Torque converter with coriolis leaf spring

A torque converter, comprising:

• a cover arranged to receive rotational torque;
• an impeller including:
• an impeller shell connected to the cover;
• and,
• at least one impeller blade fixedly connected to the impeller shell;
• a turbine including:
• a turbine shell;
• and,
• at least one turbine blade fixedly connected to the turbine shell;
• a lock-up clutch including a piston plate;
• an output element arranged to non-rotatably connect to a transmission input shaft;
• and,
• a first leaf spring, formed of a first single piece of material, and including:
• a first ring portion;
• a first plurality of resilient sections non-rotatably connected to the cover and to the piston plate and located radially outward of the first ring portion;
• and,
• a plurality of first tabs extending radially inwardly from the first ring portion, each first tab including:
• a first section directly connected to the first ring portion;
• and,
• a second section extending in an axial direction, parallel to an axis of rotation of the torque converter, from the first section.

A method of operating a torque converter including a cover, an impeller, a turbine including a turbine shell, a lock-up clutch including a piston plate, and an output element, the method including:

• receiving, with the cover, a rotational torque in a first circumferential direction;
• rotating, with the rotational torque, the cover, and a leaf spring of the torque converter in the first circumferential direction, the leaf spring formed of a single piece of material and including a ring portion, a plurality of resilient sections located radially outward of the ring portion and non-rotatably connected to the cover and to the piston plate, and a plurality of tabs extending radially inwardly from the ring portion;
• for a clutch apply mode in which the lock-up clutch is closed, flowing pressurized fluid from a first pressure chamber formed in part by the cover, the piston plate, and the turbine shell to a second pressure chamber formed in part by the cover and the piston plate;
• flowing the pressurized fluid radially inwardly through the second pressure chamber to a channel of a transmission input shaft non-rotatably connected to the output element;
• generating, with the rotation of the cover, a coriolis force on the pressurized fluid in a portion of the second pressure chamber defined in part by the ring portion and located radially inwardly of the ring portion;
• urging, with the coriolis force, the pressurized fluid in the portion of the second pressure chamber in a second circumferential direction, opposite the first circumferential direction;
• rotating the plurality of tabs through the pressurized fluid in the portion of the second pressure chamber;
• and,
• directing, with the plurality of tabs, the pressurized fluid in the second pressure chamber in the first circumferential direction.