Friction clutch having a first friction material engageable in a partially engaged position and a second friction material engageable in a fully engaged position

A torque converter for selectively coupling a prime mover to a transmission, said torque converter comprising:

• an impeller as a drive member and configured to be rotatably fixed to the prime mover;
• a shaft as a driven member and configured to be rotatably fixed to the transmission;
• a turbine rotatably fixed to said shaft and fluidly coupled to said drive member, with said fluid coupling between said turbine and said drive member facilitating indirect coupling between said turbine and said drive member to multiply torque transfer between said drive member and said driven member;
• and
• a friction clutch for selective direct coupling of said rotatable drive member to said rotatable driven member, said friction clutch comprising:
• a first clutch member and a second clutch member movable toward and away from each other along an axis between a disengaged position, a partially engaged position, and a fully engaged position, with one of said first and second clutch members coupled to said drive member and the other one of said first and second members coupled to said driven member;
• and
• a first friction material and a second friction material both positioned between said first and second clutch members, with said first and second friction materials each independently coupled to one of said first and second clutch members and each independently engageable with an engagement surface of the other one of said first and second clutch members;
• wherein said first friction material is engageable with said respective engagement surface in said partially engaged position to initiate said selective direct coupling between said drive member and said driven member, and wherein said second friction material is engageable with said respective engagement surface in said fully engaged position to complete said selective direct coupling between said drive member and said driven member.