JP2007247746A - Drive plate fastening structure - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a drive plate fastening structure having improved assembling work efficiency while preventing fall-down of a bolt when fastening a drive plate. <P>SOLUTION: The drive plate 2 fixed to an engine output shaft 1 and a torque converter 21 are fastened to each other with a bolt 13 inserted via a starter mounting hole 12. An oil seal retainer 14 is fixed to the opposite face of an engine body 10 to the drive plate 2, and a bolt receiving portion 14a protruded toward the drive plate side is integrally formed on the oil seal retainer 14 along the lower edge of the starter mounting hole 12. A bent portion 2a is formed on the outer periphery of the drive plate 2 beyond a bolt fastening portion toward the oil seal retainer side, and a gap D1 is formed between the bolt receiving portion 14a of the oil seal retainer 14 and the side face of the drive plate 2 where the bolt 13 cannot passes. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

The present invention relates to a drive plate fastening structure, and more particularly to a bolt drop-off prevention structure for fastening a drive plate fixed to an engine output shaft and a torque converter.

When connecting the engine and the automatic transmission, it is necessary to fasten the drive plate fixed to the engine output shaft and the torque converter with bolts. The end plate for closing the engine side opening of the transmission has a starter mounting hole. By using this starter mounting hole, a bolt fastening tool is inserted to fasten the drive plate to the torque converter. can do. However, if a bolt fastening error occurs, the bolt may be blown off and fall into the space between the torque converter and the housing. In particular, since the mounting hole of the starter is provided in the upper part of the housing, once the bolt falls into the space between the torque converter and the housing, the bolt cannot be taken out unless the engine and the transmission are disassembled.

In Patent Document 1, when a drive plate and a torque converter are fastened with bolts, the torque converter is provided on the inner surface of the housing in order to prevent the bolts from being blown off and falling into the space between the torque converter and the housing. What formed the bolt receiving rib close | similar to the outer peripheral surface of this is disclosed.

In Patent Document 1, when a bolt is flipped off and stored in a bolt receiving rib, the bolt needs to be taken out from the rear of the torque converter, and cannot be taken out quickly. In addition, as a preventive measure when dropping from the bolt fastening part as it is, there is a method of narrowing the gap between the end plate and the tribe plate provided on the mating surface between the engine and the torque converter housing, but this method does not have an end plate. Not applicable to structures.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2000-352452

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a drive plate fastening structure that prevents a bolt from dropping when the drive plate is fastened, thereby improving assembly work efficiency.

In order to achieve the above object, the invention according to claim 1 is a structure in which a drive plate fixed to an engine output shaft and a torque converter are fastened by a bolt inserted through a starter mounting hole. An oil seal retainer is fixed to the surface facing the drive plate, and a bolt receiving portion that protrudes toward the drive plate along the lower edge of the starter mounting hole is integrally formed on the oil seal retainer. A bent portion that is bent toward the oil seal retainer side is formed on an outer peripheral portion from the bolt fastening portion of the drive plate, and a bolt receiving portion of the oil seal retainer, a side surface of the drive plate, A drive in which a gap through which the bolt cannot pass is formed between To provide a fastening structure of the rate.

Insert an impact wrench from the starter mounting hole and tighten the bolt to the torque converter via the drive plate. At this time, if the bolt is flipped off by an operator's mistake, the bolt may fall into the space between the torque converter and the housing. In the present invention, the bounced bolt is received downward by a bolt receiving portion provided in the oil seal retainer, and upward is received by a bent portion provided in the outer peripheral portion of the drive plate. Since there is only a gap through which the bolt cannot pass between the bolt receiving portion and the side surface of the drive plate, the bolt can be prevented from falling downward. Further, since the bent portion of the drive plate is bent toward the engine side, it is possible to prevent the bolt from getting over the drive plate and entering the space between the torque converter and the housing. As a result, the operator can easily take out the bolts that have been flipped off and can restart the fastening operation. After completing the fastening operation, the mounting hole is closed by mounting the starter in the starter mounting hole.

The starter mounting hole may be formed in an end plate provided on a mating surface between the engine and the torque converter housing as in the conventional case, or may be formed in the engine body or a part fixed to the engine body. In the latter case, the opening of the torque converter housing is closed by the engine body or a part fixed to the engine body. The present invention can also be applied to a structure having no end plate.

