JPH1178497A - Heat generator for vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To smooth the starting of a rotor by reducing a load torque when the rotor is started, in a vehicular heat generator. SOLUTION: A heating chamber 7 is partitioned off by both partition plates 5 and 6 in a housing, and a rotor 14 connected to a driving shaft 13 is housed in the heating chamber 7. A refuge chamber 30 communicating to a bottom area of the heating chamber 7 is formed in a junction between both partition plates 5 and 6. The heating chamber 7 is interconnected to a sub-oil camber 10 via an upper communicating hole 6d, while the sub-oil chamber 10 and the refuge camber 30 are connected to each other via a connecting passage 31. An arbor 24 capable of interrupting the connecting state is set up in the connecting passage 31. According to a fact that the arbor 24 is switchably set up in space between both communicating and interrupting positions, an oil level at the refuge chamber 30 is undulated. Accordingly, when the rotor 14 is stopped, the oil level at the heat chamber 7 is lowered to some extent in advance, so that a load torque in time of restarting can be suppressed.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention comprises a heat generating chamber and a heat radiating chamber defined in a housing, and heats the viscous fluid contained in the heat generating chamber by shearing the viscous fluid with a rotor operatively connected to an external drive source. The present invention relates to a vehicle heat generator that generates heat and exchanges the heat with a circulating fluid flowing through the radiating chamber.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As a heat generator utilizing the driving force of an engine of a vehicle, for example, German Patent Application Publication No. 3832966 (DE published on April 5, 1990)
3832966 A1) discloses a heating assembly as a heat generator incorporated in a vehicle heating system. In the following, FIG. The outline of the heating assembly will be described with reference to FIG.

In this heating assembly, the housing includes a working space 48 (corresponding to a heat generating chamber) and a ring space 62 (corresponding to a water jacket) radially adjacent to the working space 48 therein. Further, the housing has a storage space 58 (corresponding to the auxiliary oil chamber) adjacent to the front of the work space 48. This work space 4
The storage space 58 is separated from the storage space 58 by an intermediate wall 60. The intermediate wall 60 has a fluid supply port 66 connecting the working space 48 and the storage space 58, and a fluid recovery connection passage 68.
Are formed. The opening 66 is a bimetal leaf spring 76
A passage that can be opened and closed by a lever 72 that is controlled to swing by the opening, and the opening and closing of the passage 66 is set so that the heat generation capacity of the heating assembly can be adjusted.
A drive shaft 52 is rotatably supported at the rear of the housing, and wheels 50 (corresponding to the rotor) that can rotate integrally in the working space 48 are fixed to one end of the drive shaft 52. The working space 48 and the storage space 58 are filled with a required amount of viscous fluid 78 so as to reach the gap between the outer wall of the wheel 50 and the inner wall of the working space 48 facing each other.

When the driving force of the engine is transmitted to the drive shaft of the heating assembly, the wheel rotates together with the drive shaft in the working space, and the viscous fluid interposed between the outer wall of the wheel and the inner wall of the working space is sheared. And generate heat based on fluid friction. The heat generated in the working space is transferred to a cooling medium (engine coolant) flowing in the ring space via a partition of the housing, and is supplied to a heat exchanger of the vehicle to be used for heating the vehicle interior. . When the temperature of the cooling medium has not reached the temperature required for heating, the bimetal leaf spring does not press the lever in the direction of the opening, the opening is maintained in the open state, and the viscous fluid from the storage space to the working space is maintained. Supply is allowed.

[0005]

However, when the above-mentioned conventional heating assembly is started (ie, when the rotational power of the engine is started to be transmitted to the stationary wheels), it cools down in the working space and has a very high viscosity. If a part of the wheel is trapped in the changed viscous fluid, this becomes a factor that hinders the smooth start of the wheel. In particular, if the engine is stopped during the operation of the heating assembly, the recovery of the viscous fluid from the working space to the storage space via the connection passage is stopped when the wheels are stopped. Then, a considerable amount of viscous fluid remains in the working space, and when the heating assembly is started, a large load torque is applied to the engine via the wheels and the belt drive. For this reason, when starting the wheels forcibly, a large starting shock may occur, or the belt of the belt drive may slip. This causes noise and accelerates wear of parts of the heating assembly.

An object of the present invention is to reduce the load torque at the time of starting the rotor, thereby smoothing the start of the rotor, and avoiding the generation of abnormal noise and the premature wear of members due to excessive load torque. It is an object of the present invention to provide a heat generator for a vehicle. In addition, it is necessary to secure a larger amount of viscous fluid subjected to shearing, to withstand long-term use, and to continuously exhibit the necessary heat generation performance while preventing deterioration due to overheating of the viscous fluid. It is an object of the present invention to provide a heat generator for a vehicle that can perform the following.

[0007]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a heat generating chamber and a heat radiating chamber partitioned in a housing, wherein a viscous fluid contained in the heat generating chamber is sheared by a rotor to generate heat, A heat generator for a vehicle for exchanging the heat with a circulating fluid flowing through the heat radiating chamber, wherein the heat generator is disposed in a lowermost area of the heat generating chamber in the housing and evacuates and stores the viscous fluid in the heat generating chamber. A retracting portion, and a recovery passage connecting the storage portion provided in the housing and the heat generation chamber for additionally storing the viscous fluid, and an upper portion of the heat generation chamber through at least the storage portion and the recovery passage. A recovery path of a viscous fluid set to reach the evacuation section from the area,
The gist of the invention is to provide a valve means for controlling the communication state of the collection path to be cut off.

According to this heat generator for a vehicle, the viscous fluid flowing from the upper region of the heat generating chamber into the storage portion via the recovery passage flows down toward the escape portion when the valve means is in communication with the recovery path. Although possible, the valve stays in the collection path when the valve means is in a state of blocking the collection path. The liquid level of the viscous fluid in the shunting section rises or falls in accordance with the interruption of the communication of the recovery path by the valve means.
Therefore, before restarting the rotor in the stopped state, the liquid level in the retracting section can be reduced in advance by operating the valve means, and contact between the rotor and the viscous fluid can be avoided.
Alternatively, it can be extremely small. As described above, since the rotor is not restrained by the viscous fluid at the time of restart, the load torque does not excessively increase.

Further, according to this configuration, the viscous fluid can be stored upstream of the valve means in the recovery path, and a large difference in height can be created between the stored viscous fluid and the shunting portion. Become. Therefore, when the valve means communicates with the recovery path, the fluid pressure corresponding to the height difference acts on the viscous fluid in the shunting section, and generates a force to push the fluid in the shunting section upward toward the heat generating chamber. Therefore, the circulation of the recovery path (storage section) → the evacuating section → the heat generation chamber → the recovery path (recovery passage) is smoothly performed in combination with the drawing action of the viscous fluid into the heat generation chamber due to the rotation of the rotor.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the vehicle heat generator according to the first aspect, the rotor is drivingly connected to an external drive source, and the external drive source is configured such that the recovery path is controlled by the valve means. The rotation of the rotor is controlled so that the viscous fluid in the heat generating chamber is transferred to and stored in the storage section through the recovery passage for a predetermined time after the cutoff.

According to this configuration, when the recovery path is shut off by the valve means, further supply of the viscous fluid to the heating chamber is stopped, and the viscous fluid that has been subjected to the shearing action in the heating chamber is stored. Transferred to the department. That is, the external drive source is controlled so as to maintain the rotation of the rotor for a predetermined time (for example, 2 to 3 seconds) after the cutoff of the recovery path by the valve means. As a result, the viscous fluid that has been subjected to the shearing action of the rotor in the heating chamber falls down in the heating chamber and is not evacuated and stored in the shunting section. It is transferred and stored in the storage unit via the storage unit. Therefore, before restarting the stopped rotor, the viscous fluid is removed from the area occupied by the rotor. Therefore, the rotor is not restrained by the viscous fluid, and the load torque is minimized when the engine is restarted.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the vehicle heat generator according to the first or second aspect, the storage section is divided into a stay area where the viscous fluid stays and an air area above the stay area, and One end of the passage opens into the air space.

Since one end of the recovery passage is opened in the air area of the storage section, the flow of the viscous fluid from the heat generating chamber to the storage section is smoothed. When the recovery passage is open to the viscous fluid staying area of the storage part, the inflow resistance is generated by the viscous fluid staying in the staying area, and the oil does not flow smoothly from the heat generating chamber to the storage part. Failure occurs. As a result, the balance between the recovery (amount) of the viscous fluid through the recovery passage and the supply (amount) of the viscous fluid to the heat generating chamber through the shunting section becomes imbalanced, and the liquid level in the storage section becomes unbalanced. Becomes unstable. If the level of the liquid level in the storage part fluctuates greatly, the supply amount of the viscous fluid to the heat generating chamber via the shunting part also fluctuates greatly, causing the so-called viscous fluid circulation pulsation. This circulating pulsation causes fluctuations in the rotor load torque in the heat generating chamber, and thus becomes a noise source.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the vehicle heat generator according to the third aspect, the recovery path further includes a communication path connecting the stay area of the storage section and the shunting section, The means is provided to control the communication state of the communication passage.

