Patent ID: 6394243
Filing Date: 2002-05-28
Classification: F16H

Abstract:
A clutch device comprising: a housing containing a first fluid chamber and a second fluid chamber; a piston of a friction clutch arranged in the housing so as to separate the first fluid chamber from the second fluid chamber, and is axially movable with respect to a housing axis, the friction clutch being actuable by applying a pressure difference between fluid in the first fluid chamber and the second fluid chamber, the friction clutch having friction surfaces arranged in the first fluid chamber, wherein fluid can be supplied to the first fluid chamber and fluid can be removed from the first fluid chamber independent from the fluid pressure in the second fluid chamber in order to conduct frictional heat away from the friction clutch and its friction surfaces; and fluid passages allocated to the friction surfaces through which fluid allocated to the first fluid chamber can flow so that, when a fluid circulation is produced through the first fluid chamber by feeding an amount of fluid into the first fluid chamber and letting a corresponding amount of fluid out of the first fluid chamber, a minimum amount of fluid flows through the fluid passages allocated to the friction surfaces, which fluid passages are in a fixed relationship with the amount of fluid introduced into and removed from the first fluid chamber, the minimum fluid quantity being at least 30% of the fluid quantity supplied to or removed from the first fluid chamber.