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FLUID ACCUMULATOR CHAMBER DESCRIPTION The invention relates to a fluid accumulator chamber of a fluid clutch device.

A fluid clutch device which can be provided with the accumulator chamber according to the invention is known from DE 699 11479 T2, the content of which is hereby incorporated by reference into the content of disclosure of the present application.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a fluid accumulator chamber of a fluid clutch device of the type specified in the preamble of claim 1, which permits an increase in the fluid pressure (oil pressure) at the filling opening.

Said object is achieved by means of the features of claim 1.

It is advantageously obtained by means of the fluid accumulator chamber according to the invention that a lower fluid quantity (oil quantity) is required, which leads to cost savings during operation.

The subclaims relate to advantageous refinements of the invention.

Further details, features and advantages of the invention will emerge from the following description of exemplary embodiments on the basis of the drawing, in which:

Figure 1 shows a partially cut-away side view of a fluid clutch device having a fluid accumulator chamber according to the invention, and

Figure 2 shows a perspective view of the top side of the fluid clutch device.

Below, an embodiment of a fluid accumulator chamber 1 according to the invention of a fluid clutch device will be described with reference to a juxtaposition of Figures 1 and 2.

Figure 1 shows a partially cut-away side view of a fluid clutch device having a fluid accumulator chamber 1 according to the invention. As can be seen from Figure 1 , the fluid clutch device has an inner boundary wall 2 which runs around a central axis of rotation M and an outer boundary wall 3 which runs around the central axis of rotation M. Furthermore, at least one filling opening 4 is arranged in the outer boundary wall 3. Here, the outer boundary wall 3 has, at the location of the filling opening 4, a maximum spacing Rl to the central axis M. As can be seen from the illustration of Figure 2, said maximum spacing Rl decreases continuously from the region of the filling opening 4 to a point P, and has a minimum spacing R3 at the point P. Here, in the case of the one filling opening 4 which is provided, the point P of minimum spacing R3 is arranged offset with respect to the filling opening 4 by 180°, that is to say is arranged substantially opposite the filling opening 4. DKT09036A

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In the case of a plurality of filling openings 4, distributed over the circumference of the outer boundary wall 3, of the fluid accumulator chamber 1 according to the invention of the fluid clutch device, the points P of minimum spacing R3 of the fluid accumulator chamber 1 are provided in each case between the filling openings 4 and preferably centrally between the filling openings 4.

As can be seen from Figures 1 and 2, the fluid accumulator chamber 1 is formed, in relation to the central axis M, with the continuously increasing spacing Rl up to the filling opening 4 and with the spacing R3 which decreases continuously from the filling opening 4 to the point P. As a result of this eccentrically arranged or formed fluid accumulator chamber 1, a fluid which is contained therein is moved into the circumferential region of the filling opening 4 (with the greatest spacing Rl to the central axis M) as a result of the centrifugal force during the rotation of the fluid clutch device. Accordingly, the pressure in the filling opening 4 is increased in relation to the fluid clutch devices with concentrically arranged fluid accumulator chambers of the prior art. Furthermore, in this way, a comparatively small fluid quantity is required for operating the fluid clutch device, which results in reduced costs and additionally provides the advantage that a fluid clutch device with relatively small fluid quantity can have faster reaction times.

In the fluid accumulator chamber according to the invention of the fluid clutch device having one filling opening, in addition to the above-described shape of the inner boundary wall 2, an oval or polygonal shape is alternatively also possible with the same advantages.

To supplement the disclosure, reference is made explicitly to the diagrammatic illustration of the invention in Figures 1 and 2.

DKT09036A

- 3 - LIST OF REFERENCE SYMBOLS

1 Fluid accumulator chamber

2 Inner boundary wall

3 Outer boundary wall

4 Filling opening

M Central axis

P Point of minimum spacing

Rl Maximum spacing

R3 Minimum spacing