Abstract: A viscous fluid type heat generator, which shears viscous fluid for generating heat. The heater includes a rotor located in a heating chamber and viscous fluid accommodated in the heating chamber. The rotor is rotated integrally with a drive shaft by a vehicle engine. The rotor includes a boss for attaching the rotor to the drive shaft. The boss has a double-ringed structure for reinforcing the attachment of the boss to the drive shaft.

Abstract: As a viscous fluid (F) contained in a vehicular heat generator provided with a rotor (33), a non-Newtonian fluid having an apparent viscosity that decreases as the shear rate of the rotor (33) increases (e.g., a kind of silicone oil) is employed. The nominal viscosity of the viscous fluid (F) is in the range of 10,000 cSt to 200,000 cSt. If such viscous fluid is employed, the viscous fluid (F) maintains its shear heat generating function over an extended period even under circumstances where the fluid (F) is subjected to over-shearing by over-rotation of the rotor (33). In addition, low-temperature starting of the rotor is facilitated.

Abstract: An improved viscous heater for a vehicle heating system is disclosed. The viscous heater has a heat generator including a rotor that agitates viscous fluid to generate the heat. A vehicle engine transmits its rotation to the rotor via an electromagnetic clutch. A thermosensitive switch is attached to the heat generator and selectively connects and disconnects the electromagnetic clutch with electric power source. The thermosensitive switch is selectively activated and deactivated based on magnitude of the heat generated by the agitated viscous fluid. The thermosensitive switch is deactivated when the ambient temperature is in excess of the predetermined uppermost value (T) and activated when the temperature in smaller than the predetermined lowermost value (T-.DELTA.T).

Abstract: An improved viscous fluid type heater is disclosed. The heater has a heating chamber and a heat exchange chamber. The heating chamber accommodates viscous fluid and a rotor that rotates and shears the viscous fluid to produce heat. The heat exchange chamber allows circulating fluid to flow therethrough, whereby the heat is transmitted to the heat exchange chamber from the heating chamber to heat the circulating fluid. A reservoir chamber communicates with the heating chamber for an auxiliary reservoir of the viscous fluid. A stirring member is provided in the reservoir chamber and stirs the viscous fluid in the reservoir chamber.

Abstract: A coolant circulation system for circulating a coolant through a coolant passage of a liquid-cooled engine, a radiator of an engine cooling system and a heat exchanger of a passenger compartment heating system. The coolant circulation system includes a coolant circuit provided for a fluidic communication between the coolant passage, the radiator and the heat exchanger. A coolant is forcibly circulated in the coolant circuit by a coolant pump. The coolant circulation system further includes a supplementary heat source arranged in the coolant circuit to heat the coolant flowing out of the heat exchanger. The coolant heated by the supplementary heat source is directed to the coolant passage. The supplementary heat source may be formed as a viscous fluid type heat generator.

Abstract: A viscous fluid type heating apparatus capable of achieving both reliable prevention of deterioration in the heat-generating performance of a viscous fluid and reliable prevention of leakage of the viscous fluid from the apparatus, and having a heat generating chamber provided with a first and a second storing region for storing a silicone oil to avoid an application of a shearing action from a rotor element to the viscous fluid and a heat generating gap. The silicone oil is held in the heat generating chamber so that it is able to flow between the heat generating gap and the first storing region which is directly affected by a thermal condition in the heat generating gap. The second storing region is substantially separated from the first storing region and is not directly affected by the thermal condition in the heat generating gap. The flow of the silicone oil between the first and second storing regions is adjustable by a movable element.

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: 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: 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 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 heater containing viscous fluid, which is sheared to generate heat. The heater is provided with an electromagnetic solenoid that includes a case, a solenoid coil housed in the case, and a core extending through the case. The heater further has a heating chamber and a sub-oil chamber. Viscous fluid is moved between the heating chamber and the sub-oil chamber through a communication bore. The core extends toward the communication bore. A coil spring urges the core toward the communication bore. Excitation of the electromagnetic solenoid moves the core away from the communication bore. The core opens and closes the communication bore and pumps the viscous fluid into the communication bore when the solenoid is cycled on and off. As a result, the heat output is accelerated.

Abstract: A variable heat generating viscous fluid type heat generator having a housing assembly including movable and fixed plate members arranged to define an axially bounded region in which a heat generating chamber is formed to have an axial width which is changed by the axial movement of the movable plate member with respect to the fixed plate member within the housing assembly by the controlled operation of the moving unit. The change in the axial width of the heat generating chamber causes a change in the gap size of a fluid filled gap between the outer face of the rotor element and the inner wall surface of the heat generating chamber and, accordingly, the heat generating performance of the viscous fluid type heat generator is adjustably varied.

Abstract: A viscous fluid type heat generator including a housing assembly in which a fluid-tight heat generating chamber confining therein a 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 rotor element, the inner wall surfaces of the fluid-tight heat generating chamber and the outer faces of the rotor element defining a gap in which the viscous fluid is held, the rotor element being provided with one or more through-holes formed in an outer peripheral portion and a radially inner portion thereof with respect to the axis of rotation of the rotor element so that the through-holes cooperate with one or more non-circumferentially extending elongate indentations provided in the inner wall surfaces of the fluid-tight heat generating chamber during the rotation of the rotor element to expand a heat generating region formed by the gap.