JP2008196646A - Torque converter - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To reduce the axial dimension of a torque converter. <P>SOLUTION: The torque converter 1 for transmitting the torque from an engine to a transmission side via a fluid comprises a front cover 2, an impeller 31, a turbine 32, and a stator 33. The front cover is disposed in the engine side, and the torque is input from the engine. The impeller has an impeller blade 31b having a first projection 31g projecting radially outwardly and a second projection 31h projecting radially inwardly, and an impeller shell 31a. The impeller shell 31a is connected to the transmission side of the front cover, and is provided with a first recess 31e in which the first projection can be disposed and which is depressed radially outwardly and a second recess 31f in which the second projection can be disposed and which is depressed radially inwardly. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a torque converter for transmitting torque from an engine to a transmission side by a fluid.

  The torque converter includes a front cover to which torque is transmitted from the engine, an impeller that is connected to the front cover and rotates by transmitting torque from the front cover, a turbine that is disposed opposite the impeller and into which fluid flows from the impeller side, and And a stator that is disposed between the turbine and the impeller and rectifies fluid flowing from the turbine to the impeller.

In this torque converter, torque is transmitted from the engine to the front cover, and torque is transmitted from the front cover to the impeller. The impeller is rotated by this torque, and the fluid is moved to the turbine side as the impeller rotates. When the turbine is rotated by the fluid, the crankshaft connected to the turbine rotates, and torque is transmitted to the transmission side (see Patent Document 1).
JP 2000-74174 A

  In the torque converter described in Patent Document 1, a recess is formed on the engine side surface of the impeller shell by drawing or the like, and a part of the impeller blade is fitted and fixed to this portion. When the recess is formed by this drawing, a portion protruding from the transmission side surface of the impeller shell to the axial transmission side is formed. The projecting portion increases the axial dimension of the torque converter.

  An object of the present invention is to reduce the axial dimension of a torque converter.

  A torque converter according to a first aspect is a torque converter for transmitting torque from an engine to a transmission side by a fluid, and includes a front cover, an impeller, a turbine, and a stator. The front cover is disposed on the engine side and receives torque from the engine. The impeller is connected to a plurality of impeller blades having a first protrusion that protrudes toward the outer periphery and a second protrusion that protrudes toward the inner periphery, and the transmission side of the front cover, and the first protrusion can be disposed And an impeller shell provided with a first recess recessed toward the outer periphery and a second recess recessed toward the inner periphery. The turbine is a member that is disposed on the engine side of the impeller, has a plurality of blades on the side facing the impeller, and can output torque to the transmission. The stator is a member that is disposed between the impeller and the inner peripheral portion of the turbine and rectifies the flow of fluid flowing from the turbine to the impeller.

  In this torque converter, torque from the engine is transmitted to the front cover, and is transmitted from the front cover to the impeller shell. When power is transmitted to the impeller shell, the impeller is rotated, and the fluid moves to the turbine side. The fluid that has moved to the turbine side is moved to the impeller side through the stator. Here, the crankshaft to which the turbine or stator is attached is rotated by the turbine or stator. Here, the impeller blade is provided with a first projecting portion projecting to the outer peripheral side and a second projecting portion projecting to the inner peripheral side, and these first projecting portion and second projecting portion are provided on the impeller shell. It arrange | positions at the 1st recessed part and the 2nd recessed part.

  Here, since the first recess and the second recess are arranged so as to be recessed in a direction substantially orthogonal to the axial direction, it is difficult to protrude from the transmission side surface of the impeller shell to the axial transmission side, and the axial dimension of the torque converter is reduced. Can be made.

  A torque converter according to a second aspect is the torque converter according to the first aspect, wherein the impeller blade is disposed between the first projecting portion and the second projecting portion, and further to the transmission side than the second projecting portion. It further has an extending blade portion.

  Here, fluid can be prevented from leaking from between the blade portion of the impeller blade and the impeller shell, and power can be transmitted efficiently.

  A torque converter according to a third aspect is the torque converter according to the first or second aspect, wherein the first protrusion is disposed on the outermost peripheral side in the radial direction of the impeller blade.

  A torque converter according to a fourth aspect is the torque converter according to any one of the first to third aspects, wherein the second protrusion is disposed on the innermost circumferential side in the radial direction of the impeller blade.

  In the present invention, the axial dimension of the torque converter can be reduced.

1. Configuration FIGS. 1 and 2 show a torque converter 1 in which an embodiment of the present invention is employed. The torque converter 1 is disposed between the crankshaft and the output side shaft, and transmits the power of the crankshaft to the output side shaft. The torque converter 1 mainly includes a front cover 2, a fluid operation unit 3 having an impeller 31, a turbine 32, and a stator 33, and a lockup device 4.

