WO2019059156A1

WO2019059156A1 - Fan clutch

Info

Publication number: WO2019059156A1
Application number: PCT/JP2018/034384
Authority: WO
Inventors: 伊藤　晴康; 智久保田; 勝実丹澤
Original assignee: 臼井国際産業株式会社
Priority date: 2017-09-22
Filing date: 2018-09-18
Publication date: 2019-03-28
Also published as: JP2019056476A

Abstract

The purpose of the present invention is to provide a fan clutch which is capable of inhibiting vibration generated following vibration of an engine. This fan clutch is provided with: an input-side rotation member (10) which is rotationally driven by an engine; an output-side rotation member (20) which is supported so as to be capable of rotating with respect to the input-side rotation member (10), and which rotates as a result of the transmission of the rotation of the input-side rotation member (10) through a viscous fluid; and a fan (40) which is attached to the output-side rotation member (20). The output-side rotation member (20) has, attached thereto, a weight member (50) provided with a damping material (51), and a weight (52) supported on the damping material (51).

Description

Fan clutch

The present invention relates to a fan clutch used in a cooling system of an engine.

Conventionally, a drive shaft rotationally driven by an engine, a drive disk fixed to the drive shaft, and a drive disk rotatably supported with respect to the drive shaft and containing a drive disk and a viscous fluid, the rotation of the drive disk is viscous A fan clutch is known that includes a clutch case that is rotated by being transmitted through a fluid and a fan attached to the clutch case (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 9-287626

By the way, in the conventional fan clutch, since the drive shaft is rotationally driven by the engine, the vibration of the engine is transmitted from the drive shaft to the drive disk or transmitted from the drive shaft to the clutch case via the case support position. The entire clutch vibrates. At this time, when the natural frequency of the fan clutch is close to a frequency such as engine vibration, there arises a problem that the fan clutch resonates to increase the vibration.

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a fan clutch capable of suppressing vibration caused by engine vibration or the like.

In order to achieve the above object, according to the present invention, an input-side rotation member rotationally driven by an engine and an input-side rotation member are rotatably supported, and rotation of the input-side rotation member is through viscous fluid. A fan clutch comprising an output side rotating member that is transmitted and rotated, and a fan attached to the output side rotating member, wherein the output side rotating member is provided with a damping material and a mass body supported by the damping material. A weight member is attached.

Therefore, in the present invention, when vibration is input from the engine, the damping material provided on the output side rotation member exerts the function of the attenuator, and the mass supported by the damping material is the function of the mass (weight) Can reduce the vibration transmitted from the engine.

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a fan clutch of Example 1; FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a fan of Example 1; FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a mounting bracket used for the fan of Example 1; FIG. 7 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a fan clutch of Example 2; FIG. 10 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a fan clutch of Example 3; FIG. 13 is a longitudinal sectional view of a fan clutch showing a modified example of the weight member of the second embodiment. FIG. 21 is a longitudinal sectional view of a fan clutch showing a first modification of the weight member of the third embodiment. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the fan clutch which shows the 2nd modification of the weight member of Example 3. FIG. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the fan clutch which shows the 3rd modification of the weight member of Example 3. FIG.

Hereinafter, modes for carrying out the fan clutch of the present invention will be described based on Examples 1 to 3 shown in the drawings.

Example 1
First, the configuration of the fan clutch in the first embodiment will be described based on FIGS. 1 and 2.

The fan clutch 1 according to the first embodiment is a temperature-sensitive viscous coupling applied to a cooling fan of a radiator mounted on a vehicle. As shown in FIG. 1, the fan clutch 1 is rotatably supported by an input side rotation member 10 rotationally driven by the engine and a bearing 30 with respect to the input side rotation member 10, and also has an input side rotation. An output side rotation member 20 is provided to rotate by receiving rotation of the member 10 via a viscous fluid, and a fan 40 attached to the output side rotation member 20.

Here, the input side rotation member 10 is coupled to a pulley shaft (not shown) of an engine (not shown), and the drive shaft 11 is rotationally driven by rotation of the pulley shaft and the drive disk 12 fixed to the drive shaft 11 And.

