Torque converter and hydrokinetic torque coupling device having turbine-piston lockup clutch, and related methods

A hydrokinetic torque coupling device for coupling a driving shaft and a driven shaft together, comprising:

• an impeller rotatable about a rotational axis and comprising an impeller shell;
• a casing comprising the impeller shell and a casing shell interconnected to the impeller shell, the casing having a first surface;
• an axially displaceable turbine-piston coaxially aligned with and hydrodynamically drivable by the impeller to rotate about the rotational axis, the turbine-piston comprising a turbine-piston shell and a turbine-piston flange fixedly connected to the turbine-piston shell so as to be non-movable relative to the turbine-piston shell, the turbine-piston flange having a second surface;
• a clutch plate having opposite clutch plate surfaces interposed between an axially movable relative to at least one of the first and second surfaces;
• and
• an O-ring,
• wherein the turbine-piston is axially displaceable relative to the impeller to move the second surface towards and away from the first surface and to axially displace the clutch plate for positioning the hydrokinetic torque coupling device into and out of a lockup mode in which the first and second surfaces and the clutch plate surfaces frictionally interlock with one another so that the casing is mechanically locked to and non-rotatable relative to the turbine-piston, and
• wherein the O-ring positioned and configured to interact with and limit axial displacement of the clutch plate as the turbine-piston and the clutch plate are axially displaced into the lockup mode.

A method of assembling a hydrokinetic torque coupling device for coupling a driving shaft and a driven shaft together, comprising:

• providing a torque converter comprising an impeller including an impeller shell, an axially displaceable turbine-piston including a turbine-piston shell and a turbine-piston flange;
• and
• operatively connecting the torque converter to a casing shell, an O-ring, and a clutch plate having opposite clutch plate surfaces to assemble the hydrokinetic torque coupling device comprising a casing including the casing shell, wherein the clutch plate is interposed between and axially movable relative to at least one of a first surface of the casing and a second surface of the turbine-piston shell, wherein the turbine-piston is axially displaceable relative to the casing to move the second surface axially towards and away from the first surface and to axially displace the clutch plate for positioning the hydrokinetic torque coupling, device into and out of a lockup mode in which the first and second surfaces and the clutch plate surfaces frictionally interlock with one another so that the casing is mechanically locked to and non-rotatable relative to the turbine-piston, wherein the O-ring is positioned and configured to interact with and limit axial displacement of the clutch plate as the turbine-piston and the clutch plate are axially displaced it to the lockup mode.