초록 ▼

A combined viscous heater and viscous coupling fan drive operates on principles of viscous coupling to provide both, supplemental vehicle interior cabin heating, and rotation to a cooling fan mounted to a fan shaft. A viscous drive chamber and case surround a drive plate and a viscously driven plate

A combined viscous heater and viscous coupling fan drive operates on principles of viscous coupling to provide both, supplemental vehicle interior cabin heating, and rotation to a cooling fan mounted to a fan shaft. A viscous drive chamber and case surround a drive plate and a viscously driven plate. A liquid coolant chamber and case surrounds the viscous drive case that houses the plates for viscous coupling. Liquid coolant passes through the liquid coolant chamber as coolant circulates through the engine block. The coolant chamber has a coolant inlet and outlet. An electromagnetic clutch engages to turn a shaft and the driving plate which viscously couples to and turns the driven plate, which is connected to a shaft and engine cooling fan. The electromagnetic clutch and a fan brake are controlled to govern viscous heat generation by the plates and cooling fan operation.

대표청구항 ▼

What is claimed is: 1. An apparatus for an engine comprising: an electromagnetic clutch mounted to the engine; a viscous drive mounted to the electromagnetic clutch; an engine cooling fan mounted to a fan shaft, the fan shaft coupled to the viscous drive; a viscous drive case defining a viscous fan

What is claimed is: 1. An apparatus for an engine comprising: an electromagnetic clutch mounted to the engine; a viscous drive mounted to the electromagnetic clutch; an engine cooling fan mounted to a fan shaft, the fan shaft coupled to the viscous drive; a viscous drive case defining a viscous fan drive cavity surrounding the viscous drive; and a coolant case surrounding the viscous drive case and defining a coolant chamber for a coolant therebetween, the coolant chamber also being a viscous heater cavity, the coolant case further comprising: a coolant inlet; a coolant outlet, wherein the coolant inlet permits the coolant into the coolant chamber and the coolant outlet permits coolant out of the coolant chamber; a heater core, wherein the coolant from the coolant outlet flows into the heater core; a drive pulley; a drive pulley shaft upon which the drive pulley rotates, wherein the electromagnetic clutch permits coupling of the drive pulley and the drive pulley shaft to drive the viscous drive, wherein the fan shaft and the drive pulley shaft are non-concentric and serially arranged. 2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising: a fan brake, wherein the fan brake stops rotation of the engine cooling fan. 3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the engine cooling fan, viscous fan drive cavity, and viscous heater cavity are mounted symmetrically about the fan shaft. 4. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising: a viscous fluid within the viscous drive case, the coolant facilitating heat transfer from the viscous fluid to the coolant that flows to the heater core; a heater core blower; and a heater core casing within which the heater core resides, the heater core blower blowing air through the heater core. 5. An apparatus for an engine comprising: an electromagnetic clutch mounted to the engine; an engine cooling fan; a viscous drive coupled to the electromagnetic clutch, the engine cooling fan coupled to the viscous drive, the viscous drive surrounded by a viscous drive case, which defines a viscous chamber; a drive pulley that drives the viscous drive; a coolant case and coolant chamber that both encapsulate the viscous drive case, the coolant chamber for holding a coolant, the coolant case further comprising: a coolant inlet; and a coolant outlet, wherein the coolant inlet provides a coolant inlet into the coolant case and the coolant outlet provides a coolant outlet from the coolant case; a heater core, the heater core for receiving the coolant from the coolant outlet of the coolant case; an engine cooling fan drive shaft that is coupled to the viscous drive and the engine cooling fan; a driven plate coupled to the engine cooling fan drive shaft as part of the viscous drive; a drive pulley drive shaft that couples to the viscous drive and the drive pulley; a driving plate coupled to the drive pulley drive shaft as part of the viscous drive, the electromagnetic clutch to engage and disengage the drive pulley with the drive pulley drive shaft; a fan brake to control the engine cooling fan; and a controller that engages and disengages the electromagnetic clutch and the fan brake based on a temperature of the coolant, wherein the engine cooling fan drive shaft and the drive pulley shaft are arranged serially and are non-concentric. 6. An apparatus for an engine comprising: an electromagnetic clutch mounted to the engine; a clutch plate for coupling to the electromagnetic clutch; a driving shaft attached to the clutch plate of the electromagnetic clutch; a viscous device within a viscous device case defining a viscous chamber for a viscous fluid, the viscous device mounted to the electromagnetic clutch, the viscous device further comprising: a driving plate attached to the driving shaft; and a driven plate attached to a driven shaft; a liquid coolant case defining a liquid coolant chamber for a liquid coolant, the liquid coolant chamber surrounding the viscous device case, the driving shaft and the driven shaft each passing through the viscous device case and the liquid coolant case, the driving shaft and the driven shaft are serially arranged and non-concentric; a viscous fluid within the viscous device case, wherein the viscous device generates heat in the viscous fluid and transfers the heat from the viscous fluid into the viscous device case and into the liquid coolant in the liquid chamber; a heater core, wherein the heater core receives the liquid coolant from the liquid chamber; a fan brake attached to the viscous device, the fan brake for stopping rotation of the driven shaft; and a fan attached to the driven shaft, the fan for cooling the engine. 7. The apparatus of claim 6, further comprising: a heater core casing, wherein the heater core resides within the heater core casing; and a blower, wherein the blower blows air through the heater core and heater core casing. 8. The apparatus of claim 6, further comprising: a temperature sensor that senses the liquid coolant temperature; and a controller that engages and disengages the electromagnetic clutch based upon the temperature sensed by the temperature sensor. 9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the fan brake is engaged and disengaged by the controller based upon the temperature sensed by the temperature sensor.