Abstract:
A viscous fluid type heater is disclosed. The heater has a front housing and a rear housing secured to each other. The front housing has a space in which a first partitioning plate and a second partitioning plate located immovably fitted. A heating chamber that is defined between the first plate and the second plate accommodates viscous fluid. A rotor is rotatably supported in the heating chamber. The rotor rotates and shears the viscous fluid to generate heat. A heat exchange chamber is defined by the first and the second partitioning plates and disposed adjacent to the heating chamber. The heat exchanging chamber allows circulating fluid to flow therethrough so that the circulating fluid is heated by the heat transmitted to the heat exchanging chamber from the heating chamber. A securing structure secures the partitioning plates to the housing and concaves are formed in the outer peripheral surface of the partitioning plates to decrease a contacting area of the outer peripheral surface and the inner peripheral surface.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a vehicle heater, in particular, a vehicle heater having a heating chamber and a heat exchange chamber, the heating chamber having a rotor connected to a drive shaft to shear viscous fluid and produce heat to heat up circulating fluid flowing in the heat exchange chamber. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,573,184 discloses a heater incorporated into a heating device for motor vehicles. The heater, as shown in FIG. 5, is provided with a fixed housing 52, a working chamber 53 therein and a cooling chamber 56 arranged adjacent to the working chamber 53. The fixed housing 52 has a housing cover or lid 52a, a housing floor 52b and an intermediate wall 57. The working chamber 53 and the cooling chamber 56 are defined separately with the intermediate wall 57. The intermediate wall 57 is provided with cooling ribs 57a protruding into the cooling chamber 56. A drive shaft 58 is rotatably supported by a ball bearing 63 on the fixed housing 52. A rotor 54 is fixed to an end of the drive shaft 58 so that the rotor 54 can rotate in the working chamber 53 as an integrated part of the shaft. The working chamber 53 is filled with viscous fluid (e.g., silicone oil) so as to completely cover the gap between outer walls of the rotor 54 and inner walls of the working chamber 53. 
     An inlet connector 68 and an outlet connector 69 are formed on the housing floor 52b. A coolant (circulating water) flows through heater form the inlet connector 68 to the outlet connector 69. 
     An engine transmits the drive force to the drive shaft 58 of the heater via an electromagnetic clutch. The rotor 54 integrally rotates with the drive shaft 58 in the working chamber 53. The viscous fluid between the outer wall of the rotor 54 and the inner wall of the working chamber 53 is then stirred to be shared, generating heat as a result of fluid friction. The heat generated in the working chamber is transmitted via the intermediate wall 57 to the coolant flowing through the cooling chamber 56. This coolant is fed to a heat radiator. 
     The conventional heater has the cooling chamber 56 that is defined by the intermediate wall 57 at the sides of the front wall, the circumferential wall, and the rear wall of the working chamber 53. However, the intermediate wall 57 is not axially and radially aligned with respect to the rotor 54. This makes it difficult, particularly when the rotor 54 is driven at high speed, to keep a slight clearance defined between the outer surfaces of the rotor 54 and the inner wall surfaces of the working chamber 53 constant. 
     The cooling chamber 56 has a front cooling chamber 56a and a rear cooling chamber 56b which are connected to each other by way of the gap adjacent to the circumferential walls of the working chamber 53. The coolant in the rear cooling chamber 56b flows into and from the front cooling chamber 56a via the gap. However, since the gap has a very small width in the radial direction with respect to the rotor 54, the coolant entered the rear cooling chamber 56a through the inlet connector 68, is not able to easily flow into the front cooling chamber 56b. 
     In addition, the coolant reached the rear cooling chamber 56b tends to remain therein and hardly flows back to the front cooling chamber 56a. Accordingly, the circulating passage is not sufficient for the coolant to flow from the inlet connector 68 into the outlet connector 69 while flowing through the respective cooling areas equally. 
