Torque converter and hydrokinetic torque coupling device having turbine-piston lockup clutch, and related methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016160975-A1
Application number	US-201414562136-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 5, 2014
Priority date	Dec 5, 2014
Publication date	Jun 9, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A torque converter is provided that includes an impeller having an impeller shell with a first surface, an axially displaceable turbine-piston hydrodynamically drivable by the impeller and including a turbine-piston shell and a turbine-piston flange with a second surface, and a clutch plate interposed between and axially displaceable relative to at least one of the first and second surfaces. The turbine-piston is axially movable relative to the impeller to move the second surface of the turbine-piston flange towards and away from the first surface for positioning the torque converter into and out of a lockup mode in which the first and second surfaces and the clutch plate surfaces frictionally interlock with one another so that the impeller is mechanically locked to and non-rotatable relative to the turbine-piston.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A torque converter, comprising:
an impeller rotatable about a rotational axis and comprising an impeller shell having a first surface; an axially displaceable turbine-piston coaxially aligned with and hydrodynamically drivable by the impeller to rotate about the rotational axis, the turbine-piston comprising a turbine-piston shell and a turbine-piston flange fixedly connected to the turbine-piston shell so as to be non-movable relative to the turbine-piston shell, the turbine-piston flange having a second surface; and a clutch plate having opposite clutch plate surfaces interposed between and axially movable relative to at least one of the first and second surfaces, wherein the turbine-piston is axially displaceable relative to the impeller to move the second surface towards and away from the first surface for positioning the torque converter into and out of a lockup mode in which the first and second surfaces and the clutch plate surfaces frictionally interlock with one another so that the impeller is mechanically locked to and non-rotatable relative to the turbine-piston.

2 . The torque converter of claim 1 , wherein the clutch plate includes splines connecting the clutch plate to the impeller shell.

3 . The torque converter of claim 1 , wherein the clutch plate comprises:
a first clutch plate non-fixedly connected to the impeller shell so as to be axially movable yet non-rotatable relative to the impeller shell; and a second clutch plate non-fixedly connected to the turbine-piston so as to be axially movable yet non-rotatable relative to the turbine-piston.

4 . The torque converter of claim 3 , wherein in the turbine-piston flange and the first and second clutch plates are rotatable relative to one another when the hydrokinetic torque coupling device is out of the lockup mode.

5 . The torque converter of claim 3 , wherein the turbine-piston comprises turbine-piston blades, and wherein the turbine-piston flange and the first and second clutch plates are situated radially outward of the turbine-piston blades.

6 . The torque converter of claim 3 , wherein the first clutch plate has a third surface facing the second surface and an opposite fourth surface, wherein the second clutch plate has a fifth surface facing the fourth surface and an opposite sixth surface facing the first surface.

7 . The torque converter of claim 6 , wherein the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth surfaces extend radially and parallel to one another.

8 . The torque converter of claim 6 , wherein in the lockup mode the first and sixth surfaces frictionally engage one another, the second and third surfaces frictionally engage one another, and the fourth and fifth surfaces frictionally engage one another.

9 . The torque converter of claim 8 , wherein out of the lockup mode the first and sixth surfaces are spaced from one another, the second and third surfaces are spaced from one another, and the fourth and fifth surfaces are spaced from one another.

10 . The torque converter of claim 8 , wherein the second surface, the fifth surface, or the sixth surface further comprises at least one friction lining.

11 . The torque converter of claim 8 , further comprising first, second, and third friction linings respectively secured to the second surface, the fifth surface, and the sixth surface.

12 . The torque converter of claim 1 , further comprising a stator situated between the impeller and the turbine-piston.

13 . A hydrokinetic torque coupling device for coupling a driving shaft and a driven shaft together, comprising:
an impeller rotatable about a rotational axis and comprising an impeller shell; a casing comprising the impeller shell and a casing shell interconnected to the impeller shell, the casing having a first surface; an axially displaceable turbine-piston coaxially aligned with and hydrodynamically drivable by the impeller to rotate about the rotational axis, the turbine-piston comprising a turbine-piston shell and a turbine-piston flange fixedly connected to the turbine-piston shell so as to be non-movable relative to the turbine-piston shell, the turbine-piston flange having a second surface; and a clutch plate having opposite clutch plate surfaces interposed between and axially movable relative to at least one of the first and second surfaces, wherein the turbine-piston is axially displaceable relative to the impeller to move the second surface towards and away from the first surface for positioning the hydrokinetic torque coupling device into and out of a lockup mode in which the first and second surfaces and the clutch plate surfaces frictionally interlock with one another so that the casing is mechanically locked to and non-rotatable relative to the turbine-piston.

14 . The hydrokinetic torque coupling device of claim 13 , further comprising a damper assembly comprising an input part drivenly interconnected to the turbine-piston and an output part operatively connectable to an output hub.

15 . The hydrokinetic torque coupling device of claim 14 , wherein the input part of the damper assembly is non-rotatably connected to and axially movable relative to a drive component of the turbine-piston.

16 . The hydrokinetic torque coupling device of claim 14 , further comprising a stator situated between the impeller and the turbine-piston.

17 . The hydrokinetic torque coupling device of claim 14 , wherein the damper assembly further comprises an intermediate member, a first set of circumferentially extending elastic damping members drivingly coupling the input part to the intermediate member, the output part 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 output part, and a centrifugal pendulum oscillator mounted to the intermediate member.

18 . The hydrokinetic torque coupling device of claim 14 , wherein the damper assembly further comprises an intermediate member, a first set of circumferentially extending elastic damping members drivingly coupling the input part to the intermediate member, the output part 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 output part, and a spring mass system coupled to the intermediate member.

19 . The hydrokinetic torque coupling device of claim 13 , wherein the turbine-piston is axially displaceable towards an output side of the hydrokinetic torque coupling device in order to frictionally couple the clutch plate surfaces and the first and second surfaces together and position the hydrokinetic torque coupling device in the lockup mode, and wherein the turbine-piston is axially movable towards an input side of the hydrokinetic torque coupling device so that the first and second surfaces are not frictionally coupled with the clutch plate surfaces and the hydrokinetic torque coupling device is not in the lockup mode.

20 . 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 including an impeller shell, and an axially displaceable turbine-piston including a turbine-piston shell and a turbine-piston flange; and operatively connecting the torque converter to a casing shell and a clutch plate having opposite clutch plate surfaces to assemble the hydrokinetic torque

Assignees

• Valeo Embrayages

Inventors

• Depraete Alexandre
• Yang Zane

Classifications

• F16H2045/0284

  Multiple disk type lock-up clutch · CPC title

• F16H2045/0205

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

• F16H2045/0231

  arranged in series · 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

• F16H2045/0263

  the damper comprising a pendulum · CPC title