Hydrokinetic torque coupling device having turbine-piston lock-up clutch, and related methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016116038-A1
Application number	US-201414522302-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 23, 2014
Priority date	Oct 23, 2014
Publication date	Apr 28, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A hydrokinetic torque coupling device features a casing including a casing shell and an impeller casing shell, an impeller including the impeller shell, a turbine-piston including a turbine-piston shell, and a restriction element. The turbine-piston shell includes a turbine-piston flange and partitions the interior volume of the casing into two chambers. The turbine-piston flange has an engagement surface movable axially toward and away from an engagement surface of a piston engagement portion of the impeller shell to position the hydrokinetic torque coupling device into and out of a lockup mode. The restriction element is configured to restrict fluid flow and create a pressure drop between the first and second chambers.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A hydrokinetic torque coupling device for coupling together a driving shaft and a driven shaft, the torque coupling device comprising:
a casing rotatable about a rotational axis and having an interior volume, the casing comprising a casing shell and an impeller shell disposed axially opposite to and fixedly connected to the casing shell; an impeller coaxially aligned with the rotational axis and comprising the impeller shell, the impeller shell comprising a piston engagement portion having a first engagement surface; a turbine-piston coaxially aligned with and hydrodynamically drivable by the impeller, the turbine-piston comprising a turbine-piston shell comprising a turbine-piston flange and partitioning the interior volume of the casing into a first chamber between the impeller shell and the turbine-piston shell and a second chamber between the turbine-piston shell and the casing shell, the turbine-piston flange having a second engagement surface facing the first engagement surface and movable axially toward and away from the first engagement surface to position the hydrokinetic torque coupling device into and out of a lockup mode in which the turbine-piston is mechanically locked with the piston engagement portion so as to be non-rotatable relative to the casing; and a restriction element configured to restrict fluid flow and create a pressure drop between the first and second chambers when the hydrokinetic torque coupling device is out of the lockup mode.

2 . The hydrokinetic torque coupling device of claim 1 , wherein the turbine-piston shell and the turbine-piston flange are axially movable towards an output side of the hydrokinetic torque coupling device in order to frictionally couple the first and second engagement surfaces and position the turbine-piston in the lockup mode, and wherein the turbine-piston shell and the turbine-piston flange are axially movable towards an input side of the hydrokinetic torque coupling device so that the first and second engagement surfaces are not frictionally coupled and the turbine-piston is out of the lockup mode.

3 . The hydrokinetic torque coupling device of claim 1 , further comprising:
an output hub; and a torsional vibration damper interconnecting the turbine-piston shell and the output hub.

4 . The hydrokinetic torque coupling device of claim 3 , wherein the torsional vibration damper comprises a drive member non-movably connected to the turbine-piston shell and a driven member operatively coupled to the output hub, and wherein the drive member is axially movable relative to the driven member of the torsional vibration damper.

5 . The hydrokinetic torque coupling device of claim 3 , further comprising a drive member interconnecting the turbine-piston shell to the torsional vibration damper, wherein the torsional vibration damper comprises an intermediate member, a first set of circumferentially extending elastic damping members drivingly coupling the drive member to the intermediate member, a driven member connected to and non-rotatable relative to the output hub, a second set of circumferentially extending elastic damping members drivingly coupling the intermediate member to the driven member, and a centrifugal pendulum oscillator mounted to the intermediate member.

6 . The hydrokinetic torque coupling device of claim 3 , further comprising a drive member interconnecting the turbine-piston shell to the torsional vibration damper, wherein the torsional vibration damper comprises an intermediate member, a first set of circumferentially extending elastic damping members drivingly coupling the drive member to the intermediate member, a driven member connected to and non-rotatable relative to the output hub, a second set of circumferentially extending elastic damping members drivingly coupling the intermediate member to the driven member, and a spring mass system coupled to the intermediate member.

7 . The hydrokinetic torque coupling device of claim 1 , wherein the restriction element comprises an annular restrictor flange member extending substantially axially from a distal end of the turbine-piston flange of the turbine-piston, the restrictor flange member including at least one passage permitting fluid communication between the first and second chambers when the hydrokinetic torque coupling device is out of the lockup mode.

8 . The hydrokinetic torque coupling device of claim 7 , wherein the at least one passage is configured as an axial groove on a cylindrical outer peripheral surface of the restrictor flange member.

9 . The hydrokinetic torque coupling device of claim 1 , wherein the restriction element comprises an annular washer having a radially inner end portion non-moveably attached to the turbine-piston flange of the turbine-piston and a radially outer end portion slidably engaging a radially inner peripheral surface of the casing, the annular washer comprising at least one passage permitting fluid communication between the first and second chambers when the hydrokinetic torque coupling device is out of the lockup mode.

10 . The hydrokinetic torque coupling device of claim 9 , wherein the at least one passage is situated radially outside of the turbine-piston flange.

11 . The hydrokinetic torque coupling device of claim 1 , wherein the restriction element comprises an annular washer having a radially outer end portion mounted to the casing and a radially inner end portion slidably engaging the turbine-piston flange of the turbine-piston, the annular washer comprising at least one passage permitting fluid communication between the first and second chambers when the hydrokinetic torque coupling device is out of the lockup mode.

12 . The hydrokinetic torque coupling device of claim 11 , wherein the radially outer end portion of the annular washer axially abuts an axial peripheral surface of the casing shell.

13 . The hydrokinetic torque coupling device of claim 11 , wherein the radially outer end portion of the annular washer is non-rotatably mounted to the casing.

14 . The hydrokinetic torque coupling device of claim 13 , wherein the at least one passage is situated radially outside of the turbine-piston flange.

15 . The hydrokinetic torque coupling device of claim 13 , wherein the at least one fluid passage is disposed between the turbine-piston flange and the radially inner end portion of the annular washer.

16 . The hydrokinetic torque coupling device of claim 15 , wherein the annular washer includes at least one substantially annular fulcrum at the radially inner end portion of the annular washer and slidably engaging the turbine-piston flange of the turbine-piston, the at least one fluid passage comprising a radial passage through the annular fulcrum.

17 . The hydrokinetic torque coupling device of claim 1 , wherein the restriction element comprises an annular sealing ring having a proximal end portion non-moveably secured to the turbine-piston shell and a distal end portion extending from the turbine-piston shell toward the impeller.

18 . The hydrokinetic torque coupling device of claim 17 , wherein the impeller shell includes an annular groove receiving the distal end portion of the sealing ring.

19 . A method of assembling a hydrokinetic torque coupling device for coupling a driving shaft and a driven shaft together, comprising:
providing a torque converter comprising
an impeller comprising an impeller shell and a plurality of impeller blades, the impeller shell comprising a piston engagement portion having a first engagemen

Assignees

• Valeo Embrayages

Inventors

• Depraete Alexandre
• Lee Sungchul
• Bacher Michel

Classifications

• F16H2045/0215

  Details of oil circulation · CPC title

• F16H2045/0278

  comprising only two co-acting friction surfaces · CPC title

• F16H2045/0205

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

• F16H41/30

  relating to venting, lubrication, cooling, circulation of the cooling medium · CPC title

• F16H2045/0221

  with damping means · CPC title