According to a preferred embodiment, the bolt receiving portion is curved in a U shape along the lower edge portion of the starter mounting hole, and both ends of the bolt receiving portion are directed to the inner peripheral surface of the bent portion of the drive plate. It is preferable that the bolts are close to each other so that the bolt cannot pass therethrough.
If the bolt receiving part is curved in a U shape and both ends thereof are close to the inner peripheral surface of the bent part of the drive plate, the bolts bounced off in the left and right direction will also be between the bolt receiving part and the bent part. Cannot pass. As a result, since the bolt stays in the space surrounded by the bolt receiving portion and the bent portion, that is, within the range of the starter mounting hole, the bolt can be easily taken out without losing sight of the bolt.

As described above, according to the present invention, when the bolt is fastened from the starter mounting hole, the bolt receiving portion provided on the oil seal retainer and the outer periphery of the drive plate even if the bolt is blown off due to an operator's mistake. It is possible to prevent the bolt that has been received and bounced off by the bent portion provided in the portion from falling down or getting over the drive plate and entering between the torque converter and the housing. As a result, the operator can easily pick up the bolt that has been flipped off, and the fastening operation can be resumed.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to examples.

1 to 5 show a first embodiment of the present invention.
In FIG. 1, a torque converter 21 is accommodated in the converter housing 20, and an upper part of the engine side opening of the converter housing 20 is closed by the engine block 10. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, a flange portion 11 having a starter mounting hole 12 is integrally formed at an oblique upper portion of the engine block 10. In this embodiment, an oil pan (not shown) is fastened to the bottom of the engine block 10, and one end of the oil pan is fastened to the converter housing 20. Therefore, the lower opening of converter housing 20 has a structure closed by an oil pan.

A drive plate 2 is fastened to the tip of the engine output shaft 1 by bolts 3. A bent portion 2a that is bent toward the engine side is formed on the entire outer periphery of the drive plate 2, and a ring gear 4 is fixed to the outer periphery of the bent portion 2a. The pinion gear 31 of the starter 30 is inserted into the converter housing 20 through the starter mounting hole 12 formed in the flange portion 11 of the engine block 10 and meshes with the ring gear 4. On the inner diameter side of the starter mounting hole 12, a tool insertion portion 12a extended to a bolt fastening position between the drive plate 2 and the torque converter 21 is formed as shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 1, the flange portion 32 of the starter 30 is fastened to the converter housing 20 with a bolt 33 via the flange portion 11 of the engine block 10, and the starter mounting hole including the tool insertion portion 12 a by the flange portion 32. 12 is closed.

The drive plate 2 and the torque converter 21 are fastened by bolts 13. That is, a nut 22 is welded and fixed to the engine side surface of the torque converter 21, a tool such as an impact wrench is inserted from the tool insertion portion 12 a of the starter mounting hole 12, and the bolt 13 is inserted into the torque converter via the drive plate 2. 21 nuts 22 can be tightened. Since the starter mounting hole 12 is provided at only one location on the upper part of the engine block 10, after tightening one bolt 13, the drive plate 2 is rotated and the bolt 13 is fastened to the next fastening position. By repeating, the drive plate 2 and the torque converter 21 can be integrally connected.

An oil seal retainer 14 is fixed to the side surface of the engine block 10 on the torque converter side, that is, the surface facing the drive plate 2 by bolts 15. The oil seal retainer 14 holds an oil seal 16 for sealing between the engine output shaft 1 and the engine block 10. The oil seal retainer 14 is integrally formed with a bolt receiving portion 14 a that protrudes toward the drive plate along the lower edge of the tool insertion portion 12 a of the starter mounting hole 12. The axial clearance D1 between the bolt receiving portion 14a and the side surface of the drive plate 2 is set to an interval at which the bolt 13 cannot pass, and prevents the bolt 13 from accidentally falling between the drive plate 2 and the engine block 10. it can. The bolt receiving portion 14a is curved in a substantially U shape along the lower edge portion of the tool insertion portion 12a, and between the both end portions of the bolt receiving portion 14a and the inner peripheral surface of the bent portion 2a of the drive plate 2. A gap D2 (see FIG. 2) through which the bolt 13 cannot pass is formed.

