JP5241620B2 - Torque converter - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a torque converter that can suppress judder during slip control when a pinton is actuated to engage with a front cover, thereby improving lockup response.

  Today, a torque converter is mounted on a vehicle, and as is well known, the torque converter is a kind of joint that can transmit engine power to a transmission by using a working fluid as a medium. A turbine runner that rotates in response to the movement of the working fluid sent out by the rotation of the pump impeller, and a stator that changes the direction of the working fluid that comes out of the turbine runner and guides it to the pump impeller.

  Therefore, a plurality of blades are arranged at predetermined intervals at a predetermined angle on the pump impeller, turbine runner, and stator. The working fluid sealed in the torque converter is sent from the pump impeller through the blades in the outer circumferential direction, travels along the inner wall of the case of the torque converter, hits the blade of the turbine runner, and the turbine runner is the same as the pump impeller. It works to turn in the direction. Further, the working fluid sent out after hitting the turbine runner is changed in flow direction so as to encourage rotation of the pump impeller by hitting the blades of the stator, and flows into the pump impeller again from the inner periphery.

  FIG. 4 shows a cross section of a conventional torque converter. In the figure, (A) shows a pump impeller, (B) shows a turbine runner, (C) shows a stator, and (H) shows a piston, which are housed in a torque converter outer shell (E). Therefore, the front cover (f) is rotated by obtaining power from the engine, and the pump impeller (a) integrated with the front cover (f) is rotated. As a result, the turbine runner (robot) is mediated by the working fluid. ) Turns.

  A shaft (not shown) is fitted to the turbine hub (g) of the turbine runner (b), and the rotation of the turbine runner (b) can be transmitted to a transmission (not shown). Since the torque converter is a kind of fluid clutch, the turbine runner (b) starts to rotate as the rotational speed of the pump impeller (b) increases, and the speed of the turbine runner (b) increases as the speed increases. ) Approaches the rotation speed. However, in the torque converter using the working fluid as a medium, the rotational speed of the turbine runner (b) cannot be the same as that of the pump impeller (b).

  Therefore, as shown in the figure, when the torque converter outer shell (e) is provided with a piston (h) and the rotational speed of the turbine runner (b) exceeds a predetermined region, The piston (h) can be operated to move in the axial direction and engage with the front cover (f). Since a friction material (re) is attached to the outer periphery of the piston, the piston (h) can rotate at the same speed as the front cover (f) without slipping. And this piston (chi) is connected with the turbine runner (b), and the turbine runner (b) is rotated by the piston (chi), and the power loss from the engine is transmitted to the transmission through the fluid. Can be transmitted with high efficiency of almost 100%.

  In this way, when the rotational speed of the turbine runner (b) increases and a certain condition is reached, the piston (h) engages with the front cover (f), and the turbine runner ( B) can be directly rotated. However, before the engagement, the rotational speeds of the turbine runner (b) and front cover (f) are not exactly the same, and the piston (h) engages the front cover (f), resulting in impact torque based on the speed difference. Will occur. In order to alleviate the impact at the time of engagement, and on the other hand, to reduce the torque fluctuation of the engine after engagement (lock-up state), a damper spring (nu), between the piston (chi) and the turbine runner (ro), A damper device (d) provided with (nu) is attached.

  Therefore, when the piston (chi) rotating at the same speed as the turbine runner (b) is engaged with the slightly faster front cover (f), the speed of the piston (chi) increases instantaneously and the turbine runner ( B) Torque to rotate faster is applied. The damper springs (nu), (nu)... Are configured to absorb and absorb this shocking torque. The piston (H) is coaxially attached to the turbine hub (G) of the turbine runner (B). The turbine runner (B) is compressed by the damper springs And a phase angle difference can be generated.

By the way, as shown in FIG. 5, a plan view including a partial cross section of the damper device (d) includes a central disk (wa) on the input side sandwiched between both side plates (le) and (le) on the output side. .. The above-described damper springs (nu), (nu),... Are accommodated by forming accommodation spaces (ta), (ta). The damper springs (nu), (nu)... Housed in the housing spaces (ta), (ta)... Rotate faster than the center disk (wa). Thus, the one side plate (le) is connected and fixed to the turbine hub (g) together with the turbine runner (b).

For this purpose, an attachment portion (e) fixed to the turbine hub (g) is provided on the inner peripheral side of the side plate (le). On the outer periphery of the central disk (wa), there are provided engaging grooves (tsu), (tsu) for engaging the piston (chi), and the torque input from the piston (chi) is a damper spring (nu). ), (Nu)... Are transmitted to the side plates (le), (le), and from one side plate (le) to the turbine hub (g), and the shaft hole of the turbine hub (g) It is transmitted to the output shaft that fits in.

