CLUTCH SYSTEMS AND METHODS
First Claim
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1. A fan clutch system, comprising:
- a drive pulley;
a clutch device removably mounted to the drive pulley, including;
an input portion that is coupled with the drive pulley so that the input portion rotates with the drive pulley at a first speed,an output portion adjustable between a disengaged position and an engaged position so as to frictionally engage the input portion and rotate at the first speed, anda frusto-conical friction interface at least partially defined by engagement between a first friction surface of the input portion and a second friction surface of the output portion that is arranged radially inward of the first friction surface, the frusto-conical friction interface decreasing in radius as the frusto-conical friction interface extends axially away from the drive pulley; and
a fan blade device rotationally coupled to the output portion of the clutch device SO as to generate a fan thrust load when the output portion frictionally engages the input portion to rotate at the first speed, the fan thrust load urging the output portion in an axial direction away from the drive pulley.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Some embodiments of a clutch system may an output member and an input member can be biased to engage one another along opposing clutch surfaces. When input member drives rotation of the output member and a fan blade device secured thereto, the resulting fan thrust provides supplemental engagement to the opposing clutch surfaces.
97 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A fan clutch system, comprising:
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a drive pulley; a clutch device removably mounted to the drive pulley, including; an input portion that is coupled with the drive pulley so that the input portion rotates with the drive pulley at a first speed, an output portion adjustable between a disengaged position and an engaged position so as to frictionally engage the input portion and rotate at the first speed, and a frusto-conical friction interface at least partially defined by engagement between a first friction surface of the input portion and a second friction surface of the output portion that is arranged radially inward of the first friction surface, the frusto-conical friction interface decreasing in radius as the frusto-conical friction interface extends axially away from the drive pulley; and a fan blade device rotationally coupled to the output portion of the clutch device SO as to generate a fan thrust load when the output portion frictionally engages the input portion to rotate at the first speed, the fan thrust load urging the output portion in an axial direction away from the drive pulley. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A fan clutch device to be mounted to a drive pulley, the fan clutch device comprising:
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an input member that is removably mountable to a drive pulley so that the input member rotates with the drive pulley; an output member including;
one or more mounting members to receive a fan blade device, a hub that is selectively movable relative to the input member, and a piston adjustable in an axial direction relative to the input member, the piston being adjustable between first and second positions, wherein the output member rotates at a first speed with the input member when the piston is in the first position; anda frusto-conical clutch ring to provide frictional coupling between the input member and the output member, the frusto-conical clutch ring including generally parallel outer and inner surfaces that each have an increasingly smaller radius as the clutch ring extends axially away from the drive pulley when the fan clutch device is mounted to the drive pulley, wherein the output member contacts the inner surface of the frusto-conical clutch ring and the input member contacts the outer surface of the frusto-conical clutch ring, wherein the frictional coupling between the input member and the output member is supplemented by a fan thrust force from the fan blade device when the fan blade device is mounted to the output member, the fan thrust force urging the output member in an axial direction away from the drive pulley when the output member rotates at the first speed. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A method of operating a fan clutch system, comprising:
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rotating an input portion of a fan clutch device to rotate at a first speed with a drive pulley, the fan clutch device being removably mounted to the drive pulley; adjusting an output portion of the clutch device to frictionally engage the input portion of the clutch device along a frusto-conical friction interface so that the output portion and a fan blade device mounted thereto rotate at the first speed, wherein the output portion that is arranged radially inward of the frusto-conical friction interface, the frusto-conical friction interface decreasing in radius as the frusto-conical friction interface extends axially away from the drive pulley; and generating a fan thrust load when the output portion frictionally engages the input portion to rotate at the first speed, the fan thrust load urging the output portion in an axial direction away from the drive pulley. - View Dependent Claims (20)
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Specification