The drive shaft 11 has a flange 11a at its base, and this flange 11a is abutted against the end of the pulley shaft and is tightened with a plurality of bolts and nuts (not shown). Thus, the drive shaft 11 is integrally coupled to the pulley shaft. The drive shaft 11 may be directly connected to a crankshaft of the engine.

The drive disc 12 is a disc member made of aluminum or iron in which a through hole 12a is formed at the center. In the drive disk 12, the tip end portion 11b of the drive shaft 11 in which serrations are formed is press-fitted into the through hole 12a, and the convex portion of the serration plastically deforms and bites the inner peripheral surface of the through hole 12a. It is fixed to 11. At this time, the drive shaft 11 and the through hole 12a can be integrally rotated by the deformation of the inner peripheral surface of the through hole 12a. In addition, as a method of fixing the drive disk 12, the tip end portion 11b of the drive shaft 11 may be strongly press-fitted (tightly fitted) into the through hole 12a. Further, a male screw groove is formed at the tip end portion 11b of the drive shaft 11, a female screw groove is formed inside the through hole 12a, and the male screw groove and the female screw groove are screwed together to fix the drive disk 12. It is also good. In either case, the drive disk 12 may be fixed to the drive shaft 11 via a lock nut (not shown) in order to back up the fixed state of the drive disk 12.
Further, the drive disk 12 has a disk-side labyrinth groove 12 c formed on a torque transmission surface 12 b facing the second clutch case 22 described later of the output-side rotation member 20. The disk-side labyrinth groove 12 c may be formed on both sides of the drive disk 12. Furthermore, the surface of the drive disk 12 may be flat and the labyrinth groove may not be formed.
The drive disk 12 is not limited to aluminum or iron. For example, it may be formed of a metal such as magnesium, steel or copper, or a heat resistant resin such as polyphenylene sulfide resin.

The output side rotation member 20 is fixed to the first clutch case 21 rotatably supported by the drive shaft 11 and the first clutch case 21, and the drive disk 12 and the viscous fluid are interposed between the first clutch case 21 and the output side rotation member 20. And a second clutch case 22 that forms an internal space K that accommodates the The first and

second clutch cases

21 and 22 form a clutch case. Moreover, "viscous fluid" is silicone oil, for example.

The first clutch case 21 is a disc member made of an aluminum alloy in which a through hole 21a is formed at the center. The drive shaft 11 passes through the through hole 21 a via the bearing 30. Thus, the bearing 30 is interposed between the drive shaft 11 and the first clutch case 21, and the first clutch case 21 is rotatably supported on the drive shaft 11.

Here, the bearing 30 is disposed between the inner ring 30a fitted to the outer peripheral surface of the drive shaft 11, the outer ring 30b fitted to the inside of the through hole 21a of the first clutch case 21, and the inner ring 30a and the outer ring 30b. And a plurality of rolling elements 30c held by a cage (not shown). The bearing 30 is disposed between the step portion 11 c formed on the outer peripheral surface of the drive shaft 11 and the drive disk 12, and is positioned in the axial direction.

The second clutch case 22 is a plate-shaped member made of an aluminum alloy that covers the drive disk 12, and the peripheral flange portion 22 a is fixed to the peripheral portion of the first clutch case 21 via a bolt B. Thereby, the first clutch case 21 and the second clutch case 22 are integrally rotatable. Further, in the second clutch case 22, the fan 40 is bolted to the peripheral flange portion 22a, and a case-side labyrinth groove 22c is formed at a position facing the disc-side labyrinth groove 12c of the inner side surface 22b.
The second clutch case 22 and the first clutch case 21 are not limited to those made of aluminum alloy. For example, it may be formed of a metal such as magnesium, steel or copper, or a heat resistant resin such as polyphenylene sulfide resin.

The internal space K is partitioned by a partition wall 24 provided therein into a torque transfer chamber 24 a in which the drive disk 12 is disposed and an oil chamber 24 b. Here, the case-side labyrinth groove 22c is formed in the torque transfer chamber 24a.

The partition wall 24 is a disk member whose peripheral edge portion is fixed to the inner side surface 22 b of the second clutch case 22. An opening 24 c is formed in the partition wall 24, and the torque transfer chamber 24 a and the oil chamber 24 b communicate with each other through the opening 24 c to allow viscous fluid to flow. Further, the second clutch case 22 is formed with an oil circulation passage 24d having one opening open to the torque transfer chamber 24a and the other opening open to the oil chamber 24b. That is, the torque transfer chamber 24a and the oil chamber 24b communicate with each other via the oil circulation path 24d.

