Piston coupling mechanism, lockup device for a fluid-type torque transmission device, elastic coupling mechanism, and spring installation method for an elastic coupling mechanism

A fluid-type torque transmission device comprising:

• a front cover having a friction surface;
• an impeller being fixed to said front cover and forming a fluid chamber configured to be filled with an operating fluid;
• a turbine being arranged within said fluid chamber so as to face axially said impeller;
• and
• a lockup device comprsing,
• a clutch mechanism having a friction coupling part being configured to be pressed against said friction surface,
• an elastic coupling mechanism being configured to couple elastically said clutch mechanism and said turbine,
• a piston being axially disposed between said front cover and said turbine and configured to press said friction coupling part against said friction surface, said piston being axially movable relative to said front cover,
• a piston coupling mechanism having an annular coupling member disposed axially between said front cover and said piston, said piston coupling mechanism being configured to couple non-rotatably said piston and said front cover, said coupling member having an annular part being fixed to either said piston or said front cover, and
• a plurality of elastic parts being formed on either a radially outward facing edge or a radially inward facing edge of said annular part, said plurality of elastic parts being fixed to either said front cover or said piston not being fixed to said annular part, said plurality of elastic parts being configured to deform elastically in the axial direction.

An elastic coupling mechanism configured to transmit torque and also to absorb and damp torsional vibrations, said elastic coupling mechanism comprising:

• a plurality of springs being arranged along a rotational direction and being configured to deform elastically in the rotational direction, said plurality of springs being movable in the rotational direction;
• a first rotary member being configured to support said plurality of springs, said first rotary member having a first axial support part being configured to support one axially facing side of said plurality of springs, and a first radially outside support part being configured to support a radially outward facing side of said plurality of springs;
• a second rotary member being fixed to said first rotary member, said second rotary member having a plurality of second rotational direction support parts being disposed rotationally between said plurality of springs, said second rotary member being configured to support rotationally facing ends of plurality of springs;
• and
• a third rotary member being provided to be relatively rotatable to said first and second rotary members, said third rotary member having a plurality of third rotational direction support parts being configured to support rotationally facing ends of said plurality of springs,
• said first and second rotary members being configured to support a radially inward facing side of said plurality of springs and an axially opposite facing side of said plurality of springs, and
• said first axial support part having a plurality of positioning holes being formed in rotational positions corresponding to said second rotational direction support parts and having rotational direction lengths larger than rotational direction widths of said second rotational direction support parts.

A method of installing a plurality of springs into prescribed positions in an elastic coupling mechanism configured to both transmit torque and absorb and damp torsional vibrations through a plurality of springs arranged along a rotational direction, the spring installation method comprising:

• preparing a rotary member comprising preparing a plurality of rotary members, said plurality of rotary members including,
• a first rotary member being configured to support the plurality of springs, the spring being movable in the rotational direction, said first rotary member having a first axial support part configured to support one axially facing side of the plurality of springs and a first radially outside support part configured to support a radially outward facing side of the plurality of springs, and
• a second rotary member being fixed to said first rotary member and having a plurality of second rotational direction support parts being disposed rotationally between the plurality of springs and supporting rotationally facing ends of the plurality of springs;
• forming a plurality of positioning holes having rotational direction lengths being larger than rotational direction widths of said second rotational direction support parts, said positioning holes being formed in said first axial support part at rotational positions corresponding to said second rotational direction support parts;
• preparing a spring installation tool having a plurality of protruding parts being configured to be inserted into said positioning holes;
• inserting said protruding parts into said positioning holes;
• arranging the plurality of springs rotationally between said positioning holes of said first rotary member;
• removing said protruding parts from said positioning holes of said first rotary member and arranging said second rotational direction support parts of the second rotary member to correspond to the rotational positions of said positioning holes;
• and
• fixing said first rotary member and said second rotary member are fixed together.

A fluid-type torque transmission device comprising:

• a front cover having a friction surface;
• an impeller being fixed to said front cover and forming a fluid chamber to be filled with an operating fluid;
• a turbine being arranged within said fluid chamber to face axially said impeller, and
• a lockup device comprising,
• a plurality of springs being arranged along a rotational direction between said piston and said turbine, said plurality of springs being configured to deform elastically in the rotational direction, said plurality of springs being movable in the rotational direction,
• a first rotary member being disposed on a turbine side of said plurality of springs, said first rotary member being configured to support said plurality of springs, said first rotary member having a first axial support part and supporting a turbine side of the springs, and a first radially outside support part being configure to support a radially outward facing side of the springs,
• a second rotary member that is fixed to the first rotary member and the turbine and has a plurality of second rotational direction support parts that are disposed rotationally between the springs and support a rotationally facing ends of the springs,
• a third rotary member being provided to be rotatable relative to said first and second rotary members, said third rotary member having a friction coupling part axially facing said friction surface and a plurality of third rotational direction support parts being configured to support said rotationally facing ends of said plurality of springs, and
• a piston being disposed on a turbine side of said friction coupling part, said piston being configured to couple non-rotatably and axially movable to said front cover, said piston being configured to press said friction coupling part against said friction surface,
• said first and second rotary members being configured to support the radially inward facing side of said plurality of springs and a front cover side of the springs when coupled, and
• said first axial support part having a plurality of positioning holes being formed in rotational positions corresponding to said second rotational direction support parts and having rotational direction lengths being larger than rotational direction widths of said second rotational direction support parts.