JP2007132522A - Lockup device of fluid type torque transmission device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To reduce sliding of torsion springs and the other member in a lockup device. <P>SOLUTION: This device has a clutch plate 71 brought into pressure contact with a frictional surface of a front cover, a plurality of torsion springs 74, a drive plate 72, a driven plate 73, a spring holder 80, and a piston 75. The drive plate 72 relatively nonrotatably engages with the clutch plate 71, and transmits torque to the torsion springs 74. The driven plate 73 is fixed to a turbine, and the torque is transmitted from the torsion springs 74. The spring holder 80 supports at least the outer peripheral side of the torsion springs 74, and relatively rotates to the driven plate 73 and the drive plate 72. The piston 75 is arranged between the front cover and the turbine, and presses a frictional connecting part to the frictional surface. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a lockup device for a fluid torque transmission device, in particular, a front cover having a friction surface, an impeller fixed to the front cover to form a fluid chamber, and a turbine disposed opposite to the impeller in the fluid chamber. The present invention relates to a lock-up device provided in a fluid type torque transmission device including

  The torque converter is a kind of fluid torque transmission device that has three types of impellers (impeller, turbine, and stator) inside and transmits torque via internal hydraulic oil. Such a torque converter is often provided with a lock-up device.

  The lockup device is disposed in a space between the turbine and the front cover in a fluid chamber formed by the turbine and the front cover, and mechanically connects the front cover and the turbine to thereby connect the turbine from the front cover. This is a mechanism for directly transmitting torque to the motor.

  Usually, this lockup device includes a disk-shaped piston that can be pressed against the front cover, a drive plate that is fixed to the outer periphery of the piston, a driven plate that is fixed to the turbine, and a drive plate and a driven plate. And a torsion spring for elastically connecting the two in the rotational direction.

When the lockup device is in the connected state, torque is transmitted from the front cover to the piston, and further to the turbine via the torsion spring. Further, the torsion spring is compressed in the rotational direction between the drive plate and the driven plate, and absorbs and attenuates torsional vibration.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 09-112552 JP 2002-048217 A

  In such a lock-up device, a lock-up device in which the friction transmission surface is doubled to increase the torque transmission capacity has already been provided. As one of such devices, a drive plate having a friction coupling portion, a driven plate coupled to a turbine, a plurality of torsion springs that elastically couple the drive plate and the driven plate in a rotational direction, and a friction coupling Some have a piston for pressing the part against the front cover. Here, the driven plate holds the outer periphery and the rotation direction end of the torsion spring. The drive plate has an abutting portion for abutting against an end portion in the rotation direction of the torsion spring, and can compress the torsion spring in the rotation direction. And the frictional connection part of a drive plate is arrange | positioned so that it may be pinched | interposed between the axial directions of a piston and a front cover.

  In this lockup device, the drive plate is an annular plate in which a frictional connection portion and a contact portion are integrally formed. And the contact part of a drive plate is arrange | positioned so that it can contact | abut near the attachment radius position of a torsion spring. On the other hand, since the friction coupling part of the drive plate is arranged so as to be sandwiched between the piston and the front cover in the axial direction, the friction coupling part has to be arranged at a position radially inside the contact part. ing. For this reason, a frictional connection part cannot be arrange | positioned on an outer peripheral side, and the torque transmission capacity | capacitance of a lockup apparatus cannot be improved.

  Further, when the lockup device is in a connected state, torque is transmitted from the front cover to the drive plate, and further to the turbine via the torsion spring. At this time, the torsion spring is compressed in the rotational direction between the drive plate and the driven plate, absorbs and attenuates torsional vibration, and moves to the outer peripheral side by centrifugal force to slide on the driven plate holding the torsion spring. is doing. For this reason, the problem of abrasion of a torsion spring and a driven plate arises.

  An object of the present invention is to reduce sliding between a torsion spring and another member in a lockup device.

  The lockup device for a fluid torque transmission device according to claim 1 includes a front cover having a friction surface, an impeller fixed to the front cover to form a fluid chamber, and a turbine disposed in the fluid chamber so as to face the impeller. And a clutch member, a plurality of elastic members, a drive member, a driven member, an intermediate member, and a piston. The clutch member has a friction coupling portion that can be pressed against the friction surface of the front cover. The plurality of elastic members are arranged side by side in the rotation direction. The drive member engages with the clutch member so as not to rotate relative to the clutch member, and can transmit torque to the plurality of elastic members. The driven member is fixed to the turbine, and torque is transmitted from the plurality of elastic members. The intermediate member supports at least the outer peripheral side of the plurality of elastic members and is rotatable relative to the driven member and the drive member. The piston is disposed between the front cover and the turbine and presses the friction coupling portion against the friction surface.