Then, a piston member 23a penetrates the center of the second clutch case 22 so as to be movable in the axial direction. One end of the piston member 23a protruding from the internal space K to the outside contacts the curved center of the plate-like bimetal 23, and the other end of the piston member 23a inserted into the internal space K contacts a valve 25 described later doing. That is, the piston member 23 a is disposed between the bimetal 23 and the valve 25. A sealing material (not shown) is provided between the piston member 23a and the second clutch case 22 to prevent the leakage of the viscous fluid.

The valve 25 is formed by a plate spring. One end of the valve 25 is fixed to the surface of the partition wall 24 on the oil chamber 24b side by caulking or the like, the tip of the piston member 23a is in contact with the intermediate portion, and the other end is opposed to the opening 24c. The valve 25 always exerts a spring force in the direction in which the other end is away from the opening 24c, but is pressed by the flat bimetal 23 via the piston member 23a to close the opening 24c.

On the other hand, the bimetal 23 is formed in a strip-like flat plate shape here, and both ends in the longitudinal direction are fixed to the surface of the second clutch case 22. Then, according to the ambient temperature of the front surface of the fan clutch 1 (the front of the bimetal 23) which is the air temperature after passing through the radiator, the bimetal 23 is a direction in which the central portion in the longitudinal direction is separated from the second clutch case 22 from the flat state. It is curved and deformed. Then, the piston member 23 a moves in the axial direction along with the bending deformation of the bimetal 23. The valve 25 opens the opening 24c according to the movement distance of the piston member 23a when the piston member 23a moves.
Specifically, when the ambient temperature is low, the bimetal 23 has a small deflection and becomes flat and resists the spring force of the valve 25 and restricts the axial movement of the piston member 23a. Thereby, the valve 25 is held down via the piston member 23a, and the opening 24c is closed. Further, when the ambient temperature is high, the bimetal 23 is bent and deformed in the direction away from the second clutch case 22, and the pressing force transmitted to the valve 25 through the piston member 23a is reduced. Thereby, the valve 25 is separated from the partition wall 24 by its own spring force, and the opening 24 c is opened.
As described above, the bimetal 23 opens and closes the opening 24 c by the valve 25 according to the ambient temperature, and adjusts the flow rate of the viscous fluid returned from the oil chamber 24 b to the torque transmission chamber 24 a. Then, by adjusting the circulation amount of the viscous fluid, the torque transmitted from the drive disk 12 to the second clutch case 22 changes.
In the first embodiment, the bimetal 23 has a strip-like flat plate shape, but a temperature sensitive spiral spring may be used.

As shown in FIG. 2A, the fan 40 has a cylindrical resin-made boss portion 41 fitted to the output side rotation member 20, and a large number of wing portions 42 formed to project radially from the outer peripheral surface of the boss portion 41. And a mounting bracket 43 fixed to the inside of the boss portion 41.
Here, as shown in FIG. 2B, the mounting bracket 43 extends from the one end of the insert portion 43a to the inside of the boss portion 41 from the cylindrical insert portion 43a extending in the axial direction of the boss portion 41 and embedded in the boss portion 41. It is comprised from the fixed part 43b extended. Further, a large number of openings 43c aligned in the circumferential direction are formed in the insert portion 43a.

In addition, as the fan 40, the boss | hub part 41 and the wing | blade part 42 may be all steel fans made of metal, and the attachment bracket 43 may be a disk-shaped flat plate. In addition, the mounting bracket 43 may not be provided, and the boss 41 may be directly fixed to the output side rotation member 20.

The mounting bracket 43 is fixed to the peripheral flange portion 22a of the second clutch case 22 by the bolt B penetrating the bolt hole 43d formed in the fixing portion 43b, and the fan 40 is mounted to the output side rotation member 20. Here, as shown in FIG. 1, the bolt B is also used as a bolt for fixing the second clutch case 22 to the first clutch case 21.
The bolt B for fixing the fan 40 to the output side rotation member 20 and the bolt for fixing the second clutch case 22 to the first clutch case 21 may be separately provided. Furthermore, when fixing the second clutch case 22 to the first clutch case 21, the second clutch case 22 may be fixed by seaming processing without using a bolt.