This configuration embodies the means of claim 1. That is, by providing the communication passage connecting the viscous fluid staying area of the storage section and the shunting section (the lowest area of the heat generating chamber), the viscous fluid is supplied to the shunting section via the communication path after staying in the storage section. You.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the vehicle heat generator according to the fourth aspect, the valve means switches between a communication position for communicating the communication passage and a blocking position for shutting off the communication passage. With a valve element that can be arranged, for a certain period immediately after the rotation of the rotor has reached a predetermined rotation speed or more,
The valve body is controlled so as to be continuously switched between the two positions.

According to this configuration, when the rotation of the rotor exceeds a predetermined number of revolutions, the valve means is continuously switched between a communication position for communicating with the communication passage and a blocking position for shutting off the communication passage. You. For this reason, the supply amount of the viscous fluid to the shunting section (the lowest area of the heat generating chamber) is suppressed. This means that the filling amount of the viscous fluid in the heating chamber is reduced, and when the rotor continues to rotate at an excessively high speed, the viscous fluid subjected to the shearing action in the heating chamber exceeds the heat resistance limit. Prevents falling into a heated state. By adjusting the filling amount of the viscous fluid in the heating chamber in this way, it is possible to avoid a situation in which the viscous fluid is deteriorated due to overheating. Even if the supply amount of the viscous fluid to the retraction unit is adjusted by the valve means, the circulation flow of the viscous fluid between the heat generating chamber and the retraction unit via the recovery path is continued as long as the rotor is rotating. . In addition, the predetermined number of rotations of the rotor is, for example, 1500 rpm.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in the vehicle heat generator according to the third aspect, the evacuation section and the stay area of the storage section are horizontally arranged, and the collection path is A first link between the evacuation section and the stay area of the storage section;
A supply communication hole is further provided, and the valve means is provided with a valve body movably provided in a horizontal direction so as to communicate and shut off a communication state of the first supply communication hole.

According to this configuration, the valve element is disposed in the storage section, and the first supply communication hole is cut off in the stay area in the storage section. The interruption of the communication of the communication hole by such a valve directly affects the liquid level of the viscous fluid in the retraction portion. That is, when the communication hole is shut off by the valve body, the supply of the viscous fluid to the shunting part is immediately cut off, so that the rising tendency of the liquid level in the shunting part stops immediately. Further, when the communication hole is communicated, the viscous fluid is allowed to flow out of the storage section to the shunting section immediately, so that the liquid level in the shunting section immediately increases. Therefore, the amount of the viscous fluid that moves from the heat generating chamber to the storage section after moving the valve body to the shut-off position is reduced, and after moving the valve body to the open position, the amount of the viscous fluid moves upward from the retracting section to the heat generating chamber. The speed of lifting the viscous fluid is increased.

According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, in the vehicle heat generator according to the sixth aspect, the recovery path further includes a second supply communication hole connecting the heat generation chamber and the stay area of the storage section. The valve means is provided on the valve body, and the second valve body is connected to the second supply communication hole so as to shut off the second supply communication hole.
A plate body that cuts off the supply communication hole, and a partition body that is provided at the tip of the valve body and that can move in the shunting section according to the movement of the valve body, wherein the valve body defines a first supply communication hole. When shut off, the partition is arranged at a position where the volume of the shunting part is maximized.

According to this configuration, when the first and second supply communication holes are in communication with each other, the self-weight of the viscous fluid and the drawing action of the rotor caused by the viscosity of the viscous fluid cause
The flow from the storage section to the heating chamber is promoted. In addition, when the volume of the retracting section is expanded by the partition, the viscous fluid is allowed to be introduced (or retracted) from the heat generating chamber to the retracting section based on its own weight or the like, while the volume of the temporarily expanded retracting section is reduced. By reducing the size, the viscous fluid evacuated to the evacuation section is led out (or overflows) into the heat generating chamber. In this way, the liquid level fluctuation in the shunting part is realized more effectively.

According to an eighth aspect of the present invention, in the vehicle heat generator according to any one of the fifth to seventh aspects, the valve means further includes an urging means for urging the valve body into a shut-off state. It is characterized by having.

According to this configuration, it is normal that the valve body urged by the urging means is located at a position where the recovery path is shut off. For this reason, by intentionally operating the valve body in the direction opposite to the biasing direction, the valve body can move to a position communicating with the recovery path, and by stopping such operation, the valve body can be moved. Quickly moves to the blocking position.

According to a ninth aspect of the present invention, in the vehicle heat generator according to the sixth or seventh aspect, the valve element of the valve means includes:
For a certain period immediately after the heat generation increase command of the heat generator is issued, control is performed such that the first supply communication hole is continuously switched and arranged between two positions for communicating and blocking the first supply communication hole.

According to the control of the valve means by this control device, the viscous fluid is pushed from the storage part to the retreat part, that is, pumping is performed by the continuous switching arrangement of the valve body. As a result, the movement of the viscous fluid from the reservoir is speeded up.

[0026] The "pumping" referred to in this specification is
This means the approach / separation movement of the valve element performed to promote the movement of the viscous fluid to the passage connecting the heat generating chamber for accommodating the viscous fluid and the storage section.

[0027]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Embodiments 1 to 5 according to the present invention will be described below.
3 will be described with reference to the drawings. (Embodiment 1) Embodiment 1 is positioned as a specific example of the first to fifth and eighth aspects of the present invention, and FIGS. 1 and 2 show a vehicle heat generator according to Embodiment 1. FIG.

As shown in FIG. 1, the outer shell of the vehicle heat generator is constituted by a housing body 1 and a housing lid 2. The housing body 1 includes a hollow cylindrical boss 1a protruding forward (to the left in the drawing) and a boss 1a.
and a cylindrical portion 1b extending largely toward the rear from the base end portion of FIG. The housing lid 2 is shaped to cover the rear opening side of the cylindrical portion 1b. The housing main body 1 and the housing lid 2 are fastened by a plurality of bolts 3 (only one is shown) while a pair of front partition plates 5 and rear partition plates 6 are provided inside the cylindrical portion 1b of the housing main body 1. Have been.

Front compartment plate 5 and rear compartment plate 6
Have annular rim portions 5a, 6a on the outer periphery thereof. By sandwiching the rim portions 5a, 6a between opposing wall surfaces of the mutually connected housing bodies 1, 2, the partition plates 5, 6 are immovably housed in the housing bodies 1, 2. . Also, the front compartment plate 5
The rear end has a concave shape with respect to the rim portion 5a, and a heat generating chamber 7 is formed between the two partition plates 5 and 6 by mutual connection. As described above, the housing of the vehicle heat generator includes the housing body 1, the housing lid 2, and the front and rear partition plates 5 and 6. The components of these housings are made of aluminum or aluminum alloy.

On the front end side, the front partition plate 5 has a support cylinder 5b formed at the center thereof and a plurality of concentric arc-shaped arcs extending in the circumferential direction along the outside of the support cylinder 5b. And a guide fin 5c. The front partition plate 5 is fitted into the housing main body 1 such that a part of the support cylinder 5b is in close contact with the inner wall of the housing main body 1. As a result, the heating chamber 7 is provided between the inner wall of the housing body 1 and the main body of the front partition plate 5.
An annular front water jacket 8 is defined as a heat radiating chamber adjacent to the front side. In the front water jacket 8, the rim 5a, the support cylinder 5b, and the guide fins 5c serve as guide walls for guiding the flow of circulating water as a circulating fluid, and the circulation of circulating water in the front-side radiation chamber. Set the route.

The rear partition plate 6 has, at its rear end side, a tubular portion 6b formed at the center thereof and a tubular portion 6b
And a plurality of guide fins 6c formed in a concentric arc shape extending in the circumferential direction along the outside. When the rear partition plate 6 is fitted into the front housing main body 1 together with the front partition plate 5, the cylindrical portion 6 b of the rear partition plate 6 is in close contact with the annular wall 2 a protruding from the housing lid 2. As a result, between the housing lid 2 and the main body of the rear partition plate 6, an annular rear water jacket 9 as a heat dissipation chamber adjacent to the rear side of the heat generating chamber 7 and a position inside the cylindrical portion 6b are provided. A sub-oil chamber 10 is defined as a storage section. In the rear water jacket 9, the rim portion 6a, the cylindrical portion 6b, and the guide fin 6 are provided.
c serves as a guide wall for guiding the flow of the circulating water as the circulating fluid, and sets the circulation path of the circulating water in the rear heat dissipation chamber.

Further, a water inlet port (not shown) for taking in circulating water from a heating circuit (not shown) provided in the vehicle into each of the front and rear water jackets 8 and 9 is provided on a peripheral wall portion of the housing body 1. A water outlet port (not shown) for sending circulating water from the front and rear water jackets 8, 9 to the heating circuit is provided in parallel.

As shown in FIG. 1, a drive shaft 13 is rotatably supported on the housing body 1 and the front partition plate 5 via bearings 11 and 12. The bearing 12
It is a bearing with a seal, and is interposed between the inner peripheral surface of the support cylinder portion 5b of the front partition plate 5 and the outer peripheral surface of the drive shaft 13, and seals the front of the heat generating chamber 7.

A pulley 16 is fixed to the front end of the drive shaft 13 by a bolt 15. The pulley 16 is drivingly connected to a vehicle engine E as an external drive source via a V-belt 17 wound around the outer periphery thereof.

