CA1186591A - Hydrodynamic power transmission unit - Google Patents
Hydrodynamic power transmission unitInfo
- Publication number
- CA1186591A CA1186591A CA000410612A CA410612A CA1186591A CA 1186591 A CA1186591 A CA 1186591A CA 000410612 A CA000410612 A CA 000410612A CA 410612 A CA410612 A CA 410612A CA 1186591 A CA1186591 A CA 1186591A
- Authority
- CA
- Canada
- Prior art keywords
- bearings
- disc
- fluid
- impeller
- drive shaft
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Expired
Links
Classifications
-
- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F16—ENGINEERING ELEMENTS AND UNITS; GENERAL MEASURES FOR PRODUCING AND MAINTAINING EFFECTIVE FUNCTIONING OF MACHINES OR INSTALLATIONS; THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL
- F16H—GEARING
- F16H41/00—Rotary fluid gearing of the hydrokinetic type
- F16H41/24—Details
- F16H41/30—Details relating to venting, lubrication, cooling, circulation of the cooling medium
Landscapes
- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
- Hydraulic Clutches, Magnetic Clutches, Fluid Clutches, And Fluid Joints (AREA)
- General Details Of Gearings (AREA)
Abstract
Abstract of the Disclosure A hydrodynamic clutch is provided for driving the cooling fan in an air-cooled internal combustion engine in which drive fluid is metered and injected to the annular portion of the radial clutch. The clutch is mounted to respective shafts, and the shafts are mounted by means of lubricated bearings. A separate oil feed circuit is provided for the bearings, and conduit means evacuate the oil from the bearings through port means in the internal annular portion of the clutch separate from the outer annular portion through port means in the clutch and communicates with conduits evacuating the oil from the bearings to an outlet.
Description
The present inventiQn relates -to a hydrodyn~nic power transmission uni-t, -and more particularly, to a clu-tch comprising a pair of radially extending, bladed, cup-shaped discs, and to means for direc-ting lubricating fluid to the bearings of such a clutch and preventing the in-terference of such lubricating fluid in the drive components of the clutch.
A hydrodynamic clutch is utilized for driving the cooling fan in an air-cooled internal combustion engine in which the drive fluid is metered and injected in the clutch, and the metering of the fluid is controlled by a control unit associated with the engine which varies as a function of the engine operating characteristics as described in copending Canadian patent applica-tion Such hydrodynamic clutches for the purpose of driving cooling fans are, of course, known (German Patent 921,181).
In order to avoid the interference of the lubricating oil into the driving components of the clutch, such clutches are mounted on bearings which do not require lubricating oils, such as roller or needle bearings. However, it has been found that such bearings can be easily contaminated and are not sufficiently wear-proof. These bearings are also expensive.
It is a purpose of the present invention to provide a hydrodynamic power transmission unit, such as a hydrodynamic clutch, which can be mounted using low cost, high wear-resistant bearings which require a continuous supply of lubricating fluid.
It is a further aim of the present invention to provide such a hydrodynarnic power transmission un:it mounted on bearings which require lubricating fluid while preventing the fluid from interferirlg with the drivlng components of the hydrodynamic power transmission unitO
It is a further aim of the present invention to u-tilize -the same fluid for lubricating -the bearings of the hydrodynamic clutch as for driving the clutch while isolating the circulation of fluid to the bearings from the distribution of the fluid under controlled conditions to the impeller disc of the clutch and thus to the turbine disc.
A construction in accordance with the present invention comprises a hydrodynamic power transmission unit having a drive shaft, a radial cup-shaped impeller disc mounted on said drive shaft, the drive shaft being journalled in support bearings, a shaft to be driven being coaxial with said drive shaft and mounted for ro-tation in support hear-ings, a radial cup-shaped -turbine disc mounted Oll said drive shaft and complementing said impeller disc, means for injecting fluid to an annular outer part of said impeller disc under controlled conditions, separate means for feeding such fluid under pressure to said bearings for lubricating said bearings, conduit means for evacuating said fluid from said bearings, port means in an inner annular portion of said impeller and turbine discs, the conduit means communicating with the port means in the impeller disc, conduit means communicating with a fluid outlet and the port means in said turbine disc whereby fluid under pressure is evacuated from said bearings through said conduits and port means to the outlet.
