Patent ID: 7891474

Claim:
A magneto-rheological (MR) brake-clutch comprising: a drive member; a driven member spaced from the drive member such that a gap is defined between the drive and driven members; a first quantity of MR fluid disposed in the gap defined between the drive and driven members; a brake assembly defining a chamber having a second quantity of MR fluid disposed therein and having a braking structure positioned in the chamber and connected to the driven member; and a magnetic field generation assembly configured to selectively apply a magnetic field to the first quantity of MR fluid for controlling engagement of the driven member with the drive member, the magnetic field generation assembly being configured to selectively apply a magnetic field to the second quantity of MR fluid for controlling engagement of the braking structure with the brake assembly to brake the driven member, and the magnetic field generation assembly comprising a magnet selectively positionable at first and second positions, wherein the magnet is configured in the first position for applying the magnetic field to the first quantity of MR fluid to thereby engage the driven member with the drive member, and wherein the magnet is configured in the second position for applying the magnetic field to the second quantity of MR fluid to thereby engage the braking structure with the brake assembly to thereby brake the driven member.