Further, in the fan clutch 1 of the first embodiment, the weight member 50 is attached to the first clutch case 21 that constitutes the output side rotation member 20. The weight member 50 includes a damping material 51 and a mass body 52 supported by the damping material 51.

The damping member 51 is a rubber sheet member which is affixed and fixed to the rear surface 21b of the first clutch case 21 using screws, caulking, an adhesive agent, etc., which are not shown, and which can damp the vibration input from the engine. The damping member 51 has a ring shape centering on the through hole 21 a and is disposed along the outer edge of the first clutch case 21.
The rear surface 21b of the first clutch case 21 is a surface facing the pulley shaft of the engine. Moreover, as a method of fixing the damping material 51 to the first clutch case 21, in addition to using an adhesive, it may be fixed using a screw or the like.

The mass body 52 is a ring-shaped metal plate adhesively fixed to the surface of the damping material 51 and has a weight that affects the vibration of the drive shaft 11. The mass 52 covers the entire surface of the damping material 51.

Next, the operation will be described. First, the vibration task of the fan clutch will be described, and subsequently, the operation of the fan clutch 1 of the first embodiment will be described by being divided into "a basic operation of the fan clutch" and a "vibration suppression operation".

[Vibration task of fan clutch]
When rotationally driving the fan that cools the radiator using the rotational force of the engine, a fan clutch is placed between the engine and the fan to control the number of revolutions of the fan according to the air temperature etc after passing through the radiator. ing.

The fan clutch includes an input-side rotating member rotationally driven by the engine, and an output-side rotating member on which a fan is attached while the rotation of the input-side rotating member is transmitted via the viscous fluid to rotate. Viscous coupling. Here, the output side rotation member is rotatably supported on the input side rotation member via, for example, a bearing (rolling bearing).

On the other hand, in this fan clutch, vibration from the engine is always input to the input side rotation member while the engine is driven. In addition, since the output side rotation member is supported by the input side rotation member via the bearing, the vibration input from the engine to the input side rotation member is always input also to the output side rotation member via the bearing. It becomes.
Furthermore, if there is eccentricity that occurred when the fan clutch was attached, or if the attachment surface shakes due to attachment when the attachment surface of the fan clutch is inclined, the side opposite to engine vibration (that is, Vibration is applied to the drive shaft from the fan clutch side). As a result, the entire fan clutch including the drive shaft vibrates.

On the other hand, as a general design for the purpose of vibration suppression, the outer diameter of the drive shaft of the input side rotation member is increased in consideration of vibration resistance, the weight of the entire fan clutch is reduced, and the fan clutch It is conceivable to move the center of gravity of the lens to the center position of the bearing. Furthermore, it is conceivable to achieve vibration suppression by preventing eccentricity at the time of fan clutch attachment and improving the accuracy of the clutch mounting surface.
However, depending on the state (frequency or the like) of the vibration input from the engine connected to the fan clutch, appropriate vibration suppression can not be performed, and something more than the expected vibration may be generated. That is, the vibration characteristics differ depending on the size and type of the engine, variations in individual performance, the use environment, and the weight of the fan and the fan clutch. Therefore, in order to perform appropriate vibration suppression, it is necessary to enable fine specification adjustment.

[Basic operation of fan clutch]
FIG. 1 shows the fan clutch 1 in the cold state when the engine is stopped. In this state, the opening 24 c formed in the partition wall 24 is closed by the valve 25. When the engine is driven from such a state and the pulley shaft is rotated, in the fan clutch 1 of the first embodiment, the drive shaft 11 coupled to the pulley shaft is integrally rotationally driven. Then, the drive disk 12 rotates with the drive shaft 11. At this time, the viscous fluid in the torque transfer chamber 24 a flows to the oil chamber 24 b through the oil circulation path 24 d by the action of the centrifugal force generated by the rotation of the drive disk 12.

