Patent ID: 8701852

Claim:
A fluid-coupling device comprising: a housing having a central axis; a rotor member positioned in said housing and rotatable about said central axis; a working chamber disposed between and at least partially defined by said housing and said rotor member; said housing having a first set of annular lands and channels; said rotor member having a second set of annular lands and channels; said first and second sets of annular lands and channels interdigited with each other and positioned adjacent the outer peripheries of said rotor member and housing; said interdigitized first and second sets of annular lands and channels positioned in said working chamber; a fluid reservoir in said housing; at least one fill port for passage of a fluid from said fluid reservoir to said working chamber; at least one scavenge channel having a scavenge port for passage of a fluid from said working chamber to said fluid reservoir; said at least one inlet port and said at least one scavenge port being positioned adjacent one another in said housing and adjacent said first and second sets of annular lands and channels at a first distance from said central axis; and a valve member rotatable to a first position to prevent flow through said fill port, to a second position to prevent flow through said scavenge port, and to a third position to allow partial flow through said fill port and/or said scavenge port; wherein the volume of flow passage created by said at least one scavenge channel is greater than the volume of flow passage from said at least one fill port to said working chamber; wherein filling of the working chamber with fluid and emptying of the working chamber of fluid are enhanced in a faster manner.