Abstract: A viscous fluid type heat generator including a housing assembly defining therein a heat generating chamber and a heat receiving chamber, a drive shaft rotatably supported by the housing assembly, a rotor element mounted to be rotationally driven by the drive shaft for rotation within the heat generating chamber, and a viscous fluid, held in a gap defined between the inner wall surfaces of the heat generating chamber and the outer surfaces of the rotor element, for heat generation under shearing stress applied by the rotation of the rotor element. At least a part of the housing assembly, which defines the heat generating chamber, is made of a material of which a linear expansion coefficient is larger than that of a material of the rotor element.

Abstract: According to the present invention, in a heating apparatus having a viscous heater using viscous fluid for heating cooling water, when an engine rotational speed is lower than a set rotational speed relative to a temperature of viscous fluid, a viscous clutch is turned on to transmit a rotational driving force of the engine to a rotor of the viscous heater. In this way, a shearing force is applied to the viscous fluid in the heat-generating chamber, and the circulating cooling water is heated by generated heat of the viscous fluid to improve the heating capacity. When the engine rotational speed is higher than the set rotational speed relative to a temperature of viscous fluid, a viscous clutch is not turned on. Therefore, the rotational driving force of the engine is not transmitted to the rotor of the viscous heater, so that the shearing force is not applied to the viscous fluid to prevent the oil temperature of the viscous fluid from increasing excessively higher than 200.degree. C.

Abstract: A viscous fluid type heater is disclosed. A heat chamber and a heat exchange chamber are disposed closed to each other. The heat chamber accommodates viscous fluid and a rotor that rotates and shears the viscous fluid to generate the heat. The heat is transmitted to the heat exchange chamber thereby circulating fluid passing through the heat exchange chamber is heated. The rotor is made of a first material having a heat conductivity of 100 W/mK.

Abstract: Two auxiliary machines are mounted in tandem to an automobile and coupled together by a power transmitting device to transmit power of the engine to both of two auxiliary machines. The power transmitting device includes a rotor, a first hub portion adapted to be operably connected to the rotor and fixed to the drive shaft of the first auxiliary machines and a second hub portion adapted to be operably connected to the rotor and fixed to the drive shaft of the second auxiliary machine First and second hub portions are rotatable simultaneously or separately. An electromagnetic clutch can be inserted in the power transmission device.

Abstract: A compressor mounted on a vehicle is disclosed. The compressor includes an apparatus for transmitting rotational power from an engine to drive shaft of the compressor via a pulley. The apparatus has a spring coupled to one of the pulley and the drive shaft. A deformable ring is coupled to the other one of the pulley and the drive shaft. The deformable ring is deformed by heat. The spring and the deformable ring are being held in abutment against each other by the force of the spring so as to transmit the rotational power to each other. A contact ring is interposed between the spring and the deformable ring. The contact ring has a rigidity larger than that of the deformable ring. The spring and the contact ring frictionally contact one another to generate the heat that deform the deformable ring when load generated in the drive shaft is in excess of a predetermined value.

Abstract: A heat generating apparatus having a housing assembly in which a working chamber including a heat generating region for heat generation and a fluid storing region for storing a viscous fluid, and a heat receiving chamber for receiving heat from the heat generating region are formed. The heat generating apparatus also having a rotor element mounted on a drive shaft to be rotated within the working chamber to apply a shearing action to the viscous fluid within the heat generating region. The viscous fluid generates heat when the shearing action is applied thereto so that the heat is transmitted to a heat exchanging liquid flowing through the heat receiving chamber. The heat generating region and fluid storing region communicating through an aperture formed in a partition wall formed in the working chamber, and the aperture having a gas-phase portion, a liquid-phase portion and a liquid supply portion.

Abstract: A viscous fluid type heat generator including a housing assembly in which a heat generating chamber confining therein a heat generative viscous fluid to which a shearing action is applied by a rotor element rotated by a drive shaft, and having inner wall surfaces confronting outer surfaces of the rotor element, the inner wall surfaces of the heat generating chamber and the outer faces of the rotor elements defining a small space in which the heat generative viscous fluid is held, and having fluid movement regulator formed by an elongate recess or ridge formed therein to increase or suppress heat generation of the viscous fluid during the rotation of the rotor element in response to a change in an environmental condition in which the heat generator is used, and a change in an operation condition of the viscous fluid heat generator.

