KR102616895B1 - Torque converter for vehilce and controlling method thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention discloses a torque converter for a vehicle and a control method thereof. The torque converter for a vehicle of the present invention includes a cover; an impeller connected to the cover to rotate with the cover; a turbine disposed to face the impeller; A stator disposed between the impeller and the turbine; a torsional damper connected to the turbine to rotate with the turbine; A lock-up clutch provided between the torsional damper and the cover to connect them; A piston that is movably installed to directly connect the cover and the turbine by pressing the lock-up clutch; a supply passage portion formed to supply fluid to the lock-up clutch; and a sealing member installed to block fluid flowing in the supply passage portion from flowing into the impeller and the turbine.

Description

Torque converter for vehicles and its control method {TORQUE CONVERTER FOR VEHILCE AND CONTROLLING METHOD THEREOF}

The present invention relates to a torque converter for a vehicle and a control method thereof, and more specifically, to a torque converter for a vehicle and a control method thereof that can increase the flow rate of fluid supplied to the lock-up clutch and improve the cooling performance of the lock-up clutch. .

In general, a torque converter can be installed between a vehicle's engine and transmission and transmits the driving force of the engine to the transmission using fluid.

A schematic example of such a torque converter for a vehicle is shown in FIG. 1.

Referring to FIG. 1, the torque converter 1 is defined by a cover 10 that is connected to the crank shaft of the engine and rotates, an impeller 20 that is connected to the cover 10 and rotates together, and a cover 10. The turbine 30 is accommodated inside the space and is disposed at a position facing the impeller 20, and is located between the impeller 20 and the turbine 30 to change the flow of oil coming from the turbine 30 and the impeller 20. ) includes a stator 40 that transmits to the side. The impeller 20, turbine 30, and stator 40 form a torus.

And the torque converter 1 is provided with a lock-up clutch 60 as a means of directly connecting the engine and transmission. The lockup clutch 60 is disposed between the cover 10 and the piston 70 in the axial direction. The lockup clutch 60 is restrained and released by the piston 70 that is installed to move in the axial direction.

The input of the lockup clutch 60 is connected to the cover 10, and the output is connected to the torsional damper 50. The torsional damper 50 serves to absorb the torsional force acting in the rotational direction of the shaft portion, attenuate vibration, and transmit the driving force of the engine transmitted through the lock-up clutch 60 to the output shaft portion 90.

The lockup clutch 60 includes a clutch drum 61 and a plurality of clutch disks 62. The clutch drum 61 is coupled to the damper plate 21 of the torsional damper 50. A plurality of clutch disks 62 are disposed on the clutch drum 61.

The space between the output shaft portion 90 and the stator 40 in the axial direction defines a torus supply passage portion 81, and a first through passage portion 82 is formed in the output shaft portion 90, and a cover 10 A second through passage portion 83 is formed in the input side hub 11 of . The fluid supplied from the transmission flows into the interior of the torus through the torus supply passage portion 81. And, of the fluid supplied from the transmission, the fluid that does not escape through the torus supply passage portion 81 is a space formed by the first through passage portion 82, the output shaft portion 90, and the input side hub 11, and the second It is supplied to the lockup clutch 60 and the torsional damper 50 through the through passage portion 83.

However, conventionally, the fluid supplied from the transmission is supplied into the interior of the torus through the torus supply passage portion 81, and the lockup clutch 60 through the first through passage portion 82 and the second through passage portion 83. Since a large amount of fluid is first supplied to the inside of the torus, it may be difficult to supply sufficient fluid to the lockup clutch 60. That is, a large amount of the fluid supplied from the transmission is supplied through the first torus supply passage portion 81, and a small amount is supplied through the first through passage portion 82 and the second through passage portion 83 that meet the second time. . Accordingly, the flow rate of fluid supplied to the lockup clutch 60 is significantly reduced compared to the flow rate inside the torus.

If fluid is not sufficiently supplied to the lock-up clutch 60, the cooling performance of the lock-up clutch 60 may decrease and the friction function of the clutch disk 62 may decrease due to glazing.

In addition, a larger amount of fluid flowing inside the torus is discharged to the radial outer side of the torus by centrifugal force and then flows toward the lockup clutch 60 and the torsional damper 50, where the amount of fluid supplied is relatively small. . In this case, as the fluid heated in the torus heats the lock-up clutch 60, the cooling performance of the lock-up clutch 60 may further deteriorate.

The present invention was developed to solve the above-mentioned problems, and provides a torque converter for a vehicle and a control method thereof that can improve the cooling performance of the lock-up clutch by increasing the flow rate of fluid supplied to the lock-up clutch.

The present invention provides a torque converter for a vehicle that can improve the cooling performance of the lock-up clutch by allowing the fluid supplied for operation of the torque converter to primarily pass through the lock-up clutch and then move to the torus rather than primarily passing through the torus and then moving to the lock-up clutch. Provides the control method.