  In this lockup device, when the drive member and the driven member rotate relative to each other, the plurality of elastic members are compressed in the rotation direction. At this time, the plurality of elastic members move to the outer peripheral side in the radial direction by centrifugal force. However, since at least one axial side and the outer peripheral side are supported by the intermediate member, it is difficult to slide on the drive member and the driven member. . Thereby, abrasion of an elastic member, a drive member, and a driven member can be decreased.

  A lockup device for a fluid torque transmission device according to a second aspect is the lockup device according to the first aspect, wherein the plurality of elastic members are a plurality of pairs of elastic members arranged so as to act in series in the rotation direction. The intermediate member has a transmission portion disposed between each pair of elastic members.

  In this lockup device, since the plurality of elastic members act in series, the same torsional vibration absorbing performance as that in which the long elastic members are arranged in the rotation direction can be obtained.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, the intermediate member is positioned in the radial direction by the driven member.

  In this lockup device, since the intermediate member is positioned in the radial direction by the driven member, the radial position is stabilized.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, the lockup device of the fluid torque transmission device according to any one of the first to third aspects is such that the intermediate member is axially positioned by a driven member.

  In this lockup device, since the intermediate member is positioned in the axial direction by the driven member, the axial position is stabilized.

  In the lockup device according to the present invention, sliding between the torsion spring and other members can be reduced.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

(1) Basic Structure of Torque Converter FIG. 1 is a schematic longitudinal sectional view of a torque converter 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The torque converter 1 is a device for transmitting torque from an engine crankshaft 2 to an input shaft 3 of a transmission. An engine (not shown) is arranged on the left side of FIG. 1, and a transmission (not shown) is arranged on the right side of FIG. OO shown in FIG. 1 is a rotating shaft of the torque converter 1.

  The torque converter 1 mainly includes a flexible plate 4 and a torque converter body 5. The flexible plate 4 is made of a thin disk-shaped member, and is a member for transmitting torque and absorbing bending vibration transmitted from the crankshaft 2 to the torque converter body 5. Therefore, the flexible plate 4 has sufficient rigidity for torque transmission in the rotational direction, but has low rigidity in the bending direction.

  The torque converter body 5 includes a front cover 11 to which the outer peripheral portion of the flexible plate 4 is fixed, three types of impellers (an impeller 21, a turbine 22, and a stator 23), and a lockup device 7. The fluid chamber surrounded by the front cover 11 and the impeller 21 and filled with hydraulic oil includes a torus-shaped fluid working chamber 6 surrounded by the impeller 21, the turbine 22 and the stator 23, and the lockup device 7. It is divided into an annular space 8 formed.

  The front cover 11 is a disk-shaped member, and a center boss 16 that is a substantially cylindrical member extending in the axial direction is fixed to the inner peripheral portion thereof by welding or the like. The center boss 16 is inserted into the center hole of the crankshaft 2.

  An outer peripheral cylindrical portion 11 a extending toward the transmission side is formed on the outer peripheral portion of the front cover 11. The outer peripheral edge of the impeller shell 26 of the impeller 21 is fixed to the tip of the outer peripheral cylindrical portion 11a by welding or the like. The front cover 11 and the impeller 21 form a fluid chamber filled with hydraulic oil.

  The impeller 21 mainly includes an impeller shell 26, a plurality of impeller blades 27 fixed to the inside thereof, and an impeller hub 28 fixed to the inner peripheral portion of the impeller shell 26 by welding or the like.

  The turbine 22 is disposed to face the impeller 21 in the axial direction in the fluid chamber. The turbine 22 mainly includes a turbine shell 30, a plurality of turbine blades 31 fixed to the surface on the impeller 21 side, and a turbine hub 32 fixed to the inner peripheral edge of the turbine shell 30. The turbine hub 32 includes a flange portion 32a and a boss portion 32b. The turbine shell 30 and the turbine hub 32 are fixed by a plurality of rivets 33 at a flange portion 32 a of the turbine hub 32 together with a driven plate 73 described later. A spline that engages with the input shaft 3 is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the boss portion 32 b of the turbine hub 32. Thereby, the turbine hub 32 rotates integrally with the input shaft 3.

  The stator 23 is installed between the inner peripheral portion of the impeller 21 and the inner peripheral portion of the turbine 22, and is a mechanism for rectifying the flow of hydraulic oil that returns from the turbine 22 to the impeller 21. The stator 23 is a member integrally manufactured by casting with resin, aluminum alloy, or the like, and mainly includes an annular stator carrier 35 and a plurality of stator blades 36 provided on the outer peripheral surface of the stator carrier 35. ing. The stator carrier 35 is supported by a cylindrical fixed shaft 39 via a one-way clutch 37. The fixed shaft 39 extends toward the axial transmission side between the outer peripheral surface of the input shaft 3 and the inner peripheral surface of the impeller hub 28.