A disk-shaped rotor 14 housed in the heat generating chamber 7 is press-fitted and fixed to the rear end of the drive shaft 13 so as to be integrally rotatable. The clearance between the front and rear end surfaces and the outer peripheral edge of the rotor 14 and the inner wall surface of the heat generating chamber 7 opposed thereto is set very small, for example, in the range of several tens to several hundreds of microns (μm). A plurality of rotor communication holes 14 a penetrating the rotor 14 back and forth are formed in a central region of the rotor 14 near the drive shaft 13. These rotor communication holes 14a are arranged at equal angular intervals around the drive shaft 13 at positions equidistant from the center axis of the drive shaft 13.

In the lowermost region of the heat generating chamber 7, the front and rear partition plates 5, 6 are provided with a shunting chamber 30 as a shunting part communicating with the heat generating chamber 7. This escape room 30
The partition plates 5 and 6 are formed to extend in a direction parallel to the drive shaft 13 from the housing lid 2 side.
The cross-sectional area of the shelter room 30 in the front partition plate 5 and the cross-sectional area of the shelter room 30 in the rear partition plate 6 are different in size, and the former is set larger than the latter.

An auxiliary oil chamber 10 is provided in a region surrounded by the cylindrical portion 6b of the rear partition plate 6 and the housing lid 2, as a storage portion. This sub oil chamber 10
Is divided into an oil area 10b as a viscous fluid stay area where the silicone oil as the viscous fluid stays, and an air area 10a formed above the oil area 10b. The rear partition plate 6 has an upper communication hole 6d as a collection passage penetrating the main body part back and forth. The upper communication hole 6d connects the heat generating chamber 7 and the air area 10a of the sub oil chamber 10, so that the oil can be smoothly moved from the heat generating chamber 7 to the sub oil chamber 10. The air region 10a has at least the same volume as the entire volume of the clearance formed between the end face of the rotor 14 and the inner wall of the heat generating chamber 7 in the heat generating chamber 7.

The rear partition plate 6 has a communication passage 31 extending in the vertical direction. The communication passage 31 connects the lowest region of the sub oil chamber 10 and the ceiling region of the escape room 30 in the rear partition plate 6. In the first embodiment,
The upper communication hole 6d, the sub oil chamber 10, and the communication passage 31
Construct a recovery path for viscous fluid.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the housing lid 2 is provided with an electromagnetic solenoid 20. The electromagnetic solenoid 20 is housed in a case 22 attached to the outer surface of the housing lid 2 with a plurality of bolts 21. The electromagnetic solenoid 20 has a solenoid coil 23 disposed in a case 22 and a core rod 24 as a valve disposed in the center of the solenoid coil 23. The core rod 24 is attached to the housing lid 2 so as to be slidable back and forth, and is disposed so that a front end thereof faces a front inner wall surface of the communication passage 31. The diameter of the front end of the core rod 24 is set to be the same as the diameter of the communication passage 31 (diameter of the communication cross section), and when the front end of the core rod 24 contacts the front inner wall surface of the communication passage 31, The communication passage 31 can be completely blocked by the rod 24. As described above, the core rod 24 as the valve body can be switched between the communicating position (shown in FIG. 1) and the shut-off position (shown in FIG. 2),
The direction in which the core rod 24 moves back and forth has a relationship substantially orthogonal to the direction in which the communication passage 31 extends.

A coil spring 2 as an urging member is provided between the front end of the core rod 24 and the inner wall surface of the housing lid 2.
5 are provided. The entire core rod 24 is urged toward the inner wall surface of the communication passage 31 by the coil spring 25. In the first embodiment, the solenoid coil 23,
The electromagnetic solenoid 20 is formed by the core rod 24 and the coil spring 25.
The electromagnetic solenoid 20 forms a main part of the valve means. In addition, the solenoid coil 23 and the coil spring 25 constitute an operating mechanism of the valve body.

As described above, the heat generating chamber 7, the upper communication hole 6d, the sub oil chamber 10, the communication passage 31, and the evacuating chamber 30 (the lowest area of the heat generating chamber 7) which communicate with each other are housed in the heat generator for the vehicle. To form a liquid-tight internal space. This internal space is filled with a required amount of silicone oil as a viscous fluid. The amount of the silicone oil is such that the filling factor at normal temperature is 5 to 8 with respect to the free space in the internal space.
It is determined to be relatively cheap. Despite such a filling amount, in the state shown in FIG.
Due to the viscosity of the silicone oil, the oil is pulled up from the shelter chamber 30 and spreads all over the minute clearance between the inner wall surface of the heat generating chamber 7 and the outer surface of the rotor 14. The auxiliary oil chamber 1 from the heat generating chamber 7 through the upper communication hole 6d
The silicone oil recovered to 0 reaches the waiting room 30 via the communication passage 31. Therefore, at the time of rotation of the rotor, oil exchange circulation may occur between the heat generating chamber 7, the auxiliary oil chamber 10, and the standby chamber 30.

As shown in FIG. 2, when the core rod 24 is in the shut-off (forward) position, the silicone oil is separately stored in the escape chamber 30 and the sub oil chamber 10. Further, the escape chamber 30 contains a very small amount of silicone oil that remains in the heat generating chamber 7 without being collected in the sub oil chamber 10 via the upper communication hole 6d.

Next, the control configuration of the vehicle heat generator of the first embodiment will be described. As schematically shown in FIGS. 1 and 2,
The vehicle heat generator incorporates the control device 40 by itself or is connected to the control device 40 that is separate from the vehicle heat generator body. The control device 40 controls the replacement circulation of the viscous fluid over the heating chamber 7, the auxiliary oil chamber 10, and the refuge chamber 30, and controls the management of the remaining amount of the viscous fluid in the heating chamber 7.

The control device 40 includes a CPU, a ROM, and a RAM.
And a control unit similar to a microcomputer having a built-in input / output interface (both not shown), and a control program stored in a ROM thereof in advance. The control device 40 includes various sensor groups 41 and an ECU.
71 (electronic control unit of the vehicle engine E). The categories of the sensors included in the sensor group 41 include a temperature sensor for detecting the temperature inside or outside the vehicle, a temperature sensor for detecting the temperature of the circulating water (engine cooling water) in the heating circuit, the heating chamber 7 or the auxiliary oil. A temperature sensor that detects the temperature of the viscous fluid in the chamber 10, a rotation speed sensor that detects the rotation speed (rotation speed) of the engine E, and the like can be given.
The control device 40 is connected to at least one selected from the above-mentioned sensors.

The sensor group 41 outputs data relating to temperature and data such as the engine speed as analog or digital detection signals. The control device 40 receives a signal from the sensor group 41. Further, the control device 40 is also connected to a heater switch / temperature setting device 42 provided in the vehicle compartment, and inputs various commands and control information. The heater switch / temperature setting device 42 is incorporated in an operation panel provided in the vehicle compartment, and the occupant instructs operation and stop (ON / OFF) of the heater, and sets a desired vehicle interior temperature. An input device for performing The control device 40
It is connected to the solenoid coil 23 and controls energization of the solenoid coil 23 based on a control program.

The ECU 71 is connected to an ignition switch 70. Ignition switch 7
0 indicates that the passenger operates and stops the engine E (ON / OF)
F) is a device for instructing such ON / OFF
A signal is output to ECU 71. Then, the ECU 71
Is connected to the engine E, and controls the driving of the engine E based on the control program. The ECU 71
Is connected to the control device 40, and the ECU 71 provides information to the control device 40 according to ON / OFF of the ignition switch 70.

Next, the operation of the vehicle heat generator of the first embodiment will be described for each scene. (Scene 1: When the stopped engine E is started) When the vehicle engine E is stopped (rotation speed = 0 rpm), the pulley 16, the drive shaft 13, and the rotor 14 are also stopped. In this state, energization control of the solenoid coil 23 by the control device 40 is not performed, and the front end face of the core rod 24 is moved by the urging force of the coil spring 25 as shown in FIG.
(That is, the rear end side of the rear partition plate 6). At this time, the communication passage 31 is blocked by the front end of the core rod 24. In this case, most of the silicone oil (viscous fluid) is stored separately in the sub oil chamber 10 and the standby chamber 30. In the sub oil chamber 10, the oil level is lower than the upper communication hole 6d, while in the standby chamber 30, the lowermost part of the rotor 14 is higher than the oil level. For this reason, the rotor 14
Occupies almost no silicone oil. Therefore, the rotor 14 is in a state where it can easily rotate without any restraint by the high-viscosity oil.
With the start of the vehicle engine E, the pulley 16 and the drive shaft 13
And the rotor 14 also starts rotating.
As long as 2 is selected as OFF, the control device 40 does not perform any control and maintains the current state. Accordingly, the clearance between the outer surface of the rotor 14 and the inner wall surface of the heat generating chamber 7 is not filled with silicone oil, and no oil shearing occurs, so that no shear heat is generated.

(Scene 2: Heater operation after starting engine E) During the operation of the vehicle engine E, the heater switch 42 is turned off.
When the answer is N, the control device 40 starts energization control to the solenoid coil 23 in order to cause the vehicle heat generator to generate heat. That is, an electromagnetic force is generated by energizing the solenoid coil 23, whereby the core rod 24 is retracted (transferred to the communication position) against the urging force of the coil spring 25, as shown in FIG. Open. Then, the silicone oil in the communication passage 31 above the core rod 24 and in the sub oil chamber 10 starts flowing into the escape chamber 30. As a result, the oil level in the waiting room 30 rises and reaches the outer peripheral portion (the lowermost portion) of the rotor 14, and the oil is supplied to the outer peripheral region of the rotating rotor 14.