     Further, the gap connecting the front cooling chamber 56a with the rear cooling chamber 56b might not be able to maintain its predetermined width because the intermediate wall 57 is not radially positioned with a sufficient accuracy. Therefore, efficient heat exchange between the working chamber 53 and the cooling chamber 56 cannot be expected. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is an objective of the present invention to provide a vehicle heater operable with an improved heat efficiency of the circulating fluid. 
     It is another objective of the present invention to provide a vehicle heater which can prevent a heat loss occurred by emitting a heat generated in the heating chamber via a housing into the air. 
     To achieve the above objectives, an improved viscous fluid type heater is disclosed. The viscous fluid type heater has a housing including an inner peripheral surface, a heating chamber which is defined in the housing and accommodates viscous fluid, a rotor rotatably supported in the heating chamber, wherein said rotor rotates and shears the viscous fluid to generate heat, a heat exchange chamber defined adjacent to the heating chamber within a housing, wherein said heat exchanging chamber allows circulating fluid to flow therethrough so that the circulating fluid is heated by the heat transmitted to the heat exchanging chamber from the heating chamber. The heater further includes partitioning means for partitioning the heating chamber and the heat exchange chamber within the housing, the partitioning means having an outer peripheral surface contacting the inner peripheral surface of the housing, a securing structure that secures said partitioning means to the housing and a concave formed with the outer peripheral surface of the partitioning means to decrease a contacting area of the outer peripheral surface with inner peripheral surface of the housing. 
    
    
     Other aspects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, illustrating by way of example the principals of the invention. 
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The invention, together with objects and advantages thereof, may best be understood by reference to the following description of the presently preferred embodiments together with the accompanying drawings, in which: 
     FIG. 1 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of a vehicle heater according to the first embodiment of the present invention: 
     FIG. 2 is a sectional view along a line 2--2 of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the heater according to the second embodiment of the present invention; 
     FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing a modification of the second embodiment; and 
     FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing a conventional heater. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     A first embodiment of a heater used for a vehicle&#39;s heating device will be described hereinafter with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. 
     As shown FIG. 1, the heater has an outer shell consisting of a front housing 1 and a rear housing 2. The front housing 1 includes a cylindrical, hollow boss 1a and a cylindrical case 1b. The boss 1a extends frontward (toward the left as viewed in the drawing) while the case 1b rearward flared. The rear housing 2 is formed in the shape of a lid covering an opening of the case 1b. The front and rear housings 1, 2 accommodate therebetween a front disk plate 5 and a rear disk plate 6. The front and rear housings 1, 2 are fastened to each other by a plurality of bolts 3. The front housing 1, the rear housing 2 and the section plates 5, 6 are made of aluminum or aluminum alloy. 
     The front plate 5 has an annular rim 5a on its periphery. The end (the left side shown in FIG. 1) of the rim 5a contacts the inner surface of the case 1b. The rear wall of the front plate 5 has annular recesses formed thereon. In other words, the rim 5a has rear end protruding rearward. A channel 5d extends on the outer peripheral surface of the rim 5a along the entire circumferential direction. The front plate 5 has a cylindrical support hub 5b and a plurality of guide fins 5c. The hub 5b projects forward from the central portion of the front plate 5. The guide fins 5c extend concentrically in the circumferential direction along the periphery of the support hub 5b. 
     The rear plate 6 has an annular rim 6a extending along the periphery of the rear plate 6. The rim 6a has an end portion (the right side in FIG. 1) kept in contact with the inner surface of the rear housing 2. A channel 6d extends on the outer peripheral surface of the rim 6a along the entire circumferential direction. The rear plate 6 has an annual protrusion 6b and a plurality of guide fins 6c. The protrusion 6b projects from the central portion of the rear plate 6. The guide fins 6c extend concentrically in the circumferential direction along the periphery of the annual protrusion 6b. 
