Wheel stator assembly

A wheel stator assembly for regulating a direction of a fluid flowing from a turbine to an impeller in a torque converter, the wheel stator assembly comprising:

• a one-way clutch including an inner race and an outer race, the outer race disposed on an outer peripheral side of the inner race;
• a stator including a stator carrier and a plurality of stator blades, the plurality of stator blades mounted to an outer peripheral side of the stator carrier, the stator carrier supported by an outer peripheral part of the outer race, the stator carrier including an inner peripheral extended part, the inner peripheral extended part extending to an inner peripheral side so as to be opposed to a lateral surface of the inner race;
• and
• a thrust plate disposed axially between the inner race and the inner peripheral extended part of the stator carrier so as to be contactable to the lateral surface of the inner race, the thrust plate configured to be rotatable in synchronization with the stator carrier.