However, when the ambient temperature is low, the bimetal 23 does not deform, so the piston member 23a does not move from the state pressing the valve 25, and the opening 24c remains closed by the valve 25. Therefore, the viscous fluid is only recovered to the oil chamber 24b by the centrifugal force caused by the rotation of the drive disk 12, and is not supplied to the torque transfer chamber 24a. As a result, the amount of viscous fluid between the disk-side labyrinth groove 12c and the case-side labyrinth groove 22c becomes small and the shear resistance becomes small, so that torque transmission from the drive disk 12 to the second clutch case 22 is hardly performed. The rotation speed of the output side rotation member 20 does not increase. That is, the rotational speed of the fan 40 does not increase.

On the other hand, when the ambient temperature starts to rise, the temperature sensitive bimetal 23 bends to move the piston member 23a in the axial direction, the pressure on the valve 25 weakens, and the opening 24c starts to open. Therefore, the viscous fluid in the oil chamber 24b flows into the torque transfer chamber 24a through the opening 24c. As a result, the amount of viscous fluid between the disk-side labyrinth groove 12c and the case-side labyrinth groove 22c increases, and a large shear resistance due to the viscosity of the viscous fluid is generated between the disk-side labyrinth groove 12c and the case-side labyrinth groove 22c. Occurs.

Then, the rotational torque of the input side rotation member 10 is transmitted to the output side rotation member 20 by the shearing resistance. Thereby, the output side rotation member 20 rotates with the rotation of the input side rotation member 10, and the number of rotations of the fan 40 increases.
The viscous fluid that has passed between the disk-side labyrinth groove 12c and the case-side labyrinth groove 22c is returned to the oil chamber 24b through the oil circulation path 24d by the action of the centrifugal force generated by the rotation of the drive disk 12. .

[Vibration suppression effect]
In the fan clutch 1 of the first embodiment, vibration from the engine is always input to the drive shaft 11 while the engine is being driven. That is, vibration from the engine is always transmitted to the input side rotation member 10 having the drive shaft 11 and the drive disk 12.

On the other hand, the first clutch case 21 which is the output side rotation member 20 is supported by the drive shaft 11 via a bearing 30. Therefore, the vibration input from the engine to the drive shaft 11 is transmitted to the first clutch case 21 via the bearing 30. As a result, vibration from the engine is always input also to the output-side rotation member 20 having the first clutch case 21 and the second clutch case 22 fixed to the first clutch case 21.

Furthermore, if there is imbalance (eccentricity or inclination) at the time of attachment of the fan clutch 1, the first clutch case 21 and the second clutch case 22 vibrate as the fan 40 rotates. This vibration is input to the drive shaft 11 via the bearing 30.

On the other hand, in the first embodiment, the weight member 50 is attached to the first clutch case 21. Therefore, the amplitude energy of the vibration input to the first clutch case 21 is temporarily stored in the damping member 51 of the weight member 50. Then, the amplitude energy stored in the damping material 51 is released at the time of reverse amplitude oscillating in the reverse direction. That is, the damping material 51 exhibits the function of the attenuator, and the vibration of the first clutch case 21 can be suppressed.

Further, by attaching the weight member 50 having the mass body 52 to the first clutch case 21, the weight of the first clutch case 21 changes. Therefore, the natural frequency of the first clutch case 21 changes. Thus, it is possible to prevent the first clutch case 21 from resonating with the vibration transmitted from the engine to the drive shaft 11 and transmitted to the first clutch case 21 through the bearing 30.

As a result, when vibration input from the engine occurs, the fan clutch 1 is prevented from resonating, and an increase in vibration input to the fan clutch 1 can be suppressed. Then, the increase in the vibration of the fan clutch 1 is suppressed, whereby damage to the drive shaft 11 due to an increase in stress repeatedly applied to the root portion of the drive shaft 11 in a cantilever state, component parts of the fan clutch 1 (bearing 30 and fan 40 etc.) can be suppressed. Therefore, the load imposed on the fan clutch 1 can be reduced. It is also effective in reducing noise due to vibration.

Further, by attaching the weight member 50 to the first clutch case 21 of the output side rotation member 20, this weight member 50 can also be applied to mass production, and is retrofitted separately from the structure of the fan clutch 1 It can also be done. Thereby, the delicate specification adjustment of the weight member 50 can be easily performed according to the vibration characteristics which differ depending on the engine performance, the use environment, the fan clutch 1, the fan 40, and the like. In other words, the combination of the damping material 51 and the mass 52 that is most suitable for suppressing the vibration using CAE (computer aided engineering) under the required vibration condition is predicted or evaluated by evaluation experimentally. It becomes possible to set the weight member 50 appropriately. As a result, appropriate vibration suppression can be easily achieved.