     Both the plates 5 and 6 are held between walls of housings 1, 2 which are opposed and connected to each other. In this state, the rear end of the rim 5a and the front surface of the rear plate 6 are coupled to each other. Accordingly, the plates 5, 6 are positioned so as to be immovable in the axial direction. Further, the peripheral surfaces of the rims 5a, 6a of the plates 5, 6 contact the inner surface of the cylindrical case 1b. Accordingly, both the plates 5, 6 are positioned so as to be immovable in the radial direction with respect to the front housing 1. Therefore, both the plates 5, 6 are accommodated immovably in the housings 1, 2 in both of the axial and the radial directions. Further, the heating chamber 7 is provided in the area surrounded by a recess formed between the front plate 5 and the rear plate 6. 
     In the state that the front plate 5 is fitted in the front housing 1, a portion of the support hub 5b is in watertight contact with the inner wall of the front housing 1. As a result, an annular front water jacket 8 is defined between the inner wall of the front housing 1 and the body of the front plate 5. The water jacket 9 is positioned in front of the heating chamber 7. The water jacket 8 serves as a heat exchange chamber. In the water jacket 8, the rim 5a, the support hub 5b and the guide fins 5c, and the wall surface of the channel 5d serve as guide walls guiding the flow of coolant as a circulating fluid. The rim 5a, the support hub 5b and the guide fins 5c, and the wall surface of the channel 5d constitute a flow passages for the coolant. The flow passages have different cross sections. The guide fins 5c are spaced by different distances from one another so that the passage remote from the hub 5b has capacity greater than that of the passage close to the hub 5b. 
     In the state that the rear plate 6 is fitted in the front housing 1 together with the front plate 5, the protrusion 6b is in watertight contact with an annular wall 2a of the rear housing 2. As a result, an annular rear water jacket 9 and a sub-oil chamber 10 are respectively defined between the rear housing 2 and the rear plate 6. 
     The rear water jacket 9, serving as the heat exchange chamber, is disposed adjacent to the rear side of the heating chamber 7. The sub-oil chamber, serving as a reservoir, is located in the protrusion 6b. In the rear water jacket 9, the rim 6a, the protrusion 6b and the guide fins 6c, and the wall surface of the circumferential channel 6d serve as guide walls guiding the flow of the coolant. The rim 6a, the protrusion 6b and the guide fins 6c, and the wall surface of the circumferential channel 6d constitute a flow passage for the coolant within the water jacket 9. The flow passages have different cross sections. The guide fins 6c are spaced by different distances from one another so that the passage remote from the hub 6b has capacity greater than that of the passage close to the hub 6b. 
     As shown in FIG. 2, a first port 15 and a second port 16 are vertically arranged on the side wall of the front housing 1. Further, each of the section plates 5, 6 has a horizontal wall 4 extending in its radial direction (only the rear plate 6 is shown in FIG. 2). The wall 4 extends to transverses the respective annual passages defined by the water jackets 8, 9, respectively. The wall 4 distinctly defines an inlet side and an outlet side of the passage, while connecting the inlet side of each passage with the first port 15 and the outlet side or each passage with the second port 16. Pipes 20 and 21 are respectively attached to the first port 15 and the second port 16 for connection to a heating circuit piping provided in the vehicle. 
     As shown in FIG. 1, a drive shaft 13 extending through the front housing 1 and the front plate 5 is rotatably supported by bearings 11, 12. The bearing 12 is provided with a seal and is arranged between the inner surface of the support hub 5b and the outer surface of the drive shaft 13. Thus, the bearing 12 seals the front side of the heating chamber 7. A disk-like rotor 14 is fitted to the rear end of the drive shaft 13 in the heating chamber 7. The rotor 14 rotates integrally with the drive shaft 13. A plurality of through bores 14a extend through the rotor 14 near the periphery of the rotor 14. These bores 14a are equidistantly disposed from an axis of the drive shaft 13 and equianglerly spaced from each other. 
     The sub-oil chamber 10, serving as the reservoir chamber, is defined in the region surrounded by the hub 6b and the front end wall of the rear housing 2. An upper communication bore 6e and a lower communication bore 6f extend axially through the rear plate 6. A guide groove 6g extends radially on the front surface of the rear plate 6. The heating chamber 7 and the sub-oil chamber 10 are connected with each other through the upper and lower bores 6e, 6f. The lower bore 6f has a cross section greater than that of the upper bore 6e. 