Abstract: A viscous fluid type heat generator having a heat generating chamber in which heat generation by the viscous fluid is carried out in response to the rotation of a rotor element applying a shearing action to the viscous fluid, a heat generation control chamber for containing the viscous fluid to be supplied into the heat generating chamber and receiving the viscous fluid withdrawn from the heat generating chamber so that an ability of quickly increasing and decreasing the heat generating performance of the heat generator is achieved in response to a requirement for a change in the supply of heat to be exchanged with a heat exchanging liquid of a heating system. The heat generator has a fluid supplying passage, a fluid withdrawing passage, a fluid supplying recessed groove in the heat generating chamber, and a subsidiary fluid supplying passageway which are arranged so as to provide a fluid communication between the heat generating chamber and the heat generation control chamber.

Abstract: A heating apparatus for a vehicle with a simplified piping structure in a fluid pressure operating system, to a heat exchanger while preventing a pulsation of the operating fluid in the system from being directly transmitted to a cabin, thereby suppressing an occurrence of a noise in the cabin. A fluid pressure operating system includes an oil pump 12 rotated by an engine 21 and an actuator 20 operated by the operating fluid issued from the oil pump 12. A heat exchanger 39 is arranged between an outlet of the oil pump 12 and the actuator 20. Heat generated at the oil pump 12 in the fluid pressure operating system 11 is passed to the engine cooling water at the heat emitter and is used for heating the cabin.

Abstract: A viscous fluid type heat generator including a housing assembly in which a heat generating chamber filled with viscous fluid generating heat due to a shearing action applied thereto, and a heat receiving chamber permitting a heat exchanging liquid to receive heat from the heat generating chamber and to carry the heat to an external heating system, a drive shaft rotatably supported by the housing assembly, and rotating a rotor element mounted thereon to apply the shearing action to the viscous fluid within the heat generating chamber, the drive shaft being provided with front and rear ends axially extending from the front and rear ends of the housing assembly, and having front and rear connecting means by which the drive shaft is connected to two different equipments when the viscous fluid type heat generator is mounted in a space extending between the two different equipments.

Abstract: An improved viscous heater is disclosed. The viscous heater has a heating chamber accommodating viscous fluid and a rotor. The rotor rotates to shear and heat the viscous fluid. The heating chamber has a pair of inner flat surfaces and an inner peripheral surface. The rotor has a pair of outer flat surfaces that respectively opposes the inner flat surfaces by predetermined gaps and an outer peripheral surface that opposes the inner peripheral surface. The outer peripheral surface has peripheral edge portions each angularly and continuously extending from the outer flat surface. The peripheral edge is chamfered so that the rotor is prevented from interfering with the inner flat surfaces.

Abstract: A viscous fluid type heater includes a heating chamber for holding viscous fluid and a rotor located in the heating chamber. A holding chamber is located below the heating chamber to communicate with the heating chamber. A plunger, which is actuated by a solenoid, is movable between a forward position for maximizing the volume of the holding chamber and a rearward position for minimizing the volume of the holding chamber. When the plunger is at the forward position, viscous fluid is discharged from the heating chamber to the holding chamber. When the plunger is at the rearward position, viscous fluid is supplied from the holding chamber to the heating chamber. This allows the load of the heater to be removed or reinstated selectively. In an engine-driven vehicle, the engine can thus started without being hindered by the heater.

Abstract: A heater utilizing fluid frictional heat according to this invention has a structure suitable for realizing the heater in an elongated shape which is capable of being mounted laterally on an automobile engine. A cylindrical shear applying portion being integral with a drive shaft and having an outer circumferential surface in cylindrical form is disposed in a heat generating chamber formed as a cylindrical space. The shear applying portion is machined with the same support arbors as used in machining the drive shaft. Preferably, the drive shaft and the shear applying portion are machined as a one-piece member made of a single rod-like material.