In order to solve the above-described problem, the torque converter for a vehicle of the present invention includes a cover; an impeller connected to the cover to rotate with the cover; a turbine disposed to face the impeller; A stator disposed between the impeller and the turbine; a torsional damper connected to the turbine to rotate together with the turbine; a lock-up clutch provided between the torsional damper and the cover to connect them; a piston movably installed to directly connect the cover and the turbine by pressing the lock-up clutch; a supply passage portion formed to supply fluid to the lock-up clutch; and a sealing member installed to block fluid flowing in the supply passage portion from flowing into the impeller and the turbine.

The torsional damper can be deleted as needed.

The cover can receive the rotational force of the engine.

The sealing member may be installed to block the inlet flow path between the stator and the torsional damper.

The sealing member is fixed to the output shaft or torsional damper and may be slidably in contact with the stator.

The sealing member may be formed to be convex toward the opposite side of the stator.

A wedge-shaped friction reducing portion may be formed on the sealing member to reduce the friction area with the stator when the torsional damper rotates.

The fluid supplied to the lock-up clutch may flow outward in the radial direction of the lock-up clutch and then flow into the impeller and the turbine.

In a first embodiment, the piston may be disposed on a side of the torsional damper, and the lock-up clutch may be disposed between the cover and the piston.

The supply passage portion may include a first supply passage portion formed to supply fluid to a space between the torsional damper and the piston; a second supply passage part formed to supply fluid to the torsional damper into a space between the torsional damper and the piston; And it may include a third supply passage part formed to supply fluid to the lock-up clutch from the space between the torsional damper and the piston.

The first supply passage portion may be formed in the output hub or output shaft portion to which the torsional damper is connected, and the third supply passage portion may be formed in the input side hub of the cover where the piston is installed.

As a second embodiment, the piston may be disposed on the cover side, and the lock-up clutch may be disposed between the piston and the torsional damper.

The supply passage portion may include a first supply passage portion to supply fluid to the space between the torsional damper and the piston.

The first supply passage part may be formed in an output hub or output shaft part to which the torsional damper is connected.

A method of controlling a torque converter for a vehicle according to the present invention includes the steps of rotating a cover and an impeller by the driving force of an engine; Rotating a turbine by fluid flowing in the impeller; Supplying fluid from the supply passage unit to the lock-up clutch; and allowing fluid flowing outward in the radial direction from the lock-up clutch to flow into the impeller and the turbine.

In the step where the fluid in the supply passage part is supplied to the lock-up clutch, the sealing member blocks the inlet passage part between the torsional damper and the stator to prevent fluid from flowing into the impeller and the turbine.

The first supply passage part of the supply passage part may supply fluid from the space between the output member and the stator to the space between the lockup clutch and the output member.

In a first embodiment, the second supply passage portion of the supply passage portion supplies fluid between the torsional damper and the retainer from the space between the lockup clutch and the output member, and the third supply passage portion of the supply passage portion supplies fluid to the lockup clutch and the retainer. Fluid can be supplied to the lock-up clutch from the space between the output members.

As a second embodiment, the second supply passage portion of the supply passage portion may supply fluid to the lockup clutch disposed between the torsional damper and the piston.

According to the present invention, the path through which the fluid supplied from the transmission can first flow toward the torus before passing through the lock-up clutch is shielded with a sealing member, so most of the fluid flowing in the supply passage part is directly supplied to the lock-up clutch without passing through the torus. do. Accordingly, the cooling performance of the lock-up clutch can be improved and the friction function of the lock-up clutch can be prevented from being deteriorated.

According to the present invention, since more fluid can be supplied to the space where the lock-up clutch and torsional damper exist, the amount of high-temperature fluid discharged to the radial outer side of the torus flowing back toward the lock-up clutch can be further reduced, thereby It is possible to sufficiently prevent the phenomenon of reversed fluid reducing the cooling efficiency of the lock-up clutch.

In addition, according to the present invention, a reversing clutch structure in which the lock-up clutch is disposed between the cover and the piston is applied, so that the fluid flowing radially outward due to the rotation of the torsional damper is connected to the fluid discharged radially outward of the torus. Since the difference in flow rate is offset, the controllability and responsiveness of the lockup clutch can be improved.

In addition to the above-described effects, specific effects of the present invention are described below while explaining specific details for carrying out the invention.

1 is a diagram schematically showing a conventional torque converter for a vehicle.
Figure 2 is a diagram schematically showing a torque converter for a vehicle according to a first embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 3 is an enlarged view schematically showing the supply passage part and the sealing member in the torque converter for a vehicle according to the first embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 4 is an enlarged view schematically showing a sealing member in a torque converter for a vehicle according to the first embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 5 is a diagram schematically showing a torque converter for a vehicle according to a second embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 6 is a flow chart schematically showing a method of controlling a torque converter for a vehicle according to the present invention.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

The present invention is not limited to the embodiments disclosed below, but may be subject to various changes and may be implemented in various different forms. This example is provided solely to ensure that the disclosure of the present invention is complete and to fully inform those skilled in the art of the scope of the invention. Therefore, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments disclosed below, but substitutes or adds to the configuration of one embodiment and the configuration of another embodiment, as well as all changes and equivalents included in the technical spirit and scope of the present invention. It should be understood to include substitutes.

