Lock-up torque converter with damper

In a lock-up torque converter:

• a torque converter assembly including an output shaft, a hub receiving said output shaft to provide a driving connection, a turbine runner with an outer shell drivingly connected to said hub;
• a clutch piston having an inner axially extending flange, said clutch piston being slideably mounted by said inner axially extending flange on said hub;
• a damper operatively connected between said clutch piston and said turbine runner to provide a driving connection and to allow said clutch piston to be axially movable with respect to said damper;
• said damper including a sleeve and a flange radially extending from said sleeve;
• said damper including a plate assembly including a pair of plates disposed on opposite sides of said flange and spaced therefrom,
• said sleeve and said plates of said damper being disposed in a spaced and coaxial relationship about said inner axially extending flange of said clutch piston.

In a lock-up torque converter:

• a torque converter assembly including an output shaft, a hub receiving said output shaft to provide a driving connection, a turbine runner with an outer shell drivingly connected to said hub;
• a generally annular clutch piston slideably mounted on said hub;
• a damper operatively connected between said clutch piston and said turbine runner to provide a driving connection and to allow said clutch piston to be axially movable with respect to said damper, said damper being located in a space adjacent the inner periphery of said clutch piston, said damper including a mounting portion secured to said outer shell of said turbine runner;
• said damper including a sleeve and a flange radially extending from said sleeve;
• said damper including a plate assembly which in turn includes a pair of plates disposed on opposite sides of said flange and spaced therefrom;
• said flange and said plates having a plurality of first openings;
• and
• said damper including a spring disposed in each of said first openings;
• one of said plates including said mounting portion which is secured to said outer shell of said turbine runner;
• said flange having a plurality of second openings;
• and
• said damper including a plurality of torque transmitting fasteners which fixedly interconnect said plates and which in part define part of said driving connection between said clutch piston and said turbine runner, one of said fasteners extending through each of said second openings to act as a limit stop between said flange portion and said plates whereby smaller springs have been allowed to be used as said spring disposed in each of said first-mentioned openings.

In a lock-up converter:

• a torque converter assembly including an output shaft, a hub receiving said output shaft to provide a driving connection, a turbine runner with an outer shell drivingly connected to said hub;
• a clutch piston having an inner axially extending flange, said clutch piston being slideably mounted by said inner axially extending flange on said hub;
• a damper operatively connected between said clutch piston and said turbine runner to provide a driving connection;
• said damper including a sleeve and a flange radially extending from said sleeve;
• said damper including a plate assembly including a pair of plates disposed on opposite sides of said flange and spaced therefrom;
• said sleeve and said plates of said damper being disposed in a spaced and coaxial relationship about said inner axially extending flange of said clutch piston;
• one of said plates of said plate assembly having a mounting portion secured to said outer shell of said turbine runner;
• said damper including an annular mounting member secured to said clutch piston and having a plurality of inner axially extending circumferentially spaced mounting legs;
• and
• said flange having a plurality of circumferentially spaced outwardly opening notches, one receiving each of said mounting legs.

In a lock-up torque converter having

• a torque converter assembly including
• an output shaft,
• a hub drivingly connected with said output shaft and
• a turbine runner having an outer shell drivingly connected to said hub, the combination of:
• a damper comprising:
• an annular sleeve having a radial flange, said annular sleeve being disposed in a spaced coaxial relationship about said hub,
• first and second annular plates disposed on opposite sides of said radial flange, said first annular plate being securely fixed to said outer shell of said turbine runner,
• means defining a plurality of first apertures in said radial flange,
• means defining a plurality of second apertures in said radial flange,
• fasteners fixedly interconnecting said first and second plates and each extending through one of said first apertures, and
• biasing means diposed between said first and second annular plates for biasing said first and second annular plates and said radial flange in first and second rotational directions respectively;
• a concave dished clutch piston slideably received on said hub and receiving said damper in the concavity thereof;
• and
• an annular mounting member disposed in said concavity of said clutch piston and fixedly connected thereto, said annular mounting member having a plurality of axial extending circumferentially spaced legs which are received respectively in one of said second apertures of said radial flange.