Abstract: A viscous fluid heater includes a housing for accommodating a heating chamber and a heat exchanging chamber. Viscous fluid is contained in the heating chamber, and circulating fluid circulates through the heat exchanging chamber. A cylindrical rotor is located in the heating chamber, which rotates to shear the viscous fluid in the heating chamber and thus generate heat which heats the circulating fluid in the heat exchanging chamber. The cylindrical rotor is hollow, which defines a reservoir chamber within the rotor to contain the viscous fluid. The rotor has at least one, and preferably a plurality of circumferentially spaced apart communicating passages between its interior reservoir chamber and the viscous fluid heating chamber which surrounds the rotor, so that viscous fluid flows from the reservoir chamber into the heating chamber, in which it flows outwardly to the ends of the rotor. The viscous fluid returns to the reservoir chamber via axial passages in the respective end walls of the rotor.

Abstract: A cooling and a heating system for a vehicle having a refrigerant compressor of a variable displacement type and a viscous heater of a variable heating capacity, integrated by a common, intermediate housing. A space needed for an installation into an engine compartment of a vehicle is saved, while the production cost is reduced. Furthermore, a requirement for reduction of a fuel consumption efficiency at a low outside air temperature condition and a degradation of a lubricant at a high outside air temperature condition, which are otherwise contradictory, are harmonized.

Abstract: A viscous fluid type heat generator including a housing assembly in which a heat generating chamber confining therein a heat generative viscous fluid to which a shearing action is applied by a disc-like rotor element rotated by a drive shaft, and having inner wall surfaces confronting outer surfaces of the disc-like rotor element, the inner wall surfaces of the heat generating chamber and the outer faces of the rotor element defining small fluid holding and/or heat generating gaps in which the viscous fluid is filled so that it is forced to make a circulatory movement within the heat generating chamber by the rotating rotor element via at least one through-passage which is arranged to pierce the outer surfaces of the disc-like rotor element, and have either an obliquely extending through-bore of which the center line extends along the rotating direction of the rotor element, or an axially linear through-bore having a sloping recess formed in at least one of the opposite bore ends to obliquely extend in a dire

Abstract: A viscous heater which can increase the amount of generated heat without any special means of enlarging the heat generating effective region. A heater housing is made up of an intermediate housing (1), a cylindrical stator member (2), a front housing (5) and a rear housing (6). The heater housing defines therein a heat generating chamber (7) and a heat radiating chamber (water jacket) (8) around the heat generating chamber. Front and rear drive shafts (12A), (12B) and a rotor (20) are disposed in the heat generating chamber (7) to be rotatable together, while silicone oil as a viscous fluid is also sealed in the heat generating chamber (7) A plurality of grooves (31, 32) extending in the axial direction of the rotor are formed respectively on an outer circumferential surface of the rotor (20) and an inner circumferential surface of the stator member (2), the grooves serving as shearing force increasing means.

Abstract: A viscous fluid type heater including a stator having a stationary surface and a rotor having a rotary surface. The rotary surface is opposed to the stationary surface to define a clearance therebetween for the accommodation of a viscous fluid. A circulating fluid flows through a heat exchanging chamber. The rotor rotates about its axis and shears the viscous fluid to produce heat. The heat is transmitted to the circulating fluid from the viscous fluid. The rotary surface is inclined with respect to the rotor axis. The stationary surface is inclined in conformity with the rotary surface.

Abstract: A viscous heater includes a heat generating chamber 10 of a sealed structure. The viscous heater is further provided with a storage chamber SR, which is in communication with the heat generating chamber 10 at its central part, via a recovery hole 3c, a feed groove 3f and a feed hole 3e formed in a rear plate 3 and a rear housing 4. The storage chamber SR can store an amount of the viscous fluid, which exceeds the volume of a heat generating gap between an inner surface of the heat generating chamber and an outer surface of a rotor 16. The speed of degradation of the viscous fluid is slowed, while eliminating the necessity of a strict administration of a charged amount of the viscous fluid.