In this embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, bolt receiving ribs 23 and 24 close to the outer peripheral surface of the torque converter 21 are integrally formed on the inner surface of the converter housing 20 corresponding to the starter mounting hole 12. ing. One rib 23 extends in the circumferential direction and protrudes toward the engine so as to approach the outer peripheral surface of the torque converter 21. The other rib 24 is composed of a pair of ribs located on both sides of the starter mounting hole 12, and extends toward the inner diameter direction and the engine side so as to approach the ring gear 4. Both ribs 23 and 24 are formed in a substantially box shape so as to surround the starter mounting hole 12. The gap between the rib 23 and the torque converter 21, the gap between the rib 24 and the ring gear 4, and the gap between the rib 24 and the flange portion 11 are set to dimensions so that the bolts 13 are not caught and fall into the converter housing 20. ing. The bolt receiving ribs 23 and 24 prevent the bolt 13 from dropping into the gap between the torque converter 21 and the converter housing 20 even if the bolt 13 protrudes beyond the ring gear 4 to the torque converter side. Is provided as necessary.

When the bolt 13 is fastened using a tool such as an impact wrench to connect the drive plate 2 and the torque converter 21, the bolt 13 may be accidentally blown off. Since the bent portion 2a bent toward the side is formed, the bent portion 2a can restrict the bolt 13 from jumping over the drive plate 2 to the torque converter side. Further, the oil seal retainer 14 is integrally formed with a bolt receiving portion 14a along the lower edge of the tool insertion portion 12a, and there is only a gap D1 between which the bolt 13 cannot pass between the bolt receiving portion 14a and the side surface of the drive plate 2. Therefore, the bolt 13 with a fastening error is not caught in the gap D1 as shown in FIG. Furthermore, even if the bolt 13 flies in the left-right direction, there is only a gap D2 between which the bolt 13 cannot pass between the bent portion 2a and the left and right end portions of the bolt receiving portion 14a. I don't get depressed. Even if a fastening error occurs in this manner, the bolt 13 remains in the region of the starter mounting hole 12, so that it can be easily picked up without losing sight of the bolt 13, and the fastening operation can be resumed. Since the bolt 13 does not fall into the converter housing 20, it is not necessary to disassemble the engine and the transmission after assembly, and the assembly work efficiency is improved.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and can be modified without departing from the spirit of the present invention.
In the above embodiment, the starter mounting hole 12 is provided in the engine block 10 (flange portion 11), and the end blade is not disposed on the mating surface between the engine block 10 and the converter housing 20, but the end blade is disposed. However, the present invention can be applied.
In the above embodiment, the tool insertion portion 12a is formed by extending the starter mounting hole 12 to the inner diameter side, and the bolt receiving portion 14a curved in a substantially U shape along the lower edge portion of the tool insertion portion 12a is formed on the oil seal retainer 14. Although formed, the shapes of the starter mounting hole 12 and the bolt receiving portion 14a are not limited to the embodiment.

It is sectional drawing of the torque converter which has the fastening structure of the drive plate concerning this invention. It is the side view which looked at the starter attachment part in FIG. 1 from the engine side. It is the side view which looked at the converter housing in FIG. 1 from the engine side. It is the perspective view which looked at the starter attaching part of an engine block from the engine side. It is sectional drawing which shows the fastening method of the bolt for drive plate fastening.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Engine output shaft 2 Drive plate 4 Ring gear 10 Engine block 11 Flange part 12 Starter mounting hole 12a Tool insertion part 13 Bolt 14 Oil seal retainer 14a Bolt receiving part 16 Oil seal 20 Converter housing 21 Torque converter 22 Nut 30 Starter 31 Pinion gear

Claims (2)

In the structure in which the drive plate fixed to the engine output shaft and the torque converter are fastened by the bolt inserted through the starter mounting hole,
An oil seal retainer is fixed on the surface of the engine body facing the drive plate,
The oil seal retainer is integrally formed with a bolt receiving portion that protrudes toward the drive plate along the lower edge of the starter mounting hole.
A bent portion that is bent toward the oil seal retainer side is formed on the outer peripheral portion from the bolt fastening portion of the drive plate,
A drive plate fastening structure, wherein a gap through which the bolt cannot pass is formed between a bolt receiving portion of the oil seal retainer and a side surface of the drive plate. The bolt receiving part is curved in a U shape along the lower edge of the starter mounting hole,
2. The drive plate according to claim 1, wherein both ends of the bolt receiving portion are close to an inner peripheral surface of the bent portion of the drive plate so as to form a gap through which the bolt cannot pass. Fastening structure.

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