The attached drawings are only for easy understanding of the embodiments disclosed in the present specification, and the technical idea disclosed in the present specification is not limited by the attached drawings, and all changes and equivalents included in the spirit and technical scope of the present invention are not limited to the attached drawings. It should be understood to include water or substitutes. In the drawings, components may be expressed exaggeratedly large or small in size or thickness for convenience of understanding, etc., but the scope of protection of the present invention should not be construed as limited due to this.

The terms used in this specification are only used to describe specific implementations or examples, and are not intended to limit the invention. And singular expressions include plural expressions, unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. In the specification, terms such as ~include, ~consist of, etc. are intended to indicate the existence of features, numbers, steps, operations, components, parts, or a combination thereof described in the specification. In other words, terms such as ~include, ~consist, etc. in the specification. It should be understood that this does not exclude in advance the presence or addition of one or more other features, numbers, steps, operations, components, parts or combinations thereof.

Terms containing ordinal numbers, such as first, second, etc., may be used to describe various components, but the components are not limited by the terms. The above terms are used only for the purpose of distinguishing one component from another.

When a component is said to be "connected" or "connected" to another component, it is understood that it may be directly connected to or connected to the other component, but that other components may exist in between. It should be. On the other hand, when it is mentioned that a component is “directly connected” or “directly connected” to another component, it should be understood that there are no other components in between.

When a component is referred to as being "on top" or "below" another component, it should be understood that not only is it placed directly on top of the other component, but there may also be other components in between. .

Unless otherwise defined, all terms used herein, including technical or scientific terms, have the same meaning as commonly understood by a person of ordinary skill in the technical field to which the present invention pertains. Terms defined in commonly used dictionaries should be interpreted as having a meaning consistent with the meaning in the context of the related technology, and unless explicitly defined in the present application, should not be interpreted in an ideal or excessively formal sense. No.

Since the torque converter of the embodiment is symmetrical about the axis, for convenience of drawing, only half of the torque converter is shown about the axis. Additionally, for convenience of explanation, the direction along the longitudinal direction of the axis forming the center of rotation of the torque converter is referred to as the axial direction. In other words, the front-to-back direction or axial direction is a direction parallel to the axis of rotation, with forward (forward) meaning the direction toward one direction of the power source, such as the engine, and rear (rear) meaning the direction toward the other direction, such as the transmission. . Therefore, the front (front) means the side where the surface faces forward, and the back (back) means the side where the surface faces rear.

The radial direction or radial direction means a direction approaching the center or moving away from the center along a straight line passing through the center of the rotation axis on a plane perpendicular to the rotation axis. The direction radially away from the center is called the centrifugal direction, and the direction closer to the center is called the centripetal direction.

The circumferential direction or circumferential direction means the direction surrounding the rotation axis. The outer circumference refers to the outer circumference, and the inner circumference refers to the inner circumference. Therefore, the outer peripheral surface refers to a surface facing away from the rotation axis, and the inner peripheral surface refers to a surface facing the rotation axis.

The circumferential side refers to a surface whose normal line faces the circumferential direction.

Hereinafter, a torque converter for a vehicle according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described.

Figure 2 is a diagram schematically showing a torque converter for a vehicle according to a first embodiment of the present invention, and Figure 3 is an enlarged view schematically showing a sealing member and a supply passage part in the torque converter for a vehicle according to a first embodiment of the present invention. It is a drawing, and FIG. 4 is an enlarged view schematically showing a sealing member in a torque converter for a vehicle according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

2 to 4, the torque converter 100 for a vehicle according to the first embodiment of the present invention includes a cover 110, an impeller 120, a turbine 130, a torsional damper 150, and a lock-up clutch ( 160), a piston 170, a sealing member 190, and a supply passage portion 180.

Cover 110 includes a front cover 111 and a rear cover 112. The front cover 110 and the rear cover 111 may be manufactured separately and then combined. The front cover 111 is connected to a crankshaft (not shown) of an engine (not shown). An input side hub 113 having a spline shape is provided at the center of the front cover 111. The cover 110 is rotated by the driving force of the engine transmitted by the crankshaft.

The impeller 120 is connected to the cover 110 so as to rotate together with the cover 110. The impeller 120 is fixed to the rear cover 112. A connecting shaft portion 115 is formed at the center of the rear cover 112. The connecting shaft portion 115 may be connected to a driving portion of a fluid pump for supplying fluid into the cover 110. As the impeller 120 rotates together with the cover 110, the fluid inside the impeller 120 flows in the radial direction by centrifugal force.

