Back to results
US 5,964,329 AGranted
Torque converter having a lockup clutch
AssigneeExedy Corporation
InventorsToru Kawaguchi, Takao Fukunaga
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A lockup mechanism (9) in a torque converter (1) includes a clutch portion (23) capable of selective engagement and disengagement between a front cover (3) and a turbine (5), and a piston member (21) which forms a sealed oil chamber (B) together with the front cover (3) and selectively engages and disengages the clutch portion (23) in accordance with the change in the oil pressure within the oil chamber (B).
Claims49
A torque converter having a lockup mechanism comprising:
- a front cover;
- an impeller shell attached to said front cover defining a working oil chamber having disposed therein:
- an impeller fixed to said impeller shell;
- a turbine disposed within said working oil chamber opposed to said impeller;
- a stator disposed between the radial inner portion of said impeller and the radial inner portion of said turbine;
- a lockup mechanism disposed within said working oil chamber configured for selective engagement and disengagement of said front cover with said turbine, said lockup mechanism having a piston member disposed adjacent to said front cover, said piston member and said front cover defining a sealed pressure chamber which is sealed against fluid flow between said sealed pressure chamber and a remaining portion of said working oil chamber, said piston member selectively movable to and from an engaged position and a disengaged position in response to changes in oil pressure within said sealed pressure chamber, said piston member being engaged with said front cover for rotation therewith and configured for limited axial movement with respect to said front cover;
- a first seal member disposed on a radial mid-portion of said piston member and in contact with a portion of said front cover, a second seal member in contact with a radial inner portion of said piston member for providing a seal between said pressure chamber and said remaining portion of said working oil chamber;
- a portion of said front cover comprises a cylindrical wall, and said first annular seal contacts a radial inner surface of said cylindrical wall, said lockup mechanism includes a clutch portion and said cylindrical wall is formed radially inward from a radially inner periphery of said clutch portion;
- a center boss fixed to said front cover, said center boss including a first cylindrical portion which extends toward said impeller and said turbine, wherein:
- said second seal member is disposed in an annular groove formed in said first cylindrical portion;
- said turbine comprises a turbine hub having second cylindrical portion extending axially along a radial inner side of said first cylindrical portion;
- wherein said first cylindrical portion is formed with a first port open to said pressure chamber;
- a second port which is disposed between said center boss and said turbine hub, said second port being open to said remaining portion of said working oil chamber;
- and
- a third annular seal disposed in said second cylindrical portion of said turbine hub between said first and second ports providing a seal therebetween.
12 more elements
A torque converter having a lockup mechanism comprising:
- a front cover;
- an impeller shell attached to said front cover defining a working oil chamber disposed therein:
- an impeller fixed to said impeller shell;
- a turbine disposed within said working oil chamber opposed to said impeller;
- a stator disposed between the radial inner portion of said impeller and the radial inner portion of said turbine;
- and
- a lockup mechanism disposed within said working oil chamber configured for selective engagement and disengagement of said front cover with said turbine, said lockup mechanism having a piston member disposed adjacent to said front cover and a plurality of clutch plates, said piston member being a disk-like plate, a portion of said piston member and a portion of said front cover defining a pressure chamber therebetween, said piston member selectively movable to and from an engaged position and a disengaged position with said clutch plates in response to changes in oil pressure within said pressure chamber, said clutch plates are disposed on the turbine side of the radially outer circumference of the piston member, wherein:
- said piston member and said front cover define a first space formed radially outward of said pressure chamber, said first space being sealed from said pressure chamber, said first space being connected with said working oil chamber such that working oil flows from said first space into a second space between said piston member and said turbine, the working oil being moved by a working oil providing means which supplies working oil into said first space, and said piston member being formed with a passage between said first space and said second space.