In a more specific embodiment, the turbine disc is provided with an annular recess facing the port means in the impeller, and includes an annular cylindrical surface forming the outer wall of the recess, the impeller disc including an annular rib extending cor-centrically w:ith the outer wall of the recess and within the recess, -the port means in the impeller being located within the confines of the rib, the port means in the turbine disc being within the confines of the recess.
It is evident that if the lubrica-ting fluid, such as oil, is allowed to interfere or otherwise leak to the outer annular portions of the impeller and turbine discs, the power transmission unit will no-t operate in accordance with an otherwise meticulously controlled fashion. If the lubricating oil which is fed under pressure is allowed to interfere between the operative components of the hydro-dynamic transmission means, such as a clutch for a cooling fan motor, the fan will be opera-ted to cool the engine when, in fact, it should not be operated. The advantage of the s-tructural arrangement described above is that i-t allows the completèly separate evacuation of the oil under pressure from the bearings to its outlet towards a common collector reservoir. It also allows the use of oil lubrica-ted bear-ings, thereby reducing the probahility of contarnination of
A hydrodynamic clutch is utilized for driving the cooling fan in an air-cooled internal combustion engine in which the drive fluid is metered and injected in the clutch, and the metering of the fluid is controlled by a control unit associated with the engine which varies as a function of the engine operating characteristics as described in copending Canadian patent applica-tion Such hydrodynamic clutches for the purpose of driving cooling fans are, of course, known (German Patent 921,181).
In order to avoid the interference of the lubricating oil into the driving components of the clutch, such clutches are mounted on bearings which do not require lubricating oils, such as roller or needle bearings. However, it has been found that such bearings can be easily contaminated and are not sufficiently wear-proof. These bearings are also expensive.
It is a purpose of the present invention to provide a hydrodynamic power transmission unit, such as a hydrodynamic clutch, which can be mounted using low cost, high wear-resistant bearings which require a continuous supply of lubricating fluid.
It is a further aim of the present invention to provide such a hydrodynarnic power transmission un:it mounted on bearings which require lubricating fluid while preventing the fluid from interferirlg with the drivlng components of the hydrodynamic power transmission unitO
It is a further aim of the present invention to u-tilize -the same fluid for lubricating -the bearings of the hydrodynamic clutch as for driving the clutch while isolating the circulation of fluid to the bearings from the distribution of the fluid under controlled conditions to the impeller disc of the clutch and thus to the turbine disc.
A construction in accordance with the present invention comprises a hydrodynamic power transmission unit having a drive shaft, a radial cup-shaped impeller disc mounted on said drive shaft, the drive shaft being journalled in support bearings, a shaft to be driven being coaxial with said drive shaft and mounted for ro-tation in support hear-ings, a radial cup-shaped -turbine disc mounted Oll said drive shaft and complementing said impeller disc, means for injecting fluid to an annular outer part of said impeller disc under controlled conditions, separate means for feeding such fluid under pressure to said bearings for lubricating said bearings, conduit means for evacuating said fluid from said bearings, port means in an inner annular portion of said impeller and turbine discs, the conduit means communicating with the port means in the impeller disc, conduit means communicating with a fluid outlet and the port means in said turbine disc whereby fluid under pressure is evacuated from said bearings through said conduits and port means to the outlet.
In a more specific embodiment, the turbine disc is provided with an annular recess facing the port means in the impeller, and includes an annular cylindrical surface forming the outer wall of the recess, the impeller disc including an annular rib extending cor-centrically w:ith the outer wall of the recess and within the recess, -the port means in the impeller being located within the confines of the rib, the port means in the turbine disc being within the confines of the recess.