The turbine 130 is arranged to face the impeller 120. The turbine 130 is rotated by fluid supplied from the impeller 120. The turbine 130 is connected to the output shaft portion 117 to transmit the power of the turbine 130 to the transmission.

The stator 140 is disposed between the impeller 120 and the turbine 130. The stator 140 is installed on the fixed shaft portion 116 via a one-way clutch 142. The impeller 120, turbine 130, and stator 140 form a torus.

When the speed difference between the impeller 120 and the turbine 130 is large, the stator 140 is not rotated by the binding force of the one-way clutch 142. At this time, the stator 140 rotates the impeller 120 to increase the torque by forcibly switching the fluid discharged from the turbine 130 to the rotation direction of the impeller 120. When the rotation speed of the turbine 130 increases and the speed difference between the impeller 120 and the turbine 130 decreases, the fluid discharged from the turbine 130 flows toward the rotation direction of the impeller 120, causing the stator 140 to It is rotated.

As the turbine 130 rotates in this way, the driving force of the turbine 130 is transmitted to the transmission through the output shaft portion 117.

The torsional damper 150 is connected to the output shaft 117 and the turbine 130 to rotate together with the output shaft 117 and the turbine 130 between the output shaft 117 and the turbine 130. The torsional damper 150 includes an inner damper plate 151 fixed to the turbine 130, an outer damper plate 152 connected to a lock-up clutch 160 to be described later, an inner damper plate 151, and an outer damper plate. It includes a plurality of elastic members 153 installed between (152).

An output hub 155 is formed in an annular shape on the output shaft portion 117, and the turbine 130 is coupled to the output hub 155 by a coupling member such as a rivet. The radially outer end of the output shaft portion 117 supports the outer damper plate 152 in the axial and radial directions. A coil spring is presented as the elastic member 153. Accordingly, the elastic member 153 of the torsional damper 150 is interposed between the turbine 130 and the lock-up clutch 160. The torsional damper 150 causes circumferential vibration of the cover 110 due to the elasticity of the elastic member 153 when the front cover 111 and the turbine 130 are directly connected by the lock-up clutch 160, which will be described later. ) and transmits the rotational force of the cover to the output shaft portion (117).

The lockup clutch 160 is disposed between the front cover 111 and the piston 170 in the axial direction. The input side of the lockup clutch 160 is connected to the front cover 111, and the output side is connected to the torsional damper 150. When the lock-up clutch 160 is pressed toward the front cover 111 by the piston 170, the lock-up clutch 160, the front cover 111, and the torsional damper 150 are integrated by the friction force of the lock-up clutch 160. It rotates.

That is, when the lockup clutch 160 is pressed by the clutch piston 170 and directly connected to the cover, the rotational force of the cover 110 is directly transmitted to the turbine 130 through the torsional damper 150, and this rotational force is The vibration is absorbed by the elastic member 153 provided between the outer damper plate 152 and the inner damper plate 151 of the torsional damper 150 and transmitted to the output shaft portion 117.

That is, the lock-up clutch 160 can lock the cover 110 and the turbine 130 in rotation to each other or release the lock-up clutch. More strictly, the lockup clutch 160 can restrain or release the front cover 111 and the torsional damper 150 by the friction force generated by engaging a plurality of friction plates. The front cover 111 and the turbine 130 are directly connected with the torsional damper 150 in between and rotate at the same speed. When the lock-up clutch 160 releases the restraint of the front cover 111 and the torsional damper 150, the turbine 130 is rotated by the fluid flowing in the impeller 120.

The piston 170 is installed to be movable in the axial direction to directly connect the front cover 111 and the turbine 130 by pressing the lockup clutch 160. At this time, a splined input hub 111 is formed to protrude at the center of the cover 110, and a retainer 171 extending radially outward is connected to the input hub 111 in an annular shape, and the piston 170 is It is slidably installed on the retainer 171 and the input side hub 111. The retainer 171 is disposed between the torsional damper 150 and the piston 170 to partition the space between the piston 170 and the torsional damper 150. The piston rear space 173 provided between the piston 170 and the retainer 171 constitutes an operating chamber, and the piston front space 175 provided between the piston 170 and the cover 110 contains a supply passage portion 180. ) is formed in which the fluid supplied through can flow, and the lock-up clutch 160 is provided in the piston front space 175.

The supply passage portion 180 is formed to supply fluid to the lock-up clutch 160. That is, the fluid supplied from the transmission is directly supplied to the lockup clutch 160 through the supply passage portion 180. Accordingly, the lockup clutch 160 can be cooled by fluid that does not pass through the torus.

The sealing member 190 is installed to block fluid flowing in the supply passage portion 180 from flowing into the impeller 120 and the turbine 130. The sealing member 190 rotates with the torsional damper 150 and slides with the stator 140. The sealing member 190 is made of an elastic material with excellent wear resistance, such as polyurethane. Since the sealing member 190 blocks fluid from being supplied to the interior of the impeller 120 and the turbine 130, the fluid flowing in the supply passage portion 180 flows into the interior of the impeller 120 and the turbine 130. Instead, it is induced to flow toward the lock-up clutch 160. Accordingly, the flow rate of the fluid supplied to the lock-up clutch 160 located at the end of the supply passage portion 180 can be sufficiently increased, thereby improving the cooling performance of the lock-up clutch 160 and the lock-up clutch 160. This can prevent the friction function from deteriorating.