  The front cover 2 is a member to which torque is input from an engine crankshaft (not shown). The front cover 2 is mainly composed of a disc-shaped main body 21. A plurality of nuts 22 are fixed to the outer peripheral engine side surface of the main body 21. An outer peripheral cylindrical portion 23 extending to the transmission side is formed on the outer peripheral portion of the main body 21. An annular and flat friction surface 24 is formed on the outer peripheral portion inside the main body of the front cover 2. The friction surface 24 is formed on the axial transmission side.

  The impeller 31 includes an impeller shell 31a, an impeller blade 31b, an impeller core 31c, and an impeller hub 31d. The impeller shell 31a is connected to an end portion on the transmission side of the front cover 2, that is, an end portion on the outer peripheral side by welding, and is an annular member. Further, the impeller shell 31a is provided on the inner peripheral surface of the wall portion on the outer peripheral side in the radial direction, and is formed in the outer peripheral portion in the radial direction (direction orthogonal to the axial direction). It has the 2nd recessed part 31f which is formed in the inner peripheral surface of the wall part of an inner peripheral side, and is depressed toward a radial direction inner peripheral side. A plurality of impeller blades 31b are fixed radially inward of the impeller shell 31a, and have a first projecting portion 31g, a second projecting portion 31h, and a blade portion 31i. The first projecting portion 31g is a portion that is provided on the outermost radial side of the impeller blade 31b and projects to the outer peripheral side in the radial direction. The first protrusion 31g has an outer peripheral side end face fixed to the first recess 31e, and a transmission side end face away from the first recess 31e. The second projecting portion 31h is provided on the most radially inner peripheral side of the impeller blade 31b, and is a portion projecting to the opposite side of the direction in which the first projecting portion 31g projects, that is, the radially inner peripheral side. Further, the second projecting portion 31h has an inner peripheral side end face fixed to the second concave portion 31f, and a transmission side end surface separated from the second concave portion 31f. The blade portion 31i is a portion provided between the first protruding portion 31g and the second protruding portion 31h in the radial direction, and extends to the axial transmission side from the surface of the first protruding portion 31g on the axial transmission side. ing. For this reason, the impeller shell 31a and the blade part 31i are in contact with each other, and the fluid is less likely to leak from between the impeller shell 31a and the blade part 31i. The impeller core 31c is fixed inside the impeller blade 31b. The impeller hub 31d is a cylindrical member that is connected to the inner peripheral end of the impeller shell 31a and has an engine side formed in an annular plate shape. A fluid chamber A filled with hydraulic oil is formed by both the impeller 31 and the front cover 2. The fluid chamber A is divided into a fluid working chamber B as the fluid working unit 3 and a space C formed between the main body of the front cover 2 and the turbine 32.

  The turbine 32 is disposed in the fluid chamber A so as to face the impeller 31. The turbine 32 includes a turbine shell 32a, a plurality of turbine blades 32b fixed to the turbine shell 32a, a turbine core 32c fixed to the inside of the turbine blade 32b, and a turbine hub 32d fixed to the inner periphery of the turbine shell 32a. It consists of and.

  The turbine hub 32d includes a first cylindrical portion 320 having a spline hole at the center, a disk-shaped flange 321 extending from the first cylindrical portion 320 to the outer peripheral side, and a piston 42 formed at the outer peripheral end of the flange 321. And a second cylindrical portion protruding to the side. A shaft (not shown) extending from the transmission side can be engaged with the spline hole of the first cylindrical portion 320 having the spline hole of the first cylindrical portion 320. Thereby, the torque from the turbine hub 32d is output to a shaft (not shown). The flange 321 is formed substantially at the center in the axial direction of the first cylindrical portion 320, and the inner peripheral end of the turbine shell 32a is fixed to the inner peripheral portion of the flange 321 by a plurality of rivets 32e. The second cylindrical portion 322 is formed continuously in the circumferential direction, and the inner peripheral end surface of the hub flange 412 is brought into contact with the outer peripheral surface of the second cylindrical portion 322, whereby the hub flange 412 is positioned in the radial direction. Has been made.

  The stator 33 is disposed between the inner peripheral portion of the impeller 31 and the inner peripheral portion of the turbine 32. The stator 33 is a mechanism for rectifying the flow of hydraulic oil returning from the turbine 32 to the impeller 31. The stator 33 includes a stator carrier 33a, a plurality of stator blades 33b fixed to the outer peripheral surface thereof, and a stator core 33c fixed to the inside of the stator blade 33b. Further, the stator carrier 33a is supported by a fixed shaft (not shown) via a one-way clutch 33d.