When the rotor 14 rotates, the oil is pulled up from the waiting room 30 due to the high viscosity of the silicone oil. Therefore, the oil smoothly spreads over the entire minute clearance between the outer surface of the rotor 14 and the inner wall surface of the heat generating chamber 7. Then, the oil is lifted up to the uppermost part of the rotor 14, and the oil is collected through the upper communication hole 6d. Therefore, the replacement circulation of the oil in the heat generating chamber 7, the sub oil chamber 10, and the escape chamber 30 is started.

The silicone oil filled in the clearance between the inner wall surface of the heat generating chamber 7 and the outer surface of the rotor 14 is sheared to generate heat. The heat generated in the heat generating chamber 7 is exchanged with the circulating water flowing through the front and rear water jackets 8 and 9, and the heated circulating water is used for heating the vehicle interior via a heating circuit (not shown). You.

(Scene 3: Feedback Control of Heater Heating Value) As long as the rotation of the pulley 16, the drive shaft 13, and the rotor 14 is maintained by the driving vehicle engine E and the heater switch 42 is turned ON, The control device 40 refers to various data from the sensor group 41 and controls the heating of the heater through the energization control to the solenoid coil 23 so that the temperature in the vehicle compartment becomes close to the set temperature T set by the temperature setting device 42. Feedback control of the quantity.

For example, when the temperature in the vehicle interior is lower than the set temperature T, the control device 40 retracts the core rod 24 by energizing the solenoid coil 23 and maintains the communication state of the communication passage 31. Then, the silicone oil collected from the heating chamber 7 into the sub oil chamber 10 via the upper communication hole 6d is
It moves downward by its own weight. And access passage 3
The silicone oil that has entered 1 flows down in the communication passage 31 and reaches the evacuation room 30. In this way, the oil once recovered from the heat generating chamber 7 to the sub oil chamber 10 is resupplied to the refuge chamber 30 through the communication passage 31, so that the oil level in the refuge chamber 30 is stabilized at a higher level than the lowermost part of the rotor 14. become. Therefore, oil is always supplied to the outer peripheral region of the rotor 14. As a result, the amount of oil in the heat generating chamber 7 gradually increases, and the entire clearance between the outer surface of the rotor 14 and the inner wall surface of the heat generating chamber 7 is filled with silicone oil. Thus, the amount of oil sheared by the rotor 14 increases, and the amount of heat generated also tends to increase.

On the other hand, if the temperature in the vehicle interior exceeds the set temperature T due to an increase in the amount of heat generated by the heater, the control device 40
Stops power supply to the solenoid coil 23 and
In the communication path 31 from the communicating state to the blocking state. Then, while the movement of the oil from the sub oil chamber 10 to the escape chamber 30 is interrupted, only the oil recovery through the upper communication hole 6d is performed. The liquid level of the silicone oil in the evacuating chamber 30 decreases in accordance with the recovered amount, and the amount of oil in the heat generating chamber 7 gradually decreases, so that the rotor 14 approaches an idle state, and the shearing force of the oil decreases to generate heat. The amount also tends to decrease.

As described above, the amount of heat generation is variably adjusted by controlling the communication and the cutoff of the communication passage 31 by the core rod (valve element) 24. In this sense, the electromagnetic solenoid 20 having the communication passage 31 that connects the auxiliary oil chamber 10 and the escape chamber 30, the core rod 24, and the control device 40 have a variable capacity configuration that variably controls the heat generation capacity of the vehicle heat generator. Is provided.

When the rotation speed of the rotor 14, that is, the rotation speed of the engine E exceeds a predetermined rotation speed when the rotor 14 rotates at a high speed, the control device 40 adjusts the oil filling amount in the heat generating chamber 7. The mandrel 24 is controlled in order to achieve this. That is, the rotation speed of the engine E detected from the sensor group 41 (the rotation speed sensor of the engine E) is equal to the predetermined rotation speed (for example, 1500).
(rpm) or more, the control device 40 repeats energization / interruption to the solenoid coil 23 a predetermined number of times (for example, 2 to 10 times) specified in the control program. By repeating the energization / interruption by the control device 40, the core rod 24 repeats advancing and retreating a plurality of times. The continuous reciprocating movement of the core rod 24 is adjusted in a direction to reduce the amount of oil supply to the shelter 30. By adjusting the supply amount, the liquid level of the oil in the refuge chamber 30 tends to decrease, and the oil filling amount in the heat generating chamber 7 is appropriately reduced. By adjusting the oil filling amount in the heat generating chamber 7 in this manner, deterioration caused by overheating of the oil that occurs when the rotor 14 continues to rotate at an excessively high speed is prevented.

When the heater switch 42 is turned off during the operation of the engine E, the control device 40 stops the power supply to the solenoid coil 23 and shifts the communication passage 31 from the communication state to the cutoff state by the core rod 24. Let it. The heating chamber 7 is connected to the sub oil chamber 1 via the upper communication hole 6d.
Recover a substantial amount of oil to zero. At this time, communication passage 3
Since 1 is in the shut-off state, the oil stays as it is collected in the sub oil chamber 10. Then, the oil level gradually drops in the refuge room 30 where the supply of oil is cut off. In this way, the oil supply to the rotor 14 follows a decreasing trend, and the shear heat generated by the rotor 14 is effectively interrupted. Although the upper communication hole 6d (recovery passage) is located near the drive shaft 13 and above the drive shaft 13, a considerable amount of oil is collected in the sub oil chamber 10 via the upper communication hole 6d. The reason is that the Weissenberg effect exceeds the centrifugal force acting on the oil when the rotor 14 rotates at low speed due to the viscosity of the silicone oil, and the oil in the heat generating chamber 7 tends to gather around the drive shaft 13. But also.

(Scene 4: Stopping and restarting engine E) When an engine stop signal is output from the ignition switch 70 to the ECU 71, the ECU 71 notifies the control device 40 of the engine stop. If the heater switch 42 is ON at that time, the control device 4
In the case of 0, the power supply to the solenoid coil 23 is immediately stopped, and the communication passage 31 is cut off by the core rod 24. Also, ECU
71 controls the engine E so as to maintain the driving of the engine E only for a short time (for example, 2 to 3 seconds), so that the pulley 16, the drive shaft 13, and the rotor 14 also respond to the driving of the engine E. Keep spinning. By maintaining the rotation of the rotor 14, most of the silicone oil in the heat generating chamber 7 is stored in the sub oil chamber 10. That is,
The rotor 14 rotates for a short time after the communication passage 31 is blocked by the core rod 24. Then, the oil that has been subjected to the shearing action in the heat generating chamber 7 at that time is recovered into the sub oil chamber 10 through the upper communication hole 6d while continuing to move while being attracted by the rotation of the rotor 14. . The collected silicone oil is stored in the sub oil chamber 10 because the communication passage 31 is blocked.

On the other hand, even after the rotor 14 is stopped, a small amount of the silicone oil, which is not recovered in the sub oil chamber 10 but remains in the heat generating chamber 7, flows down into the waiting chamber 30 by its own weight and is stored. You. The amount of oil remaining in the heat generating chamber 7 is limited to an extremely small amount, and since most of the oil in the heat generating chamber 7 is accommodated in the sub oil chamber 10 together with the existence of the sufficiently large evacuating chamber 30, the evacuating chamber 30
The oil level is almost unchanged while decreasing. At this time, the lowermost part of the rotor 14 slightly touches the oil in the shelter 30, but the outer surface of the rotor 14 and the shelter 30
Since the clearance with the inner wall surface is sufficiently wide, the increase in load torque at the time of restarting is minimal.

As described above, after the engine E is stopped, the silicone oil is almost completely removed from the area occupied by the rotor 14 in the heat generating chamber 7. Therefore, after that, the engine E
Is restarted, the rotor 14 is not restrained by the high-viscosity oil as described in the above-mentioned scene 1,
The pulley 16, the drive shaft 13, and the rotor 14 can be started smoothly simultaneously with the start of the engine E.

The vehicle heat generator of the first embodiment has the following advantages. When the vehicle engine E, which is an external drive source, is about to be stopped, silicone oil (viscous fluid) is placed in the heat generating chamber 7.
Since the rotor 14 keeps rotating for a short time so that no oil remains, the silicone oil that has been subjected to the shearing action in the heat generating chamber 7 is urged to move. Then, it is transferred and collected to the sub oil chamber 10 through the upper communication hole 6d, and the heat generation chamber 7
Oil is almost completely eliminated from the inside. Therefore, when the engine E is restarted, the rotor 14 is not restricted by the viscous fluid. In other words, the load torque for starting the stopped pulley 16, the drive shaft 13, and the rotor 14 is set to a no-load or minimal state. Therefore, an excessive startup shock does not occur when the engine E is restarted, and the occurrence of abnormal noise and the premature wear of members are also avoided.

In particular, even if the engine E is stopped with the heater switch 42 kept ON, the oil remaining in the heat generating chamber 7 is supplied to the auxiliary oil chamber 10 through the upper communication hole 6d.
So that the engine E can be restarted later. Therefore, the load torque for restarting the engine E can be reduced in any situation. Therefore, V constituting the belt transmission mechanism
The situation in which the belt 17 slips on the pulley 16 is avoided, and the time for replacing the V-belt 17 can be delayed.