Furthermore, in the first embodiment, by attaching the weight member 50 to the first clutch case 21 of the output side rotation member 20, the drive shaft 11 can be surrounded by the weight member 50, and the weight member 50 can be used even in a small space. 50 can be attached to take measures against vibration. Further, the weight, the spring constant, and the like of the weight member 50 can be set in consideration of the vibration state with respect to the entire fan clutch 1. Therefore, it is possible to efficiently suppress the increase in vibration.

Next, the effects will be described.
In the fan clutch 1 of the first embodiment, the following effects can be obtained.

(1) The input side rotation member 10 rotationally driven by the engine,
An output-side rotation member 20 which is rotatably supported with respect to the input-side rotation member 10 and which transmits rotation of the input-side rotation member 10 via a viscous fluid to rotate;
And a fan 40 attached to the output side rotation member 20,
A weight member 50 having a damping material 51 and a mass body 52 supported by the damping material 51 is attached to the output side rotation member 20.
Thereby, the vibration which accompanies engine vibration can be suppressed.

(2) The input side rotation member 10 has a drive shaft 11 connected to the engine, and a drive disk 12 fixed to the drive shaft 11;
The output side rotation member 20 is fixed to the first clutch case 21 rotatably supported by the drive shaft 11 and the first clutch case 21, and the drive disc 12 is interposed between the first clutch case 21 and the first clutch case 21. And a second clutch case 22 forming an internal space K for containing the viscous fluid,
The weight member 50 is attached to the first clutch case 21.
As a result, in addition to the effect of (1), the weight member 50 can be attached even with a small space to take measures against vibration.

(Example 2)
The second embodiment is an example in which the weight member is attached to the second clutch case of the output side rotation member. Hereinafter, Example 2 will be described based on FIG. In addition, about the structure equivalent to Example 1, the code | symbol same as Example 1 is attached | subjected, and detailed description is abbreviate | omitted.

In the fan clutch 1A of the second embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, the weight member 50A is attached to the second clutch case 22 of the output side rotation member 20.

Here, the weight member 50A is a damping member 51A formed of a ring-shaped rubber sheet member along the outer edge portion of the second clutch case 22, and a ring-shaped metal plate fixed to the damping member 51A with an adhesive or the like. And a mass body 52A. The weight member 50A is fixed to the front surface 22d of the second clutch case 22 by screws, caulking, an adhesive or the like, and surrounds the bimetal 23 and the piston member 23a. The front surface 22d of the second clutch case 22 is a surface facing a radiator (not shown).

Also in the fan clutch 1A of the second embodiment, when vibration input from the engine is received, the weight member 50A passes from the drive shaft 11 through the bearing 30 and the first clutch case 21 and is transmitted to the second clutch case 22. The vibration can be damped, and the natural frequency of the second clutch case 22 can be changed, so that the second clutch case 22 can be prevented from resonating with the vibration transmitted from the engine.
As a result, when vibration input from the engine occurs, resonance of the fan clutch 1A is prevented, and an increase in vibration transmitted to the fan clutch 1A can be suppressed.

Further, in the second embodiment, the weight member 50A is attached to the front surface 22d of the second clutch case 22. Therefore, it is possible to easily retrofit the weight member 50A to the second clutch case 22, and it is possible to take measures against vibration without making a major design change of the fan clutch 1A itself.

That is, in the fan clutch 1A of the second embodiment, the following effects can be obtained.

(3) The input side rotation member 10 has a drive shaft 11 connected to the engine, and a drive disk 12 fixed to the drive shaft 11;
The output side rotation member 20 is fixed to the first clutch case 21 rotatably supported by the drive shaft 11 and the first clutch case 21, and the drive disc 12 is interposed between the first clutch case 21 and the first clutch case 21. And a second clutch case 22 forming an internal space K for containing the viscous fluid,
The weight member 50A is attached to the second clutch case 22.
As a result, in addition to the effect of (1), the weight member 50A can be easily retrofitted, and vibration measures can be taken without making a major design change of the fan clutch 1A itself.

