Turbine assembly and method for a thrust washer installation on a turbine of a torque converter

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9765871-B2
Application number	US-201414573951-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 17, 2014
Priority date	Dec 18, 2013
Publication date	Sep 19, 2017
Grant date	Sep 19, 2017

Abstract

A turbine assembly for a torque converter is provided. The turbine assembly includes a turbine including a plurality of holes and a thrust washer connected to the turbine. The thrust washer includes a bearing ring, at least one retaining post axially protruding from the bearing ring through at least one of the holes and at least one support post axially protruding from the bearing ring through at least one of the holes. The or each retaining post includes an outwardly radially protruding clip securing the thrust washer onto the turbine. A method for forming a turbine assembly is also provided.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A turbine assembly for a torque converter comprising:
a turbine including a plurality of holes; and
a thrust washer connected to the turbine, the thrust washer including a bearing ring, at least one retaining post axially protruding from the bearing ring through at least one of the holes and at least one support post axially protruding from the bearing ring through at least one of the holes, the or each retaining post including an outwardly radially protruding clip securing the thrust washer onto the turbine, the at least one support post extending axially further from the bearing ring than the at least one retaining post.

2. The turbine assembly as recited in claim 1 wherein each of the at least one support and the at least one retaining post includes a base extending radially past an outer circumference of the bearing ring.

3. The turbine assembly as recited in claim 2 wherein the bases each include an axial surface coincident with an axial surface of the bearing ring in a radially extending plane.

4. The turbine assembly as recited in claim 1 wherein the at least one retaining post includes a first retaining post and a second retaining post, the at least one support post including a first support post and a second support post.

5. The turbine assembly as recited in claim 4 wherein in a circumferential direction, in sequence, the first support post follows the first retaining post, the second retaining post follows the first support post and the second support post follows the second retaining post.

6. The turbine assembly as recited in claim 5 wherein, in the circumferential direction, the first support post is spaced 90 degrees from the first retaining post, the second retaining post is spaced 90 degrees from the first support post and the second support post is spaced 90 degrees from the second retaining post.

7. The turbine assembly as recited in claim 4 wherein the holes in the turbine includes a first hole, a second hole, a third hole and a fourth hole, the first retaining post extending through the first hole, the first support post extending through the second hole, the second retaining post extending through the third hole and the second support post extending through the fourth hole.

8. The turbine assembly as recited in claim 7 wherein the first hole is in part defined by a first radial outer edge and the third hole is in part defined by a third radial outer edge, the first retaining post contacting the first radial outer edge, the second retaining post contacting the third radial edge, the bearing ring contacting a first axial surface of the turbine, the clips of the first and second retaining posts contacting a second axial surface of the turbine.

9. A torque converter comprising:
the turbine assembly as recited in claim 1 ; and
a cover assembly, the bearing ring being axially between the turbine and the cover assembly.

10. A method for forming a turbine assembly comprising:
clipping a thrust washer onto a turbine, the thrust washer including a bearing ring, at least one retaining post axially protruding from the bearing ring and at least one support post axially protruding from the bearing ring, the or each retaining post including an outwardly radially protruding clip, the clipping including moving the at least one support post through corresponding holes in the turbine toward an assembly surface such that the at least one support post axially contacts the assembly surface while the at least one retaining post remains axially movable with respect to the assembly surface, then forcing the or each clip radially inward such that the or each clip clips the thrust washer onto the turbine,
the at least one support post extending axially from the bearing ring a same distance or less than the at least one retaining post, the assembly surface including protrusions for contacting the at least one retaining post.

11. A method for forming a turbine assembly comprising:
clipping a thrust washer onto a turbine, the thrust washer including a bearing ring, at least one retaining post axially protruding from the bearing ring and at least one support post axially protruding from the bearing ring, the or each retaining post including an outwardly radially protruding clip, the clipping including moving the at least one support post through corresponding holes in the turbine toward an assembly surface such that the at least one support post axially contacts the assembly surface while the at least one retaining post remains axially movable with respect to the assembly surface, then forcing the or each clip radially inward such that the or each clip clips the thrust washer onto the turbine,
the at least one retaining post including a first retaining post and a second retaining post, the at least one support post including a first support post and a second support post, the clipping including moving each of the first support post and the second support post through the corresponding holes in the turbine such that the first support post and the second support post contact the assembly surface while the first retaining post and the second retaining post are axially movable with respect to the assembly surface, then pivoting the at least one retaining post about the first support post and the second support post while the first support post and the second support post contact the assembly surface such the clips are forced radially inward until the clips pass through the corresponding holes and extend radially outward to clip the thrust washer onto the turbine.

12. The method as recited in claim 10 wherein the at least one retaining post includes a first retaining post and a second retaining post, the at least one support post including a first support post and a second support post, the clipping including moving each of the first support post and the second support post through the corresponding holes in the turbine such that the first support post and the second support post contact the assembly surface while the first retaining post and the second retaining post are axially movable with respect to the assembly surface, then pivoting the at least one retaining post about the first support post and the second support post while the first support post and the second support post contact the assembly surface such the clips are forced radially inward until the clips pass through the corresponding holes and extend radially outward to clip the thrust washer onto the turbine.

13. The method as recited in claim 10 wherein each of the at least one support and the at least one retaining post includes a base extending radially past an outer circumference of the bearing ring, the or each clip extending radially outward past the corresponding base.

14. The method as recited in claim 13 wherein the or each clip is pressed radially inward during the clipping.

15. The method as recited in claim 14 wherein the holes are each in part defined by a radial outer edge, the or each clip being forced inward to slide along the corresponding radial outer edge during the clipping until the or each clip extends radially outward to contact an axial surface of the turbine and clip the thrust washer on the turbine.

16. The method as recited in claim 11 wherein the at least one support post extends axially further from the bearing ring than the at least one retaining post.

Assignees

• Schaeffler Technologies Gmbh & Co Kg
• Schaeffler Technologies Ag

Inventors

• Simon Timothy
• Smith Matthew

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

• F16H41/24 Primary

  Details · CPC title

• Y10T29/4933

  Fluid coupling device · CPC title