5 more elements
A torque converter having a lockup mechanism comprising:
- a front cover;
- an impeller shell attached to said front cover defining a working oil chamber disposed therein:
- an impeller fixed to said impeller shell;
- a turbine disposed within said working oil chamber opposed to said impeller;
- a stator disposed between the radial inner portion of said impeller and the radial inner portion of said turbine;
- and
- a lockup mechanism disposed within said working oil chamber configured for selective engagement and disengagement of said front cover with said turbine, said lockup mechanism having a piston member disposed adjacent to said front cover and a plurality of clutch plates, said piston member being disk-like plate, a radially inner portion of said piston member and a radial inner portion of said front cover defining a pressure chamber, said piston member selectively movable to and from an engaged position and a disengaged position with said clutch plates in response to changes in oil pressure within said pressure chamber, said clutch plates are disposed on a turbine side of a radially outer circumference of said piston member, wherein:
- a radial outer portion of said piston member is formed with an annular pressure portion, said piston member is further formed with an engagement portion around said annular pressure portion for engagement with said front cover such that said piston member rotates with said front cover and can move in the axial direction relative to said front cover.
5 more elements
A torque converter having a lockup mechanism comprising:
- a front cover;
- an impeller shell attached to said front cover defining a working oil chamber disposed therein:
- an impeller fixed to said impeller shell;
- a turbine disposed within said working oil chamber opposed to said impeller;
- a stator disposed between the radial inner portion of said impeller and the radial inner portion of said turbine;
- and
- a lockup mechanism disposed within said working oil chamber configured for selective engagement and disengagement of said front cover with said turbine, said lockup mechanism having a piston member disposed adjacent to said front cover and a plurality of clutch plates, said piston member being a disk-like plate disposed adjacent to said front cover, a radially inner portion of said piston member and a radial inner portion of said front cover defining a pressure chamber, said piston member selectively movable to and from an engaged position and a disengaged position with said clutch plates in response to changes in oil pressure within said pressure chamber, said clutch plates are disposed on the turbine side of the radially outer circumference of the piston member, wherein
- a working oil providing means within said torque converter is configured to supply working oil into a space defined between said piston member and said turbine;
- and
- a portion of said torque converter is formed with a passage between said space and said working oil chamber such that working oil passes through said clutch plates for cooling said clutch plates.
7 more elements
A torque converter having a lockup mechanism comprising:
- a front cover;
- an impeller shell attached to said front cover defining a working oil chamber disposed therein:
- an impeller fixed to said impeller shell;
- a turbine disposed within said working oil chamber opposed to said impeller;
- a stator disposed between the radial inner portion of said impeller and the radial inner portion of said turbine;
- and
- a lockup mechanism disposed within said working oil chamber configured for selective engagement and disengagement of said front cover with said turbine, said lockup mechanism having a piston member disposed adjacent to said front cover and a plurality of clutch plates, said piston member being a disk-like plate disposed adjacent to said front cover, an inner radial portion of said piston member and an inner radial portion of said front cover defining a pressure chamber, said piston member selectively movable to and from an engaged position and a disengaged position with said clutch plates in response to changes in oil pressure within said pressure chamber, said clutch plates are disposed on the turbine side of the radially outer circumference of the piston member, characterized in that:
- a radial outer portion of said front cover is formed with a cylindrical wall,
- a drum is fitted within an inner periphery of said cylindrical wall, and said clutch plates include a drive plate engaged with said drum and a driven plate configured for transmitting torque to said turbine.
6 more elements
A torque converter having a lockup mechanism comprising:
- a front cover;
- an impeller shell attached to said front cover defining a working oil chamber disposed therein;
- an impeller fixed to said impeller shell;
- a turbine disposed within said working oil chamber opposed to said impeller;
- a stator disposed between the radial inner portion of said impeller and the radial inner portion of said turbine;
- and
- a lockup mechanism disposed within said working oil chamber configured for selective engagement and disengagement of said front cover with said turbine, said lockup mechanism having a piston member disposed adjacent to said front cover and a plurality of clutch plates, said piston member being a disk-like plate, a radially inner portion of said piston member and a radial inner portion of said front cover defining a pressure chamber, said piston member selectively movable to and from an engaged position and a disengaged position with said clutch plates in response to changes in oil pressure within said pressure chamber, said clutch plates are disposed on the turbine side of the radially outer circumference of the piston member, wherein
- said clutch plates includes a drive plate and a driven plate;
- and
- a support plate which is disposed on a transmission side of said clutch plates, said support plate for supporting the load from said piston is adapted to be coupled to said front cover such that said support plate can neither rotate nor move axially relative to said front cover.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.