(Example 3)
The fan clutch according to the third embodiment is an example in which the damping member of the weight member is constituted by the fluid enclosed with the mass in the housing fixed to the output side rotation member. The third embodiment will be described below based on FIG. In addition, about the structure equivalent to Example 1, the code | symbol same as Example 1 is attached | subjected, and detailed description is abbreviate | omitted.

In the fan clutch 1B according to the third embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4, the damping material of the weight member 50B attached to the first clutch case 21 is housed in the housing 53 fixed to the first clutch case 21 together with the mass 52B. It is constituted by the enclosed silicone oil (fluid) 54.

Here, the housing 53 is a ring-shaped hollow casing which surrounds the through hole 21 a of the first clutch case 21 and extends along the outer edge of the rear surface 21 b of the first clutch case 21. The housing 53 is formed of metal, hard synthetic resin, ceramic or the like. Further, the housing 53 is fixed to the rear surface 21 b of the first clutch case 21 using a screw, an adhesive, or the like.

On the other hand, the mass body 52B is a metal material formed in a ring shape that can be stored in the housing 53. The mass body 52B is supported by the elastic support member 54a which can be deformed following the movement of the silicone oil 54 without contacting the inner side surface 53b of the housing 53. Here, a plurality of mass bodies 52B and elastic support members 54a may be arranged at predetermined intervals in the circumferential direction along the outer edge portion of the first clutch case 21. It may be provided over the entire circumference of the outer edge.
The elastic support member 54a is formed of foam rubber, steel wool, metal sponge, a spring, a resin, or the like. The elastic support member 54a may be supported in contact with only the inner peripheral surface of the mass 52B, as shown in FIG. Alternatively, the mass body 52B may be held so as not to contact the inner side surface 53b of the housing 53.

The silicone oil 54 is a fluid having a predetermined viscosity enclosed in a substantially airtight state in the housing 53. The silicone oil 54 may be equivalent to the viscous fluid contained in the internal space K of the output side rotation member 20.

In the fan clutch 1B according to the third embodiment, the vibration transmitted from the engine to the first clutch case 21 from the drive shaft 11 via the bearing 30 is attenuated by the weight member 50B when vibration input from the engine is also performed. The natural frequency of the case 21 can be changed, and the first clutch case 21 can be prevented from resonating with the vibration transmitted from the engine.
As a result, when vibration input from the engine occurs, resonance of the fan clutch 1B is prevented, and an increase in vibration transmitted to the fan clutch 1B can be suppressed.

Further, in the third embodiment, the damping material of the weight member 50B is made of silicone oil 54 (fluid) enclosed in the housing 53 together with the mass 52B. Therefore, compared to the case of using a damping material formed of rubber or the like, vibration in a wide frequency range can be damped and absorbed, and the suppression of the vibration frequency range can be expanded. In particular, in the third embodiment, the silicone oil 54 has a predetermined viscosity, and the vibration damping property is high. In addition, noise due to vibration can be reduced.

That is, in the fan clutch 1B of the third embodiment, the following effects can be obtained.

(4) The damping material is constituted by the fluid (silicon oil 54) enclosed with the mass 52B in the housing 53 fixed to the output side rotation member (the second clutch case 22).
As a result, in addition to any one of the effects (1) to (3), it is possible to expand the frequency range of dampable vibration and to suppress the increase of vibration in a wider frequency range.

As mentioned above, although the fan clutch of this invention was demonstrated based on Example 1-Example 3, about a specific structure, it is not restricted to these Examples, The invention which concerns on each claim of a claim Changes and additions to the design are acceptable without departing from the scope of the invention.

In Example 1, although the example which comprises the damping material 51 with the sheet | seat member made from rubber was shown, it does not restrict to this. This damping material is only required to be a flexible material that can be elastically deformed by vibration input from the engine. For example, a sealing material such as silicone rubber, a synthetic resin sealing material, a synthetic rubber sealing material, or a modified silicon Or the like.

Furthermore, in the third embodiment, the fluid enclosed in the housing serving as the damping material of the weight member 50B is constituted of the silicone oil 54 having a predetermined viscosity, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, mineral oil or a sealant may be used.

