Torque converter

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10634227-B2
Application number	US-201815979744-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 15, 2018
Priority date	May 15, 2017
Publication date	Apr 28, 2020
Grant date	Apr 28, 2020

Abstract

A torque converter includes a housing, and a fluid-operated power transmitting portion and a vibration damping device which are accommodated within the housing and which are disposed around an axis such that the vibration damping device is located adjacent to the fluid-operated power transmitting portion in a direction of the axis, the torque converter further includes a space occupying member which occupies a part of a space formed within the housing and between the fluid-operated power transmitting portion and the vibration damping device. The space occupying member comprises a wall surface facing the fluid-operated power transmitting portion in the direction of the axis. A distance in the direction of the axis between a part of the wall surface and the fluid-operated power transmitting portion is smaller than a distance in the direction of the axis between the part of the wall surface and the vibration damping device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A torque converter configured to transmit a torque, comprising:
a housing;
a fluid-operated power transmitting portion and a vibration damping device which are each accommodated within the housing and which are disposed around an axis such that the vibration damping device is located adjacent to the fluid-operated power transmitting portion in a direction of the axis;
a clutch configured to transmit at least a portion of the torque; and
a space occupying member which occupies a part of a space formed within the housing and between the fluid-operated power transmitting portion and the vibration damping device,
wherein the vibration damping device is between the fluid-operated power transmitting portion and the clutch in the direction of the axis,
wherein the space occupying member includes a wall surface facing the fluid-operated power transmitting portion in the direction of the axis,
wherein a distance in the direction of the axis between a part of the wall surface and the fluid-operated power transmitting portion is smaller than a distance in the direction of the axis between the part of the wall surface and the vibration damping device, and
wherein the vibration damping device includes guide holes and a plurality of mass bodies arranged in the guide holes, the mass bodies configured to move within the guide holes to dampen a vibration of the torque.

2. The torque converter according to claim 1 , wherein the space occupying member is a wall portion which is a part of a cover member covering the vibration damping device, and the wall portion has a concave part recessed in the direction of the axis toward the vibration damping device, so as to accommodate a convex part of the fluid-operated power transmitting portion which projects in the direction of the axis toward the vibration damping device.

3. The torque converter according to claim 1 , wherein the space occupying member is a wall portion which is a part of a cover member covering the vibration damping device, and a distance in the direction of the axis between the part of the wall surface and the fluid-operated power transmitting portion is smaller than a distance in the direction of the axis between a part of the wall portion and the vibration damping device.

4. The torque converter according to claim 3 , wherein the wall portion at least partially overlaps with the fluid-operated power transmitting portion in a radial direction of the fluid-operated power transmitting portion.

5. The torque converter according to claim 4 , wherein the fluid-operated power transmitting portion has a convex part projecting in the direction of the axis toward the vibration damping device, and the wall portion has a concave part recessed in the direction of the axis toward the vibration damping device to accommodate the convex part.

6. The torque converter according to claim 1 , wherein the space occupying member is an annular member attached to a cover member covering the vibration damping device.

7. The torque converter according to claim 6 , wherein the annular member is attached to a wall portion of the cover member, the wall portion faces the fluid-operated power transmitting portion in the direction of the axis, and the annular member at least partially overlaps with the fluid-operated power transmitting portion in a radial direction of the fluid-operated power transmitting portion.

8. The torque converter according to claim 1 , wherein the space occupying member is an annular member attached to the housing which accommodates the fluid-operated power transmitting portion and the vibration damping device.

9. The torque converter according to claim 1 ,
wherein the fluid-operated power transmitting portion includes a pump impeller, and a turbine runner which is disposed so as to face the pump impeller in the direction of the axis such that the turbine runner is rotatable relative to the pump impeller,
wherein the vibration damping device includes a disc member which is rotated together with the turbine runner, and
wherein the disc member has the guide holes, and each of the mass bodies is held in engagement with a corresponding one of the guide holes such that each mass body can be oscillated within the corresponding guide hole in a circumferential direction of the disc member.

10. The torque converter according to claim 1 ,
wherein a distance in the direction of the axis between a radially outer part of the wall surface and the fluid-operated power transmitting portion is smaller than a distance in the direction of the axis between the radially outer part of the wall surface and the vibration damping device.

11. The torque converter according to claim 1 ,
wherein a distance in the direction of the axis between the wall surface and the fluid-operated power transmitting portion is smaller than a distance in the direction of the axis between the wall surface and the vibration damping device.

Assignees

• Toyota Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Suzuki Yuji
• Amano Hiroyuki
• Miyahara Yu
• Horita Shuhei

Classifications

• F16H2045/0221

  with damping means · CPC title

• F16F15/1407

  the rotation being limited with respect to the driving means · CPC title

• F16H2045/0263

  the damper comprising a pendulum · CPC title

• 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

• F16H2045/0278

  comprising only two co-acting friction surfaces · CPC title