JP2022554224A - Fluid torque converter with torsional damper and automobile including the same - Google Patents

Abstract

The present disclosure includes a cover, an impeller, a turbine, a piston disk, and one or more torsional dampers, wherein the cover is mounted on the engine side of the vehicle for rotation about the axis of rotation of the fluid torque converter. Driven by a drive member, the impeller is rotatably fixedly connected to the cover, the turbine is driven to rotate about an axis of rotation and outputs torque to the input shaft of the vehicle transmission, the piston The disc includes a friction surface and is operable such that the hydrodynamic torque converter is switched between a hydrodynamic transmission mode and a mechanical transmission mode, in which the friction surface is such that the cover and the piston disc A hydrodynamic torque converter for an automotive vehicle, wherein the one or more torsional dampers are held between a piston disk and a turbine and include one or more springs. The present disclosure also relates to motor vehicles including the fluid torque converter.

Description

The present disclosure relates to fluid torque converters with torsional dampers. The present disclosure also relates to motor vehicles including such fluid torque converters.

Generally, a hydraulic torque converter is provided between an engine and a transmission of an automatic transmission vehicle. A fluid torque converter is for transmitting the driving force of the engine to the transmission, and can play a role of transmitting torque and changing the torque. The hydrodynamic torque converter includes a cover driven by an engine-side drive member, an impeller rotatably and fixedly connected to the cover, and a turbine connected to the transmission input shaft, wherein hydrodynamic transmission is performed via a piston disc. It is switchable between mode and mechanical transmission mode. During the starting phase of the vehicle, the hydrodynamic torque converter operates in hydrodynamic transmission mode. At this time, the impeller of the hydrodynamic torque converter drives the turbine with the fluid (generally oil). Once the engine reaches a high rotational speed, the hydrodynamic torque converter is switched to mechanical transmission mode. In mechanical transmission mode, torque is mechanically transmitted from the cover to the turbine through the piston disc and/or other transmission mechanism without having to go through the impeller.

The torque produced by an automobile engine is generally not constant. In particular, in the mechanical transmission mode, such non-constant torque may be transmitted to the transmission and cause vibrations in the transmission gearbox, which may cause unwanted noise, impact, etc. . It is already known to place a torsional damper in a hydrodynamic torque converter in order to reduce the adverse effects of vibrations and increase the driving comfort of a motor vehicle. A torsional damper can absorb and reduce vibrations generated from an automobile engine. A torsional damper is generally positioned between the piston disk and the turbine and includes a resilient member, such as a spring, for transmitting torque therebetween.

Chinese Patent No. 104235301B disclosed a fluid torque converter with a torsional damper mounted on the piston disc. A holding plate for holding the spring is fixed to the piston disc via rivets. The holding plate is formed with a radially extending holding portion, and the turbine is welded with a plurality of transmission claws for transmitting torque between the piston disk and the turbine.

Japanese Patent Application No. H06147294A also disclosed a similar hydrodynamic torque converter with a torsional damper mounted on the piston disc. Specifically, the annular drive disc that holds the spring of the torsional damper and transmits torque is fixed to the piston disc via rivets, and the turbine has a plurality of protruding plates that transmit torque. It is A dedicated riveting process is required to secure the annular drive disc to the piston disc, and a dedicated welding process is required to secure the projecting plate to the turbine. This complicates the manufacturing process of the fluid torque converter. Also, the protruding plate welded to the turbine is easily deformed or separated.

Korean Patent Application No. 20070096471A also disclosed a fluid torque converter with a torsional damper attached to a piston disk. Analogously, an annular drive disc for holding the spring of the torsional damper and transmitting torque is fixed to the piston disc via rivets. Since the turbine is integrally formed with the turbine housing and has a plurality of projecting plates for transmitting torque, the welding process for the torque transmission elements can be omitted. However, in Korean Patent Application No. 20070096471A, the protruding plate is provided at the radial periphery of the turbine housing, which increases the profile diameter of the turbine housing and increases the material consumption and cost in manufacturing the turbine housing. .

As mentioned above, a torsional damper is generally placed between the piston disc and the turbine. However, it is also conceivable to place the torsional damper at other locations in the torque transmission path of the hydrodynamic torque converter. US Patent Application No. US6056093A discloses a fluid torque converter in which a torsional damper is provided between the turbine and the output hub. Specifically, a cover disc element for holding the spring of the torsional damper is fixed to the turbine housing, said cover disc element including a protrusion joined with the piston disc to transmit torque to the turbine. do. The output hub includes an integral radially outwardly extending flange that circumferentially holds a spring with a projection on the turbine housing to transmit torque.

Further, it is already known to provide a stop mechanism so that the amount of compression of the elastic member does not exceed a predetermined threshold in order to prevent the life of the torsional damper from being shortened due to excessive torque transmission of the torsional damper. ing. The aforementioned Chinese patent CN104235301B disclosed a fluid torque converter including two torsional dampers and two stop mechanisms. A holding plate for holding the spring of the torsional damper is fixed to the piston disk and the turbine via rivets. A plurality of transmission claws are welded and fixed to the turbine, the transmission claws extending into the cutouts and being engaged with the cutouts, and both constitute a first stop mechanism. do. Also, a rivet for fixing the holding plate in the turbine extends into a through hole formed in the output side plate of the turbine hub to form a second stop mechanism. As is well known, the two stop members included in the first stop mechanism and the second stop mechanism are of different types and must be manufactured by different processes. For example, the transmission claw must be welded. Since rivets must be riveted, and cutouts must be punched or machined, the manufacturing process of fluid torque converters is complicated and prone to damage. In addition, since separate members such as a holding plate and an input side plate must be additionally arranged in the axial direction, the axial size of the fluid torque converter increases, and other torque transmission members such as a transmission are installed. Space is compressed.

