Captive clutch for vehicle transmission
AssigneeGoerend Transmissions, Inc.
InventorsChase H. Langreck, Allen J. Massman, James W. Weissenfluh
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A torque converter with a lockup clutch is provided with three oil passageways in and around the input shaft. One of the oil passageways provides oil to and from the converter for locking and unlocking the clutch via a piston. The piston moves away from the front cover of the torque converter to lock or apply the clutch and moves toward the front cover to release or unlock the clutch. A hydraulic circuit with control block is in fluid communication with the torque converter housing. The control block has three passages and two check valves to control fluid flow from the converter to the cooler, from the transmission to the cooler, and from the control block to the converter.
Claims17
A torque converter for an automobile transmission, comprising:
- a housing;
- an impeller in the housing;
- a turbine in the housing;
- a stator in the housing between the impeller and the turbine, mounted on a stator support tube;
- a lockup clutch in the housing;
- a piston in the housing to apply the clutch;
- an input shaft extending through the stator and the stator support tube;
- a hydraulic circuit for circulating oil to and from the housing;
- a control block in the hydraulic circuit;
- a first passageway through the input shaft to flow oil between the lockup clutch piston and a front cover to apply the clutch when locked and be open to exhaust while the lockup clutch is unlocked;
- a second passageway between the input shaft and the stator support tube to supply oil flow to the impeller and the turbine when the lockup clutch is unlocked and from the impeller and the turbine when the lockup clutch is locked;
- and
- a third passageway between an impeller hub and the stator support tube for oil flow out of the impeller and the turbine to the control block when the lockup clutch is unlocked and to allow for oil flow from the control block into the impeller and the turbine when the lockup clutch is locked.
A torque converter for an automobile transmission, comprising:
- a housing with a front cover;
- an impeller, a turbine, a stator, and a lockup clutch in the housing;
- and
- a piston in the housing, wherein the piston moves rearwardly away from the front cover to apply the clutch;
- a fluid circuit for controlling oil flow and thereby control locking and unlocking of the lockup clutch;
- the fluid circuit including a control block having passages and check valves for controlling oil flow through the control block.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.