Torque transfer assembly and vehicle including the same

A torque transfer assembly for use in a vehicle, with the vehicle including an internal combustion engine including an output shaft, and a transmission adapted to be rotatably coupled to the output shaft for transmitting rotational torque via said torque transfer assembly, said torque transfer assembly comprising:

• an engine starter adapted to be rotatably coupled to the output shaft for rotating the output shaft to start the internal combustion engine;
• an electric machine adapted to be rotatably coupled to the transmission for delivering rotational torque to the transmission;
• a torque converter rotatably coupled to said electric machine and adapted to be rotatably coupled to the transmission;
• and
• a disconnect clutch further defined as a mechanical clutch adapted to be rotatably coupled to the output shaft and said torque converter, wherein said mechanical clutch is adapted to selectively rotatably couple the output shaft to the torque converter for delivering rotational torque from the output shaft to the transmission through said torque converter, and wherein said mechanical clutch is adapted to selectively rotatably decouple the output shaft from the torque converter for allowing said electric machine to deliver rotational torque to the transmission through said torque converter.

A vehicle comprising:

• an internal combustion engine comprising an output shaft;
• a transmission rotatably coupled to said output shaft of said internal combustion engine for transmitting rotational torque;
• and
• a torque transfer assembly comprising,
• a permanently engaged starter rotatably coupled to said output shaft for rotating said output shaft to start said internal combustion engine,
• an electric machine rotatably coupled to said transmission for delivering rotational torque to said transmission,
• a torque converter rotatably coupled to said electric machine and said transmission for transferring rotational torque from said output shaft to said transmission, from said output shaft and said electric machine to said transmission, or from said electric machine to said transmission, and
• a friction clutch rotatably coupled to said output shaft and said torque converter, wherein said friction clutch is adapted to selectively rotatably couple said output shaft to said torque converter for delivering rotational torque from said output shaft to said transmission through said torque converter, and wherein said friction clutch is adapted to selectively rotatably decouple said output shaft from said torque converter for allowing said electric machine to deliver rotational torque to said transmission through said torque converter.