Therefore, in order to hold the torsional damper and transmit the torque in the conventional fluid torque converter, generally a plurality of holding elements and torque transmission elements must be provided. This makes the manufacturing process of the fluid torque converter complex and prone to damage. In addition, the axially arranged holding element and torque transmission element increase the axial size of the fluid torque converter, thereby compressing the mounting space for other torque transmission members such as a transmission.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, the present disclosure is directed to solving the above-described problems present in typical hydrodynamic torque converters, with the objective of reducing manufacturing costs, reducing size, and reducing other torque transmission components. An object of the present invention is to provide a fluid torque converter capable of enlarging a mounting space.

The above objectives are achieved through a fluid torque converter including a torsional damper according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, said fluid torque converter including a cover, an impeller, a turbine, a piston disk, and one or more torsion dampers. an internal damper, wherein the cover is rotatably driven by a drive member on the engine side of the vehicle to rotate about the axis of rotation of the hydrodynamic torque converter, and the impeller is rotatable relative to the cover to rotate with the cover. Fixedly coupled, said turbine includes a turbine housing and blades, is driven to rotate about said axis of rotation and transmits torque to an input shaft of a vehicle transmission, and said piston disc includes a friction surface. , the hydrodynamic torque converter is operable to be operably switched between a hydrodynamic transmission mode and a mechanical transmission mode, wherein in the hydrodynamic transmission mode rotation of the impeller about its axis of rotation is controlled by the fluid A flow is generated to drive a turbine, and in a mechanical transmission mode, the friction surface is in intimate contact with the cover such that the cover rotates together with the piston disc, and the one or more torsional dampers are in contact with the piston disc. The torsional damper, held between the turbine and transmitting torque from the piston disc to the turbine, includes one or more springs.

Fluid torque converters according to the present disclosure may also have one or more of the following features, alone or in combination.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the piston disk is provided with an annular groove integrally formed with the piston disk, and the compression and return of the spring are guided by the annular groove during the torque transmission process. be. The piston disk is also connectable with the turbine to hold a torsional damper spring within the annular groove. Since the piston disc itself can guide the spring and can be coupled with the turbine to hold the torsional damper, there is no need to provide a fluid torque converter with dedicated members for holding and guiding the torsional damper. Such a design reduces the size, especially the axial size, of the hydrodynamic torque converter and reduces the number of parts required, making the hydrodynamic torque converter less expensive to manufacture and easier to install.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the annular groove has a substantially rectangular cross-sectional shape, and includes an inner wall positioned radially inward, an outer wall positioned radially outward, and the inner wall and the outer wall. and a bottom surface that connects with the wall. Preferably, the outer wall of the annular groove constitutes the radially outer periphery of the piston disc. That is, the annular groove is positioned at the radially outermost portion of the piston disk. The bottom surface of the annular groove is a flat bottom surface, and the friction surface is provided on the opposite surface of the bottom surface in the axial direction. Such an arrangement eliminates the steps of manufacturing the piston disc, without the need to construct a dedicated projection for arranging the friction surface on said piston disc.

According to a preferred embodiment of the present disclosure, the edge of the outer wall of the annular groove includes an inward curling portion. The inward curling portion can narrow the opening of the annular groove. For example, the opening of the annular groove narrows to allow the spring to enter through the curling portion. Such a design not only allows the spring to be installed, but also helps prevent the spring from leaving the annular groove with the turbine.

Alternatively, the annular groove may have other cross-sections. For example, the annular groove has a semi-circular cross-section and a diameter slightly larger than the diameter of the spring of the torsional damper so as to facilitate accommodation and holding of the spring. In such constructions, the friction surfaces are provided at other locations on the piston disc.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the annular groove is provided with one or more spring drivers, and the spring drivers are accommodated in the annular groove by supporting the spring base. A spring can be driven to transmit torque. That is, the piston disc itself can drive the spring without additionally providing a dedicated drive disc or other torque transmitting member to drive the spring. This allows for an additional reduction in the number of parts in the hydrodynamic torque converter, reducing manufacturing costs.

Optionally, the spring driving part includes an inner boss protruding radially outward from the inner wall of the annular groove and an outer boss protruding radially inward from the outer wall of the annular groove. The inner and outer bosses are radially opposed to each other. That is, the circumferential positions of the inner boss and the outer boss are the same. The inner and outer bosses thus define a narrow portion of the annular groove, the width of the narrow portion being less than the diameter of the spring. The spring base can seal against corresponding sidewalls of the inner and outer bosses. Preferably, corresponding sidewalls of said inner and outer bosses lie in the same radial plane passing through the axis of rotation of the fluid torque converter. That is, in plan view, the inner and outer bosses correspond to the same centric angle of the piston disc. As a result, the bottom surface of the spring base portion, which is in close contact with the corresponding sidewalls of the inner boss and the outer boss, is also positioned on the radial plane, so that the spring base portion can receive force uniformly and stabilize torque transmission. useful for improving