The sealing member 190 is installed to block the inlet passage portion 144 between the stator 140 and the output member or output hub. At this time, when the speed difference between the impeller 120 and the turbine 130 is large, the stator 140 is maintained in a stopped state by the binding force of the one-way clutch 142, and the speed difference between the impeller 120 and the turbine 130 is When it becomes smaller, the stator 140 rotates together with the turbine 130. The inlet passage portion 144 refers to a space spaced apart between the torsional damper 150 and the stator 140 so that the output member or output hub can be relatively rotated regardless of whether the stator 140 rotates. Since the sealing member 190 blocks the inlet passage portion 144, the fluid flowing in the supply passage portion 180 does not first flow into the interior of the impeller 120 and the turbine 130, and a large amount of fluid flows into the lock-up clutch ( 160) is supplied directly. Accordingly, the flow rate of the fluid supplied to the lock-up clutch 160 can be sufficiently increased, thereby improving the cooling performance of the lock-up clutch 160 and preventing the friction function of the lock-up clutch 160 from being deteriorated.

The sealing member 190 is fixed to the output member or its output hub and slidably contacts the stator 140. At this time, a fixing groove is formed on the centripetal side of the turbine plate, and one side of the sealing member 190 is fixed to the fixing groove with an adhesive or a fixing member.

The sealing member 190 is formed to be convex toward the opposite side of the stator 140. Therefore, when the fluid supplied from the transmission flows along the supply passage portion 180 and applies hydraulic pressure to the sealing member 190, the sealing member 190 is closely adhered to the stator 140 by hydraulic pressure, thereby forming an inlet passage portion. The shielding performance of (144) can be further improved.

A wedge-shaped friction reducing portion 192 is formed on the sealing member 190 to reduce the friction area with the stator 140 when the output member rotates. At this time, the friction reducing portion 192 is formed at the end of the sealing member 190. Since the friction area of the friction reduction portion 192 is reduced, the lifespan of the sealing member 190 can be extended. Additionally, when the sealing member 190 is pressurized by hydraulic pressure, the friction reduction portion 192 is deformed and comes into close contact with the stator 140, thereby further improving the shielding performance of the inlet passage portion 144.

The lockup clutch 160 includes a clutch drum 161, a drive plate 163, and a plurality of clutch disks 165 and 167. The plurality of clutch disks 165 and 167 include a first clutch disk 163 that is rotationally connected to the clutch drum 161 and a second clutch disk 165 that is rotationally connected to the drive plate 163. . The first clutch disk 163 and the second clutch disk 165 are alternately arranged along the axial direction.

The clutch drum 161 is fixed to the outer damper plate 152 through an elastic member, and the drive plate 163 is fixed to the front cover 110. The clutch drum 161 is disposed radially further outward than the drive plate 163.

The fluid supplied to the lock-up clutch 160 flows to the radial outer side of the lock-up clutch 160 (radially outer side of the cover 110) and then flows into the impeller 120 and the turbine 130. Therefore, the high-temperature fluid heated inside the impeller 120 and the turbine 130 is discharged in the circumferential direction of the impeller 120 and the turbine 130 by centrifugal force and is then prevented from flowing back toward the lock-up clutch 160. The lockup clutch 160 can be prevented from heating.

The piston 170 is disposed behind the lock-up clutch, that is, on the torsional damper 150 side, and accordingly, the lock-up clutch 160 is disposed between the front cover 111 and the piston 170. The retainer is disposed at the rear of the piston. Accordingly, the piston rear space 173 provided between the piston 170 and the retainer 171 constitutes an operating chamber, and the lock-up clutch is disposed in the piston front space 175 provided between the piston 170 and the cover 110. and a space 175 through which fluid can flow is formed. In this way, according to the first embodiment, a reversing clutch structure in which the lockup clutch 160 is disposed between the cover 110 and the piston 170 is applied, so that the radial outward flow due to the rotation of the torsional damper 150 Since the fluid offsets the difference in flow rate with the fluid discharged to the radial outer side of the torus, the controllability and responsiveness of the lockup clutch 160 can be improved.

