Patent ID: 7448483

Claim:
A friction plate adapted for use in a clutch in association with a steel disk having a disk inner peripheral edge, a disk outer peripheral edge, and a disk facing surface, said friction plate comprising: a friction plate facing surface juxtaposed with the disk facing surface, said disk facing surface having at least one predetermined hot spot area; said friction plate facing surface having a plurality of grooves formed therein to carry cooling fluid from one of a friction plate inner peripheral edge and a friction plate outer peripheral edge to the other of said friction plate inner peripheral edge and said friction plate outer peripheral edge to enhance cooling of said steel disk; and said grooves each having a groove inlet cross-sectional area, a groove central cross-sectional area, and a groove outlet cross-sectional area, wherein said groove outlet cross-sectional area is larger than said groove inlet cross-sectional area and said groove central cross-sectional area is larger than said groove outlet cross-sectional area; wherein said groove central cross-sectional area is oriented adjacent the at least one predetermined hot spot area and configured to attain a near-uniform radial temperature distribution across the disk facing surface.