  The center boss 16 is formed with an oil passage 16a through which hydraulic oil can communicate in the radial direction. That is, the oil passage 16 a communicates the space communicating with the center hole 3 a of the input shaft 3 on the inner peripheral side of the center boss 16 and the space 8 on the outer peripheral side of the center boss 16. Between the axial direction of the center boss | hub 16 and the turbine hub 32, the 1st thrust bearing 41 is arrange | positioned and has received the thrust force which generate | occur | produces by rotation of the turbine 22. FIG. A second thrust bearing 42 is disposed between the turbine hub 32 and the inner peripheral portion of the stator 23 (specifically, the one-way clutch 37). In the portion where the second thrust bearing 42 is disposed, the first port 18 through which hydraulic oil can communicate is formed on both sides in the radial direction. That is, the first port 18 allows the fluid passage between the input shaft 3 and the fixed shaft 39 to communicate with the fluid working chamber 6. Further, a third thrust bearing 43 is arranged between the stator 23 (specifically, the stator carrier 35) and the impeller 21 (specifically, the impeller hub 28) in the axial direction. In the portion where the third thrust bearing 43 is disposed, the second port 19 through which hydraulic oil can communicate is formed on both sides in the radial direction. That is, the second port 19 communicates the oil passage between the fixed shaft 39 and the impeller hub 28 and the fluid working chamber 6. Each oil passage is connected to a hydraulic circuit (not shown), and hydraulic oil can be supplied and discharged independently of each of the oil passage 16a and the ports 18 and 19.

(2) Structure of lockup device The lockup device 7 is disposed in the space 8 between the turbine 22 and the front cover 11, and is a mechanism for mechanically connecting the two as required.

  The lock-up device 7 has functions of a clutch and an elastic coupling mechanism, and mainly includes a clutch plate 71 (clutch member), a drive plate 72 (drive member), a driven plate 73 (driven member), and a plurality of torsion springs. 74 (elastic member), a spring holder 80 (intermediate member), a piston 75, and a piston coupling mechanism 76. 2 is a side view showing a portion of the lockup device 7, and FIG. 3 shows a clutch plate 71, a drive plate 72, a driven plate 73, a plurality of torsion springs 74, and a spring holder 80 of the lockup device 7. FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view, and FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view showing the piston 75 and the piston coupling mechanism 76.

(i) Driven Plate The driven plate 73 is composed of a first driven plate 77 and a second driven plate 78.

  The first driven plate 77 is an annular plate member, and an inner peripheral portion thereof is fixed to the flange portion 32 a of the turbine hub 32 together with the turbine shell 30 by a plurality of rivets 33.

  The first driven plate 77 includes an annular portion 77a, a plurality of claw portions 77b formed at the outer peripheral end of the annular portion 77a, and a cylindrical portion 77c extending from the inner peripheral end of the annular portion 77a toward the axial transmission side. The annular portion 77d is formed at the transmission side end of the cylindrical portion 77c.

  The annular portion 77d includes a plurality of holes 77e formed in the inner peripheral portion, a plurality of oil holes 77f formed on the outer peripheral side of the plurality of holes 77e, and a plurality of holes formed on the outer peripheral side of the plurality of oil holes 77f. And 77 g of holes. The plurality of holes 77e are holes through which the plurality of rivets 33 are inserted. The plurality of oil holes 77f are holes for ensuring the flow of hydraulic oil toward both axial sides of the first driven plate 77. The plurality of holes 77g are holes for fixing the second driven plate 78 via the plurality of rivets 79.

  The cylindrical portion 77c has a plurality of cut-and-raised portions 77h formed by cutting and raising the vicinity of the end portion on the axial transmission side toward the outer peripheral side. In the present embodiment, four cut-and-raised portions 77h are formed side by side at equal intervals in the rotation direction.

  The annular portion 77a has a plurality of convex portions 77i that protrude toward the axial transmission side of the annular portion 77a. The plurality of convex portions 77i are formed two by two so as to extend radially at positions corresponding to the rotation direction of the plurality of cut and raised portions 77h.