  A plurality of grooves extending in the radial direction are formed on the engine side in the axial direction of the member constituting the one-way clutch 33d. These grooves allow hydraulic oil to flow between both radial sides of the thrust bearing 34.

  A second thrust bearing 35 is disposed between the stator carrier 33a and the impeller hub 31d in the axial direction. A plurality of grooves extending in the radial direction are formed on the axial transmission side of the stator carrier 33a. These grooves allow hydraulic oil to flow between both radial sides of the second thrust bearing 35.

  Next, the space C will be described. The space C is an annular space formed between the main body 21 of the front cover 2 and the turbine 32 in the axial direction. In the space C, the axial engine side is formed by the main body 21 of the front cover 2, and the axial transmission side is formed by the turbine shell 32 a of the turbine 32. Further, the outer periphery of the space C is mainly formed by the inner peripheral surface of the outer peripheral cylindrical portion, and the inner peripheral side is formed by the outer peripheral surface of the turbine hub 32d. As described above, the space C is connected to an external hydraulic operating mechanism on the inner peripheral side, that is, between the inner peripheral portion of the front cover 2 and the turbine hub 32d. Furthermore, the space C communicates with the fluid working chamber B through a gap between the outlet of the impeller 31 and the inlet of the turbine 32 at the outer peripheral portion.

  The lockup device 4 is a device that is disposed in the space C and mechanically connects / disconnects the front cover 2 and the turbine 32 due to a change in hydraulic pressure in the space C. The lockup device 4 is mainly composed of a damper mechanism 41 and a piston 42.

  The damper mechanism 41 is a mechanism for absorbing and attenuating torsional vibration in the rotational direction, and includes a retaining plate 411, a hub flange 412, a driven plate 413, a pair of intermediate plates 414, a first A coil spring 415, a second coil spring 416, and a third coil spring 417 are provided. Here, the hub flange 412 functions as a drive-side member, and the retaining plate 411 and the driven plate 413 function as a driven-side member.

  The retaining plate 411 is a plate-like member formed in an annular shape, and the inner peripheral side is fixed to the turbine hub 32d by rivets 32e. Further, the retaining plate 411 is disposed in the vicinity of the turbine shell 32a, and the plurality of first window holes 411b in which the first coil spring 415 and the second coil spring 416 can be disposed are substantially in the center in the radial direction and in the circumferential direction. It is evenly spaced. Further, the retaining plate 411 is formed with a second window hole 411c in which the third coil spring 416 can be disposed on the outer peripheral side of the first window hole 411b. A plurality of first protrusions 411d for positioning a pair of intermediate plates 414 described later are formed at equal intervals in the circumferential direction on the retaining plate 411. The plurality of protrusions 411d are formed by extruding a part of the retaining plate 411 to the hub flange 412 side.

  The hub flange 412 is a plate-like member that is disposed between the retaining plate 411 and the driven plate 413 and formed in an annular shape. The hub flange 412 is formed with a third window hole 412a at a position corresponding to the first window hole 411b of the retaining plate 411, and further at a second position at a position corresponding to the second window hole 411c of the retaining plate 411. A fourth window hole 412c having a shorter circumferential length than the window hole 411c is formed. The inner periphery of the hub flange 412 is supported by the hub flange support portion 322 of the turbine hub 32d, and the outer periphery is locked to the piston 42.

  The driven plate 413 is a plate-like member that is disposed facing the retaining plate 411 and formed in an annular shape. Further, the driven plate 413 has a window hole having the same shape as the first window hole 411b at a position corresponding to the first window hole 411b, and the second window hole 411c and the second window hole 411c at positions corresponding to the second window hole 411c. A window hole of the same shape is formed. A second protrusion 413a for positioning a pair of intermediate plates, which will be described later, is formed at a position corresponding to the first protrusion 411d. The plurality of protrusions 413a are formed by extruding a part of the driven plate 413 to the hub flange 412 side.

  The pair of intermediate plates 414 is disposed on both sides in the axial direction of the hub flange 412 and between the retaining plate 411 and the driven plate 413. The pair of intermediate plates 414 is provided with a third window hole 414a extending in the circumferential direction at the same radial position as the radial position of the first window hole 411b. And it arrange | positions so that the stopper 414b may be located in the circumferential direction substantially center part of the 1st window hole 411b. Further, the pair of intermediate plates 414 are positioned in the radial direction by abutting the outer peripheral surfaces with the inner peripheral sides of the first and second protrusions 411d and 413a formed on the retaining plate 411 and the driven plate 413. .