Alternatively, the spring driving part may be a projecting plate extending from the inner wall and/or the outer wall of the annular groove to the inside of the annular groove. The side walls of the projecting plate support the base of the spring to drive the spring and transmit torque. Such an arrangement can simplify the design of the spring drive and eliminate the steps required to manufacture the piston disc.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the annular groove is provided with three spring drives uniformly distributed in the circumferential direction. The three spring driving parts can divide the annular groove into three groove sections, and each groove section can accommodate one spring. Therefore, the torsional damper includes three springs. It can be seen that the annular groove may be provided with various numbers of spring driving parts, such as two spring driving parts, four spring driving parts, five spring driving parts, or more than five driving parts. Correspondingly, the number of springs included in the torsional damper also varies accordingly.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the turbine housing includes a bending die body, the bending die body having a curvature and axially corresponding to the blades, the bending die body including a piston disk A projection is provided which is integrally formed with the turbine housing to receive the torque transmitted by the torsional damper, i.e., said projection can serve as a torque transmission part. The design described above allows the turbine housing itself to receive the torque transmitted through the torsional damper, eliminating the need to provide a dedicated drive disk and welding or otherwise affixing the torque transmitting element to the turbine housing. you don't have to. Such a design reduces the number of parts required to reduce the size, including axial and radial dimensions, of the hydrodynamic torque converter, thereby saving material expendable in manufacturing the turbine housing. thus reducing the manufacturing cost of the fluid torque converter.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the projection is formed on a boss of the bent body of the turbine housing. The radial position of the boss corresponds to the radial position of the spring of the torsional damper. The base portion of the spring can be in close contact with the side wall of the boss so as to exert a tangential bias on the circumference of the boss to achieve torque transmission. Preferably, the side wall of said boss lies in a radial plane passing through the axis of rotation of the hydrodynamic torque converter. As a result, the bottom surface of the spring base, which is in close contact with the side wall of the boss, is also positioned on the radial plane, so that the spring base receives force uniformly, which is advantageous in improving the stability of torque transmission. is.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the projection is formed on a hook portion of the bent body of the turbine housing. The radial position of the hook portion corresponds to the radial position of the spring of the torsional damper. The base portion of the spring can be in close contact with the sides of the hook portion so as to exert a biasing force along the circumferential tangential direction on the hook portion to achieve torque transmission. Preferably, the sides of said hook portion lie in a radial plane passing through the axis of rotation of the hydrodynamic torque converter. As a result, the bottom surface of the spring base, which is in close contact with the side of the boss, is also positioned on the radial plane, so that the spring base receives a uniform force and improves the stability of torque transmission. Advantageous.

According to one embodiment of the disclosure, the turbine is provided with three protrusions uniformly distributed in the circumferential direction. Specifically, the radial positions of the three projections on the curved body of the turbine housing are identical, and the spring of the torsional damper is located between two adjacent projections. Therefore, the torsional damper includes three springs. It will be appreciated that the turbine may be provided with varying numbers of projections, such as two projections, four projections, five projections, or more than five projections. Correspondingly, the number of springs included in the torsional damper also varies accordingly.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the piston disk is provided with one or more first stop projections integrally formed with the piston disk, and the turbine housing is integrally formed with the turbine housing. One or more secondary stop projections are provided, and the first stop projection and the second stop projection are coupleable together to limit the amount of compression of the spring of the torsional damper. Specifically, when the amount of compression of the spring reaches a predetermined threshold, the first stop projection and the second stop projection interfere to cause relative circumferential displacement between the turbine housing and the piston disk. to prevent the spring from continuously compressing. Since the first stop protrusion and the second stop protrusion are of the same type, they can be manufactured in the same process, which simplifies the manufacturing process of the fluid torque converter. At the same time, since the first stop projection and the second stop projection are integrally provided on the piston disk and the turbine housing respectively, there is no need to additionally provide a dedicated holding element and torque transmission element to provide the stop mechanism; A mounting space for other torque transmission members is enlarged by reducing the axial size of a fluid torque converter.

According to one embodiment of the disclosure, the first stop projection is a first stop boss projecting from the piston disk towards the turbine housing, and the second stop projection projects from the turbine housing towards the piston disk. This is the second stop boss. The radial positions of the first stop boss and the second stop boss correspond to each other. When the amount of compression of the spring reaches a predetermined threshold, the opposing side walls of the first stop boss and the second stop boss are brought into close contact with each other and the function of limiting the amount of compression of the spring of the torsional damper is achieved. Preferably, sidewalls of said first stop boss and second stop boss lie in a radial plane passing through the axis of rotation of the fluid torque converter. This allows the opposing sidewalls of the first and second stop bosses to closely contact and increase the contact area to reduce possible damage to the stop bosses when the torque is excessively high.

According to another embodiment of the present disclosure, the piston disc includes an axial extension extending from the radially inner periphery toward the turbine, and the first stop projection extends axially from the end of the axial extension. A radially extending first stop tooth and said second stop projection is a second stop tooth radially extending from the radially inner periphery of the turbine housing. When the amount of compression of the spring reaches a predetermined threshold, the opposing sidewalls of the first and second stop teeth are brought into close contact with each other and the function of limiting the amount of compression of the spring of the torsional damper is achieved. Preferably, the sidewalls of said first stop tooth and second stop tooth lie in a radial plane passing through the axis of rotation of the fluid torque converter. This allows the opposing sidewalls of the first and second stop teeth to be in close contact and increase the contact area to reduce possible damage to the stop teeth when the torque is excessive.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the piston disc is provided with three uniformly circumferentially distributed first stop projections, and the turbine housing is provided with three uniformly circumferentially distributed first stop projections. A second stop projection is provided. The piston disc may be provided with varying numbers of first stop projections and/or the turbine housing may be provided with varying numbers of second stop projections.

