Patent ID: 6840040

Claim:
A hydrodynamic coupling, comprising: a pump blade wheel and a turbine blade wheel, which together form at least one toroidal operating space capable of receiving an operating medium; a bell-shaped housing containing said pump blade wheel at least partially in an axial direction, said housing, said pump blade wheel, and said turbine blade wheel forming an intermediate space between said housing and said pump blade wheel and between said housing and said turbine blade wheel; said pump blade wheel defining at least one connection channel between said toroidal operating space and said intermediate space, said connection channel having at least one directional component oriented essentially tangential to the contour of the circulation of said operating medium in an operating state between said pump blade wheel and said turbine blade wheel, such that a rinsing effect of the operating medium is achieved in the intermediate space, wherein said connection channel is oriented in the direction of the circulation contour of the flow circulation of the operating medium in said operating state between said pump blade wheel and said turbine blade wheel.