  The first coil spring 415 is disposed in the third window hole 412 a, and one end thereof is the circumferential end of the first window hole 411 b, the circumferential end of the third window hole 412 a, and the first window of the driven plate 413. It is supported by a circumferential end portion of the window hole disposed so as to face the hole 411b. The other end is supported by a stopper 414b.

  The second coil spring 416 is a spring that can be disposed inside the first coil spring 415 and has one end fixed to one end in the circumferential direction of the third window hole 412a. The second coil spring 416 has a free end at the opposite end of the side end fixed to one end in the circumferential direction of the third window hole 412a.

  The third coil spring 417 is disposed in the fourth window hole 412c and is a spring shorter in the circumferential direction than the first and second coil springs 415 and 416.

  The piston 42 is a member that itself moves to the front cover 2 side in the space C due to a change in hydraulic pressure, and has a first cylindrical portion 421, an annular portion 422, and a second cylindrical portion 423. . The first tubular portion 421 is a portion provided on the outer periphery of the turbine hub 32d and is fixed to the turbine hub 32d. The annular portion 422 is a plate-like member formed in an annular shape, and has a friction portion 422 a that can be frictionally engaged with the friction surface 24 of the front cover 2 on the outer peripheral side. The annular portion 422 is a portion disposed between the front cover 2 and the damper mechanism 41 in the axial direction, and a central portion in the radial direction is recessed toward the front cover 2 side. The second tubular portion 423 is a portion extending from the outer peripheral side end portion of the annular portion 422 toward the axial transmission side, and is engaged with the hub flange 412.

2. Operation The clutch coupling operation will be described. Torque from the crankshaft on the engine side is transmitted to the front cover 2, and when the torque is transmitted to the front cover 2, the impeller shell 31a is rotated. As the impeller shell 31a rotates, the hydraulic oil flows from the impeller 31 side to the turbine 32 side, and the turbine 32 is rotated. Then, the torque of the turbine 32 is transmitted to an input side shaft (not shown). By changing the hydraulic circuit of the hydraulic oil, the hydraulic oil in the fluid working chamber 3 moves out of the fluid chamber and presses the piston 42 toward the front cover 2 side. When the piston 42 is pressed by the hydraulic oil, the friction portion 422a of the piston 42 and the friction surface 24 of the front cover 2 are frictionally engaged with each other, and torque transmitted from the engine to the front cover 2 is transmitted to the piston 42. . The torque transmitted to the piston 42 is transmitted in the order of the driven plate 413, the first and second coil springs 415 and 416, the retaining plate 411 and the driven plate 413, and is output to the turbine hub 32d.

  Here, the first protrusion 31g and the second protrusion 31h for fixing the impeller blade 31b to the impeller shell 31a are provided so as to protrude in a direction orthogonal to the axial direction, that is, in the radial direction. Since the first concave portion 31e and the second concave portion 31f to which the protruding portion 31g and the second protruding portion 31h are fixed are provided so as to be recessed in the radial direction toward the inner peripheral side and the outer peripheral side, the axial dimension of the torque converter 1 is provided. Can be reduced.

Sectional drawing which shows the lockup apparatus of the torque converter which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. The figure which looked at the lockup device of the torque converter concerning one embodiment of the present invention from the transmission side.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Torque converter 2 Front cover 31 Impeller 31a Impeller shell 31b Impeller blade 31e 1st recessed part 31f 2nd recessed part 31g 1st protrusion part 31h 2nd protrusion part 31i Blade part 32 Turbine 33 Stator

Claims (4)

A torque converter for transmitting torque from an engine to a transmission side by fluid,
A front cover that is disposed on the engine side and receives torque from the engine;
A plurality of impeller blades having a first protrusion protruding to the outer peripheral side and a second protrusion protruding to the inner peripheral side, and connected to the transmission side of the front cover, the first protrusion can be disposed on the outer periphery An impeller having an impeller shell provided with a first recess that is recessed toward the side and a second recess that is capable of disposing the second protrusion and is recessed toward the inner periphery;
A turbine disposed on the engine side of the impeller, having a plurality of blades on a side facing the impeller, and capable of outputting torque to the transmission;
A stator disposed between the impeller and an inner peripheral portion of the turbine and configured to rectify a flow of fluid flowing from the turbine to the impeller;
Torque converter. The impeller blade further includes a blade portion that is disposed between the first protrusion and the second protrusion and extends to the transmission side of the transmission side surface of the second protrusion.
The torque converter according to claim 1. The first protrusion is disposed on the outermost peripheral side in the radial direction of the impeller blade.
The torque converter according to claim 1 or 2. The second protrusion is disposed on the innermost circumferential side in the radial direction of the impeller blade.
The torque converter in any one of Claim 1 to 3.

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