The supply passage portion 180 is formed to supply fluid from the rear of the output member to the space in front of the output member, that is, the space between the torsional damper 150 and the piston 170 or the space between the torsional damper and the retainer. It includes a first supply passage portion 181, a second supply passage portion 182 that supplies fluid toward the torsional damper, and a third supply passage portion 183 formed to supply fluid to the lockup clutch 160. . At this time, the first supply passage portion 181 is formed in the output hub 155 to which the torsional damper 150 is connected, and the second supply passage portion 182 is formed in the space between the torsional damper 150 and the retainer. It is defined by, and the third supply passage portion 183 is formed on the input side hub 111 of the cover 110 where the piston 170 is installed. Accordingly, the fluid passing through the first supply passage portion 181 flows divided into the second supply passage portion 182 and the third supply passage portion 183. That is, the fluid that has passed through the first supply passage portion 181 flows through the space between the torsional damper 150 and the retainer 171 and is supplied to the torsional damper 150, and through the piston front space 175. It flows and is supplied to the lock-up clutch 160. The fluid supplied to the torsional damper 150 and the lock-up clutch 160 moves outward in the radial direction and then flows into the interior of the torus.

When the fluid supplied from the transmission is supplied to the space 175 between the front cover and the piston through the third supply passage part 183, and the pressure in the piston front space 175 becomes higher than the pressure in the piston rear space 173, , the piston 170 pressurizes and releases the lockup clutch. Accordingly, the connection between the cover and the turbine, or more precisely, the direct connection between the front cover and the torsional damper, is released.

In addition, when the fluid supplied from the transmission is supplied to the operating chamber through a separate flow path and the pressure in the piston rear space 173 becomes higher than the pressure in the piston front space 175, the piston 170 moves toward the lock-up clutch 160. It moves to pressurize the lockup clutch 160, and accordingly, the turbine 130 and the torsional damper 150 are directly connected to the cover 110 and the impeller 120 and rotate at substantially the same speed. Of course, this separate flow path is constructed independently of the supply flow path unit 180. Next, a torque converter for a vehicle according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. The second embodiment is substantially the same as the first embodiment except for the lockup clutch 160, the piston 170, and the supply passage portion 180, so the same reference numerals refer to the same components as the first embodiment. It is given and the explanation is omitted.

Figure 5 is a diagram schematically showing a torque converter for a vehicle according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 5, in the axial direction, the piston 170 is disposed on the cover 110 side, and the lockup clutch 160 is disposed between the piston 170 and the torsional damper 150. At this time, the piston front space 173 constitutes an operating chamber that presses the piston 170 toward the torsional damper 150, and the torsional damper 150 is disposed in the piston rear space 173. According to the second embodiment, a lockup clutch and a torsional damper are disposed in the piston rear space 173.

The supply passage portion 180 includes a first supply passage portion 181 formed in the output hub 155 to supply fluid between the torsional damper 150 and the piston 170, that is, to the piston rear space 173. do. At this time, the sealing member 190 is installed to block the inlet passage portion 144 between the stator 140 and the output shaft portion 117 to the output hub 155. In addition, the first supply passage portion 181 of the supply passage portion 180 supplies fluid to the piston rear space 173 and supplies fluid to the lockup clutch 160 disposed between the turbine 130 and the piston 170. It is supplied directly, and fluid is also directly supplied to the torsional damper 150.

In this way, the piston rear space 173 of the second embodiment can be understood as an integrated form of the second and third supply passage parts of the first embodiment. It can be easily understood that this is due to the fact that the piston of the second embodiment has been changed to be disposed between the front cover 111 and the lockup clutch 160, compared to the first embodiment.

In the second embodiment, as in the first embodiment, the flow rate of the fluid supplied to the lock-up clutch 160 can be sufficiently increased, thereby improving the cooling performance of the lock-up clutch 160 and the friction function of the lock-up clutch 160. This deterioration can be prevented.

Additionally, the input side hub 113 includes a separate flow path connected to the operating chamber defined by the piston front space 173 formed between the cover 110 and the piston 170. This separate flow path is configured independently from the supply flow path unit 180. When fluid is supplied through the separate flow path in the transmission, the pressure in the operating chamber becomes greater than the pressure in the rear space of the piston 173, and the piston 170 moves in the direction of pressing the lock-up clutch 160. ) is directly connected to the cover 110 and the turbine 130.

According to the second embodiment, as the position of the piston is changed compared to the first embodiment, the clutch drum 160 disposed on the radial outer side of the lock-up clutch 160 is fixed to the front cover 111, and the lock-up clutch 160 is fixed to the front cover 111. The radial inner side of the clutch 160 is connected to the outer damper plate 152 of the torsional damper 150.

A method of controlling a torque converter for a vehicle according to the present invention configured as described above will be described.

Figure 6 is a flow chart schematically showing a method of controlling a torque converter for a vehicle according to the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 6, the cover 110 and the impeller 120 are rotated by the driving force of the engine (S11). At this time, when the speed difference between the impeller 120 and the turbine 130 is large, the stator 140 is not rotated by the binding force of the one-way clutch 142.

The turbine 130 is rotated by the fluid flowing in the impeller 120 (S12). At this time, the stator 140 forcibly diverts the fluid discharged from the impeller 120 toward the rotation direction of the turbine 130. The turbine 130 begins to rotate by the hydraulic pressure of the fluid flowing between the impeller 120 and the turbine 130, and then the speed of the turbine 130 approaches the speed of the impeller 120 and the impeller 120 and the turbine 130 begin to rotate. The speed of the turbine 130 becomes synchronized.