It is evident that if the lubrica-ting fluid, such as oil, is allowed to interfere or otherwise leak to the outer annular portions of the impeller and turbine discs, the power transmission unit will no-t operate in accordance with an otherwise meticulously controlled fashion. If the lubricating oil which is fed under pressure is allowed to interfere between the operative components of the hydro-dynamic transmission means, such as a clutch for a cooling fan motor, the fan will be opera-ted to cool the engine when, in fact, it should not be operated. The advantage of the s-tructural arrangement described above is that i-t allows the completèly separate evacuation of the oil under pressure from the bearings to its outlet towards a common collector reservoir. It also allows the use of oil lubrica-ted bear-ings, thereby reducing the probahility of contarnination of
2~ the bearings and also increasing bearing efficiency at lower cost. It is also known that pressurized oil luhricated bearings operate at lower noise levels.
It is also noted that the same oil can be used hoth for feeding the bearings and for the controlled fluids for operating the hydrodynamic clutch. The oil can be drawn for both purposes from the same common container and can be collected jointly at the outlet of the conduits from the bearings.
In a more specific embodiment of the present invention, the torque means provided in the turbine disc are in the form of elongated annular openings coinciding with the recess in the turbine disc. F~lrthermore, passa~es in the disc forming the port means may have a configura-tior of increasing cross-section downstream of -the flow of the pressurized oi1 being evacuated from the bearings.
In a still more specific embocliment, -the means for feeding the oil under pressure to the bearings is in the form of an axial bore in the drive shaft with radial passages eommunica-ting the oil under pressure to the bearings.
Having thus generally described -the nature of the invention, referenee will now be made to the aceompanying drawings, showing by way of illustration, a preferred embodiment thereof, and in whieh:
Figure 1 is an axial cross-seetion of a hydro-dynamie power transmission unlt in aceordanee with the presen-t invention and Figure 2 is a radial eross-seetion, taken along line II-II in Figure 1.
A hydrodynamie eluteh 1 for operating a eooling fan in an air-eooled diesel engine is illus-trated in the drawings. The eluteh includes a cup-shaped irnpeller disc 2, a eup-shaped turbine dise 3 complementing the impeller dise. The impeller dise 2 is fixedly mounted to a hollow drive shaft in the form of a gear wheel 4. The turbine dise 3 is fixedly mounted to a drive shaft 5 to be driven by the coupling or cluteh 1. The gear wheel drive shaft 4 may be driven by the internal combustion engine while the drive shaft 5 is direetly connected to the cooling fan (not shown).
A eover 6 having a eentral opening 7 is fixed to the outer periphery of the turbine disc 3 and extencls over the impeller disc 2. The cover 6 acts as a cGllector for collecting the spent oil after the oil has been injected into the clutch. The oil may be drained away from the cover 6 to a cornmon collec-tor (not shown`i.
An injector nozzle 8, as shown in Figure 1, is provided which extends within the opening 7 to inject metered amounts of oil in-to the clutch. The operation of the clutch by oil injected frorn -the injector 8 is, of course, well known.
The gear wheel shaft 4 which drives the impeller disc 2 is concentric with a portion of the drive shaft 5, as shown in Figure 1. Cylindrical bearings 11 support and space the -two concentric shafts and allow for relative rotational movemen-t. The drive shaft 5 is provided wi-th a central bore 12a which communica-tes with radial passages 12 which will be described in more detail. The central bore 12a communicates with feed lines 13 at one end thereof to permit oil under pressure to pass through the bore 12a into the passages 12 to feed the bearings 11 and 9.
An annular passage 14 which has a radial component communicates with the bearings and the space between the gear wheel shaft 4 and the drive shaft 5 -to evacuate the oil under pressure which has been passed through the bearings 9, 11. The passage 14 also has an angled component directed towards the hub portion of the turbine disc 3.
The turbine disc 3 is provided with an annular recess 17 having a cylindrical outer wall surface while the impeller wheel 2 has a rib 16 extending axially therefrom into the recess 17 so that the cylindrical outer surface of the rib 16 and the cylindrical surface of the recess 17 overlap each other. The outlet of the passa~es 14 is within the recess 17 and, therefore, beyond the plane of demarcation between the impeller disc 2 and the turbine disc 3.
The recess communicates with the rear of -the turbine disc throuyh elonga-ted annular por-ts 15. I'he configuration of the por-ts 14 and 15 are shown in Figure 2.
The ports 14 as well as the por-ts 15 can be made such -tha-t they increase gradually in cross-section as one moves downstrearn of -these respective por-ts.
