Torque converter thrust assembly having variable effective thickness

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9651128-B2
Application number	US-201514683872-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 10, 2015
Priority date	Apr 10, 2015
Publication date	May 16, 2017
Grant date	May 16, 2017

Abstract

A thrust assembly for a torque converter is provided. The thrust assembly includes a drivable mating component and a thrust washer connected to the drivable mating components. The thrust washer includes a thrust surface on a first axial side thereof and at least two axial contact surfaces on a second axial side thereof opposite the first axial side. The at least two axial contact surfaces include a first axial contact surface at a first axial distance from the thrust surface and a second axial contact surface at a second axial distance from the thrust surface. The first and second axial contact surfaces are configured for alternatively contacting the axial contact surface of the drivable mating component so as to vary an effective height of the thrust surface with respect to the drivable mating component.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A thrust assembly for a torque converter comprising:
a drivable mating component; and
a thrust washer connected to the drivable mating component, the thrust washer including a thrust surface on a first axial side thereof and at least two axial contact surfaces on a second axial side thereof opposite the first axial side, the at least two axial contact surfaces configured for axially contacting an axial contact surface of a first axial side of the drivable mating component, the at least two axial contact surfaces including at least a first axial contact surface at a first axial distance from the thrust surface and a second axial contact surface at a second axial distance from the thrust surface, the first and second axial contact surfaces configured for contacting the axial contact surface of the drivable mating component so as to vary an effective height of the thrust surface with respect to the drivable mating component such that the effective height is a first value when the first axial contact surface contacts the axial contact surface of the drivable mating component and the effective height is a second value different from the first value when the second axial contact surface contacts the axial contact surface of the drivable mating component.

2. The thrust assembly as recited in claim 1 wherein the drivable mating component includes a second axial surface opposite the axial contact surface of the drivable mating component, the effective height of the thrust surface with respect to the drivable mating component being variable by the thrust surface being a first axial distance from the second axial surface of the drivable mating component when the thrust washer is in a first arrangement in which the first axial contact surface contacts the axial contact surface of the drivable mating component and the thrust surface being a second axial distance from the second axial surface of the drivable mating component when the thrust washer is in a second arrangement in which the second axial contact surface contacts the axial contact surface of the drivable mating component, the second axial distance being greater than the first axial distance.

3. The thrust assembly as recited in claim 2 wherein the drivable mating component includes a first hole extending radially from the axial contact surface of the drivable mating component, the thrust washer including a first radial wall extending axially from the first axial contact surface, the first radial wall being received in the first hole when the thrust washer is in the first arrangement.

4. The thrust assembly as recited in claim 3 wherein the drivable mating component includes a second hole extending radially from the axial contact surface of the drivable mating component, the thrust washer including a second radial wall extending axially from the second axial contact surface, the second radial wall being received in the second hole when the thrust washer is in the second arrangement.

5. The thrust assembly as recited in claim 4 wherein the second hole is circumferentially offset from the first hole.

6. The thrust assembly as recited in claim 1 wherein the first axial contact surface surrounds the second axial contact surface.

7. The thrust assembly as recited in claim 1 wherein the thrust washer includes an inner diameter surface and an outer diameter surface, the first axial contact surface and the second axial contact surface extending to the inner diameter surface.

8. The thrust assembly as recited in claim 1 wherein the thrust washer includes an anti-rotation feature extending through at least one hole in the drivable mating component.

9. The thrust assembly as recited in claim 1 wherein the drivable mating component is a damper spring retainer.

10. The thrust assembly as recited in claim 1 wherein the second axial side of the thrust washer includes a further surface, the first axial contact surface being axially offset from the further surface a first distance, the second axial contact surface being axially offset from the further surface a second distance, the second distance being greater than the first distance.

11. The thrust assembly as recited in claim 1 wherein the thrust washer includes a plurality of posts passing through a first set of corresponding holes in the drivable mating component for securing the thrust washer to the drivable mating component in a first arrangement, the plurality of posts passing through a second set of corresponding holes in the drivable mating component for securing the thrust washer to the drivable mating component in a second arrangement, the first set of holes being circumferential offset from the second set of holes.

12. The thrust assembly as recited in claim 11 wherein the first set of holes and the second set of holes are radially aligned with each other.

13. The thrust assembly as recited in claim 11 wherein the axial thrust surface is at a first axial location when the thrust washer is secured to the drivable mating component in the first arrangement and the axial thrust surface is at a second axial location when the thrust washer is secured to the drivable mating component in the second arrangement, the first axial location being axially offset from the second axial location.

14. The thrust assembly as recited in claim 11 wherein the posts are metal.

15. The torque converter comprising the thrust assembly as recited in claim 1 .

16. A thrust assembly for a torque converter comprising:
a drivable mating component; and
a thrust washer connected to the drivable mating component, the thrust washer including a thrust surface on a first axial side thereof and at least two axial contact surfaces on a second axial side thereof opposite the first axial side, the at least two axial contact surfaces configured for axially contacting an axial contact surface of a first axial side of the drivable mating component, the at least two axial contact surfaces including at least a first axial contact surface at a first axial distance from the thrust surface and a second axial contact surface at a second axial distance from the thrust surface, the first and second axial contact surfaces configured for alternatively contacting the axial contact surface of the drivable mating component so as to vary an effective height of the thrust surface with respect to the drivable mating component, wherein the axial contact surface of the drivable mating component includes a bore extending partially through the drivable mating component.

17. A method for forming a torque converter comprising:
providing a thrust washer having a first axial surface forming a thrust surface and a second axial surface opposite the thrust surface, the second axial surface including at least a first axial contact surface and a second axial contact surface;
providing a drivable mating component for mounting the thrust washer, the drivable mating component including an axial contact surface;
determining a desired effective height of the thrust surface based on a distance between the drivable mating component and a further component facing the thrust surface, the desired effective height including a first effective height and a second effective height; and
aligning the first axial contact surface to contact the axial contact surface of the drivable mating component if the desired effective height is the first effective height or aligning the second axial contact surface with the axial contact surface of the drivable mating component if the desired effective height is the second effective height.

1

Assignees

• Schaeffler Technologies Ag
• Schaeffler Tech Ag Co Kg

Inventors

• Dattawadkar Aditya
• Resh Michael

Classifications

• F16H41/24 Primary

  Details · CPC title