Torque converter assemblies with integrated planetary-type torsional vibration dampers

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11242920-B2
Application number	US-201916702679-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 4, 2019
Priority date	Dec 4, 2019
Publication date	Feb 8, 2022
Grant date	Feb 8, 2022

Abstract

Presented are torque converters (TC) with planetary-type vibration dampers, methods for making/using such TC assemblies, and vehicles equipped with such TC assemblies. A TC assembly includes a TC housing drivingly connected to a prime mover to receive torque therefrom, and a TC output member drivingly connected to a transmission to transfer torque thereto. Rotatably mounted within an internal fluid chamber of the TC housing are juxtaposed turbine and impeller blades. The impeller blades are rotatably mounted to the housing. A TC clutch is operable to lock the TC housing to the TC output member. A torsional vibration damper, which is disposed within the internal fluid chamber, includes a sun gear attached to the TC output member for unitary rotation, a ring gear attached to the TC clutch for unitary rotation, and a planet carrier intermeshed with the ring and sun gears and attached to the turbine blades for unitary rotation.

First claim

What is claimed:

1. A torque converter assembly for drivingly connecting a prime mover with a transmission, the prime mover having an output member, and the transmission having an input member, the torque converter assembly comprising:
a torque converter (TC) housing defining an internal fluid chamber and configured to drivingly connect to the output member to thereby receive torque generated by the prime mover;
a TC output member rotatable with respect to the TC housing and configured to drivingly connect to the input member to thereby transfer torque to the transmission;
a turbine including turbine blades rotatably mounted within the internal fluid chamber, a turbine shell onto which are mounted the turbine blades, and an adapter ring projecting radially outward from the turbine shell, the adapter ring defining a slot;
an impeller with impeller blades juxtaposed with the turbine blades and rotatably mounted to the TC housing within the internal fluid chamber;
a TC clutch operable to lock the TC housing to the TC output member; and
a torsional vibration damper disposed within the internal fluid chamber between the turbine and the TC clutch, the torsional vibration damper including:
a sun gear attached to the TC output member to rotate in unison therewith;
a ring gear coaxial with the sun gear and attached to the TC clutch to rotate in unison therewith;
a planet carrier with a pinion gear intermeshed with the ring and sun gears; and
a carrier drive plate attached to the planet carrier and including a carrier tab projecting axially from the carrier drive plate into the slot of the adapter ring to thereby drivingly couple the planet carrier to the turbine blades to rotate in unison therewith.

2. The torque converter assembly of claim 1 , wherein the adapter ring is welded to an outer surface of the turbine shell, the slot includes a plurality of circumferentially spaced slots extending through the adapter ring, and the carrier tab includes a plurality of circumferentially spaced tabs each projecting axially from the carrier drive plate into a respective one of the slots of the adapter ring.

3. The torque converter assembly of claim 1 , wherein the sun gear includes an annular body with a toroidal hub projecting axially from the annular body, and wherein the turbine further includes a turbine hub rotatably seating the turbine shell onto the toroidal hub of the sun gear.

4. The torque converter assembly of claim 1 , wherein the TC clutch includes a TC friction plate, and wherein the torsional vibration damper further includes a spring retainer mounted to the carrier drive plate, and a spring element mating the spring retainer with the TC friction plate such that the planet carrier is movably attached to the TC clutch.

5. The torque converter assembly of claim 4 , wherein the spring retainer includes a plurality of circumferentially spaced spring pockets, and the spring element includes a plurality of helical compression springs each disposed within a respective one of the spring pockets.

6. The torque converter assembly of claim 1 , wherein the TC clutch includes a TC friction plate, and wherein the torsional vibration damper further includes a ring drive plate coupling the ring gear to the friction plate for common rotation therewith.

7. The torque converter assembly of claim 6 , wherein the TC clutch further includes a pressure plate axially slidable on the TC output member and operable, under hydraulic pressure of fluid within the internal fluid chamber, to frictionally engage the friction plate with the TC housing to thereby lock the TC housing to the TC output member via the torsional vibration damper.

8. The torque converter assembly of claim 6 , wherein the torsional vibration damper further includes a spring retainer mounted to the carrier drive plate coupled to the planet carrier, and a spring element mating the spring retainer with the TC friction plate and the ring drive plate such that the planet carrier is movably attached to the TC clutch and the ring gear.

9. The torque converter assembly of claim 1 , wherein the ring gear is concentric with the sun gear and the planet carrier.

10. The torque converter assembly of claim 1 , wherein the TC output member includes a turbine shaft with external spline teeth, and wherein the sun gear includes a central through hole with internal spline teeth intermeshed with the external spline teeth of the turbine shaft.

11. The torque converter assembly of claim 1 , wherein the prime mover includes an engine and the output member includes an engine crankshaft, and wherein the TC housing includes a turbine cover rigidly attached to a pump cover to define therebetween the internal fluid chamber, the turbine cover being configured to rigidly attach to the engine crankshaft.

12. A method of assembling a torque converter assembly for drivingly connecting a prime mover with a transmission, the prime mover having an output member, and the transmission having an input member, the method comprising:
receiving a torque converter (TC) housing configured to drivingly connect to the output member to thereby receive torque generated by the prime mover;
positioning a TC output member to rotate at least partially inside an internal fluid chamber within the TC housing, the TC output member being configured to drivingly connect to the input member to thereby transfer torque to the transmission;
rotatably mounting turbine blades of a turbine within the internal fluid chamber, the turbine including a turbine shell onto which are mounted the turbine blades, an adapter ring projecting radially outward from the turbine shell, and a slot defined by the adapter ring;
rotatably mounting impeller blades of an impeller to the TC housing within the internal fluid chamber such that the impeller blades are juxtaposed with the turbine blades;
positioning a TC clutch within the internal fluid chamber, the TC clutch being operable to lock the TC housing to the TC output member;
positioning a torsional vibration damper within the internal fluid chamber between the turbine and the TC clutch, the torsional vibration damper including a sun gear, a ring gear coaxial with the sun gear, a planet carrier with a pinion gear intermeshed with the ring and sun gears, and a carrier drive plate attached to the planet carrier and including a carrier tab projecting axially from the carrier drive plate;
attaching the sun gear to the TC output member to rotate in unison therewith;
attaching the ring gear to the TC clutch to rotate in unison therewith; and
inserting the carrier tab into the slot of the adapter ring to thereby attach the planet carrier to the turbine blades to rotate in unison therewith.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the sun gear includes an annular body with a toroidal hub projecting axially from the annular body, and the turbine further includes a turbine hub, the method further comprising rotatably mounting the turbine shell onto the toroidal hub of the sun gear via the turbine hub.

14. The method of claim 12 , wherein the TC clutch includes a TC friction plate, and wherein the torsional vibration damper further includes a spring retainer mounted to the carrier drive plate, and a spring element seated on the spring retainer, the method further comprising mating the spring retainer with the TC friction plate via the spring element such that the planet carrier is movably attached to the TC clutch.

15. The method of claim 12 , wherein the TC clutch includes a TC friction plate, and the torsional vibration damper further includes a ring drive plate, and wherein attaching the ring gear to the TC cl

Assignees

• Gm Global Tech Operations Llc

Inventors

• Li Dongxu
• Basin Leonid

Classifications

• F16H41/24

  Details · CPC title

• F16H41/04 Primary

  Combined pump-turbine units · CPC title

• F16H2045/0268

  the damper comprising a gearing · 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

• F16H2045/0215

  Details of oil circulation · CPC title