Patent ID: 8109375

Claim:
A fan clutch system, comprising: a drive pulley; a clutch device removably mounted to the drive pulley, including: an input portion that is coupled with the drive pulley so that the input portion rotates with the drive pulley at a first speed, an output portion adjustable between a disengaged position and an engaged position so as to frictionally engage the input portion and rotate at the first speed, and a frusto-conical friction interface at least partially defined by engagement between a first friction surface of the input portion and a second friction surface of the output portion that is arranged radially inward of the first friction surface, the frusto-conical friction interface decreasing in radius as the frusto-conical friction interface extends axially away from the drive pulley; and a fan blade device rotationally coupled to the output portion of the clutch device so as to generate a fan thrust load when the output portion frictionally engages the input portion to rotate at the first speed, the fan thrust load urging the output portion in an axial direction away from the drive pulley.