Portions of the engine housing are illustrated at lOa and lOb while the sealing ring 18 seals the oil passages within the clutch from the exterior of the housing.
After the oil passes through the ports 15, :it exits through the radial openings outside of the confines o.E the clutch and i.s allowed to be collected along with the oil which has been directed to the operating parts of the clutch by means of the injector 8. Thus, the above configuration allows the oil destined for the bearings to be kept separate from the operating components of the clutch, that is, the outer annular portion thereof by means of the passages 14 and 15 as well as the overlapping lip or rib 16 with the recess 17. This confi~uration makes it almost impossible for oil fed through the bearings to feed into the outer operating parts of the clutch.
It is also noted that the same oil can be used hoth for feeding the bearings and for the controlled fluids for operating the hydrodynamic clutch. The oil can be drawn for both purposes from the same common container and can be collected jointly at the outlet of the conduits from the bearings.
In a more specific embodiment of the present invention, the torque means provided in the turbine disc are in the form of elongated annular openings coinciding with the recess in the turbine disc. F~lrthermore, passa~es in the disc forming the port means may have a configura-tior of increasing cross-section downstream of -the flow of the pressurized oi1 being evacuated from the bearings.
In a still more specific embocliment, -the means for feeding the oil under pressure to the bearings is in the form of an axial bore in the drive shaft with radial passages eommunica-ting the oil under pressure to the bearings.
Having thus generally described -the nature of the invention, referenee will now be made to the aceompanying drawings, showing by way of illustration, a preferred embodiment thereof, and in whieh:
Figure 1 is an axial cross-seetion of a hydro-dynamie power transmission unlt in aceordanee with the presen-t invention and Figure 2 is a radial eross-seetion, taken along line II-II in Figure 1.
A hydrodynamie eluteh 1 for operating a eooling fan in an air-eooled diesel engine is illus-trated in the drawings. The eluteh includes a cup-shaped irnpeller disc 2, a eup-shaped turbine dise 3 complementing the impeller dise. The impeller dise 2 is fixedly mounted to a hollow drive shaft in the form of a gear wheel 4. The turbine dise 3 is fixedly mounted to a drive shaft 5 to be driven by the coupling or cluteh 1. The gear wheel drive shaft 4 may be driven by the internal combustion engine while the drive shaft 5 is direetly connected to the cooling fan (not shown).
A eover 6 having a eentral opening 7 is fixed to the outer periphery of the turbine disc 3 and extencls over the impeller disc 2. The cover 6 acts as a cGllector for collecting the spent oil after the oil has been injected into the clutch. The oil may be drained away from the cover 6 to a cornmon collec-tor (not shown`i.
An injector nozzle 8, as shown in Figure 1, is provided which extends within the opening 7 to inject metered amounts of oil in-to the clutch. The operation of the clutch by oil injected frorn -the injector 8 is, of course, well known.
The gear wheel shaft 4 which drives the impeller disc 2 is concentric with a portion of the drive shaft 5, as shown in Figure 1. Cylindrical bearings 11 support and space the -two concentric shafts and allow for relative rotational movemen-t. The drive shaft 5 is provided wi-th a central bore 12a which communica-tes with radial passages 12 which will be described in more detail. The central bore 12a communicates with feed lines 13 at one end thereof to permit oil under pressure to pass through the bore 12a into the passages 12 to feed the bearings 11 and 9.
An annular passage 14 which has a radial component communicates with the bearings and the space between the gear wheel shaft 4 and the drive shaft 5 -to evacuate the oil under pressure which has been passed through the bearings 9, 11. The passage 14 also has an angled component directed towards the hub portion of the turbine disc 3.
The turbine disc 3 is provided with an annular recess 17 having a cylindrical outer wall surface while the impeller wheel 2 has a rib 16 extending axially therefrom into the recess 17 so that the cylindrical outer surface of the rib 16 and the cylindrical surface of the recess 17 overlap each other. The outlet of the passa~es 14 is within the recess 17 and, therefore, beyond the plane of demarcation between the impeller disc 2 and the turbine disc 3.
The recess communicates with the rear of -the turbine disc throuyh elonga-ted annular por-ts 15. I'he configuration of the por-ts 14 and 15 are shown in Figure 2.