  The plurality of claw portions 77b are formed at positions corresponding to the rotation directions of the plurality of cut and raised portions 77h, like the plurality of convex portions 77i. In other words, in the present embodiment, the plurality of claw portions 77b are formed in four pieces at regular intervals in the rotation direction. The claw portion 77b has a C-shaped cross section that protrudes toward the axial transmission side. Further, a spring accommodating portion 77j is provided between the rotation directions of the plurality of claw portions 77b. In the present embodiment, as with the plurality of claw portions 77b, four are formed. Two torsion springs 74 are arranged in each spring accommodating portion 77j. That is, a total of four pairs (eight) of torsion springs 74 are arranged in the rotational direction.

  The second driven plate 78 is an annular plate member that is disposed on the axial engine side of the first driven plate 77, and an inner peripheral portion thereof is fixed to the first driven plate 77 by a plurality of rivets 79.

  The second driven plate 78 includes an annular portion 78a, a plurality of holes 78b formed in the inner peripheral portion of the annular portion 78a, and a plurality of cut-and-raised portions 78c formed on the outer peripheral side.

  The plurality of holes 78b are formed at positions corresponding to the plurality of holes 77g of the first driven plate 77, and the plurality of rivets 79 are inserted therethrough.

  The plurality of cut-and-raised portions 78c are portions that are cut and raised so that positions corresponding to the plurality of claw portions 77b of the first driven plate 77 bulge toward the axial transmission side. Individually formed.

(ii) Drive Plate The drive plate 72 is a member that can rotate relative to the driven plate 73 and is disposed so as to be sandwiched between the first driven plate 77 and the second driven plate 78 in the axial direction. Has been.

  The drive plate 72 is an annular plate member, and is formed at a position corresponding to the annular portion 72a, a plurality of convex portions 72b formed on the inner peripheral end of the annular portion 72a, and the rotational direction of the plurality of convex portions 72b. The plurality of claw portions 72c and a plurality of convex portions 72d formed at the outer peripheral end of the annular portion 72a.

  The plurality of claw portions 72 c are portions extending toward the axial transmission side formed at positions corresponding to the plurality of claw portions 77 b of the first driven plate 77, and four pieces are formed in this embodiment. The plurality of claw portions 72 c are arranged in the C-shaped portion of the plurality of claw portions 77 b of the first driven plate 77. Further, the rotation direction width of the plurality of claw portions 72 c is formed to be smaller than the rotation direction width of the plurality of cut and raised portions 78 c of the second driven plate 78. Inner peripheral side end portions of the plurality of claw portions 72c are formed so as not to interfere with the outer peripheral side end surface of the cut and raised portion 78c.

  The plurality of convex portions 72b are portions projecting toward the inner peripheral side formed between the rotation directions of the plurality of claw portions 72c, and four are formed in this embodiment. The plurality of convex portions 72 b extend to the inner peripheral side from the rotation direction end portions of the plurality of cut and raised portions 78 d of the second driven plate 78. Therefore, when the drive plate 72 rotates relative to the driven plate 73, the convex portion 72b comes into contact with the rotation direction end of the cut-and-raised portion 78d, and the rotation angle of the relative rotation between the drive plate 72 and the driven plate 73 Is limited to a predetermined range. Further, the inner peripheral end of the drive plate 72 (specifically, the inner peripheral end portion between the rotation direction of the convex portion 72b and the claw portion 72c) is located at the outer peripheral end of the cut and raised portion 78d of the second driven plate 78. It is inserted. That is, the drive plate 72 is positioned in the radial direction by the driven plate 73 (specifically, the second driven plate 78). Further, the engine side surface of the drive plate 72 is in contact with the transmission side surface of the outer peripheral portion of the second driven plate 78. As a result, the drive plate 72 is positioned in the axial direction by the driven plate 73.

  The plurality of convex portions 72d are formed so as to protrude to the outer peripheral side at positions corresponding to the plurality of claw portions 72c and the plurality of convex portions 72b.

(iii) Spring Holder The spring holder 80 is a member that can rotate relative to the drive plate 72 and the driven plate 73, and is disposed on the axial transmission side of the first driven plate 77.

  The spring holder 80 is an annular plate member, and includes an annular portion 80a, a cylindrical portion 80b formed at the outer peripheral end of the annular portion 80a and extending toward the axial engine side, and a plurality of members formed at the inner peripheral end of the annular portion 80a. The claw portion 80c (transmission portion) and a plurality of convex portions 80d formed on both sides in the rotation direction of the plurality of claw portions 80c.

  The cylindrical portion 80b has a shape in which the engine side end is narrowed to the inner peripheral side.

  The plurality of claw portions 80c are portions formed so that the inner peripheral end of the annular portion 80a is folded back to the outer peripheral side, and are arranged corresponding to the central portions in the rotational direction of the plurality of spring accommodating portions 77j of the first driven plate 77. Has been. The rotation direction width of the inner peripheral part of the plurality of claw parts 80 c is formed to be smaller than the rotation direction width of the plurality of cut and raised parts 77 h of the first driven plate 77.