The communication passage 31 is formed by the core rod 24 as a valve body.
, The amount of oil in the heat generating chamber 7 during the rotation of the rotor 14 can be adjusted, and the heat generating capability of the heater can be variably controlled as necessary. Further, by adjusting the amount of the oil, overheating of the silicone oil due to excessive heat generation in the heat generating chamber 7 can be prevented, and mechanical deterioration due to thermal deterioration or shearing of the oil can be delayed as much as possible.

A large level difference can be created between the liquid level of the silicone oil in the sub oil chamber 10 and the escape chamber 30. Therefore, when the core rod 24 communicates with the communication passage 31, the fluid pressure corresponding to the height difference generates a force to push the silicone oil in the refuge chamber 30 upward toward the heat generating chamber 7. Therefore, the circulation flow of the silicone oil in the housing can be performed more smoothly, in combination with the oil drawing action by the rotation of the rotor 14.

Since the clearance between the inner wall surface of the heat generating chamber 7 and both end faces of the rotor 14 is very narrow, if the silicone oil remains in the heat generating chamber 7 when the rotor 14 stops, the oil and the rotor The area of contact with 14 increases. However, in the heat generator for a vehicle according to the present embodiment, since the escape chamber 30 is provided at the bottom of the heat generating chamber 7, the oil remaining in the heat generating chamber 7 when the rotor 14 is stopped is used. Can be evacuated. Therefore, the contact area between the rotor 14 and the oil is minimized, and an increase in load torque when the rotor 14 is restarted can be suppressed. Further, in the shelter room 30, although the oil slightly contacts the rotor 14 when the rotor 14 is stopped, the clearance between the outer surface of the rotor 14 and the inner wall surface of the shelter room 30 is larger than the clearance between the outer surface of the rotor 14 and the inner wall surface of the heat generating chamber 7. It is fairly widespread. Therefore, an increase in load torque at the time of restarting the rotor 14 can be minimized.

(Embodiment 2) Embodiment 2 is directed to
Is positioned as a specific example of the invention of 3, 6, 8 and 9;
3 and 4 show a vehicle heat generator according to a second embodiment. This vehicle heat generator has the same basic configuration as that of the first embodiment, except for the arrangement of valve means and the configuration of a viscous fluid recovery path. As a result, the dynamics of the actuated valve means are slightly different, even though the control methods are substantially similar. Therefore, this difference will be mainly described.

In the lowermost region of the heat generating chamber 7, the front partition plate 5 is provided with a waiting room 50 communicating with the heat generating chamber 7. The escape chamber 50 is formed to extend from the housing lid 2 side to the front partition plate 5 in a direction parallel to the drive shaft 13.

The rear partition plate 6 is provided with a lower auxiliary oil chamber 51 as a storage portion at a position horizontally aligned with the escape chamber 50. The lower auxiliary oil chamber 51 is formed to extend in a direction parallel to the drive shaft 13 with respect to the rear partition plate 6 from the housing lid 2 side, and the inner chamber area serves as a stay area where silicone oil stays. It is in the oil area. An upper auxiliary oil chamber 53 as a storage portion is provided in a region surrounded by the cylindrical portion 6b of the rear partition plate 6 and the housing lid 2. The upper auxiliary oil chamber 53 is divided into an oil area 53b where the silicone oil stays and an air area 53a formed above the oil area 53b. By providing this air area 53a,
The oil flow from the heat generating chamber 7 to the sub oil chamber 10 is smoothly performed, and the air space 53a secures a volume capable of accommodating the filling amount of the viscous fluid in the heat generating chamber 7. And
The rear partition plate 6 includes a communication passage 52 extending in a vertical direction.
have. The communication passage 52 is connected to the upper auxiliary oil chamber 5.
3 and the ceiling area of the lower auxiliary oil chamber 51.

The rear partition plate 6 has an upper communication hole 6d penetrating the main body part back and forth, and the upper communication hole 6d is formed in the upper region of the heat generating chamber 7 and the air region 53a of the upper sub oil chamber 53. And tied. Also, the rear compartment plate 6
Is provided with a bottom communication hole 6f as a first supply communication hole, and connects the lower auxiliary oil chamber 51 and the escape chamber 50 to each other.
In the second embodiment, the upper communication hole 6d, the upper sub oil chamber 53, the communication passage 52, the lower sub oil chamber 51, and the bottom communication hole 6f constitute a viscous fluid recovery path.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the housing lid 2 is provided with an electromagnetic solenoid 20. The electromagnetic solenoid 20 is housed in a case 22 attached to the outer surface of the housing lid 2 with a plurality of bolts 21. The electromagnetic solenoid 20 has a solenoid coil 23 disposed in a case 22 and a core rod 24 as a valve disposed in the center of the solenoid coil 23. The core rod 24 is attached to the housing lid 2 so as to be slidable back and forth, and is disposed so that its front end face faces the bottom communication hole 6f. The diameter of the core rod 24 is set to be larger than the opening diameter (diameter of the communication cross section) of the bottom communication hole 6f, and the bottom communication hole 6f can be closed at the front end face. Thus, the core rod 24 as a valve can be switched between the communicating (open) position (shown in FIG. 3) and the shutoff (closed) position (shown in FIG. 4).
Is the same as the direction in which the bottom communication hole 6f extends.

A coil spring 2 as an urging member is provided between the front end of the core rod 24 and the inner wall surface of the housing lid 2.
5 are provided. The core rod 24 is urged toward the rear partition plate 6 by the coil spring 25.
In the second embodiment, an electromagnetic solenoid 20 is formed by the solenoid coil 23, the core rod 24, and the coil spring 25, and the electromagnetic solenoid 20 forms a main part of a valve unit. The solenoid coil 23 and the coil spring 2
Reference numeral 5 constitutes a valve body operating mechanism.

As described above, the heat generating chamber 7, the upper auxiliary oil chamber 53, the lower auxiliary oil chamber 51, and the escape chamber 50, which communicate with each other through the two communication holes 6d and 6f and the communication passage 52,
A liquid-tight internal space is formed in the housing of the vehicle heat generator. This internal space is filled with a required amount of silicone oil as a viscous fluid. The amount of the silicone oil is determined so that its filling factor at normal temperature is 50 to 80% of the free space in the internal space. Despite such a filling amount, in the state shown in FIG.
When the rotor 14 rotates, the silicone oil is pulled up from the shelter chamber 50 due to its viscosity, and spreads evenly throughout the minute clearance between the inner wall surface of the heat generating chamber 7 and the end face of the rotor 14. The silicone oil recovered from the heat generating chamber 7 to the upper sub oil chamber 53 via the upper communication hole 6d reaches the lower sub oil chamber 51 via the communication passage 52. Therefore, when the rotor 14 rotates, oil exchange circulation may occur between the heat generating chamber 7, the upper and lower auxiliary oil chambers 53 and 51, and the shunting chamber 50. The control configuration of the vehicle heat generator of the second embodiment is the same as that of the first embodiment shown in FIGS.

Next, the operation of the vehicle heat generator of the second embodiment will be described. The vehicle engine E stops (rotation speed = 0 rpm)
In the case where the coil spring 25 is used, as shown in FIG.
The core rod 24 is arranged at the cut-off position by the urging force. Accordingly, the core rod 24 closes the bottom communication hole 6f. In this case, most of the silicone oil (viscous fluid) is stored in the sheltering chamber 50 and the two auxiliary oil chambers 51 and 53, and the area occupied by the rotor 14 in the heat generating chamber 7 excluding the inside of the sheltering chamber 50 is No oil remains. Therefore, the rotor 14 can easily rotate without being restrained by the high-viscosity oil.

When the heat generator 42 is turned on while the vehicle engine E is being driven, that is, when the heater switch 42 is turned on, the control device 40 starts controlling the energization of the solenoid coil 23. Accordingly, the core rod 24 moves to the communicating (open) position against the urging force of the coil spring 25. Accordingly, the bottom communication hole 6f is opened. Then, the silicone oil stored in the lower auxiliary oil chamber 51 immediately flows into the escape chamber 50 through the bottom communication hole 6f. As a result, the lowermost part of the rotor 14 becomes lower than the oil level of the raised shelter 50, and the oil is supplied to the outer peripheral area of the rotating rotor 14.

Further, a predetermined number of times (for example, 2 to 10 times) determined by the control device 40 in the control program for a certain period immediately after the heat generation increase command of the heat generator is issued and the bottom communication hole 6f is opened. Only the energization / interruption to the solenoid coil 23 is repeated. Energization by this control device 40
The core rod 24 repeats advancing and retreating a plurality of times by repeating the interruption. The continuous reciprocating movement of the core bar 24 produces a function of pumping the silicone oil into the bottom communication hole 6f.
The continuous movement of the valve body for the purpose of pumping the viscous fluid will be referred to as “pumping operation”. After completion of the pumping operation, as long as an increase in the amount of heat generated by the heater is required, energization of the solenoid coil 23 is continued, the core rod 24 is held in the open position, and the bottom communication hole 6f is maintained in the open state.