In the first embodiment, the weight member 50 is attached to the entire periphery of the outer edge portion of the first clutch case 21. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, a plurality of weight members 50 may be disposed at predetermined intervals along the circumferential direction of the first clutch case 21, that is, the arc direction centering on the drive shaft 11. The damping members 51 are provided on the entire circumference of the first clutch case 21, while the mass bodies 52 are weight members disposed at predetermined intervals in the circumferential direction of the first clutch case 21. It is also good.

In the second embodiment, the weight member 50A has a ring shape along the outer edge of the second clutch case 22 and surrounds the bimetal 23 and the piston member 23a. However, the weight member 50A does not have to be attached over the entire circumference of the second clutch case 22. For example, the weight member 50A is separated by a predetermined distance along the circumferential direction of the second clutch case 22, ie, the arc direction around the bimetal 23. A plurality of weight members may be arranged.

Furthermore, as in the fan clutch 1C shown in FIG. 5, the weight member 50C may be formed in a disk shape and attached to the center of the front surface 22d of the second clutch case 22. At this time, the bimetal 23 and the piston member 23a are covered by the weight member 50C.

In the third embodiment, an example is shown in which the weight member 50B in which the damping material is made of silicone oil 54 is attached to the first clutch case 21. However, the present invention is not limited thereto. It may be attached to the clutch case 22.
At this time, as in the fan clutch 1D shown in FIG. 6A, the weight member 50B may have a ring shape along the outer edge of the second clutch case 22, or as in the fan clutch 1E shown in FIG. The member 50 </ b> B may have a disk shape that covers the center position of the second clutch case 22. Furthermore, as in the fan clutch 1F shown in FIG. 6C, the weight member 50B may have a ring shape surrounding the outermost circumferences of the first clutch case 21 and the second clutch case 22.

And although the example applied to the bimetal-type fan clutch which operates the valve 25 which opens and closes the opening part 24c formed in the partition wall 24 using bimetal 23 was shown in each Example, it does not restrict to this. The present invention can be applied to an electronically controlled fan clutch in which the valve is operated by an electromagnet.

Furthermore, in each embodiment, the fan clutch 1 is the viscous coupling in which the rotation of the input side rotation member is transmitted to the output side rotation member via the viscous fluid, but the invention is not limited thereto. For example, it may be a fan clutch that transmits the rotation of the input side rotation member to the output side rotation member using a friction clutch whose fastening / release is controlled by an electromagnet.

Moreover, although the example which supports the 1st clutch case 21 rotatably with respect to the drive shaft 11 using the bearing 30 which is a rolling bearing was shown in each Example, it does not restrict to this. For example, a slide bearing (bush) may be used, as long as the output side rotation member is rotatably supported by the input side rotation member.

Cross-reference to related applications

This application claims priority based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2017-182811 filed with the Japanese Patent Office on September 22, 2017, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

Claims

An input side rotation member rotationally driven by an engine;
An output-side rotating member which is rotatably supported with respect to the input-side rotating member, and the rotation of the input-side rotating member is transmitted through the viscous fluid to rotate;
A fan attached to the output side rotation member;
A fan clutch characterized in that a weight member having a damping material and a mass body supported by the damping material is attached to the output side rotation member.
In the fan clutch described in claim 1,
The input side rotation member has a drive shaft connected to the engine, and a drive disk fixed to the drive shaft,
The output side rotation member is fixed to the first clutch case rotatably supported by the drive shaft and the first clutch case, and accommodates the drive disc and the viscous fluid between the first clutch case and the first clutch case. And a second clutch case that forms an internal space
The fan clutch, wherein the weight member is attached to the first clutch case.
In the fan clutch described in claim 1,
The input side rotation member has a drive shaft connected to the engine, and a drive disk fixed to the drive shaft,
The output side rotation member is fixed to the first clutch case rotatably supported by the drive shaft and the first clutch case, and accommodates the drive disc and the viscous fluid between the first clutch case and the first clutch case. And a second clutch case that forms an internal space
The fan clutch, wherein the weight member is attached to the second clutch case.
The fan clutch according to any one of claims 1 to 3
The said damping material is comprised with the fluid enclosed with the said mass body in the housing fixed to the said output side rotation member. The fan clutch characterized by the above-mentioned.