The ports 14 as well as the por-ts 15 can be made such -tha-t they increase gradually in cross-section as one moves downstrearn of -these respective por-ts.
Portions of the engine housing are illustrated at lOa and lOb while the sealing ring 18 seals the oil passages within the clutch from the exterior of the housing.
After the oil passes through the ports 15, :it exits through the radial openings outside of the confines o.E the clutch and i.s allowed to be collected along with the oil which has been directed to the operating parts of the clutch by means of the injector 8. Thus, the above configuration allows the oil destined for the bearings to be kept separate from the operating components of the clutch, that is, the outer annular portion thereof by means of the passages 14 and 15 as well as the overlapping lip or rib 16 with the recess 17. This confi~uration makes it almost impossible for oil fed through the bearings to feed into the outer operating parts of the clutch.
Claims (6)
1. A hydrodynamic power transmission unit comprising a drive shaft, a radial cup-shaped impeller disc mounted on said drive shaft, the drive shaft being journalled by support bearings, a shaft to be driven being coaxial with said drive shaft and mounted for rotation by support bearings, a radial cup-shaped turbine disc mounted on said shaft to be driven and the disc complementing said impeller disc, means for injecting fluid to an annular outer part of the impeller disc under controlled conditions, separate means for feeding such fluid under pressure to said bearings for lubricating said bearings, conduit means for evacuating said fluid from said bearings, port means in an inner annular portion of said impeller and turbine discs, the conduit means communicating with the port means in the impeller disc, further conduit means communicating with a fluid outlet and the port means in the turbine disc whereby the fluid under pressure is evacuated from said bearings through said conduits and port means to the outlet.
2. A hydrodynamic power transmission unit as defined in claim 1, wherein the turbine disc is provided with an annular recess facing the port means provided in the impeller disc, the impeller disc including an annular rib extending within the confines of the recess in the turbine disc, the port means in the impeller being located within the confines of the rib, and the port means in the turbine disc being within the confines of the recess.
3. An apparatus as defined in claim 2, wherein the port means in the turbine disc are elongated annular openings.
4. A hydrodynamic power transmission unit as defined in claim 1, wherein the ports in the impeller and in the turbine discs gradually increase in cross-section downstream of the flow of fluid.
5. A hydrodynamic power transmission unit as defined in claim 1, in the form of a clutch for driving an air-cooling fan for an internal combustion engine, wherein the drive shaft is driven by the internal combustion engine, and a hydraulic fluid injector is provided for supplying the fluid to the outer annular portion of the disc, the injector being controlled by auxiliary means.
6. A hydrodynamic power transmission unit as defined in claims 1 and 2, wherein the shaft to be driven is concen-tric with the drive shaft and a central bore is provided in the shaft to be driven communication with radial passages to distribute fluid under pressure to the bearings supporting the drive shaft relative to the shaft to be driven, and feed means communicating with the central bore for supplying lubricating fluid to the bearings through the central bore in the shaft to be driven.
Priority Applications (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA000410612A CA1186591A (en) | 1982-09-01 | 1982-09-01 | Hydrodynamic power transmission unit |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA000410612A CA1186591A (en) | 1982-09-01 | 1982-09-01 | Hydrodynamic power transmission unit |
Publications (1)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| CA1186591A true CA1186591A (en) | 1985-05-07 |
Family
ID=4123515
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA000410612A Expired CA1186591A (en) | 1982-09-01 | 1982-09-01 | Hydrodynamic power transmission unit |
Country Status (1)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| CA (1) | CA1186591A (en) |
Cited By (1)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WO2009102263A1 (en) * | 2008-02-12 | 2009-08-20 | Scania Cv Ab (Publ) | Apparatus for driving a cooling fan |
-
1982
- 1982-09-01 CA CA000410612A patent/CA1186591A/en not_active Expired
Cited By (1)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WO2009102263A1 (en) * | 2008-02-12 | 2009-08-20 | Scania Cv Ab (Publ) | Apparatus for driving a cooling fan |
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Legal Events
| Date | Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| MKEC | Expiry (correction) | ||
| MKEX | Expiry |