The fluid torque converter may include multiple torsional dampers to further improve the damping effect. For example, the radially outer torsional damper is a first torsional damper, and the fluid torque converter further includes a second radially inner torsional damper. The second torsional damper may have a structure similar to that of the first torsional damper.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the piston disc and/or turbine housing of said hydrodynamic torque converter are manufactured by punching. Specifically, the first stop boss and the second stop boss are formed by axially punching the piston disk and the turbine housing, respectively. The piston disk and turbine housing are not pierced during the punching process, and the punch used is selected as a suitable shape for the first and second stop bosses. The first stop tooth is formed by radially punching and removing material from a portion of the axial extension of the piston disk, and the second stop tooth is formed from a portion of material on the radially inner periphery of the turbine housing. is axially punched and removed. After punching, the thickness of certain parts of the piston disk and/or turbine housing is correspondingly reduced. Preferably, in order to increase the strength of the piston disc and/or turbine housing, after punching said piston disc and/or turbine housing are strengthened by a heat treatment process.

The present disclosure also relates to a motor vehicle including a fluid torque converter as described above.

The above-mentioned features and advantages and other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the most preferred embodiments of the invention described in detail in conjunction with the following drawings.

1 is a schematic partial cross-sectional view of a fluid torque converter according to one embodiment of the present disclosure; FIG. 2A-2C show a piston disk according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, with FIG. 2A showing one side of the piston disk facing the turbine and FIG. 2B showing one side of the piston disk facing the cover; 2C shows a cross-sectional view of the annular groove portion of the piston disc. 2A-2C show a piston disk according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, with FIG. 2A showing one side of the piston disk facing the turbine and FIG. 2B showing one side of the piston disk facing the cover; 2C shows a cross-sectional view of the annular groove portion of the piston disc. 2A-2C show a piston disk according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, with FIG. 2A showing one side of the piston disk facing the turbine and FIG. 2B showing one side of the piston disk facing the cover; 2C shows a cross-sectional view of the annular groove portion of the piston disc. Figures 3A and 3B detail the spring drive of the piston disc shown in Figures 2A-2C. Figures 3A and 3B detail the spring drive of the piston disc shown in Figures 2A-2C. 4A and 4B show partial cross-sectional views of hydrodynamic torque converters according to two different embodiments of the present disclosure, including projections provided on the turbine housing for receiving the torque transmitted by the piston discs via the torsional dampers. was shown in detail. 4A and 4B show partial cross-sectional views of hydrodynamic torque converters according to two different embodiments of the present disclosure, including projections provided on the turbine housing for receiving the torque transmitted by the piston discs via the torsional dampers. was shown in detail. 5A and 5B illustrate a piston disk provided with a first stop projection and a turbine housing provided with a second stop projection, respectively, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. 5A and 5B illustrate a piston disk provided with a first stop projection and a turbine housing provided with a second stop projection, respectively, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. 6A and 6B show partial cross-sectional views of the hydrodynamic torque converter in its assembled structural state and with the amount of spring compression reaching a predetermined threshold. 6A and 6B show partial cross-sectional views of the hydrodynamic torque converter in its assembled structural state and with the amount of spring compression reaching a predetermined threshold. Figures 7A-7C showed a first stop protrusion and a second stop protrusion according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. Figures 7A-7C showed a first stop protrusion and a second stop protrusion according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. Figures 7A-7C showed a first stop protrusion and a second stop protrusion according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 8 showed a schematic partial cross-sectional view of a fluid torque converter according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. In each drawing, the same or similar parts are denoted by the same drawing numerals.

In order to make the objectives, technical measures and advantages of the embodiments of the present disclosure clearer, the following clearly and completely describes the technical measures of the embodiments of the present disclosure in combination with the drawings of the embodiments of the present disclosure.

Unless defined otherwise, technical or scientific terms used herein have the common meaning understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure pertains. Words such as "one," "one," or "said," as used in the patent applications and claims of this disclosure, do not imply limitations on quantity, but rather the presence of one or more. means Words such as "inclusive" or "including" include the elements or articles for which the element or article preceding the word is exemplified after the word and equivalents thereof, and excludes any other element or article. means no exclusion. Directions such as "axial", "radial" and "circumferential" are defined with respect to the axis of rotation RO of the fluid torque converter, the axial direction being the direction in which the axis of rotation RO extends, the radial direction is the direction perpendicular to the rotation axis RO, and the circumferential direction is the circumferential direction about the rotation axis RO.

1 is a schematic partial cross-sectional view of a fluid torque converter according to one embodiment of the present disclosure; FIG. For the sake of clarity, members in the structure of the hydrodynamic torque converter that are not relevant to understanding the technical measures of the present disclosure have been omitted.

As shown in FIG. 1, the hydrodynamic torque converter comprises a cover 1, an impeller 2, a turbine 3, a piston disk 4, a torsional damper 5 located between the turbine and the piston disk, a stator 6; The cover 1 is rotationally driven by a drive member on the engine side of the vehicle, and the impeller 2 is rotatably and fixedly connected to the cover 1 by welding, for example. With this method, torque is input to the hydrodynamic torque converter through cover 1 and impeller 2 . The turbine 3 is driven to rotate about an axis of rotation RO and transmits torque through a turbine hub 30 to the input shaft of the vehicle's transmission. That is, torque is output from the fluid torque converter via turbine 3 and turbine hub 30 .

Torque transmission from the cover 1 and the impeller 2 to the turbine 3 can be switched between hydrodynamic transmission mode and mechanical transmission mode according to various driving situations of the vehicle. Such switching is achieved by axially actuating (eg hydraulically actuating) the piston disc 4 .