When the rotor 14 rotates, the oil that has flowed into the waiting room 50 through the open bottom communication hole 6f is pulled up due to the high viscosity of the silicone oil. At the same time, since the above-described pumping operation is performed, the oil supply to the waiting room 50 through the bottom communication hole 6f is performed quickly. Therefore, the oil smoothly and quickly spreads over the entire minute clearance between the outer surface of the rotor 14 and the inner wall surface of the heat generating chamber 7. Thus, the oil is lifted to the uppermost portion of the rotor 14 in a short time, and the oil is quickly recovered into the upper sub oil chamber 53 through the upper communication hole 6d. Accordingly, oil exchange circulation between the heat generating chamber 7 and the lower auxiliary oil chamber 51 is achieved.

The silicone oil filled in the clearance between the inner wall surface of the heat generating chamber 7 and the outer surface of the rotor 14 is sheared to generate heat. The heat generated in the heat generating chamber 7 is exchanged with the circulating water flowing through the front and rear water jackets 8 and 9, and the heated circulating water is used for heating the vehicle interior via a heating circuit (not shown). You.

In the case of feedback control of the heating value of the heater, for example, when the air temperature in the vehicle interior falls below the set temperature T, the control device 40 retreats the core rod 24 by energizing the solenoid coil 23 and the bottom communication hole 6f. Maintain the open state of. Then, the oil level in the shelter chamber 50 is stabilized above the lowermost part of the rotor 14. Therefore, the oil is supplied to the outer peripheral region of the rotor 14, the oil amount in the heat generating chamber 7 increases, and the heat generation amount also tends to increase.

On the other hand, if the temperature in the vehicle interior exceeds the set temperature T due to an increase in the amount of heat generated by the heater, the control device 40
Stops power supply to the solenoid coil 23 and
Is moved forward to close the bottom communication hole 6f. Then, while the movement of the oil from the lower auxiliary oil chamber 51 to the escape chamber 50 is immediately interrupted, only the oil recovery through the upper communication hole 6d is performed. The level of oil in the upper auxiliary oil chamber 53 rises in accordance with the recovered amount,
Since the liquid level of the oil decreases, the amount of oil supplied into the heat generating chamber 7 gradually decreases. Then, the rotor 14 approaches an idling state, the oil shearing force decreases, and the calorific value tends to decrease.

As described above, the amount of heat generation is variably adjusted by controlling the communication and blocking of the bottom communication hole 6f by the core rod (valve element) 24. In this sense, the upper and lower communication holes 6d, 6d
f, the electromagnetic solenoid 20 including the core rod 24 and the control device 40 provide a variable capacity configuration for variably controlling the heat generation capability of the vehicle heat generator.

When the heater switch 42 is turned off during the operation of the engine E, the control device 40 stops the energization of the solenoid coil 23 and closes the bottom communication hole 6f with the core rod 24. Then, a considerable amount of oil is recovered from the heat generating chamber 7 to the upper auxiliary oil chamber 53 through the upper communication hole 6d. At this time, since the bottom communication hole 6f is in a closed state, the oil stays there while being collected in the upper auxiliary oil chamber 53. Then, since the oil level in the waiting room 50 gradually decreases, the oil supply to the rotor 14 shows a decreasing tendency. Thus, the rotor 14
Effectively interrupts the shearing exotherm.

When an engine stop signal is output from the ignition switch 70 to the ECU 71, the ECU 71
Informs the control device 40 that the engine has stopped. If the heater switch 42 is in the ON state at that time, the control device 40 immediately stops the energization of the solenoid coil 23 and shuts off the bottom communication hole 6f by the core rod 24. Further, since the ECU 71 controls the engine E so as to maintain the driving of the engine E for only a short time (for example, two to three seconds), the pulley 16, the drive shaft 13, and the rotor 14 are controlled.
Also keeps rotating according to the drive of the engine E. Then, most of the oil that has been subjected to the shearing action in the heat generating chamber 7 at that time enters the upper auxiliary oil chamber 53 through the upper communication hole 6d while continuing to move as if being pulled by the rotation of the rotor 14. Collected. The recovered silicone oil is stored in the upper auxiliary oil chamber 53 because the bottom communication hole 6f is closed.

On the other hand, even after the rotor 14 is stopped, a small amount of the silicone oil which is not collected in the upper auxiliary oil chamber 53 but remains in the heat generating chamber 7 flows down into the refuge chamber 50 by its own weight and is stored. Is done. This heating room 7
The remaining amount of oil is limited to a very small amount, and since most of the oil in the heat generating chamber 7 is stored in the upper auxiliary oil chamber 53 together with the existence of the evacuation chamber 50 having a sufficient volume,
The oil level in the waiting room 50 does not substantially change while being lowered. At this time, the lowermost part of the rotor 14 slightly touches the oil in the shelter 50, but the clearance between the outer surface of the rotor 14 and the inner wall surface of the shelter 50 is sufficiently wide so that the load torque at the time of restarting is reduced. The increase is minimal.

As described above, after the engine E is stopped, the silicone oil is almost completely removed from the area occupied by the rotor 14 in the heat generating chamber 7. Therefore, after that, the engine E
Is restarted, as described above,
The pulley 16, the drive shaft 13, and the rotor 14 can be started smoothly at the same time as the start of the engine E because the oil is not restricted by the high-viscosity oil.

According to the second embodiment, the same effects as those of the first embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 can be obtained. In addition, the core rod 24 is caused to perform a plurality of pumping operations by controlling the energization of the electromagnetic solenoid 20. Therefore, since the silicone oil stored in the lower auxiliary oil chamber 51 can be positively pumped to the escape chamber 50 (the bottommost area of the heat generating chamber 7), the gap between the inner wall surface of the heat generating chamber 7 and the outer surface of the rotor 14 can be increased. The oil spreads quickly through the clearance, and the heat generation capacity can be quickly raised.

(Modification) In each of the first and second embodiments, a throttle is provided in the communication passage 31 in the first embodiment and the bottom communication hole 6f in the second embodiment to reduce the oil supply flow rate. May be. Even with such a configuration, the same effects as those of the above embodiments can be obtained. Furthermore, the core rod 24
After the shift to the shut-off position, the storage unit (1) from the shunting unit (30, 50) due to the rotation of the rotor 14 via the heating chamber 7
By reducing the amount of oil movement to the storage portion (10, 53), the oil can be more quickly and reliably stored in the storage portion (10, 53) by the rotation of the rotor 14.

(Embodiment 3) Embodiment 3 relates to claims 1 to
FIGS. 5 and 6 are positioned as specific examples of the inventions of FIGS.
6 shows a vehicle heat generator according to the third embodiment.
This vehicle heat generator has the same basic configuration as the first and second embodiments, except for the configuration and arrangement of the valve means and the configuration of the viscous fluid recovery path. As a result, the dynamics of the actuated valve means are slightly different, even though the control methods are substantially similar. Therefore, this difference will be mainly described.

In the lowermost area of the heat generating chamber 7, the front partition plate 5 is provided with an escaping chamber 6 as a shunting part communicating with the heat generating chamber 7.
0 is provided. The escape chamber 60 is formed to extend from the housing lid 2 side to the front partition plate 5 in a direction parallel to the drive shaft 13. The cross-sectional shape of the waiting room 60 is, for example, a circular shape, a semicircular shape, and a fan shape.

A sub oil chamber 10 is provided as a storage in a region surrounded by the rear partition plate 6 and the housing lid 2. The auxiliary oil chamber 10 is divided into an oil area 10b in which silicone oil stays and an air area 10a formed above the oil area 10b, and is partitioned into a lower area of the cylindrical part 6b at the rear end side of the rear partition plate 6. Have been. Also, the rear partition plate 6 has a bottom communication hole 6 as a first supply communication hole penetrating the main body part back and forth in the lowermost region.
f, and the bottom communication hole 6f is provided in the escape room 60.
(The bottom area of the heat generating chamber 7) communicates with an oil area 10b as a stay area of the sub oil chamber 10. Further, the rear partition plate 6 has an upper communication hole 6d as a recovery passage penetrating the main body part back and forth, and a lower supply communication hole connecting the heat generating chamber 7 and the oil area 10b of the sub oil chamber 10. It has a side communication hole 6e. In the third embodiment, the communication holes 6d, 6e, 6f and the sub oil chamber 10 constitute a viscous fluid recovery path. The communication cross-sectional area of the lower communication hole 6e is set larger than that of the upper communication hole 6d.

As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the housing lid 2 is provided with an electromagnetic solenoid 20. The electromagnetic solenoid 20 is housed in a case 22 attached to the outer surface of the housing lid 2 with a plurality of bolts 21. The electromagnetic solenoid 20 has a solenoid coil 23 disposed in a case 22 and a core rod 24 as a valve disposed in the center of the solenoid coil 23. The core rod 24 is attached to the housing lid 2 so as to be slidable back and forth, and is disposed so that its front end face faces the bottom communication hole 6f. The diameter of the core rod 24 is set to be larger than the opening diameter (diameter of the communication cross section) of the bottom communication hole 6f, and the bottom communication hole 6f can be closed at the front end face. In this way, the core rod 24 as a valve body can be switched between a communicating (open) position (shown in FIG. 5) and a blocking (closed) position (shown in FIG. 6).
Is the same as the direction in which the bottom communication hole 6f extends.

A plate 61 extending upward is fixed to the front end of the core rod 24. The plate 61 is provided with the core rod 24.
, The lower communication hole 6e can be closed at the upper end thereof.

