the fan clutch device is mounted to the drive pulley; 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; 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 spring member to bias the piston portion toward a first axial position, the spring member being disposed between the a first spring-engaging surface and a second spring engaging surface, wherein the spring, the first spring-engaging surface, and the second spring engaging surface rotate with the piston portion; a channel in fluid communication with a fluid-receiving space at least partially defined by a surface of the piston portion; an output surface to removably couple with a fan blade device; and a friction clutch ring that is engaged between the mounting member and an opposing surface so that the output surface rotates with the mounting member when the piston portion is in the first axial position, the friction clutch ring providing a torque transfer capability of about 3000 in-lbs to about 5000 in-lbs without slippage between the mounting member and the opposing surface when the piston portion is in the first axial position. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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Specification