  The plurality of convex portions 80d are formed on both sides in the rotational direction of the plurality of claw portions 80c and have a shape protruding toward the inner peripheral side. The width between the rotation directions of the plurality of convex portions 80d (specifically, the width between the rotation directions on the side where the claw portions 80c of the plurality of convex portions 80d are not formed) is the plurality of cuts of the first driven plate 77. It is formed to be larger than the rotation direction width of the raising portion 77h. The plurality of convex portions 80d are disposed so as to be sandwiched between the plurality of cut and raised portions 77h of the first driven plate 77 and the plurality of convex portions 77i. Specifically, the axial transmission side surface of the plurality of convex portions 80d is supported by the plurality of cut and raised portions 77h of the first driven plate 77, and the engine side surface of the annular portion 80a is supported by the plurality of convex portions 77i of the first driven plate 77. It is supported. Thereby, the spring holder 80 is positioned in the axial direction by the driven plate 73 (specifically, the first driven plate 77). Further, the inner peripheral ends of the plurality of convex portions 80 d are fitted to the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion 77 c of the first driven plate 77. In other words, the spring holder 80 is supported by the driven plate 73 (specifically, the first driven plate 77) such that the radially inner periphery thereof is relatively rotatable, and is positioned in the axial direction and the radial direction. Yes.

(iv) Torsion springs The torsion springs 74 are a plurality of (eight in this embodiment) coil springs, and two torsion springs 74 are arranged in the spring accommodating portion 77j of the first driven plate 77. Then, both ends in the rotational direction of each pair of torsion springs 74 are supported directly or via spring seats by rotational end portions of a plurality of claw portions 77b having a role of torque transmitting portions. The plurality of claw portions 80c of the spring holder 80 are disposed so as to be sandwiched between the rotational directions of the two torsion springs 74 disposed in the spring accommodating portion 77j, and are directly or via two spring seats. End portions corresponding to the rotation direction of the torsion spring 74 are supported. Further, the outer peripheral portion of the torsion spring 74 and the transmission-side portion are supported by the annular portion 80a and the cylindrical portion 80b of the spring holder 80.

  In such a configuration, when the drive plate 72 and the driven plate 73 rotate relative to each other, a pair of rotation between the rotation direction end of the claw portion 72c of the drive plate 72 and the rotation direction end of the claw portion 77b of the driven plate 73 is provided. The torsion spring 74 is compressed. At this time, the claw portion 80 c of the spring holder 80 acts to press the rotation direction end portion of the adjacent torsion springs 74 by the compression of the torsion springs 74. That is, the pair of torsion springs 74 accommodated in the spring accommodating portion 77j acts in series in the rotational direction.

(v) Clutch plate The clutch plate 71 is a member mainly having a function of a friction connecting portion that is connected to and separated from the front cover 11, and is installed between the driven plate 73 and the front cover 11 in the axial direction. Yes.

  The clutch plate 71 is an annular plate member, and includes an annular part 71a and a cylindrical part 71b extending from the outer peripheral end of the annular part 71a to the axial turbine side. An inner peripheral portion of the annular portion 71 a is a friction coupling portion 71 c and is close to the friction surface 11 b of the front cover 11. A friction facing 71d is affixed to both surfaces of the friction coupling portion 71c. The cylindrical portion 71b is composed of a plurality (eight in this embodiment) of recesses 71e formed at the end on the axial transmission side corresponding to the plurality of protrusions 72d of the drive plate 72.

  And the some convex part 72d is engaged with the some recessed part 71e so that relative rotation is impossible. That is, the clutch plate 71 is engaged with the drive plate 72 so as not to be relatively rotatable.

(vi) Piston The piston 75 is a disk-shaped member in which a central hole is formed, and engages and disengages the clutch. The piston 75 is located on the outer peripheral side of the center boss 16. The outer peripheral portion of the piston 75 is a pressing portion 75a. The pressing portion 75 a is a flat annular portion and is disposed on the transmission side of the friction coupling portion 71 c of the clutch plate 71. For this reason, when the piston 75 moves to the engine side, the pressing portion 75 a presses the friction coupling portion 71 c against the friction surface 11 b of the front cover 11.

  Further, a cylindrical portion 75 b extending toward the axial transmission side is formed on the inner peripheral portion of the piston 75. The inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion 75b is fitted to the outer peripheral surface of the center boss 16 and is movable in the axial direction. Further, a seal ring 82 is provided between the outer peripheral surface of the center boss 16 and the cylindrical portion 75b, and the space on the axial engine side of the piston 75 in the space 8 and the space on the axial transmission side of the piston 75 are provided. The hydraulic oil does not flow between the two.