In this process, the rear cover 112 and the impeller 120 rotate, so the fluid pump operates by the connecting shaft portion 115 and fluid is supplied to the space inside the cover through the supply passage portion 180. The fluid is supplied to the lockup clutch 160 and the torsional damper 150 through the supply passage portion 180 (S13). At this time, the sealing member 190 blocks the inlet flow path portion 144 between the output hub 155 and the stator 140 to prevent fluid from flowing into the impeller 120 and the turbine 130. Therefore, the flow rate of the fluid supplied to the lock-up clutch 160 located at the end of the flow path supply unit 180 can be sufficiently increased, thereby improving the cooling performance of the lock-up clutch 160 and the friction function of the lock-up clutch 160. This deterioration can be prevented.

At this time, the first supply passage portion 181 of the supply passage portion 180 supplies fluid to the space in front of the output hub 155.

According to the first embodiment, the fluid supplied to the space in front of the output hub 155 through the first supply passage portion 181 is branched and flows into the second supply passage between the retainer 171 and the output hub 155. It is supplied to the torsional damper 150 through the part 182, and also supplied to the lockup clutch 160 through the piston front space 175 through the third supply passage part 183 provided in the input side hub 113. do.

According to the second embodiment, the fluid supplied to the front space of the output hub 155 through the first supply passage portion 181 is the piston rear space 175 between the piston 170 and the output hub 155, That is, it is supplied to the lockup clutch 160 and the torsional damper 150 through the second supply passage portion 182 and the third supply passage portion 183.

Next, fluid flowing in the centrifugal direction from the lock-up clutch 160 and the torsional damper 150 flows into the impeller 120 and the turbine 130 (S14). This suppresses the high-temperature fluid heated inside the impeller 120 and the turbine 130 from flowing back toward the lockup clutch 160 after being discharged in the centrifugal direction of the impeller 120 and the turbine 130 by centrifugal force. The lockup clutch 160 can be prevented from heating.

When fluid is supplied through the supply passage portion 180, the pressure of the operating chamber is not higher than the pressure of the supply passage portion, so the piston 170 maintains a state in which it does not pressurize the lockup clutch 160.

Subsequently, when the rotation speed of the turbine 130 increases and the speed difference between the impeller 120 and the turbine 130 gradually decreases, the fluid discharged from the impeller 120 flows toward the rotation direction of the turbine 130, thereby forming a circle. The stator 140 connected to the way clutch 142 begins to rotate together with the impeller 120.

As the speed difference between the output shaft portion 117 and the connecting shaft portion 115 is detected to be smaller, it is determined whether the speed difference between the impeller 120 and the turbine 130 is smaller than the preset speed difference (S15).

If the speed difference between the impeller 120 and the turbine 130 is determined to be smaller than the preset speed difference, fluid is supplied to the operating chamber through a separate flow path of the input side hub 113 connected to the operating chamber. In the first embodiment, the piston rear space 173 constitutes an operating chamber, and in the second embodiment, the piston front space 175 constitutes an operating chamber.

As fluid is supplied to the operating chamber, the piston 170 moves to pressurize the lockup clutch 160 (S16). Therefore, the turbine 130 is directly connected to the cover 110 and rotates at the same speed as the engine (of course, the vibration of the output is absorbed through the torsional damper), and the driving force of the turbine 130 is transmitted through the output shaft portion 117. is delivered to

Then, the fluid supplied to the lock-up clutch 160 flows in the centrifugal direction of the lock-up clutch 160 (the centrifugal direction of the cover 110) and then flows into the impeller 120 and the turbine 130. Therefore, the high-temperature fluid heated inside the impeller 120 and the turbine 130 is discharged in the circumferential direction of the impeller 120 and the turbine 130 by centrifugal force and is then prevented from flowing back toward the lock-up clutch 160. The lockup clutch 160 can be prevented from heating.

As described above, the present invention has been described with reference to the illustrative drawings, but the present invention is not limited to the embodiments and drawings disclosed herein, and various modifications may be made by those skilled in the art within the scope of the technical idea of the present invention. It is obvious that transformation can occur. In addition, although the operational effects according to the configuration of the present invention were not explicitly described and explained while explaining the embodiments of the present invention above, it is natural that the predictable effects due to the configuration should also be recognized.

