Patent ID: 7237665

Claim:
A clutch assembly for a fan drive system of an engine, said clutch assembly comprising: a translatable clutch housing; a coupling element comprising heat sink material adapted for absorbing and transferring thermal energy; a rotatable shaft having a grooved thermal energy transfer portion that is coupled to a thermally conductive drive pulley of said engine via said coupling element; said grooved thermal energy transfer portion of said shaft having a cross-sectional shaft width that is approximately equal to or greater than a quarter surface area attachment width of said drive pulley, and said quarter surface area attachment width being defined as a band width of a contact surface between said rotatable shaft and said drive pulley; and an engageable liner residing between said rotatable shaft and said translatable clutch housing; whereby thermal energy generated during engagement of said liner between said rotatable shaft and said translatable clutch housing is transferred through said grooved thermal energy transfer portion of said shaft and to said drive pulley via said coupling element.