Patent ID: 7083032
Filing Date: 2006-08-01
Classification: F16D

Abstract:
1. An electronically controlled fluid coupling device comprising: an output member including a center shaft; an input member bearing mounted around said output member, said input member comprising a body and a cover; a stationary waterpump housing assembly bearing mounted to said input member; a rotor mounted to said output member and contained within said cover and said body, said body and said rotor defining a working chamber; a reservoir plate mounted to said input member, said reservoir plate having a fill port: a fluid reservoir defined between said reservoir plate and said cover, said fluid reservoir having a quantity of viscous fluid; a fluid chamber defined between said reservoir plate and said rotor, said fluid chamber fluidically coupled to said working chamber and fluidically coupled to said fluid reservoir through said fill port; a rotatable armature subassembly coupled to said input member, said rotatable armature subassembly rotatable to any of an infinite number of positions between a first position, a midlevel position, and a second position; a valve arm fixedly coupled to said rotatable armature subassembly, said valve arm capable of covering said fill port when said rotatable armature subassembly is in said second position, therein preventing flow of said quantity of viscous fluid from said fluid reservoir to said fluid chamber, said valve arm capable of partially covering said fill port when said rotatable armature is in said midlevel position, therein allowing partial flow of said quantity of viscous fluid from said fluid reservoir to said working chamber to partially engage said rotor and said output member; an electromagnetic subassembly mounted to said stationary waterpump housing; a power source electrically coupled to said electromagnetic subassembly; a controller electrically coupled to said power source, said controller directing said power source to provide an electrical current to said electromagnetic subassembly, wherein said electromagnetic subassembly induces a magnetic field in response to said electrical current, wherein said armature valve subassembly rotates from said first position to said midlevel position to said second position depending upon a strength of said magnetic field.