  Next, the relative positional relationship among the clutch plate 71, the drive plate 72, the torsion spring 74, and the piston 75 will be described. The clutch plate 71 has a friction coupling portion 71 c and is disposed at a radial position corresponding to the friction surface 11 b of the front cover 11. The pressing portion 75a of the piston 75 extends to the radial position of the friction coupling portion 71c so that the friction coupling portion 71c can be pressed. The mounting radius of the torsion spring 74 is arranged on the inner peripheral side with respect to the outer peripheral end in the radial direction of the piston 75 and the friction coupling portion 71c. The claw portion 72 c of the drive plate 72 is disposed at a radial position substantially the same as the mounting radius of the torsion spring 74. And the convex part 72d of the drive plate 72 is arrange | positioned from the attachment radius of the torsion spring 74 to the outer peripheral side (this embodiment outer peripheral side from the radial direction outer peripheral end of the piston 75 and the frictional connection part 71c), The clutch plate 71 is engaged with the recess 71e.

(vii) Piston connection mechanism The piston connection mechanism 76 has a function of connecting the piston 75 so as to rotate integrally with the front cover 11 while being movable in the axial direction. The piston coupling mechanism 76 is provided in an intermediate region in the radial direction between the pressing portion 75a and the cylindrical portion 75b of the piston 75, and includes a piston lug plate 83, a cover lug plate 84, and a return plate 85.

  The piston lug plate 83 is an annular plate fixed to the engine-side surface of the piston 75 by a plurality of rivets 86, and protrudes from the inner peripheral end of the annular portion 83a and the annular portion 83a toward the axial engine side. A plurality of claw portions 83b. There are 18 claw portions 83b in this embodiment, and they are arranged side by side in the rotational direction.

  The cover lug plate 84 is an annular plate fixed to the turbine side surface of the front cover 11 by welding. The cover lug plate 84 has a plurality of annular portions 84a and a plurality of concave portions formed on the outer peripheral end of the annular portion 84a so as to be recessed toward the inner peripheral side. It is comprised from the recessed part 84b.

  The plurality of concave portions 84b are disposed at positions corresponding to the plurality of claw portions 83b, and the plurality of claw portions 83b of the piston lug plate 83 are engaged so as not to be relatively rotatable and movable in the axial direction. As a result, the piston 75 can move in the axial direction with respect to the front cover 11, but cannot move in the rotational direction. Further, in a state where the plurality of concave portions 84b and the plurality of claw portions 83b are engaged, a plurality (18 in the present embodiment) including slit-shaped gaps are provided between the claw portions 83b and the concave portions 84b in the radial direction. The slit part 87 is formed.

  The return plate 85 is an annular plate fixed to the engine side surface of the piston 75 together with the piston lug plate 83 by a plurality of rivets 86, and extends from the inner peripheral end of the annular portion 85a and the annular portion 85a toward the inner peripheral side. And a plurality of claw portions 85c formed between the rotation directions of the plurality of projections 85b. In the present embodiment, the plurality of convex portions 85 b are three, and the front ends thereof are in contact with the transmission side surface of the annular portion 84 a of the cover lug plate 84. The plurality of claw portions 85c are nine in the present embodiment, and have a shape extending from the inner peripheral end of the annular portion 85a toward the axial engine side. A cut-and-raised portion 85d is formed at the tip of the claw portion 85c on the engine side in the axial direction so as to be engaged with the slit portion 87 and limit the moving distance of the piston 75 toward the axial transmission side.

  Thereby, when the piston 75 moves to the axial direction engine side, the return plate 85 can give the urging force toward the axial direction turbine side to the piston 75 by elastically deforming the plurality of convex portions 85b. In addition, when the piston 75 moves toward the axial transmission side, the return plate 85 has the cut-and-raised portion 85d of the claw portion 85c abutted against the inner peripheral edge (slit portion 87) of the concave portion 84b of the cover lug plate 84, The movement of the piston 75 toward the axial transmission side can be restricted.

(3) Operation of Torque Converter The operation of the torque converter 1 will be described with reference to FIGS.

  Immediately after the engine is started, the hydraulic oil is supplied into the torque converter body 5 from the oil passage 16 a and the second port 19, and the hydraulic oil is discharged from the first port 18. The hydraulic fluid supplied from the oil passage 16a flows toward the outer peripheral side between the front cover 11 and the piston 75 in the space 8 in the axial direction. The hydraulic oil further flows through both axial sides of the clutch plate 71 and finally flows into the fluid working chamber 6.