100: Torque converter 110: Cover
111: front cover 112: rear cover
113: input side hub 115: connection shaft portion
116: Fixed shaft portion 117: Output shaft portion
120: impeller 130: turbine
140: Stator 142: One-way clutch
150: Torsional damper 151: Inner damper plate
152: Outer damper plate 153: Elastic member
155: output hub 160: lock-up clutch
161: Clutch drum 163: Drive plate
165: first clutch disk 167: second clutch disk
170: Piston 171: Retainer
173: Piston rear space 175: Piston front space
180: Supply Euro Department 181: First Supply Euro Department
182: Second supply channel 183: Third supply channel
190: Sealing member 192: Friction reduction part

Claims (15)

It is a vehicle torque converter that is placed between the engine and the transmission and transmits the rotational force of the engine to the transmission.
A cover that receives the rotational force of the engine;
an impeller connected to the cover to rotate with the cover;
a turbine disposed to face the impeller;
A stator disposed between the impeller and the turbine;
An output shaft unit connecting the turbine and the transmission;
a lock-up clutch provided between the output shaft portion and the cover to connect them;
A torsional damper connecting the lockup clutch and the output shaft unit;
A piston that is movably installed to press or release the lock-up clutch to directly connect or disconnect the cover and the output shaft portion;
a supply passage unit providing a path for supplying fluid to the lock-up clutch; and
It includes a sealing member that blocks the fluid flowing in the supply passage portion from flowing into the space between the impeller and the turbine before it reaches the lock-up clutch,
The piston is disposed between the turbine and the lockup clutch,
The lockup clutch is disposed between the cover and the piston in the axial direction,
The sealing member is installed in an inlet flow path defined by a space between the stator, the output shaft, and the output hub to block the inlet flow path,
The sealing member is formed to be convex in a direction from the stator toward the output shaft,
The supply flow department,
a first supply passage portion formed to supply fluid toward the torsional damper and the lock-up clutch;
a second supply passage portion formed to supply fluid to the torsional damper; and
It includes; a third supply passage part formed to supply fluid to the lock-up clutch,
The first supply passage portion is formed in the output shaft portion,
The second supply passage portion is defined by a space between the output shaft portion and the piston,
The third supply passage part is a torque converter for a vehicle formed on an input side hub of the cover where the piston is installed. delete According to paragraph 1,
A torque converter for a vehicle wherein the sealing member is fixed to the output shaft portion and slidably contacts the stator. delete According to paragraph 1,
A torque converter for a vehicle in which a wedge-shaped friction reducing portion is formed on the sealing member to reduce a friction area with the stator when the output shaft portion rotates. According to paragraph 1,
A torque converter for a vehicle in which the fluid supplied to the lock-up clutch flows outward in the radial direction of the lock-up clutch and then flows into the space between the impeller and the turbine. delete According to paragraph 1,
The torsional damper is disposed between the piston and the turbine,
The supply flow department,
a first supply passage portion formed to supply fluid toward the torsional damper and the lock-up clutch;
a second supply passage portion formed to supply fluid to the torsional damper; and
A torque converter for a vehicle comprising: a third supply passage portion formed to supply fluid to the lock-up clutch. delete delete delete A cover that receives the rotational force of the engine;
an impeller connected to the cover to rotate with the cover;
a turbine disposed to face the impeller;
A stator disposed between the impeller and the turbine;
An output shaft unit connecting the turbine and the transmission;
a lock-up clutch provided between the output shaft portion and the cover to connect them;
A piston that pressurizes and depressurizes the lockup clutch; and
It includes a supply passage part that provides a path for supplying fluid to the lock-up clutch,
The piston is disposed between the turbine and the lockup clutch,
The lockup clutch is disposed between the cover and the piston in the axial direction,
A sealing member installed in an inlet flow path defined by a radial space between the stator, the output shaft, and the output hub to block the inlet flow path is formed to be convex in a direction from the stator toward the output shaft,
The supply flow department,
a first supply passage portion formed to supply fluid toward the torsional damper and the lock-up clutch;
a second supply passage portion formed to supply fluid to the torsional damper; and
It includes; a third supply passage part formed to supply fluid to the lock-up clutch,
The first supply passage portion is formed in the output shaft portion,
The second supply passage portion is defined by a space between the output shaft portion and the piston,
The third supply passage part is a method of controlling a torque converter for a vehicle formed on an input side hub of the cover where the piston is installed,
A driving step in which the engine rotates the cover and the impeller;
A power transmission step of transmitting the rotational force of the impeller to the turbine through a flow of fluid filled between the impeller and the turbine;
A fluid supply step of supplying fluid to the lock-up clutch through the supply passage portion; and
A fluid circulation step in which fluid flowing radially outward from the lock-up clutch flows into the impeller and the turbine,
In the fluid supply step, the fluid in the supply passage portion is blocked by a sealing member interposed between the stator and the output shaft portion and the inlet passage portion between the stator and the torsional damper of the output shaft portion and the fluid flows into the interior of the impeller and the turbine. A bypass induction step to prevent inflow; and
A bypass supply step of supplying the fluid induced in the bypass in the bypass induction step to the lockup clutch through a first supply passage portion provided in the output shaft portion. delete delete According to clause 12,
The piston is disposed between the turbine and the lockup clutch,
The fluid supply step is,
A method of controlling a torque converter for a vehicle further comprising a supply branch step of supplying a portion of the bypassed fluid between the piston and the turbine.