  The damper springs (nu), (nu)... Are accommodated in the accommodating spaces (ta), (ta)... Formed on both side plates (le), (le) that are riveted to each other, and 2 One set of books in series. In addition, auxiliary damper springs (ne), (ne),... Are fitted in elongated holes formed in the outer peripheral portion of the central disk (wa), and are sandwiched between both side plates (le), (le). . The auxiliary damper springs (ne), (ne),... Function when an extremely large impact torque that cannot be absorbed by the compression deformation of the damper springs (nu), (nu),.

Therefore, if the damper springs (nu), (nu) ... are greatly compressed and deformed, and the central disk (wa) rotates, both plates (le), le The auxiliary damper springs (ne), (ne),... Move along the formed accommodation space and hit the receiving surface at the tip of the accommodation space. Further, when an extremely large impact torque is generated that cannot be absorbed even by the compression deformation of the auxiliary damper springs (ne), (ne),..., The stopper works.

  In recent years, in order to improve vehicle fuel efficiency, the lock-up region is often expanded to a low-speed rotation region, and the region in which the piston (h) slips without being completely engaged is often increased. However, the hydraulic pressure is low in the low-speed rotation region, so that the responsiveness of lockup is deteriorated. In particular, during reverse driving, the working fluid flows in the opposite direction and is drawn into the torus and the pressure on the back side of the piston decreases, so the piston is attracted to the turbine runner side, and the responsiveness of lockup is poor. Become.

Thus, the conventional torque converter has the above problems. The problems to be solved by the present invention are these problems. The response is improved so that the lock-up can be performed in the low-speed rotation range, and the slip is not accompanied by the judder until the piston is engaged. Provided is a torque converter that can be controlled and, in turn, reduce fuel consumption.

  The torque converter according to the present invention includes a pump impeller, a turbine runner, a stator, a piston, and a damper device in an outer shell. When the rotational speed of the turbine runner rotated by the pump impeller reaches a predetermined region, the piston operates. Engage with the front cover. Such a basic structure and basic operation are common to the conventional torque converter.

  In the torque converter of the present invention, a plurality of lockup damper devices are installed in the lockup damper device in order to improve the lockup responsiveness by slipping the front cover and slipping so as not to generate judder in the low rotational speed range. The blade is attached. The blade is disposed in a space between the lockup damper device and the turbine runner. Here, the blades are mounted at equal intervals on the gel and tilted in a predetermined direction, and the shell is attached to a damper device or piston.

In the torque converter according to the present invention, a blade is attached to a lock-up damper device in which a damper and a piston are combined, and the blade is disposed between the turbine runner and the following effects can be obtained.
(1) The blade rotates together with the lock-up damper device, and the vibration at the time of lock-up can be suppressed when the piston slips in contact with the front cover using the flow resistance of the working fluid.

(2) When the blade is attached to the piston, the piston approaches the front cover depending on the shape and orientation of the blade. Then, the circulation flow rate of the working fluid is controlled so that the working fluid between the front cover and the piston can be actively discharged by the rotation of the blade.
(3) By providing the blade, the capacity of the torque converter is increased, resulting in a reduction in size and weight. Further, the differential rotation between the front cover and the piston is reduced, the responsiveness is improved so that the lock-up operation is easy in the low rotation speed region, and the fuel consumption is improved.

(4) During reverse driving (when rotational torque from the wheel is applied), the working fluid between the turbine runner and the piston tends to be drawn into the torus, but the blade acts as a jammer plate to prevent this. I can do it. That is, the piston is prevented from being pulled toward the turbine side, and the lockup response during reverse driving is improved.

The torque converter which concerns on this invention. The torque converter which concerns on this invention. The torque converter which concerns on this invention. Conventional torque converter. A damper device attached to the torque converter.

  FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of a torque converter according to the present invention. The basic structure is the same as that of the conventional torque converter shown in FIG. 4, and the turbine runner 2 is rotated by the rotation of the pump impeller 1, and the piston is moved when the rotational speed of the turbine runner 2 reaches a predetermined region. 3 is activated. A damper device 5 is provided between the piston 3 and the turbine runner in order to reduce impact torque when the piston 3 engages with the front cover 4 and absorb engine torque fluctuation in the engaged state. .

  The piston 3 is pivotally supported by a turbine hub 7, the outer periphery is connected to a damper device 5, and a friction material 6 is attached to the surface. .. Are attached to one side plate 8 constituting the damper device 5. The damper device 5 has a central disk 11, side plates 8a, 8b, a plurality of damper springs 12, 12,..., And auxiliary damper springs 13, 13.

  The basic structure of the damper device 5 is the same as that provided in the conventional torque converter, and the damper springs 12, 12... Are accommodated in spring accommodating spaces formed in the side plates 8a, 8b. , 8b can cause the damper springs 12, 12... To contract when relative torsional rotation occurs between them.

