Patent attributes
Magneto-rheological brake-clutch apparatuses and methods are provided. According to one aspect, a magneto-rheological brake-clutch can include a drive member and a driven member spaced from the drive member with a gap defined between the drive and driven members. A first quantity of MR fluid can be disposed in the gap. A brake assembly can define a chamber having a second quantity of MR fluid disposed therein and having a braking structure positioned in the chamber and connected to the driven member. A magnetic field generation assembly can be configured to selectively apply a magnetic field to the first quantity of MR fluid for controlling engagement of the driven member with the drive member. The assembly can be configured to selectively apply a magnetic field to the second quantity of MR fluid for controlling engagement of the braking structure with the brake assembly to brake the driven member. A magnet can be used and selectively positioned for applying a magnetic field to the first and second quantities of MR fluid.