  At this time, the piston 75 has the hydraulic pressure on the space 8 side higher than the hydraulic pressure on the fluid working chamber 6 side, and is moved to the turbine side by the urging force of the plurality of convex portions 85 b of the return plate 85. The piston 75 stops when the cut-and-raised portion 85 d of the return plate 85 of the piston coupling mechanism 76 is in contact with the edge of the slit portion 87. When the lockup is thus released, torque transmission between the front cover 11 and the turbine 22 is performed by fluid drive between the impeller 21 and the turbine 22.

  In this case, a force to move the piston 75 toward the front cover 11 may act due to a change in hydraulic pressure in the torque converter 1. However, in this case as well, the piston 75 is biased in the direction away from the front cover 11 by the return plate 85, and thus is difficult to move to the engine side.

  When the speed ratio of the torque converter 1 increases and the input shaft 3 reaches a certain rotation speed, the hydraulic oil in the space 8 is discharged from the oil passage 16a. As a result, the hydraulic pressure on the fluid working chamber 6 side becomes higher than the hydraulic pressure on the space 8 side, and the piston 75 is moved to the engine side. Accordingly, the pressing portion 75 a of the piston 75 presses the friction coupling portion 71 c of the clutch plate 71 against the friction surface 11 b of the front cover 11. At this time, since the piston 75 rotates integrally with the front cover 11 by the piston coupling mechanism 76, torque is transmitted from the front cover 11 to the clutch plate 71. Further, since the piston lug plate 83 of the piston coupling mechanism 76 approaches the cover lug plate 84 due to the movement of the piston 75 in the axial direction engine side, the convex portion 85b of the return plate 85 is formed in an annular shape of the cover lug plate 84. It abuts against the transmission side surface of the portion 84a and is elastically deformed. The torque of the front cover 11 is transmitted from the drive plate 72 engaged with the clutch plate 71 so as not to rotate relative to the driven plate 73 via the torsion spring 74. Specifically, torque is transmitted from the drive plate 72 to the driven plate 73 via the torsion spring 74. That is, the front cover 11 is mechanically coupled to the turbine 22, and the torque of the front cover 11 is directly output to the input shaft 3 via the turbine 22. At this time, when the drive plate 72 and the driven plate 73 rotate relative to each other, the torsion spring 74 has a rotation direction end surface of the claw portion 72c of the drive plate 72 and a rotation direction end surface of the claw portion 77b of the first driven plate 77. It is compressed through the claw portion 80c of the spring holder 80. That is, the spring holder 80 functions relative to the drive plate 72 and the driven plate 73 so that the two torsion springs 74 act in series in the rotation direction.

  Further, the outer peripheral side and the transmission side of the torsion spring 74 are supported by the spring holder 80 and are difficult to slide with the drive plate 72 and the driven plate 73.

  Further, the drive plate 72 has a convex portion 72 b provided on the inner peripheral portion thereof abutting on the rotation direction end portion of the cut-and-raised portion 78 c provided on the second driven plate 78, so that the relative rotation angle with respect to the driven plate 73 is reached. Is limited within a predetermined range.

  Since both surfaces of the friction coupling portion 71c of the clutch plate 71 are friction facings 71d, the torque transmission capacity is larger than that of a lockup device having a single friction surface.

(4) Features of the lockup device The lockup device 7 of the present embodiment has the following features.

(i) Structure in which the friction coupling portion is disposed on the outer peripheral side in the radial direction In the lockup device 7 of the present embodiment, the clutch plate 71 has the friction coupling portion 71c, and the drive plate 72 is the rotational end of the torsion spring 74 The drive plate has a claw portion 72c that comes into contact with the clutch plate 71 so as to be able to transmit torque, and a convex portion 72d that is positioned radially outward from the claw portion 72c and engages with the concave portion 71e of the clutch plate 71 so as not to be relatively rotatable. 72 convex portions 72d can be arranged radially outward. Thereby, it becomes possible to arrange | position the frictional connection part 71c of the clutch plate 71 on the radial direction outer side, and the torque transmission capacity | capacitance of the lockup apparatus 7 can be increased.

  The drive plate 72 can be easily assembled because the drive plate 72 can be assembled to the clutch plate 71 simply by engaging the convex portion 72d of the drive plate 72 with the concave portion 71e of the clutch plate 71.

(ii) Structure in which the drive plate is supported by the driven plate In the lock-up device 7 of the present embodiment, the drive plate 72 rotates relative to the driven plate 73 (specifically, the cut and raised portion 78c of the second driven plate 78). Engageable and axially and radially positioned so that the axial and radial position of the drive plate 72 is stable. As a result, the axial and radial positions of the clutch plate 71 engaged with the drive plate 72 so as not to rotate relative to each other are also stabilized.

