Abstract: A fluid coupling includes an operation plate for defining storage and working chambers in a housing and having a communicating hole for fluid communication between the two, a driven wheel arranged adjacent to the operation plate, a torque-transfer part for transmitting torque of a rotor to the housing, and a valve mechanism for opening and closing the communicating hole. An auxiliary chamber, which is arranged in the driven wheel, brings working fluid out of the communicating hole to the torque-transfer part. A positioning mechanism ensures circumferential positioning of the operation plate and the driven wheel.

Abstract: A viscous fluid clutch includes a housing rotatably mounted to a drive shaft and a clutch plate attached to the drive shaft. These relatively rotatable members have a fluid shear space therebetween and cooperable with a fluid medium in the shear space to provide a shear-type fluid drive therebetween. The housing includes a reservoir, an operating chamber and a pump outlet opening communicating between the operating chamber and the reservoir. An annular wall is secured at its inner and outer peripheral edges to the clutch plate and includes an annular bend between the outer and inner peripheral edges to define an annular auxiliary reservoir in cooperation with the clutch plate. The housing has an annular recess accommodating the annular bend. The annular recess is defined by a cylindrical inner surface. This cylindrical inner surface and the opposed surface of the annular bend define therebetween an annular passage communicating with the operating chamber.

Abstract: A viscous fluid clutch includes relatively rotatable first and second drive members having a fluid shear space therebetween and which are cooperable with a fluid medium in the shear space to provide a shear-type fluid drive therebetween, a fluid reservoir for storing the fluid medium, and a baffle wall located in the reservoir for restraining flow of the fluid medium from the reservoir to the shear space.

Abstract: A mode changing apparatus for a tape recorder comprises a rotatable changing gear having a toothed periphery with a toothless gap therein, a magnet rotatably coupled with the changing gear for rotation therewith, a driving gear rotatably mounted for engagement with the toothed periphery of the changing gear, a yoke assembly including a portion cooperating with the magnet for providing a stabilizing effect by which the changing gear is held in an initial position with the toothless gap facing the driving gear, a solenoid coil wound on another portion of the yoke assembly and being operative, when energized, to generate a magnetic force by which the magnet and changing gear are angularly displaced from the initial position for engagement of the toothed periphery by the driving gear to cause turning of the changing gear, an operating member, such as a head base plate of the tape recorder, movable from an inactive position to an active position for establishing a respective mode of the tape recorder and being yie

Abstract: A feather-touch mode changer having low power requirements and being capable of selectively providing a plurality of modes of operation of a tape recording/reproducing apparatus, has two changing mechanisms which are each of the type that includes a rotatable changing gear with a toothless gap, a selectively actuable trigger for causing initial angular displacement of the changing gear from an inactive position in which the toothless gap faces a drive gear to an actuating position in which the changing gear engages the drive gear, and an actuating lever that moves in a response to the rotation of the changing gear by the drive gear. The two changing mechanisms are selectively actuable, and a single drive gear is positioned for engagement with both changing gears. Each of the two changing mechanisms has associated with it a selectively energizable electromagnetic device and a locking lever that moves into a locking position in response to movement of the respective actuating lever.