Patent ID: 7278524

Claim:
An electronically controlled fluid coupling device comprising: an output member including a center shaft; an input member bearing mounted around said output member, said input member comprising a body and a cover; a stationary housing member bering mounted to said input member; a rotor member mounted to said output member and contained within said cover and said body, said body and said rotor defining a working chamber; a reservoir plate member mounted to said input member, said reservoir plate having a fill port; a fluid reservoir defined between said reservoir plate and said cover, said fluid reservoir having a quantity of viscous fluid; a fluid chamber defined between said reservoir plate and said rotor, said fluid chamber fluidically coupled to said working chamber and fluidically coupled to said fluid reservoir through said fill port; an armature subassembly coupled to said input member, said armature subassembly moveable to any of an infinite number of positions between a first position, a midlevel position, and a second position; a valve member coupled to said moveable armature subassembly, said valve member capable of covering said fill port when said armature subassembly is in said second position, therein preventing flow of said quantity of viscous fluid from said fluid reservoir to said fluid chamber, said valve member capable of partially covering said fill port when said armature is in said midlevel position, therein allowing partial flow of said quantity of viscous fluid from said fluid reservoir to said working chamber to partially engage said rotor and said output mentor, and said valve member capable of substantially uncovering said fill port when said armature is in said first position, thereby allowing full flow of viscous fluid to said fluid chamber; an electromagnetic subassembly mounted to said stationary housing member; a power source electrically coupled to said electromagnetic subassembly; and a controller electrically coupled to said power source, said controller directing said power source to provide an electrical current to said electromagnetic subassembly, wherein said electromagnetic subassembly induces a magnetic field in response to said electrical current, wherein said armature valve subassembly can move from said first position to said midlevel position to said second position depending upon the strength of said magnetic field.