Patent ID: 6089222
Filing Date: 2000-07-18
Classification: F01P,F24V

Abstract:
A viscous heater, comprising:a housing in which a heat-generating chamber and a radiator chamber are formed, said radiator chamber being adjacent to said heat-generating chamber and having an inlet port and an outlet port for circulating a circulating fluid through said radiator chamber;a driving shaft held rotatably to said housing by way of a bearing apparatus;a rotor disposed in said heat-generating chamber for rotation by said driving shaft; anda space between a wall surface of said heat-generating chamber and an outer surface of said rotor for containing viscous fluid for generating heat upon rotation of said rotating rotor;said housing having at least one fin projecting into said radiator chamber to enlarge the surface area of a wall surface constituting said radiator chamber, said fin comprising a plurality of upright walls extending along paths subdividing said radiator chamber into radially spaced branched fluid passages formed along parallel arcuate paths, wherein the widths of said fluid passages are expanded on the outer peripheral side of the passages, to circulate said circulating fluid between said inlet and outlet ports.