Specifically, the impeller 2, turbine 3 and stator 6 define an annular channel in which the working fluid of the hydrodynamic torque converter circulates. In hydrodynamic transmission mode, the piston disc 4 operates without contact with the cover 1 and both can rotate freely relative to each other. At this time, the impeller 2 drives the flow of the working fluid while rotating about the rotation axis RO, thereby driving the turbine 3 . That is, in hydrodynamic transmission mode, the torque transmission path of the hydrodynamic torque converter is torque input→cover 1→impeller 2→(working fluid)→turbine 3→turbine hub 30→torque output. The solid line in FIG. 1 indicates the torque transmission path in the hydrodynamic transmission mode.

In the mechanical transmission mode, the piston disk 4 operates with the cover 1 facing so that the friction surface 41 is in intimate contact with the cover 1 . The frictional contact between the piston disc 4 and the cover 1 causes them to rotate together. Piston disk 4 transmits torque to turbine 3 via torsional damper 5 . That is, in the mechanical transmission mode, the torque transmission path of the hydrodynamic torque converter is torque input→cover 1→piston disk 4→(torsion damper 5)→turbine 3→turbine hub 30→torque output. The dotted line in FIG. 1 indicates the torque transmission path in the mechanical transmission mode.

To transmit torque and reduce torque fluctuations transmitted in the torque output, the torsional damper 5 includes one or more springs 51, such as helical compression springs. The piston disk 4 compresses a spring 51 , and said spring 51 further applies an elastic force to the turbine 3 to achieve torque transmission from the piston disk 4 to the turbine 3 . As shown in FIGS. 2A-2C and 4A-4B, the spring 51 is held by the piston disk 4 and the turbine 3 in the annular groove 42 of the piston disk 4, and the compression and return of the spring 51 are Guided by the annular groove 42 . When the piston disk 4 compresses the spring 51, the spring 51 further applies elastic force to the projection 33 provided on the turbine housing 31 of the turbine 3, thereby realizing torque transmission from the piston disk 4 to the turbine 3. . In particular, said projection 33 is provided on the bent body 31A of the turbine housing 31 .

2A shows one side of the piston disk 4 facing the turbine 3, FIG. 2B shows one side of the piston disk 4 facing the cover 1, and FIG. 2C shows a partial cross-sectional view of the piston disk 4. FIG. As is well known, the annular recessed groove 42 is recessed from the turbine 3 toward the cover 1 . The annular groove 42 has a substantially rectangular cross-sectional shape, an inner wall 42a positioned radially inward, an outer wall 42b positioned radially outward, and a bottom surface connecting the inner wall 42a and the outer wall 42b. 42c. The width of the annular groove 42 is slightly larger than the diameter of the spring 51, so it is suitable for accommodating the spring 51. Since the annular groove 42 is positioned at the radially outermost contour of the piston disk 4 , the outer wall 42 b of the annular groove 42 constitutes the radially outer peripheral edge of the piston disk 4 . The bottom surface 42c of the annular groove 42 is flat and constitutes the portion of the piston disk 4 closest to the cover 1 in the axial direction. The friction surface 41 is provided on the axially opposite surface of the bottom surface 42c. With such an arrangement, when the piston disk 4 moves toward the cover 1 , the friction surface 41 comes into close contact with the cover 1 first to lock the piston disk 4 and the cover 1 in rotation. Further, when the annular groove 42 is positioned at the radially outermost contour of the piston disk 4 , the friction surface 41 is also positioned at the radially outermost contour of the piston disk 4 , and torque between the piston disk 4 and the cover 1 is reduced. Facilitates transmission. Such a design eliminates the manufacturing process of the piston disk 4, as no protrusions need to be formed on the piston disk 4 for arranging the friction surface 41 thereon.

As shown in FIG. 2C, the end of the outer wall 42b of the annular groove 42 includes an inward curling portion 43. As shown in FIG. That is, it is wound from the outer wall 42b toward the inner wall 42a. Therefore, the inward curling portion 43 can narrow the opening of the annular groove 42 . For example, the opening of the annular groove 42 is narrowed so that the spring can be inserted through the curling portion 43 . Such a design not only facilitates the mounting of the spring, but also prevents the spring from leaving the annular groove 42 together with the turbine 3 .

Although not shown, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the annular groove 42 may have other cross-sections. For example, the annular groove 42 may have a semi-circular cross-section and a diameter slightly larger than the diameter of the spring 51 of the torsional damper 5 so as to facilitate accommodation and holding of the spring 51 .

As shown in FIG. 2A , the annular groove 42 is further provided with three spring driving parts 44 , dividing the annular groove 42 into three sections, each section having one spring 51 . placed. Although not shown, various quantities of spring drives can also be envisioned. The spring driving portion 44 defines a narrow portion of the annular groove 42 , the width of said narrow portion being smaller than the diameter of the spring 51 . Therefore, the spring drive part 44 can drive the spring 51 and transmit torque by supporting the base part of the spring 51 . In this way, the piston disc 4 itself can drive the spring 51 without additionally providing a dedicated drive disc or other torque transmitting member to drive the spring.

FIG. 3A shows one spring drive 44 in detail. In the illustrated embodiment, the spring drive portion 44 includes an inner boss 44a projecting radially outward from the inner wall 42a of the annular groove 42 and an outer boss 44b projecting radially inward from the outer wall 42b of the annular groove 42. including. The inner boss 44a and the outer boss 44b are radially opposed to each other. The angle and position of the inner boss 44a and the outer boss 44b of the same spring drive part 44 are the same.