     The heating chamber 7 and the sub-oil chamber 10, which are connected with each other via the upper and the lower communication bores 6e and 6f, define a watertight space in the heater housing. A predetermined amount of silicone oil, as viscous fluid, is accommodated in the space. The amount of the silicone oil is determined so that the filling rate at a normal temperature is in the range of 50% to 80% by volume of the space. Nevertheless the space is filled by the filling rate, the silicone oil is, owing to its high viscosity, drawn from the sub-oil chamber 10 via the lower bore 6f and the guide groove 6g during rotation of the rotor 14. The drawn silicone oil can be delivered evenly to the entire slight clearance between the inner wall surface of the heating chamber 7 and the outer surface of the rotor 14. When the silicone oil is charged, the upper bore 6e is located above the surface level of the silicone oil reserved in the sub-oil chamber 10, while the lower bore 6f being below the surface level. 
     A pulley 18 is secured to the front end of the drive shaft 13 by a bolt 17. The pulley 18 is connected to a vehicle engine E, serving as an exterior drive source, by a v-belt B. 
     The operation of the heater will now be described. Before driving the engine E, i.e., when the drive shaft 13 is in a non-operating state, the silicone oil (viscous fluid) in the heating chamber 7 and the sub-oil chamber 10 have the fluid surface level equal to each other. Accordingly, when the drive shaft 13 starts to run, the rotor surface contacts the viscous fluid with its small portion. Therefore, the pulley 18, the drive shaft 13 and the rotor 14 can be driven with a small torque. As the drive shaft 13 and the rotor 14 is rotated integrally, the silicone oil is sheared in the clearance to generate the heat. 
     The heat generated in the heating chamber 7 is transmitted via each of the plates 5, 6 to the circulating coolant flowing through the water jackets 6 and 9. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 2, the circulating water entering each of the water jackets 8, 9 (in FIG. 2, only the rear water jacket 9 is shown), via the first port 15 subsequently flows into each passage. The coolant simultaneously flows into the circumferential channels 5d, 6d since the wall of channels 5d, 6d serve as a guide wall for guiding the circulating water. The coolant flows throughout the passage while moving along the guide wall, and reaches the second port 16. Thus, the heat generated in the heating chamber 7 is thoroughly used for heat transmission, since the circulating water flows into the passage including the outermost circumferential channels 5d, 6d. The heated circulating water is then provided for heating the drivers compartment. 
     The sub-oil chamber 10 communicates the central area of the heating chamber 7 via the upper bore 6e, while the silicone oil in the heating chamber 7 tending to move toward the drive shaft 13 owing to the rotation of the rotor 14 (Weissenberg effect). Therefore, silicone oil moves from the heating chamber 7 into the sub-oil chamber 10 through the upper bore 6e. On the other hand, the weight of the silicone oil collected in the sub-oil chamber 10, and a drawing action of the rotor 14 owing to the high viscosity of the silicone oil cause the silicone oil to be supplied to the heating chamber 7. 
     As mentioned above, the silicone oil is circulated between the heating chamber 7 and the sub-oil chamber 10 when the drive shaft 13 and the rotor 14 are driven. Since the lower bore 6f has an opening larger than that of the upper bore 6e, the heating chamber receives the larger amount of the silicone oil than the sub-oil chamber 10 collects. Accordingly, the silicone oil reserved in the sub-oil chamber 10 is rapidly and smoothly delivered to an outer periphery area of the heating chamber 7 through the guide groove 6g. The silicone oil delivered to the outer peripheral area of the heating chamber then reaches the central portion due to the Weissenberg effect. Therefore, the silicone oil is charged throughout the clearance defined between the outer surface of the rotor 14 and the inner wall surface of the heating chamber 7. 
