Liquid heaters and vaporizers – Friction generator
Patent
1997-04-23
1998-05-19
Solis, Erick R.
Liquid heaters and vaporizers
Friction generator
1231425R, 126247, F22B 306
Patent
active
057524742
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to a viscous heater in which a viscous fluid is caused to generate heat by shearing. The resulting heat is utilized as a thermal source for heating by carrying out heat exchange with a circulating fluid which circulates in a radiator chamber.
BACKGROUND ART
Conventionally, in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication (KOKAI) No. 2-246,823, a viscous heater is disclosed which is utilized as a heating apparatus for a vehicle. In this viscous heater, a front housing and a rear housing are disposed so as to face with each other, and are fastened by through bolts, thereby forming a heat-generating chamber and a water jacket therein. The water jacket is disposed around an outer region of the heat-generating chamber. In the water jacket, water is circulated being taken in through a water inlet port, and delivered out to an external heating circuit through a water outlet port. In the front housing, a driving shaft is held rotatably via a bearing apparatus. To the driving shaft, a rotor is fixed so that it can rotate in the heat-generating chamber. A wall surface of the heat-generating chamber and an outer surface of the rotor constitute labyrinth grooves which approach each other. In a space between the wall surface of the heat-generating chamber and the outer surface of the rotor, a viscous fluid, such as a silicone oil, is interposed.
In the viscous heater built into a vehicle heating apparatus, the rotor rotates in the heat-generating chamber when the driving shaft is driven by an engine. Accordingly, the viscous fluid is caused to generate heat by shearing in the space between the wall surface of the heat-generating chamber and the outer surface of the rotor. The thus generated heat is heat-exchanged to the circulating water in the water jacket. The heated circulating water is used in a heating circuit to heat a vehicle.
However, in the above-described conventional viscous heater, there is a fear of leaking the viscous fluid to the outside, because the heat-generating chamber is communicated with the outside by way of the bearing apparatus. In view of this, it is possible to think of disposing a shaft-sealing apparatus. However, when a shaft-sealing apparatus is simply provided, there remains a fear that a rubber-like material in the shaft-sealing apparatus is degraded by the thermal influence, which results from the viscous fluid held in the heat-generating chamber. Moreover, after extended use, there also arises a fear of leaking the viscous fluid.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a viscous heater which can inhibit a viscous fluid from leaking even after extended use.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A viscous heater in accordance with one aspect of the present invention comprises:
a housing in which a heat-generating chamber, and a radiator chamber are formed, the radiator chamber neighboring the heat-generating chamber and circulating a circulating fluid therein;
a driving shaft held rotatably to the housing by way of a bearing apparatus;
a rotor disposed in the heat-generating chamber rotatably by the driving shaft; and
a viscous fluid interposed in a space between a wall surface of the heat-generating chamber and an outer surface of the rotor, and caused to generate heat by the rotating rotor;
wherein the housing is provided with a shaft-sealing apparatus sealing the driving shaft between the heat-generating chamber and the bearing apparatus, and with cooling means for cooling the shaft-sealing apparatus.
In the viscous heater mentioned above, there is no fear of leaking the viscous fluid to the outside, because the shaft-sealing apparatus is disposed to seal the driving shaft between the heat-generating chamber and the bearing apparatus. Moreover, the fear of deteriorating a rubber-like material in the shaft-sealing apparatus by the thermal influence, which results from the viscous fluid held in the heating chamber, is diminished, because the rubber-like material in the shaft-sealing apparatus is cooled actively by the cooling means.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4143639 (1979-03-01), Frenette
patent: 4277020 (1981-07-01), Grenier
patent: 4424797 (1984-01-01), Perkins
patent: 4664068 (1987-05-01), Kretchmar et al.
patent: 4773388 (1988-09-01), Herbulot et al.
patent: 4993377 (1991-02-01), Itakura
patent: 5419306 (1995-05-01), Huffmann
patent: 5573184 (1996-11-01), Martin
patent: 5577467 (1996-11-01), Bormann
Ban Takashi
Mori Hidefumi
Yagi Kiyoshi
Kabushiki Kaisha Toyoda Jidoshokki Seisakusho
Solis Erick R.
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