Inner boss 44a and outer boss 44b can have different circumferential lengths. As shown in FIG. 3B, the inner boss 44a and the outer boss 44b correspond to the same central angle of the piston disc 4. As shown in FIG. In this manner, corresponding sidewalls of inner boss 44a and outer boss 44b lie in the same radial plane passing through the rotational axis RO of the fluid torque converter. Thereby, the spring base portions which adhere to the corresponding side walls of the inner boss 44a and the outer boss 44b are also located in said radial plane. This method allows the spring base to receive a uniform force, which is advantageous for improving the stability of torque transmission.

Although not shown, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the spring drive 44 may have other configurations. For example, a portion of the inner and/or outer wall of annular groove 42 may form a protruding plate that extends into the interior of annular groove 42 leaving an opening or aperture in the corresponding sidewall of annular groove 42 . The projecting plate may form a spring drive.

FIGS. 4A and 4B detail projections 33 provided on turbine housing 31 for receiving the torque transmitted by piston disc 4 through torsional damper 5 .

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 4A, said protrusion 33 has the form of a boss 33A protruding from the curved body 31A of the turbine housing 31 to the piston disk 4. In the embodiment shown in FIG. The bending die main body 31A means a curved portion facing the blade 32 in the axial direction of the turbine housing 31 . The radial position of the boss 33 A corresponds to the radial position of the spring 51 of the torsional damper 5 . The base portion of the spring 51 can adhere to the sidewall of the boss 33A and apply a biasing force to the boss 33A along the circumferential tangential direction. The side walls of boss 33A lie in a radial plane passing through the axis of rotation RO of the hydrodynamic torque converter. As a result, the bottom surface of the spring base, which contacts the side wall of the boss 33A, is also located on the radial plane. This method allows the spring base to receive a uniform force, which is advantageous for improving the stability of torque transmission.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 4B, said protrusion 33 has the form of a hook portion 33B projecting from the bent body 31A of the turbine housing 31 towards the piston disk 4. In the embodiment shown in FIG. The radial position of the hook portion 33B corresponds to the radial position of the spring 51 of the torsional damper 5. As shown in FIG. The base portion of the spring 51 is in close contact with the side edge of the hook portion 33B, and can apply a biasing force to the hook portion 33B along the circumferential tangential direction. Similar to the boss 33A, the sides of the hook portion 33B are also located on a radial plane passing through the rotational axis RO of the fluid torque converter, so the bottom surface of the spring base portion is also located on the radial plane, thereby stabilizing torque transmission. improve sexuality.

FIG. 5B generally shows the arrangement of protrusions 33 on turbine housing 31 . As shown, at radial locations corresponding to the springs 51, the turbine housing 31 is provided with three protrusions 33 uniformly distributed in the circumferential direction. In the assembled structure of the hydrodynamic torque converter, the spring of torsional damper 5 is located between two adjacent projections 33 . Therefore, the torsional damper 5 includes three springs. Although not shown, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the turbine 3 may include various numbers of projections 33, such as two projections, four projections, five projections, or more than five projections. Correspondingly, the number of springs included in the torsional damper 5 is also different.

To extend the life of the torsional damper, the amount of compression of spring 51 should not exceed a predetermined threshold. For this purpose, the piston disk 4 and the turbine housing 31 are provided with a first stop projection 8 and a second stop projection 9, respectively. When the amount of compression of the spring 51 reaches a predetermined threshold value, the first stop projection 8 and the second stop projection 9 are in close contact with each other and the circumferential relationship between the turbine housing 31 and the piston disk 4 is reduced. limiting the target displacement so that the spring 51 cannot continue to compress.

5A and 5B show a piston disk 4 provided with a first stop projection 8 and a turbine housing 31 provided with a second stop projection 9, respectively, according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure. In the illustrated embodiment, said first stop projection 8 has the form of a boss projecting from the piston disk 4 , said first stop projection being a first stop boss 81 . Similarly, said second stop projection 9 has the form of a boss projecting from the turbine housing 31 , said second stop projection being a second stop boss 91 . The piston disk 4 is provided with three first stop bosses 81 uniformly distributed in the circumferential direction, and the turbine housing 31 is provided with three second stop bosses 91 uniformly distributed in the circumferential direction. there is It will be appreciated that the piston disc 4 and turbine housing 31 may also have varying quantities of first stop bosses 81 and second stop bosses 91, respectively.

6A and 6B show partial cross-sectional views of the hydrodynamic torque converter in its assembled structural state, with the amount of compression of spring 51 reaching a predetermined threshold. As shown, the radial positions of the first stop boss 81 and the second stop boss 91 correspond to each other, and the opposing sidewalls are tightly sealed together to prevent further compression of the spring 51 . In the enlarged view of FIG. 6B, the sidewalls of first stop boss 81 and second stop boss 91 lie in a radial plane passing through the central axis of the fluid torque converter. In this manner, both opposing sidewalls can be brought into close contact and the contact area can be increased to reduce possible damage to the stop boss when the torque is excessively high.