     The silicone oil collected from the heating chamber 7 to the sub-oil chamber 10 through the upper bore 6e remains in the sub-oil chamber 10 for a time period corresponding to a cycle for the circulation of the silicone oil. The silicone oil is in a high temperature just after collecting from the heating chamber 7. However, the heat is removed from the silicone oil because the heat is partially transmitted to the components defining the sub-oil chamber 10, namely the rear plate 6, while the silicone oil remains in the sub-oil chamber 10. Consequently, the silicone oil in the high temperature is cooled and prevented from its deterioration, which is generally caused by being heated for a excessively long period. 
     The heater has the channels 5d, 6d respectively extending along the entire peripheries of the rims 5a, 6a. The contact area between the outer walls of the plates 5, 6 and the inner walls of the housings 1 and 2 is small in comparison with the plates without the channels 5d and 6d. Thus, heat transmission through the plates 5, 6 to the housings is restrained. Consequently, the heat loss caused by emitting large amount of the heat from the heating chamber 7 into the air can be prevented 
     The inner wall surfaces of the channels 5d, 6d function as guide surfaces for guiding the circulating water which flows throughout the water jackets 8, 9. Accordingly, the circulating water moves and spreads through the channels 5d, 6d, as well as other passages. Therefore, the heat generated in the heating chamber 7 can be thoroughly transmitted to the circulating water with the high heat-exchange-efficiency. At the same time, the heat generated in the silicone oil subjected to the shearing action in the heating chamber 7 is able to be efficiently removed. Accordingly, this prevents the silicone oil from being heated up in excess of a critical temperature, and, thus, results in less deterioration of the silicone oil. 
     The section plates 5, 6 respectively have the outer peripheral walls kept in watertight contact with the inner circumferential walls of the housing. However, the circumferential grooves 5d, 6d minimize the contact area of the plates 5, 6 with the housing bodies 1, 2, while the plates 5, 6 are immovably fitted in the housings. The section plates 5, 6 not only securely define the heating chamber 7 and water jackets 8, 9, but can maintain the slight clearance between the inner surface of the chamber 7 and the outer surface of the rotor 14 even when the rotor 14 rotates at the high speed. In addition, since the flow passage formed in the water jackets 8, 9 allows the effective heat transmission from the heating chamber 7 to the circulating water and the smooth flow of the circulating coolant. 
     Second Embodiment 
     FIG. 3 shows a heat generator according to a second embodiment of the invention. This heat generator is a slight modification of the device described in the first embodiment, emphasizing recesses formed on the plates 5, 6. 
     As shown in FIG. 3, the plates 5, 6 respectively have the grooves 5d, 6d which extend in the circumferential direction on the rim 5a, 6a. It is noted that FIG. 3 merely shows the rear plate 6 and passages formed in the plate. However, the following explanation may be applied to the detailed construction of the plate 5. 
     As shown in FIG. 3, the groove 6d does not extend along the entire circumference of the plate 5, 6. In other words, first sealing portion 22 is provided at first end of the rim 6a and. Likewise, a second sealing portion 23 is formed at a second end of the rim 6a. Thus, the groove 6d forms independent air space extending concentrically with the rim 6a between the inner wall of the case 1b and the peripheral surface of the plates 6. 
     The air in the groove 6d is substantially in a stationary state dislike the circulating water flowing in the groove. The air has a small heat transfer rate in comparison with the water. Accordingly, the heat transmission between the housing 2 and the plate 6 can be restrained more successively. Therefore, according to the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, heat insulating efficiency in the radial direction with respect to the housing 2 can be far improved to prevent a heat emission into the air causing a heat loss. 
     FIG. 4 illustrates a modification of the second embodiment. In the modification, the groove 6d may be divided into a plurality of sections 24. This makes positioning of the both plates 5, 6 more accurate. 
     It in noted that the term &#34;viscous fluid&#34; used herein is not limited to liquids or semi-viscosity fluids having a high viscosity such as silicone oil and may be any kind of medium that generates heat when the shearing effect of the rotor 14 produces fluid friction.