Fluid coupling with baffle plate

A fluid coupling with a baffle plate, comprising a pump impeller connected to an input shaft, a turbine impeller connected to an output shaft, said pump impeller and said turbine impeller being opposed to each other to define a circulating circuit therebetween, and a baffle plate mounted to at least one of said impellers to protrude on the side of an inner periphery of said circulating circuit,

• wherein a clutch chamber is defined between a back of said turbine impeller and a side cover which is connected to said pump impeller to cover the back of said turbine impeller, said clutch chamber communicating with an outer periphery of said circulating circuit and being divided by a clutch piston into an inner chamber portion on the side of said turbine impeller and an outer chamber portion on the side of said side cover, said clutch piston being axially movably connected to said turbine impeller, to define a lock-up clutch,
• wherein a first oil passage leading to said outer chamber portion and a second oil passage leading to an inner periphery of said circulating circuit are alternately put into communication with a discharge portion of an oil pump and with an oil reservoir, and
• wherein said pump impeller has a hub disposed to surround a hub of said turbine impeller;
• a ball bearing is interposed between said hubs to axially connect said hubs to each other;
• said circulating circuit and said second oil passage are put into communication with each other through said bearing;
• and said output shaft is spline-fitted to the hub of said turbine impeller and rotatably fitted to a hub of said side cover.

A fluid coupling with a baffle plate, comprising a pump impeller connected to an input shaft, a turbine impeller connected to an output shaft, said pump impeller and said turbine impeller being opposed to each other to define a circulating circuit therebetween, and a baffle plate mounted to at least one of said impellers to protrude on the side of an inner periphery of said circulating circuit,

• wherein a clutch chamber is defined between a back of said turbine impeller and a side cover which is connected to said pump impeller to cover the back of said turbine impeller, said clutch chamber communicating with an outer periphery of said circulating circuit and being divided by a clutch piston into an inner chamber portion on the side of said turbine impeller and an outer chamber portion on the side of said side cover, said clutch piston being axially movably connected to said turbine impeller, to define a lock-up clutch,
• wherein a first oil passage leading to said outer chamber portion and a second oil passage leading to an inner periphery of said circulating circuit are alternately put into communication with a discharge portion of an oil pump and with an oil reservoir,
• wherein said pump impeller has a hub disposed to surround a hub of said turbine impeller;
• a ball bearing is interposed between said hubs to axially connect said hubs to each other;
• said circulating circuit and said second oil passage are put into communication with each other through said bearing;
• and said output shaft is spline-fitted to the hub of said turbine impeller and rotatably fitted to a hub of said side cover, and
• wherein said ball bearing has an inner race which is fitted over an outer peripheral surface of the hub of said turbine impeller and axially clamped by an annular shoulder of said hub and a stop ring locked to said hub, and an outer race which is fitted to an inner peripheral surface of the hub of said pump impeller and clamped by an annular shoulder of said hub and a stop ring locked to said hub.