Further, from the front end of the core rod 24, the escape room 6
A sliding section 62 that enters the inside of the cylinder 0 protrudes. The sliding section 62 includes an upright movable wall portion 62 a and a connecting portion 62 b connecting the movable wall portion 62 a to the front end of the core rod 24.
Consists of The sectional shape of the movable wall portion 62a is
Matches that of 0. Accordingly, with the switching arrangement of the core rod 24, the movable wall portion 62 a can slide back and forth in the evacuation room 60 while being in close contact with the inner wall surface of the evacuation room 60. When the mandrel 24 projects forward (to the left in FIG. 6), the movable wall portion 62a is at the most forward position (FIG. 6).
(Left position), the internal volume of the waiting room 60 is the maximum. On the other hand, when the core rod 24 is retracted backward (to the right in FIG. 5), the movable wall portion 62a is located at the rearmost position (to the right in FIG. 5), and the internal volume of the waiting room 60 is minimum. is there.
Further, as shown in FIG. 5, when the movable wall portion 62a is at the rear position, the rear surface of the movable wall portion 62a is flush with the rear surface of the front partition plate 5, which is the inner wall surface of the heat generating chamber 7, and is movable. The clearance between the rear surface of the wall portion 62a and the outermost surface of the lowermost portion of the rotor 14 is sufficient clearance for heat generation by shearing.

A coil spring 25 as an urging member is disposed between the front end of the core rod 24 and the inner wall surface of the housing lid 2. The core rod 24 is formed by the coil spring 25.
Are urged toward the rear partition plate 6. still,
In the third embodiment, the solenoid coil 23, the core rod 24
The electromagnetic solenoid 20 is constituted by the coil spring 25 and this electromagnetic solenoid 20 constitutes a main part of the valve means. Further, the solenoid coil 23 and the coil spring 25
Constitutes a valve body operating mechanism.

As described above, the three communication holes 6d, 6e, 6
The heat generating chamber 7, the auxiliary oil chamber 10, and the escape chamber 60 communicating with each other via f form a liquid-tight internal space in the housing of the vehicle heat generator. In this interior space,
A required amount of silicone oil is contained as a viscous fluid. The amount of the silicone oil is determined so that its filling factor at normal temperature is 50 to 80% of the free space in the internal space. Despite such a filling amount, FIG.
When the rotor 14 rotates, the silicone oil is pulled up from the shelter chamber 60 due to its viscosity, and spreads over the entire minute clearance between the inner wall surface of the heat generating chamber 7 and the end face of the rotor 14 evenly. . On the other hand, silicone oil is recovered from the heat generating chamber 7 to the sub oil chamber 10 via the upper communication hole 6d. Therefore, when the rotor 14 rotates, oil exchange circulation may occur between the heat generating chamber 7, the auxiliary oil chamber 10, and the escape chamber 60. The control configuration of the vehicle heat generator of the third embodiment is the same as that of the first embodiment shown in FIGS.

Next, the operation of the vehicle heat generator of the third embodiment will be described. The vehicle engine E stops (rotation speed = 0 rpm)
In the case where the coil spring 25 is used, as shown in FIG.
The core rod 24 is arranged at the cut-off position by the urging force. Accordingly, the core rod 24 closes the bottom communication hole 6f at its front end face, and the plate 61 closes the lower communication hole 6e. Further, the movable wall portion 62a is disposed at the forward position, and maximizes the volume of the waiting room 60. At this time, most of the silicone oil (viscous fluid) is stored in the auxiliary oil chamber 10 and the refuge chamber 60, and almost no silicone oil exists in the area occupied by the rotor 14 in the heat generating chamber 7. . Therefore, the rotor 14 can easily rotate without being excessively restrained by the silicone oil.

When the heat generation command of the heat generator is raised while the vehicle engine E is being driven, that is, when the heater switch 42 is turned on, the control device 40 starts controlling the energization of the solenoid coil 23. Thereby, the core rod 24 moves to the communicating position against the urging force of the coil spring 25. Accordingly, the lower and bottom communication holes 6e and 6f are opened, and the volume of the escape chamber 60 is reduced by the movement of the movable wall portion 62a. Then, the silicone oil stored in the sub oil chamber 10 starts flowing into the heat generating chamber 7 through the lower and bottom communication holes 6e and 6f. Further, the silicone oil stored in the escape room 60 is pushed out to the area of the heat generating chamber 7 by the movable wall portion 62a. Thus, the oil is quickly supplied to the outer peripheral region of the rotor 14.

Further, in this way, the heat generation rise command of the heat generator is issued, and the control device 40 determines the predetermined number of times (for example, the number of times specified by the control program) for a certain period immediately after the lower and bottom communication holes 6e and 6f are opened. The energization / interruption to the solenoid coil 23 is repeated only two to ten times. This control device 40
With the repetition of energization / interruption, the core rod 24 repeatedly advances and retreats a plurality of times. The continuous reciprocating movement of the core rod 24 is performed by the front end face of the core rod 24 to feed oil into the bottom communication hole 6f, the plate body 61 to send oil into the lower communication hole 6e, and the movable wall. An oil extruding action to the heat generating chamber 7 region by 62a is produced. After the end of the reciprocating movement (pumping operation) of the core rod 24, as long as an increase in the amount of heat generated by the heater is required, the power supply to the solenoid coil 23 is continued, and the core rod 24 is held at the communication position. Therefore, the lower and bottom communication holes 6e and 6f are maintained in the open state, and the volume of the escape chamber 60 is maintained in the minimum state.

When the rotor 14 rotates, the oil is drawn from the sub oil chamber 10 through the open lower and lower communication holes 6e and 6f due to the weight and viscosity of the silicone oil. At about the same time, the above-described pumping operation is performed, so that the oil supply from the sub oil chamber 10 to the heat generating chamber 7 is quickly performed. Therefore, the oil quickly spreads over the entire minute clearance between the end face of the rotor 14 and the inner wall surface of the heat generating chamber 7. Then, the oil is lifted to the uppermost portion of the rotor 14 in a short time, and the oil is quickly recovered into the sub oil chamber 10 through the upper communication hole 6d. Accordingly, oil exchange circulation between the heat generating chamber 7 and the sub oil chamber 10 is achieved.

The silicone oil filled in the clearance between the inner wall surface of the heat generating chamber 7 and the rear surface of the movable wall portion 62a and the end surface of the rotor 14 is sheared to generate heat. The heat generated in the heat generating chamber 7 is exchanged with the circulating water flowing through the front and rear water jackets 8 and 9, and the heated circulating water is used for heating the vehicle interior via a heating circuit (not shown). You.

In the case of feedback control of the heating value of the heater, for example, when the temperature in the vehicle interior falls below the set temperature T, the control device 40 retracts the core rod 24 by energizing the solenoid coil 23. For this reason, the plate body 61 and the movable wall portion 62a are also at the retracted position, and the lower and bottom communication holes 6e and 6f are kept in communication, and the volume of the escape chamber 60 is in the minimum state. Then, the amount of oil supplied to the heat generating chamber 7 is larger than the amount of oil recovered to the sub oil chamber 10 through the upper communication hole 6d, so that the amount of oil in the heat generating chamber 7 increases, and the amount of heat generated by shearing oil also increases. It becomes a tendency.

On the other hand, if the temperature in the vehicle interior exceeds the set temperature T due to an increase in the amount of heat generated by the heater, the control device 40
Stops power supply to the solenoid coil 23 and
To move forward. For this reason, the bottom communication hole 6 is formed by the core rod 24.
f is closed, the lower communication hole 6e is closed by the plate body 61, and the volume of the waiting room 60 is maximized by the movement of the movable wall portion 62a. Then, the movement of the oil from the sub oil chamber 10 to the heat generating chamber 7 is interrupted, and the oil in the heat generating chamber 7 is stored in the escape chamber 60 while the upper communication hole 6 is held.
Only the oil recovery to the sub oil chamber 10 via d is performed. Therefore, the amount of oil in the heat generating chamber 7 decreases quickly, and the rotor 14 approaches an idling state, and the heat generation decreases.

As described above, by controlling the opening and closing of the lower and bottom communication holes 6e and 6f by the core rod (valve element) 24,
The heat value is variably adjusted. In this sense, the upper and lower communication holes 6d, 6 that allow the heat generating chamber 7 and the sub oil chamber 10 to communicate with each other.
e, an electromagnetic solenoid 20 provided with a bottom communication hole 6f for communicating the escape chamber 60 and the sub oil chamber 10, a core rod 24, and the control device 40 are configured to variably control the heat generation capability of the vehicle heat generator. Is provided.

When the heater switch 42 is turned off during the operation of the engine E, the control device 40 stops the power supply to the solenoid coil 23 and moves the core rod 24 to the cutoff position. By this movement, the core rod 24 closes the bottom communication hole 6f, the plate body 61 closes the lower communication hole 6e, and the movable wall portion 62a enlarges the volume of the escape chamber 60. On the other hand, a considerable amount of oil is recovered from the heat generating chamber 7 to the sub oil chamber 10 via the upper communication hole 6d. At this time, since the lower and bottom communication holes 6e and 6f are in a closed state, the oil stays there while being collected in the sub oil chamber 10. In addition, the oil level in the standby chamber 60 immediately drops due to the increase in the volume of the standby chamber 60 and the recovery of oil in the auxiliary oil chamber 10.
Thus, the oil in the heat generating chamber 7 is reduced, and the shear heat generated by the rotor 14 is effectively interrupted.