  By the way, when the pump impeller 1 rotates, the working fluid flows in the outer circumferential direction, flows into the turbine runner 2, and is returned from the turbine runner 2 to the pump impeller 1 through the stator 14. That is, in FIG. 1, the working fluid circulates counterclockwise and rotates the turbine runner 2. The damper device 5 connected to the turbine runner 2 and the turbine hub 7 and the piston 3 connected to the damper device 5 rotate in the same direction at the same speed.

  The blades 9, 9... Attached to the shell 10 attached to the side plate 8b of the damper device 5 also rotate at the same speed. When the rotational speed of the turbine runner 2 reaches a predetermined region, the piston 3 operates and engages with the front cover 4. In this case, the blades 9, 9,. In the region where the rotation speed of the runner 2 is low, the piston 3 operates and can slip with the front cover 4. At this time, since the blades 9, 9... Receive the resistance of the working fluid, vibration and judder when the piston 3 slips are suppressed.

And, the blades 9, 9. The blades 9, 9... Are attached to the side plate 8b serving as the output side member of the damper device 5, so that the damper springs 12, 12. The damper springs 1212 ... and the blades 9, 9 ... cooperate to prevent judder and vibration.

  FIG. 2 shows another embodiment of the torque converter according to the present invention. The torque converter shown in FIG. 1 also includes blades 9, 9,..., But a shell 10 to which the blades 9, 9,. The central disk 11 is an input side member as a lockup damper device in which the piston 3 and the damper device 5 are combined, and the impact torque when the piston 3 is engaged with the front cover 4 and locked up is the damper spring 12. , 12... It is also possible to absorb engine torque in the lock-up state.

  FIG. 3 shows a torque converter according to another embodiment. In this torque converter, a shell 10 to which blades 9, 9,... Are attached is attached to the outer periphery of the piston. The piston 3 serves as an input side member in the lockup damper device, and can reduce the impact torque when the piston 3 engages with the front cover 4 and locks up together with the damper springs 12, 12. In the lock-up state, the engine torque fluctuation can be absorbed together with the damper springs 12, 12.

  The blades 9, 9... Are attached to the piston 3 to rotate together with the piston 3, and the force that presses the piston 3 toward the front cover 4 works, and the operation is interposed between the piston 3 and the front cover 4. It works to actively expel fluid, improving responsiveness during lockup.

  As described above, the torque converter of the present invention is configured by attaching the blades 9, 9... To the side plate 8b, the central disk 11 or the piston 3 of the lockup damper device. The blades 9, 9... Are arranged in a space 15 between the lockup damper device and the turbine runner 2, and in the lockup OFF state, the blades 9, 9... Have a function as an auxiliary turbine runner, thereby increasing the capacity of the torque converter. As a result, the torque converter itself can be reduced in size and lighter.

  On the other hand, when engine torque is applied and rotational torque is transmitted from the wheel side, the flow of the working fluid in the torque converter outer shell circulates clockwise. Therefore, the working fluid between the turbine runner 2 and the piston 3 is drawn into the torus, but the blades 9, 9... Can prevent this. That is, the blades 9, 9... Function as jammers so that the piston 3 is not drawn toward the turbine. Accordingly, the responsiveness of lockup during reverse driving is improved.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Pump impeller 2 Turbine runner 3 Piston 4 Front cover 5 Damper device 6 Friction material 7 Turbine hub 8 Side plate 9 Blade
10 shell
11 Central disk
12 Damper spring
13 Auxiliary damper spring
14 Stator
15 space

Claims (4)

A damper device that can be accommodated in the outer shell and can relieve impact torque when the piston engages with the front cover, and absorbs torque fluctuations of the engine in the lock-up state where the piston engages with the front cover. A torque converter provided with a shell having a plurality of blades attached to an outer peripheral portion of the damper device, and the blades are disposed in a space formed between the damper device and the turbine runner. . 2. The torque according to claim 1, wherein the damper device comprises a plurality of damper springs and auxiliary damper springs, wherein the central disk is sandwiched between both side plates, and the shell to which the blade is attached is attached to the outer peripheral portion of one side plate. converter. 2. The torque converter according to claim 1, wherein the damper device includes a plurality of damper springs and auxiliary damper springs, and has a structure in which a central disk is sandwiched between both side plates, and a shell to which the blade is attached is attached to an outer peripheral portion of the central disk. . A damper device that can be accommodated in the outer shell and can relieve impact torque when the piston engages with the front cover, and absorbs torque fluctuations of the engine in the lock-up state where the piston engages with the front cover. A torque converter, comprising: a shell having a plurality of blades attached to an outer periphery of the piston; and the blades are disposed in a space formed between a damper device and a turbine runner.

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