Torsional vibration damper and lock-up clutch for hydrokinetic torque-coupling device, and method for making the same

A torsional vibration damper rotatable about a rotational axis and comprising:

• a locking piston axially moveable along the rotational axis and including a substantially radially oriented piston plate;
• a torque input member including a substantially radially oriented cover plate, a support plate disposed axially opposite the cover plate, and at least one supporting member disposed between the cover plate and the support and mounted to both the cover plate and the support plate;
• and
• a unitary radially elastic output member pivotable relative to and elastically coupled to the torque input member, the radially elastic output member disposed axially between the cover plate and the support plate;
• the radially elastic output member including an output hub coaxial with the rotational axis and rotatable relative the torque input member, and at least one curved elastic blade non-moveably connected to the output hub and configured to elastically and radially engage the at least one supporting member and to elastically bend in the radial direction upon rotation of the cover plate with respect to the radially elastic output member;
• the at least one curved elastic blade defining a curved raceway configured to bear the at least one supporting member;
• the locking piston non-rotatably coupled to the cover plate of the torque input member;
• the radially elastic output member being covered from axially opposite sides by the piston plate and the cover plate;
• the cover plate at least partially covering an axially first outer surface of the radially elastic output member facing the cover plate;
• the support plate partially covering an axially second outer surface of the radially elastic output member facing the support plate.

A method for assembling a torsional vibration damper of a hydrokinetic torque-coupling device for coupling a driving shaft and a driven shaft together, the method comprising the steps of:

• providing a piston plate, a cover plate, a support plate and at least one supporting member;
• providing a unitary radially elastic output member including an output hub and at least one curved elastic blade non-moveably connected to the output hub and configured to elastically and radially engage the at least one supporting member and to elastically bend in the radial direction;
• mounting the at least one supporting member to the cover plate;
• placing the unitary radially elastic member axially between the cover plate and the piston plate so that the at least one elastic blade elastically and radially engages the at least one supporting member;
• mounting the support plate to the cover plate so that the at least one supporting member is disposed between the cover plate and the support plate;
• and
• non-rotatably mounting the piston plate to the cover plate so that the radially elastic output member being covered from axially opposite sides only by the piston plate and the cover plate;
• the cover plate at least partially covering an axially first outer surface of the radially elastic output member facing the cover plate;
• the support plate partially covering an axially second outer surface of the radially elastic output member facing the support plate.