Reduced volume torque converter having inverted cover closure

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10844939-B2
Application number	US-201515776227-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 18, 2015
Priority date	Dec 18, 2015
Publication date	Nov 24, 2020
Grant date	Nov 24, 2020

Abstract

A housing for a torque converter comprising: an axis of rotation; a cover including: a first inner surface; a first outer surface opposite the first inner surface; a first axially extending necked portion radially outward relative to the axis of rotation and parallel to the axis of rotation, an impeller shell non-rotatably connected to the cover and having: a second inner surface; a second outer surface opposite the second inner surface; a second axially extending necked portion radially outward relative to the first axially extending necked portion; a line orthogonal to the axis of rotation passes through the first and second axially extending necked portions; and, a weld fixedly securing the first inner surface to the second inner surface at at least one point on the line. A torque converter including such a housing closure is also described.

First claim

What we claim is:

1. A housing for a torque converter comprising:
a cover including:
a first inner surface;
a first outer surface opposite the first inner surface;
a first axially extending necked portion radially outward relative to an axis of rotation and parallel to the axis of rotation, wherein the first axially extending necked portion extends in an axial direction away from a turbine of the torque converter;

an impeller shell non-rotatably connected to the cover and having:
a second inner surface;
a second outer surface opposite the second inner surface;
a second axially extending necked portion radially outward relative to the first axially extending necked portion;

a line orthogonal to the axis of rotation passes through the first and second axially extending necked portions; and,
a weld fixedly securing the first inner surface to the second inner surface at at least one point on the line.

2. The housing of claim 1 , wherein the cover further comprises:
a torus portion; and,
a radial portion.

3. The housing of claim 2 , wherein the cover further comprises:
a first connecting portion connecting the first axially extending necked portion to the torus portion; and,
a second connecting portion connecting the torus portion and the radial portion.

4. The housing of claim 1 , wherein the impeller shell further comprises a clutch portion.

5. The housing of claim 1 , further comprising:
the cover further including:
a torus portion;
a first connecting portion connecting the first axially extending necked portion and the torus portion;
a radial portion; and,
a second connecting portion connecting the torus portion and the radial portion;

the impeller shell further including a clutch portion; and,
the first connecting portion and the clutch portion defining a gap therebetween including a pathway arranged for fluid communication.

6. The housing of claim 5 , wherein the cover is of one-piece construction.

7. The housing of claim 5 , wherein the impeller shell is of one-piece construction.

8. A torque converter comprising:
the housing of claim 1 , the cover further including a first torus portion;
the turbine including a turbine shell having a third inner surface and a third outer surface and including a second torus portion; and,
the first and second torus portions defining a gap therebetween including a pathway arranged for fluid communication.

9. A torque converter comprising:
a cover arranged to receive torque, the cover including:
a first inner surface; and,
a first axially extending necked portion radially outward relative to an axis of rotation and parallel to the axis of rotation;

an impeller shell including:
a second inner surface;
a second axially extending necked portion radially outward relative to the first axially extending necked portion; and,
at least one blade fixedly secured to the impeller shell;

a turbine including a turbine shell and at least one turbine blade fixedly secured to the turbine shell;
a line orthogonal to the axis of rotation passing through the first and second axially extending necked portions; and
a weld fixing the first inner surface to the second inner surface at at least one point on the line.

10. The torque converter of claim 9 , wherein the first axially extending necked portion includes a first end extending in a first axial direction and the second axially extending necked portion includes a second end extending in the first axial direction, wherein the second end is radially outward relative to the first end.

11. The torque converter of claim 9 , wherein the impeller shell further includes a clutch.

12. The torque converter of claim 11 , wherein the turbine shell further includes a piston arranged for engagement with the clutch.

13. The torque converter of claim 12 , wherein the impeller shell including the clutch is of one-piece construction; and wherein the turbine shell including the piston is of one-piece construction.

14. A torque converter comprising:
a drive plate arranged for connecting to an engine via a stud;
a cover fixedly attached to the drive plate and arranged to receive torque; the cover including a first axial portion parallel to an axis of rotation and disposed at a first radial distance relative to the axis of rotation and having:
a first inner surface;
a first distal end extending in a first axial direction to a first axial distance relative to the drive plate;

an impeller including an impeller shell and at least one blade; the impeller shell further including a second axial portion parallel to the axis of rotation and disposed at a second radial distance greater than the first radial distance relative to the axis of rotation, and having:
a second inner surface;
a second distal end extending in the first axial direction to a second axial distance relative to the drive plate, the second axial distance greater than the first axial distance;

a weld arranged to fixedly securing the first inner surface to the second inner surface; and
a turbine including a turbine shell and at least one blade, the turbine shell further including a turbine inner surface and a turbine outer surface opposite the turbine inner surface.

15. The torque converter of claim 14 , wherein the weld is disposed in a step formed by the second distal end and the first inner surface.

16. The torque converter of claim 14 further comprising a damper wherein the first axial portion is radially outward relative to the damper.

17. The torque converter of claim 16 , wherein the damper includes a centrifugal pendulum absorber, a series damper, a parallel damper, or a combination thereof.

18. The torque converter of claim 14 , wherein the impeller shell includes a clutch of one-piece construction.

19. The torque converter of claim 18 , wherein the turbine shell includes a piston of one-piece construction for engagement with the clutch.

20. The torque converter of claim 14 , further including a gap including a pathway arranged for fluid communication disposed between the cover and the turbine shell.

Assignees

• Mcconnell Trevor
• Linton Daniel
• Trares Jeffrey
• Schaeffler Technologies Ag

Inventors

• Mcconnell Trevor
• Linton Daniel
• Trares Jeffrey

Classifications

• F16H45/02

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

• F16H41/28 Primary

  with respect to manufacture, e.g. blade attachment · CPC title

• F16H2045/0221

  with damping means · CPC title

• F16H2041/243

  Connections between pump shell and cover shell of the turbine · CPC title

• F16H2045/0205

  two chamber system, i.e. without a separated, closed chamber specially adapted for actuating a lock-up clutch · CPC title