Hydrodynamic torque converter

Abstract

A hydrodynamic torque converter which has at least a hydrodynamic circuit including at least one pump wheel and one turbine wheel, wherein each of these wheels is provided with an outer shell to accept a set of vanes which form flow chambers, the inner edges of the vanes away from the outer shell being connected to an inner shell, which acts as part of an internal torus. At least the vanes of the turbine wheel have connecting elements both on the inner edges and on the outer edges, which connecting elements pass through openings in the shells to fasten the vanes to the shells, being provided for this purpose with a predetermined minimum overhang with respect to the edge of the associated vane, this minimum overhang making it possible for the connecting elements to be plastically deformed in such a way that they can grip the rear surfaces of the shells, i.e., the surfaces facing away from the vanes, and thus fasten the vanes to the shells. The connecting elements are designed in such a way that, without detriment to the predetermined ability to withstand the pressure produced by the hydrodynamic circuit, it is possible to introduce and to fasten the vanes easily, even in the case of rotors with extremely small radial dimensions and thus with very sharply curved outer and inner shells for the vanes.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.