Figures 7A-7C show a first stop projection 8 and a second stop projection 9 having a stop tooth configuration according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure. In said second embodiment, as shown in FIG. 7A, the piston disc 4 includes an axial extension 42 extending from its radially inner periphery towards the turbine 3 . The end of said axial extension 42 is provided with an axially extending projection, i.e. a first stop tooth 82 as a first stop projection 8 . Corresponding to the axial extension 42, as shown in FIG. 7B, the turbine housing 31 has a projection extending radially inward from the radially inner periphery, i.e. a second stop as the second stop projection 9. Teeth 92 are provided. The piston disk 4 is provided with three uniformly circumferentially distributed first stop teeth 82 on the axial extension 42 and the turbine housing 31 is provided with three uniformly circumferentially distributed second stop teeth 82 . Teeth 92 are provided. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the piston disk 4 and turbine housing 31 may have varying numbers of first stop teeth 82 and second stop teeth 92, respectively. FIG. 7C shows the assembled structure of turbine housing 3 and piston disc 4 . As shown, the first stop teeth 82 extend axially within the spacing of adjacent second stop teeth 92 . When the amount of compression of spring 51 reaches a predetermined threshold, the sidewalls of first stop tooth 82 will seal against the sidewalls of second stop tooth 92 and prevent spring 51 from further compression. Similar to the embodiment shown in FIGS. 5A-5B, the sidewalls of first stop tooth 82 and second stop tooth 92 are also located in a radial plane passing through the central axis of the fluid torque converter to increase contact area. reduce the damage that can be done to the stop teeth when the torque is excessively high.

Although not shown, it is understood that a fluid torque converter may be provided with stop projections according to the first and second embodiments of the present disclosure at the same time. That is, the piston disk 4 and the turbine housing 3 are respectively provided with a first stop boss 81 and a second stop boss 91 at an intermediate position in the radial direction, and a first stop tooth 82 and a second stop tooth 82 at an inner position in the radial direction. A stop tooth 92 is provided respectively.

The two stop members included in the stop mechanisms shown in FIGS. 5A-7C are identical, such as first stop boss 81 and second stop boss 91 or first stop tooth 82 and second stop tooth 92. It is a type of In this way, the two stop members can be manufactured in the same process, simplifying the manufacturing steps of the hydrodynamic torque converter.

FIG. 8 shows a hydrodynamic torque converter that includes two torsional dampers to further improve the damping effect. The torsional damper 5 mentioned above is located radially outward and is the first torsional damper. A second torsional damper 7 is positioned radially inward and has a structure similar to that of the first torsional damper. The piston disk 4 has a separate annular groove for the second torsional damper 7 arranged radially inward, and the turbine housing 3 has a separate projection for the second torsional damper 7 radially inward. are placed. Similar to the first stop projection 8 and the second stop projection 9 described above, the spring compression of the second torsional damper 7 can be prevented from exceeding a predetermined threshold. One particular advantage of the hydrodynamic torque converter described above is that the piston disc 4 and/or the turbine housing 31 can be manufactured by punching. After manufacturing the main body of the piston disk 4 , the annular groove 42 of the piston disk 4 is punched into the piston disk 4 , and the spring driving part 44 is punched into the side wall of the annular groove 42 . In particular, the boss-shaped spring driving part 44 may be formed when it does not penetrate the sidewall of the annular groove, and the protruding plate-shaped spring driving part 44 may be formed when it penetrates the sidewall. Similarly, after forming the turbine housing 31, the projections 33 are formed by axially punching the bending die body 31A. Specifically, when not penetrating the bending die body 31A of the turbine housing 31, the boss-shaped protrusion 33 can be formed, and when penetrating the bending die body 31A, the hook-shaped protrusion 33 can be formed. can. The first stop boss 81 and the second stop boss 91 may also be manufactured in the piston disk 4 and the turbine housing 31 by axial punching. The punch used can be selected as a shape suitable for forming the first stop boss 81 and the second stop boss 91 . The first stop tooth 82 is formed by radially punching and removing some material from the axial extension 42 of the piston disk 4 and the second stop tooth 92 is formed at one radially inner periphery of the turbine housing 31 . It is formed by axially punching and removing material from the section. By this method, the main body of the piston disk 4 and the turbine housing 31 and the various structures provided thereon can all be manufactured by punching, without the need for other processes, and the holding element, torque transmission element and torque transmission element of the exclusive torsional damper. There is no need to prepare a stop mechanism. Also, since the projections 33 are located on the turbine housing bending form body and do not detach the turbine housing bending form body from the outer periphery, consumable material in the production of the turbine housing is also saved. The thickness of the material in certain areas on the turbine housing 31 is correspondingly reduced by punching. After punching, the thickness of certain parts on the piston disk 4 and/or the turbine housing 31 is correspondingly reduced. Preferably, in order to increase the strength of the piston disk 4 and/or the turbine housing 31, said piston disk 4 and/or the turbine housing 31 are strengthened by a heat treatment process after punching.

It should be understood that the structures shown in the foregoing description and drawings are merely exemplary of the present disclosure and that other structures performing the same or similar functions may be substituted to achieve desired end results. It should also be understood that the above description and the embodiments shown in the drawings should be considered as non-limiting examples of the disclosure, which can be varied in many ways within the scope of the claims.

Claims (27)

