Torsional vibration damper and lock-up clutch for hydrokinetic torque-coupling device, and method for making the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10107372-B2
Application number	US-201615359177-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 22, 2016
Priority date	Nov 22, 2016
Publication date	Oct 23, 2018
Grant date	Oct 23, 2018

Abstract

A torsional vibration damper of a hydrokinetic torque-coupling device. The torsional vibration damper comprises a torque input member including first and second side plates axially spaced from and non-rotatably attached to one another, and a supporting member mounted therebetween, a unitary elastic member disposed between the first and second side plates and pivotable relative to and elastically coupled to the torque input member, and a resilient member disposed between the elastic member and the first side plate. The elastic member includes a core member rotatable relative the torque input member, and an elastic leaf integral with the core member and configured to elastically engage the supporting member. The elastic leaf has a proximal end non-moveably connected to the core member, a free distal end and a curved raceway portion disposed between the proximal and free distal ends of the at least one elastic leaf for bearing the supporting member.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A torsional vibration damper of a hydrokinetic torque-coupling device for coupling a driving shaft and a driven shaft together, comprising:
a torque input member rotatable about a rotational axis and including radially oriented first and second side plates axially spaced from and non-rotatably attached to one another, and at least one supporting member mounted therebetween;
a unitary radially elastic member disposed between the first and second side plates and pivotable relative to and elastically coupled to the torque input member; and
a first axially resilient member disposed between the radially elastic member and the first side plate for biasing the radially elastic member axially away from the first side plate;
the radially elastic member including an annular core member coaxial with the rotational axis and rotatable relative the torque input member, and at least one curved elastic leaf integral with the core member and configured to elastically and radially engage the at least one supporting member and to elastically bend in the radial direction upon rotation of the torque input member with respect to the radially elastic member;
the at least one curved elastic leaf having a proximal end non-moveably connected to the core member, a free distal end and a curved raceway portion disposed between the proximal and free distal ends of the at least one elastic leaf for bearing the at least one supporting member.

2. The torsional vibration damper as defined in claim 1 , wherein the first axially resilient member is disposed between the core member of the radially elastic member and the first side plate.

3. The torsional vibration damper as defined in claim 1 , further comprising a second axially resilient member disposed between the radially elastic member and the second side plate for biasing the radially elastic member away from the second side plate.

4. The torsional vibration damper as defined in claim 3 , wherein the second axially resilient member is disposed between the core member of the radially elastic member and the second side plate.

5. The torsional vibration damper as defined in claim 1 , wherein the first axially resilient member is an annular axially resilient spring separate from the first side plate of the torque input member and the radially elastic member.

6. The torsional vibration damper as defined in claim 5 , wherein the first axially resilient member is a Belleville spring.

7. The torsional vibration damper as defined in claim 1 , wherein the first axially resilient member is integrally formed with the first side plate.

8. The torsional vibration damper as defined in claim 7 , wherein the first side plate includes two diametrically opposite first axially resilient members integrally formed with the first side plate.

9. The torsional vibration damper as defined in claim 1 , further comprising a hysteresis washer disposed between the radially elastic member and the first axially resilient member.

10. The torsional vibration damper as defined in claim 1 , wherein the at least one supporting member is an annular rolling body.

11. The torsional vibration damper as defined in claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first and second side plates of the torque input member of the torsional vibration damper has at least one viewing window therethrough.

12. A hydrokinetic torque-coupling device for coupling a driving shaft and a driven shaft together, comprising:
a casing rotatable about a rotational axis and having a locking surface;
a torque converter including an impeller wheel rotatable about the rotational axis and a turbine wheel disposed in the casing coaxially with the rotational axis, the turbine wheel disposed axially opposite to the impeller wheel and hydro-dynamically rotationally drivable by the impeller wheel;
a lock-up clutch including a locking piston axially moveable along the rotational axis to and from the locking surface of the casing, the locking piston having an engagement surface configured to selectively frictionally engage the locking surface of the casing to position the hydrokinetic torque-coupling device into and out of a lockup mode in which the locking piston is mechanically frictionally locked to the casing so as to be non-rotatable relative to the casing; and
a torsional vibration damper comprising
a torque input member including radially oriented first and second side plates axially spaced from and non-rotatably attached to one another, and at least one supporting member mounted therebetween;
a unitary radially elastic member disposed between the first and second side plates and pivotable relative to and elastically coupled to the torque input member; and
a first axially resilient member disposed between the radially elastic member and the first side plate for biasing the radially elastic member axially away from the first side plate;
the radially elastic member including an annular core member coaxial with the rotational axis and rotatable relative the torque input member, and at least one curved elastic leaf integral with the core member and configured to elastically and radially engage the at least one supporting member and to elastically bend in the radial direction upon rotation of the torque input member with respect to the radially elastic member;
the at least one curved elastic leaf having a proximal end non-moveably connected to the core member, a free distal end and a curved raceway portion disposed between the proximal and free distal ends of the at least one elastic leaf for bearing the at least one supporting member.

13. The hydrokinetic torque-coupling device as defined in claim 12 , wherein the first axially resilient member is disposed between the core member of the radially elastic member and the first side plate.

14. The hydrokinetic torque-coupling device as defined in claim 12 , further comprising a second axially resilient member disposed between the radially elastic member and the second side plate for biasing the radially elastic member away from the second side plate.

15. The hydrokinetic torque-coupling device as defined in claim 14 , wherein the second axially resilient member is disposed between the core member of the radially elastic member and the second side plate.

16. The hydrokinetic torque-coupling device as defined in claim 12 , wherein the first axially resilient member is an annular axially resilient spring separate from the first side plate of the torque input member and the radially elastic member.

17. The hydrokinetic torque-coupling device as defined in claim 16 , wherein the first axially resilient member is a Belleville spring.

18. The hydrokinetic torque-coupling device as defined in claim 12 , wherein the first axially resilient member is integrally formed with the first side plate.

19. The hydrokinetic torque-coupling device as defined in claim 18 , wherein the first side plate includes two diametrically opposite first axially resilient members integrally formed with the first side plate.

20. The hydrokinetic torque-coupling device as defined in claim 12 , further comprising a hysteresis washer disposed between the radially elastic member and the first axially resilient member.

21. The hydrokinetic torque-coupling device as defined in claim 12 , wherein the at least one supporting member is in the form of an annular rolling body.

22. The hydrokinetic torque-coupling device as defined in claim 12 , further comprising an output hub rotatable about the rotational axi

Assignees

• Valeo Embrayages

Inventors

• Depraete Alexandre

Classifications

• F16H45/02 Primary

  with mechanical clutches for bridging a fluid gearing of the hydrokinetic type (control of torque converter lock-up clutches F16H61/14) · CPC title

• F16F2226/04

  Assembly or fixing methods; methods to form or fashion parts · CPC title

• F16F15/1215

  Leaf springs, e.g. radially extending · CPC title

• F16D13/26

  in which the or each axially-movable member is pressed exclusively against an axially-located member · CPC title

• F16H2045/0221

  with damping means · CPC title