A viscous clutch includes an input member, an output member, a working chamber, a reservoir to hold a supply of a shear fluid, an outlet, a return bore, an accumulator, and a first wall having an arcuate segment. The reservoir is connected to the working chamber by a fluid circuit, along which the outlet passes the shear fluid from the reservoir to the working chamber and the return bore returns the shear fluid pumped out of the working chamber to the accumulator. The accumulator is arranged in series with the reservoir in the fluid circuit. The first wall is positioned within the reservoir to separate a first portion from a second portion.

A system for generating energy on board a vehicle can comprise a flywheel, a bearing, an energy generation unit, and a stabilization bracket. The flywheel can rotate based on at least a kinetic energy of a driven mass selectively coupled to the flywheel via the bearing. The energy generation unit can convert a mechanical energy received from the flywheel to an electrical energy and provide at least a portion of the electrical energy to a motor of the vehicle to power the vehicle. The stabilization bracket can support the flywheel and reduce vibrations of the flywheel or energy generation unit.

A flexible unit absorbing misalignment and transmitting torque from a driving shaft to a driven shaft is provided between a pair of flanges individually provided on each of the driving shaft side and the driven shaft side, both the driving shaft and the driven shaft being hollow. A communication passage letting hollow regions of the driving shaft and the driven shaft communicate with each other to form a circulation space for a cooling fluid is provided in the flexible unit. The flow of the cooling fluid cooling a driving source driving and rotating the driving shaft from the inside is created in the circulation space. A seal portion seals between the circulation space and an outside space to prevent leakage of the cooling fluid from the circulation space to the outside space.

A coupling guard for a rotating member comprising a shell surrounding the rotating member, a plenum disposed in the shell, at least an injection tube for injecting a cooling gas and an outlet for discharging the cooling gas, wherein the injection tube extends through the plenum from a first axial opening proximal to the shell to a second axial opening proximal to the rotating member, the injection tube having a leading edge which first contacts the gas circulating in the plenum and a trailing edge opposite to the leading edge, the second opening having a first portion orthogonal to the axis of the injection tube and a second portion across the trailing edge, adjacent to the first portion and parallel to the axis of the injection tube.

A viscous clutch (20; 20) includes a rotor (26), a housing (24) that at least partially surrounds the rotor, a center shaft (22) rotationally fixed to the housing, a mounting disk (30) rotationally fixed to the rotor, a working chamber (38) defined between the rotor and the housing, a reservoir (36) for holding a supply of shear fluid, an electromagnet (34), a valve assembly (32) to selectively control flow of the shear fluid between the reservoir and the working chamber, and a flux guide (54) operatively positioned between the electromagnet and the armature. At least a portion of the mounting disk extends outside the housing. The valve assembly including an armature (32-3) that is selectively movable in response to magnetic flux generated by the electromagnet, and the magnetic flux is transmitted between the armature and the electromagnet along a flux circuit. The flux guide extends through the mounting disk.

A valve system (44) for reducing morning sickness effects in a viscous clutch (20) having a reservoir (38) with a bore (46-1) includes a valve element (44-1), a counterweight portion (44-2), a pivot (44-3), and a biasing member (44-4). The pivot is located in between the valve element and the counterweight portion, and the valve element and the counterweight portion are configured to commonly move about the pivot between open and closed positions. The biasing member is configured to bias the valve element to cover the bore in the closed position by default. The counterweight portion is configured to counteract the biasing member under centrifugal loading such that the valve element at least partially uncovers the bore in the open position.

A viscous clutch includes an input member, an output member, a working chamber, a reservoir to hold a supply of a shear fluid, an outlet, a return bore, an accumulator, and a first wall having an arcuate segment. The reservoir is connected to the working chamber by a fluid circuit, along which the outlet passes the shear fluid from the reservoir to the working chamber and the return bore returns the shear fluid pumped out of the working chamber to the accumulator. The accumulator is arranged in series with the reservoir in the fluid circuit. The first wall is positioned within the reservoir to separate a first portion from a second portion.

This application is directed to a bearing support. The bearing support comprises an enclosure, a rotating shaft, first and second bearings installed on the shaft, and a bearing spacer separating the first and second bearings. The first and second bearings comprise an inner ring configured to rotate with the shaft, an outer ring configured to rotate with the enclosure, and a rolling cage configured to enable the inner ring to rotate relative to the outer ring. The bearing spacer comprises lips that create gaps between the bearing spacer and the first and second bearings. Keys can lock the inner rings of the first and second bearings to the shaft and causes the inner rings to rotate with the shaft. The gaps cool the first and second bearings as the shaft rotates. The enclosure houses the first and second bearings, the bearing spacer, and at least a portion of the shaft.

This application is directed to an apparatus for providing electrical charge to a vehicle. The apparatus can comprise a generator, a hardware controller, a capacitor, and a battery. The controller can control whether the capacitor is electrically coupled with the battery based on one or more conditions. The controller can control whether the generator is electrically coupled with the capacitor and/or the battery.

A system for managing a vehicle's energy can comprise an energy generation system, one or more energy storage devices, and a hardware controller. The energy generation system can generate energy to provide to the one or more energy storages devices and/or to a motor of the vehicle. The hardware controller can selectively electrically couple the one or more energy storage devices to the energy generation system based on one or more conditions. The hardware controller can control an electrical coupling between the one or more energy storage devices based on charge levels or an energy demand of the motor.