In automotive fluid torque converters,
The fluid torque converter includes a cover (1), an impeller (2), a turbine (3), a piston disk (4) and one or more torsional dampers (5);
said cover (1) is driven by a drive member on the engine side of the vehicle so as to rotate about the axis of rotation (RO) of the hydrodynamic torque converter;
said impeller (2) is rotatably fixedly connected to the cover (1),
Said turbine (3) comprises a turbine housing (31) and blades (32), said turbine (3) is driven to rotate about said axis of rotation (RO) and is an input shaft of a vehicle transmission. output torque to
Said piston disc (4) comprises a friction surface (41) and said piston disc (4) operates such that the hydrodynamic torque converter is operably switched between a hydrodynamic transmission mode and a mechanical transmission mode. and in hydrodynamic transmission mode rotation of the impeller (2) about its axis of rotation (RO) generates a fluid flow to drive the turbine 3 and in mechanical transmission mode said friction surface ( 41) adheres to the cover (1) so that the cover (1) rotates together with the piston disc (4),
Said one or more torsional dampers (5) are held between the piston disk (4) and the turbine (3) to transmit torque from the piston disk (4) to the turbine (3) and one or more An automotive fluid torque converter including a spring (51). The piston disk (4) is provided with an annular groove (42) integrally formed with the piston disk (4),
said annular groove (42) is for receiving and guiding said spring (51),
2. The automotive fluid torque converter according to claim 1, wherein said spring (51) is held in said annular groove (42) by said turbine (3). The annular groove (42) is
an inner wall (42a) located radially inward;
a radially outwardly positioned outer wall (42b);
3. The automotive fluid torque converter of claim 2, including a bottom surface (42c) connecting said inner and outer walls. 4. A fluid torque converter for motor vehicles according to claim 3, wherein said outer wall (42b) constitutes the radially outer periphery of the piston disk (4). 5. The automotive fluid torque converter according to claim 3, wherein said bottom surface (42c) is flat, and said friction surface (41) is provided on an axially opposite surface of said bottom surface. The automotive fluid torque converter according to any one of claims 3 to 5, wherein the end portion of the outer wall (42b) of the annular groove (42) includes an inward curling portion (43). The automotive fluid torque converter according to any one of claims 2 to 6, wherein the annular groove (42) is provided with one or more spring drivers (44). The spring driving part (44) includes an inner boss (44a) protruding radially outward from the inner wall (42a) of the annular groove and an outer boss (44a) protruding radially inward from the outer wall (42b) of the annular groove. (44b) and
8. The automotive fluid torque converter of claim 7, wherein said inner boss (44a) and outer boss (44b) are radially opposed to each other. 9. The automotive fluid torque converter of claim 8, wherein corresponding sidewalls of said inner boss (44a) and outer boss (44b) lie in the same radial plane passing through the axis of rotation (RO) of the fluid torque converter. . The automobile according to claim 7, wherein the spring driving part (44) is a projecting plate extending from the inner wall (42a) and/or the outer wall (42b) of the annular groove (42) into the annular groove. fluid torque converter. The automotive fluid torque converter according to any one of claims 7 to 10, wherein said annular groove (42) is provided with three spring drive portions (44) uniformly distributed in the circumferential direction. Said turbine housing (31) comprises a bending die body (31A), said bending die body (31A) having a curvature and axially corresponding to a blade (32), said turbine housing (31) comprising: A projection (33) integrally formed with the turbine housing (31) is provided on the bending die body (31A) to receive the torque transmitted by the piston disc (4) through the torsional damper (5). The automotive fluid torque converter according to any one of claims 1 to 11. 13. An automotive fluid torque converter as claimed in claim 12, wherein said projection (33) is a boss (33A) formed on a curved body (31A) of a turbine housing (31). 14. The automotive hydrodynamic torque converter of claim 13, wherein the side walls of said boss (33A) lie in a radial plane passing through the axis of rotation (RO) of the hydrodynamic torque converter. 13. The automotive fluid torque converter according to claim 12, wherein said projection (33) is a hook portion (33B) formed on a curved body (31A) of a turbine housing (31). 16. The automotive hydrodynamic torque converter of claim 15, wherein the sides of said hook portion (33B) lie in a radial plane passing through the axis of rotation (RO) of the hydrodynamic torque converter. A fluid torque converter for motor vehicles according to any one of claims 12 to 16, wherein the turbine housing (31) is provided with three protrusions (33) uniformly distributed in the circumferential direction. Said piston disk (4) is provided with one or more first stop projections (8) integrally formed with said piston disk (4) and said turbine housing (31) is provided with said turbine housing (31 ) is provided, wherein said first stop projection (8) and second stop projection (9) limit the amount of compression of said spring (51). 18. An automotive fluid torque converter as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 17, which are coupled together so as to Said first stop projection (8) is a first stop boss (81) projecting from the piston disk (4) towards the turbine housing (31), said second stop projection (9) is a turbine housing (31 ) towards the piston disc (4). 20. The automotive hydrodynamic torque converter of claim 19, wherein sidewalls of said first stop boss (81) and second stop boss (91) lie in a radial plane passing through an axis of rotation (RO) of the hydrodynamic torque converter. . Said piston disk (4) comprises an axial extension (42) extending from its radially inner periphery towards the turbine (3), said first stop projection (8) being located on said axial extension (42). A first stop tooth (82) extending axially from the end and said second stop projection (9) being a second stop tooth (92) extending radially from the radially inner periphery of the turbine housing (31). 19. The automotive fluid torque converter of claim 18, wherein: 22. The automotive fluid torque converter of claim 21, wherein sidewalls of said first stop tooth (82) and second stop tooth (92) lie in a radial plane passing through an axis of rotation (RO) of the fluid torque converter. . Said piston disc (4) has three circumferentially uniformly distributed first stop projections (8) and said turbine housing (31) has three circumferentially uniformly distributed second stop projections. A fluid torque converter for motor vehicles according to any one of claims 18 to 22, having projections (9). The torsional damper (5) is a first torsional damper,
The automotive fluid according to any one of claims 1 to 23, wherein said fluid torque converter further comprises a second torsional damper (7) located radially inside said first torsional damper (5). torque converter. A fluid torque converter for motor vehicles according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the turbine housing (31) and/or the piston disc (4) are manufactured by punching. 26. Automotive hydrodynamic torque converter according to claim 25, wherein said turbine housing (31) and/or piston disc (4) are strengthened by a heat treatment process after being punched. in a car,
A motor vehicle comprising a fluid torque converter as claimed in any one of the preceding claims.

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