Torque-coupling device with torsional vibration damper and one-way turbine clutch, and method for making the same

A hydrokinetic torque converter for coupling together a driving shaft and a driven shaft, comprising:

• a casing rotatable about a rotational axis;
• an impeller wheel rotatable around the rotational axis;
• a turbine wheel rotatable around the rotational axis and disposed axially opposite to the impeller wheel, the turbine wheel coaxially aligned with and hydro-dynamically rotationally drivable by the impeller wheel;
• a stator situated axially between the impeller wheel and the turbine wheel;
• a one-way turbine clutch permitting rotational movement of the turbine wheel in one circumferential direction only;
• and
• a torsional vibration damper;
• the one-way turbine clutch including an outer ring non-rotatably coupled to the turbine wheel, an inner ring disposed radially within the outer ring, and a plurality of engagement components positioned radially between the outer and the inner rings and configured to permit rotational movement of the outer ring relative to the inner ring in one circumferential direction only;
• the torsional vibration damper comprising an input member rotatable about the rotational axis, a plurality of circumferentially acting elastic members, and an output member elastically coupled to the input member through the elastic members;
• the output member of the torsional vibration damper non-rotatably coupled to the outer ring of the one-way turbine clutch;
• the turbine wheel non-rotatably coupled to one of the outer ring of the one-way turbine clutch and the output member of the torsional vibration damper;
• the turbine wheel including a coupling member extending substantially axially outwardly from the turbine shell in the direction toward the one-way turbine clutch and unitary with the turbine shell;
• the coupling member of the turbine wheel non-rotatably coupled to the outer ring of the one-way turbine clutch.

A hydrokinetic torque converter for coupling together a driving shaft and a driven shaft together, comprising:

• a casing rotatable about a rotational axis;
• an impeller wheel rotatable around the rotational axis;
• a turbine wheel rotatable around the rotational axis and disposed axially opposite to the impeller wheel, the turbine wheel coaxially aligned with and hydro-dynamically rotationally drivable by the impeller wheel;
• a stator situated axially between the impeller wheel and the turbine wheel;
• a one-way turbine clutch permitting rotational movement of the turbine wheel in one circumferential direction only;
• and
• a torsional vibration damper;
• the one-way turbine clutch including an outer ring non-rotatably coupled to the turbine wheel, an inner ring disposed radially within the outer ring, and a plurality of engagement components positioned radially between the outer and the inner rings and configured to permit rotational movement of the outer ring relative to the inner ring in one circumferential direction only;
• the torsional vibration damper comprising an input member rotatable about the rotational axis, a plurality of circumferentially acting elastic members, and an output member elastically coupled to the input member through the elastic members;
• the output member of the torsional vibration damper non-rotatably coupled to the outer ring of the one-way turbine clutch;
• the turbine wheel non-rotatably coupled to one of the outer ring of the one-way turbine clutch and the output member of the torsional vibration damper;
• the output member of the torsional vibration damper including at least one coupling member extending substantially axially outwardly from a radially inner end of the output member in the direction toward the turbine wheel, and at least one guide plate extending radially inwardly from the radially inner end of the output member;
• the at least one coupling member and the at least one guide plate being unitary with the output member;
• at least one coupling member non-rotatably coupled to the outer ring of the one-way turbine clutch.

A method for assembling a hydrokinetic torque converter, the method comprising the steps of:

• providing first and second casing shells of a casing rotatable about a rotational axis;
• providing a preassembled torque converter comprising an impeller wheel, a turbine wheel disposed axially opposite to the impeller wheel and a stator, the turbine wheel including a turbine shell;
• providing a one-way turbine clutch permitting rotational movement of the turbine wheel in one circumferential direction only, the one-way turbine clutch including an outer ring, an inner ring disposed radially within the outer ring and a plurality of engagement components positioned radially between the outer and inner rings and configured to permitting rotational movement of the outer ring relative to the inner ring in one circumferential direction only;
• providing a torsional vibration damper comprising an input member rotatable about the rotational axis, a plurality of circumferentially acting elastic members and an output member elastically coupled to the input member through the elastic members;
• non-rotatably connecting the turbine wheel to one of the outer ring of the one-way turbine clutch coaxially with the rotational axis and the output member of the torsional vibration damper;
• non-rotatably attaching the output member of the torsional vibration damper to the outer ring of the one-way turbine clutch so that a radially inner end of the output member of the torsional vibration damper slidingly engages a radially outer guide surface of the inner ring of the one-way turbine clutch;
• and
• elastically mounting the input member of the torsional vibration damper to the output member of the torsional vibration damper through the circumferentially acting elastic members.