When an engine stop signal is output from the ignition switch 70 to the ECU 71, the ECU 71
Informs the control device 40 that the engine has stopped. If the heater switch 42 is in the ON state at that time, the control device 40 immediately stops energizing the solenoid coil 23 and advances the core rod 24. At this time, the core rod 24 closes the bottom communication hole 6f, and the plate 61 closes the lower communication hole 6e. In addition, since the movable wall portion 62a enlarges the volume of the shelter chamber 60, the oil that has been subjected to the shearing action in the heat generating chamber 7 is transferred to the shelter chamber 60 based on the negative pressure suction action accompanying the forward movement of the movable wall portion 62a. Evacuation is allowed. On the other hand, ECU
71 controls the engine E so as to maintain the driving of the engine E only for a short time (for example, 2 to 3 seconds), so that the pulley 16, the drive shaft 13, and the rotor 14 also respond to the driving of the engine E. Keep spinning. Then, the oil that has been subjected to the shearing action in the heating chamber 7 at that time is removed from the rotor 14.
The oil is collected in the sub oil chamber 10 through the upper communication hole 6d while continuing to move as if being dragged by the rotation of.

On the other hand, even after the rotor 14 is stopped, a small amount of the silicone oil, which is not collected in the sub oil chamber 10 and remains in the heat generating chamber 7, flows down into the escape chamber 60 by its own weight and is stored therein. You. The amount of oil remaining in the heat generating chamber 7 is limited to an extremely small amount, and most of the oil in the area occupied by the heat generating chamber 7 is stored in the sub oil chamber 10 with the presence of the escape chamber 60 having an increased volume. The oil level in the waiting room 60 remains almost unchanged while being lowered. At this time, the lowermost part of the rotor 14 slightly touches the oil in the refuge chamber 60, but the clearance between the outer surface of the rotor 14 and the inner wall surface of the refuge chamber 60 is sufficiently large, so that the load torque at the time of restart is reduced. The increase is minimal.

As described above, the silicone oil is reliably removed from the area occupied by the rotor 14 in the heat generating chamber 7. Therefore, even if the engine E is restarted thereafter, the rotor 14 is not restricted by the viscous oil as described above, so that the pulley 16 and the drive shaft 1
3 and the rotor 14 can be started smoothly.

According to the third embodiment, the first and second embodiments are described.
The same effect as that of No. 2 can be obtained. In addition, since the volume of the shunting chamber 60 is changed by the sliding partition 62, the oil flow between the shunting chamber 60 and the heat generating chamber 7 can be performed more smoothly and quickly. Further, since the lower communication hole 6e is opened and closed by the plate body 61, oil can be quickly supplied from the storage chamber 10 to the heat generation chamber 7. Therefore, the heat generation capacity at the time of starting the heat generator can be instantaneously increased.

(Modification) Each of the first to third embodiments can be modified as follows. The electromagnetic clutch mechanism may be employed between the pulley 16 and the drive shaft 13 so that the drive force of the vehicle engine E can be selectively transmitted to the drive shaft 13 as needed. With such a configuration, the drive transmission can be cut off as needed, so that the shearing action of the silicone oil in the heat generating chamber 7 can be suppressed. For this reason, it is possible to delay the overheat deterioration of the silicone oil caused by the excessive shearing.

(Definition of terms) "Viscous fluid" means any medium that generates heat based on fluid friction under the shearing action of a rotor, and is limited to high-viscosity liquids and semi-fluids. Of course, it is not limited to silicone oil.

[0109]

As described above in detail, according to the heat generator for a vehicle according to the present invention, the valve means provided in the viscous fluid replacement circulation path in the housing is controlled so that the viscous fluid in the escape chamber is controlled. The liquid level can be changed. Therefore, before starting the rotor, most of the viscous fluid can be removed from the rotor occupied region of the heat generating chamber, and the rotor can be released from the constraint of the viscous fluid. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the load torque at the time of starting the rotor as much as possible, to smoothly start the rotor, and to avoid generation of abnormal noise and early wear of members due to excessive load torque.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a heat generator for a vehicle according to a first embodiment when the heat generator is operating or when the capacity is expanded.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing the vehicle heat generator according to the first embodiment when it is not operated or when its capacity is suppressed.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which the vehicle heat generator according to the second embodiment is operated or its capacity is expanded.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing the vehicle heat generator according to the second embodiment when it is not operating or when its capacity is suppressed.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing a vehicle heat generator according to a third embodiment at the time of operation or at the time of capacity expansion.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which the vehicle heat generator according to the third embodiment is not operated or its capacity is suppressed.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Housing main body, 2 ... Housing lid, 5 ... Front division plate, 6 ... Rear division plate (1, 2, 5, 6 constitutes a housing), 6d ... Upper communication hole as a collection passage, 6e ... Lower communication hole as second supply communication hole, 6
f: bottom side communication hole as first supply communication hole, 7: heat generating chamber,
8 front water jacket as heat radiating chamber, 9 rear water jacket as heat radiating chamber, 10 auxiliary oil chamber as storage section (6d, 6e, 6f, 10 are the third embodiment)
, An air zone, 10b an oil zone as a stay zone, 14 a rotor, 23 a solenoid coil, 24 a core rod as a valve body, 25 a coil spring (23, 24). , 25 constitute a valve means), 30... An evacuation chamber as an evacuation unit, 31... A communication passage (6d, 10, 31 constitute a viscous fluid recovery path in the first embodiment), 50. Evacuation room,
Reference numeral 51 denotes a lower auxiliary oil chamber serving as a storage unit, 52 denotes a communication passage, and 53 denotes an upper auxiliary oil chamber serving as a storage unit (6d, 6).
f, 51, 52, and 53 constitute a recovery path of the viscous fluid in the second embodiment), 53a: an air area, 53b: an oil area as a stay area, 60: an evacuation chamber as an evacuation unit, 6
1. Plate, 62 ... Partition, E ... Engine as external drive source.

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (72) Inventor Takanori Okabe 2-1-1 Toyota-cho, Kariya-shi, Aichi Prefecture Inside Toyota Industries Corporation

Claims (9)

[Claims] 1. A heat generating chamber and a heat radiating chamber partitioned in a housing, wherein a viscous fluid contained in the heat generating chamber is sheared by a rotor to generate heat, and the heat is converted into a circulating fluid flowing through the heat radiating chamber. A heat generator for a vehicle that performs heat exchange, wherein a shunt portion is disposed in a lowermost region of the heat generating chamber in the housing and shunts and stores a viscous fluid in the heat generating chamber, and additionally stores the viscous fluid. And a recovery passage connecting the storage section provided in the housing and the heat generating chamber, and at least the storage area and the recovery path are set so as to reach from the upper region of the heat generation chamber to the retreating section through the recovery path. A recovery path for the viscous fluid, valve means for controlling the communication state of the recovery path to be cut off,
A heat generator for a vehicle, comprising: 2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the rotor is drivingly connected to an external drive source, and the external drive source transmits the viscous fluid in the heating chamber for a predetermined time after the recovery path is shut off by the valve means. The vehicle heat generator according to claim 1, wherein the heat generator is controlled to maintain the rotation of the rotor so as to be transferred to and stored in the storage unit via a recovery passage. 3. The storage section is divided into a stay area where the viscous fluid stays and an air area above the stay area, and one end of the recovery passage opens into the air area. Or the heat generator for vehicles according to 2. 4. The collection path further includes a communication path connecting the stay area of the storage section and the retraction section, and the valve means is provided to control a communication state of the communication path. The vehicle heat generator according to claim 3, wherein: 5. The valve means includes a valve body that can be switched between a communication position for communicating the communication passage and a blocking position for blocking the communication passage, and the rotation of the rotor is equal to or higher than a predetermined rotation speed. The heat generator for a vehicle according to claim 4, wherein the valve element is controlled so as to be continuously switched between the two positions for a certain period immediately after the temperature has reached the predetermined value. 6. The refuge section and the stay area of the storage section are arranged horizontally side by side, and the recovery path is a first supply communication connecting the shunt section and the stay area of the storage section. 4. The valve according to claim 3, further comprising a hole, wherein the valve means includes a valve body movably provided in a horizontal direction so as to communicate and shut off a communication state of the first supply communication hole. Heat generator for vehicles. 7. The recovery path further includes a second supply communication hole connecting the heat generating chamber and the staying area of the storage section, wherein the valve means is provided on the valve body and the valve body is A plate that blocks communication with the second supply communication hole in accordance with blocking the communication with the first supply communication hole, and a plate that is provided at a tip of the valve body and that can move in the shunting portion according to movement of the valve body The vehicle according to claim 6, further comprising a partition, wherein the partition is arranged at a position where the volume of the shunting part is maximized when the valve blocks the first supply communication hole. For heat generator. 8. The heat generation for a vehicle according to claim 5, wherein said valve means further comprises an urging means for urging said valve body to a shut-off state. vessel. 9. The valve body of the valve means, wherein the first heat generating device is provided with the first element for a certain period immediately after a heat generation increasing command of the heat generator is issued.
The heat generator for a vehicle according to claim 6, wherein the heat generator is controlled so as to be continuously switched between two positions at which the supply communication hole communicates and shuts off.