(iii) Structure for limiting the relative rotation angle between the drive plate and the driven plate In the lockup device 7 of the present embodiment, when the drive plate 72 and the driven plate 73 are relatively rotated to reach a predetermined angle, the drive plate 72 The convex portion 72b of the second driven plate 78 abuts against the rotation direction end of the cut-and-raised portion 78c of the second driven plate 78 so that relative rotation is impossible. That is, the cut-and-raised portion 78 c of the second driven plate 78 functions as a stopper for the convex portion 72 b of the drive plate 72. That is, the cut-and-raised portion 78 c of the second driven plate 78 has a function of positioning the drive plate 72 in the axial direction and the radial position, and also has a stopper function of the drive plate 72. Thereby, since compression of the torsion spring 74 can be limited within a predetermined angle range, desired torsional characteristics can be obtained and an increase in the number of parts can be suppressed.

(iv) Structure capable of reducing sliding between torsion springs and other members In the lockup device 7 of the present embodiment, a plurality of torsion springs 74 are supported by the spring holder 80 on the transmission side and the outer peripheral side. For this reason, the plurality of torsion springs 74 are difficult to slide on the drive plate 72 and the driven plate 73.

  The plurality of torsion springs 74 are a plurality of pairs (four pairs in the present embodiment) of coil springs arranged so as to act in series in the rotation direction. Similar torsional vibration absorption performance can be obtained.

(v) Support structure of spring holder by drive plate In the lock-up device 7 of this embodiment, the spring holder 80 is engaged with the first driven plate 77 so as to be relatively rotatable, and the cylindrical portion of the first driven plate 77 Positioning in the radial direction and the axial direction of the radially inner peripheral portion of the spring holder 80 is performed by 77c, the cut-and-raised portion 77h, and the convex portion 77i. Thereby, the radial direction and axial direction position of the spring holder 80 are stable.

  Moreover, since only the inner peripheral part of the spring holder 80 is in contact with the first driven plate 77, the sliding part is small. Thereby, wear of the spring holder 80 and the first driven plate 77 can be reduced.

  Furthermore, since the spring holder 80 is structured not to slide with the drive plate 72, wear of the spring holder 80 and the drive plate 72 can be reduced.

[Other Embodiments]
As mentioned above, although embodiment of this invention was described based on drawing, a specific structure is not restricted to this embodiment, It can change in the range which does not deviate from the summary of invention.

  For example, in the above-described embodiment, the lockup device according to the present invention is applied to the torque converter, but the present invention can also be applied to other fluid type torque transmission devices such as a fluid coupling.

1 is a schematic longitudinal sectional view of a torque converter that employs a lock-up device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a partially enlarged view of FIG. 1 and a cross-sectional view showing a lockup device. The disassembled perspective view which shows the clutch plate, drive plate, driven plate, and spring holder which comprise a lockup apparatus. The disassembled perspective view which shows a piston and a piston connection mechanism.

Explanation of symbols

7 Lock-up device 11 Front cover 11b Friction surface 21 Impeller 22 Turbine 71c Friction connecting portion 75 Piston 71 Clutch plate (clutch member)
72 Drive plate (drive member)
73 Driven plate (Driven member)
74 Torsion spring (elastic member)
80 Spring holder (intermediate member)
80c Nail part (transmission part)

Claims (4)

A lock provided in a hydrodynamic torque transmission device, comprising: a front cover having a friction surface; an impeller fixed to the front cover to form a fluid chamber; and a turbine disposed opposite to the impeller in the fluid chamber. An up device,
A clutch member having a friction coupling portion capable of being pressed against the friction surface of the front cover;
A plurality of elastic members arranged side by side in the rotation direction;
A drive member that engages with the clutch member in a relatively non-rotatable manner and is capable of transmitting torque to the plurality of elastic members;
A driven member fixed to the turbine and to which torque is transmitted from the plurality of elastic members;
An intermediate member that supports at least the outer peripheral side and one axial side of the plurality of elastic members and is rotatable relative to the driven member and the drive member;
A piston disposed between the front cover and the turbine for pressing the friction coupling portion against the friction surface;
A lockup device for a fluid torque transmission device comprising: The plurality of elastic members are a plurality of pairs of elastic members arranged to act in series in the rotation direction,
The intermediate member has a transmission portion disposed between the pair of elastic members.
The lockup device for a torque transmission device according to claim 1.   The lock-up device for a fluid torque transmission device according to claim 1, wherein the intermediate member is positioned in a radial direction by the driven member.   The lock-up device for a hydrodynamic torque transmission device according to claim 1, wherein the intermediate member is axially positioned by the driven member.

Images