Torque converter, power train and vehicle

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a hydraulic torque converter. The hydraulic torque converter has a central axis and includes: a housing arranged around the central axis for receiving input torque; a pump wheel fixedly connected to the housing; a turbine capable of being driven to rotate by the pump wheel; an output hub fixed to the turbine and used for outputting torque; and a locking clutch plate capable of being engaged to the housing to rotate with the housing and being able to be separated from the housing, wherein an elastic vibration-damping component is arranged on the locking clutch plate, and a plurality of transmission plates are arranged on the turbine housing of the turbine, and the plurality of transmission plates are engaged with corresponding elastic vibration-damping components, and wherein one of the turbine housing and the transmission plate has a protrusion, and the other has a recessed portion that cooperates with the protrusion. The present disclosure also relates to a powertrain including a hydraulic torque converter and a vehicle including the powertrain.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a hydraulic torque converter, a powertrain including the hydraulic torque converter, and a vehicle including the powertrain. Background Art

[0002] Generally, a torque converter is provided between the engine and the transmission of an automatic transmission vehicle. The torque converter transmits the power of the engine to the transmission through a fluid (usually oil). The torque converter may include a housing that receives the torque from the engine, a pump wheel fixedly connected to the housing so as to rotate therewith, a turbine driven by the pump wheel, a stationary stator, and a locking clutch that can lock the pump wheel and the turbine together. When the fluid circulates between the pump wheel and the turbine, the fluid flowing out of the pump wheel impacts the blades of the turbine to drive the turbine to rotate, and the fluid flowing out of the vortex impacts the blades of the stator and redirects, returns to the pump wheel, and continues to participate in the fluid circulation. The torque output by the turbine is therefore different from the torque input by the pump wheel, realizing the torque conversion function of the torque converter. When the vehicle is running at high speed, the locking clutch engages with the housing and drives the turbine to rotate with the housing. In this case, a transmission plate with sufficient strength is required to transmit the power of the engine to the turbine.

[0003] In a known technical solution, the transmission plate is fixed to the radial extension of the turbine housing by rivets. The radial extension is a portion extending radially from the main body of the turbine housing, which is not used to mount the blades of the turbine and does not constitute a housing portion containing fluid. In this case, the turbine housing is large in size and weight, resulting in a large installation space for the torque converter and high costs.

[0004] In another known technical solution, the transmission plate is fixed on the turbine housing by brazing, which requires a larger welding area. In this case, the turbine housing is larger in volume and more expensive, and brazing cannot provide sufficient joint strength required for transmitting torque. Summary of the invention

[0005] Therefore, an object of the present disclosure is to provide a torque converter that does not require an additional installation space and has a high joint strength to solve the above-mentioned problems.

[0006] This object is achieved by a hydraulic torque converter according to the present disclosure. The hydraulic torque converter has a central axis and includes: a housing for receiving input torque; a pump wheel fixedly connected to the housing; a turbine capable of being driven to rotate by the pump wheel; an output hub fixed to the turbine and used for outputting torque; and a locking clutch plate capable of being engaged to the housing to rotate with the housing and being separable from the housing, wherein the locking clutch plate is provided with an elastic vibration-damping component, a plurality of transmission plates are provided on the turbine housing of the turbine, and the plurality of transmission plates are engaged with corresponding elastic vibration-damping components, and wherein one of the turbine housing and the transmission plate has a protrusion, and the other has a recess that matches the protrusion.

[0007] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the transmission plate includes a main body, the protrusion extending from the main body, and a transmission portion extending from the main body, wherein the transmission portion is engaged with a corresponding elastic vibration-damping component.

[0008] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the transmission plate includes a main body, the protrusion extending from the main body, and a transmission portion extending from the main body, wherein the transmission portion is engaged with a corresponding elastic vibration-damping component.

[0009] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the transmission plate includes a main body, the recessed portion provided on the main body, and a transmission portion extending from the main body, wherein the transmission portion is engaged with a corresponding elastic vibration-damping component.

[0010] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the main body extends along an outer surface of the turbine housing.

[0011] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the recesses include a first group of recesses and a second group of recesses, wherein along the radial direction, the first group of recesses is outside the second group of recesses.

[0012] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the protrusion and the recess are engaged together by press-fitting.

[0013] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the protrusion and the recess are combined together by brazing.

[0014] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the brazing position is between the inner surface of the main body and the outer surface of the turbine housing.

[0015] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the protrusion and the recess are combined together by electric welding.

[0016] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the electric welding is performed at a position where the protrusion contacts the recess.

[0017] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a rivet hole is provided on the main body, and a corresponding rivet hole is provided on the turbine housing.

[0018] The present disclosure also relates to a powertrain, comprising the hydraulic torque converter as described above.

[0019] The present disclosure further relates to a vehicle comprising the aforementioned powertrain. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] The advantages and purposes of the present disclosure can be better understood from the preferred embodiments of the present disclosure described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. In order to better show the relationship between the various components in the accompanying drawings, the accompanying drawings are not drawn to scale. In the accompanying drawings:

[0021] Figure 1 is a partial schematic cross-sectional view of a hydraulic torque converter of a power transmission system of a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, cut along a central axis, for schematically illustrating a basic structure of the hydraulic torque converter;

[0022] Figure 2 is a partial schematic diagram of a hydraulic torque converter according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, for schematically showing a turbine housing and a transmission plate;

[0023] Figure 3 yes Figure 2 Schematic diagram of the transmission plate in FIG.

[0024] Figure 4 yes Figure 2 A schematic diagram of a turbine housing in FIG.

[0025] Figure 5 is a partial schematic diagram of a hydraulic torque converter according to another embodiment of the present disclosure, for schematically showing a portion of a turbine housing and a transmission plate;

[0026] Figure 6 yes Figure 5 Schematic diagram of the transmission plate in FIG.

[0027] Figure 7 yes Figure 5 A schematic diagram of a turbine housing in FIG.

[0028] Figure 8 is a partial schematic diagram of a hydraulic torque converter according to yet another embodiment of the present disclosure, for schematically showing a turbine housing and a transmission plate; and

[0029] Fig. 9 yes Figure 8 A partial enlarged schematic diagram showing the additional connection between the turbine housing and the transmission plate through rivets. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0030] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present disclosure will be described clearly and completely below in conjunction with the drawings of the embodiments of the present disclosure. Unless otherwise defined, the technical terms or scientific terms used herein shall have the usual meanings understood by ordinary technicians in the field to which the present disclosure belongs. Similar words such as "one", "an" or "the" used in the patent application specification and claims of the present disclosure do not indicate a quantitative limitation, but rather indicate the presence of at least one. Similar words such as "include" or "comprises" mean that the elements or objects appearing before the word include the elements or objects listed after the word and their equivalents, without excluding other elements or objects. Directions such as "radial" are defined relative to the axis of rotation of the torque converter.

[0031] Figure 1 A schematic cross-sectional view of a torque converter having a central axis A of a powertrain according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown to explain the basic structure of the torque converter. The torque converter may be used in a vehicle, such as a motor vehicle. Figure 1 The cross section shown in is a cross section cut along the central axis A, that is, the central axis A is located in the cross section, and Figure 1 Only the portion of the torque converter located on one side of the center axis A in the cross section is shown.

[0032] Figure 1 The torque converter shown includes a housing 1, a pump wheel 2, a turbine 3, an output hub 4 and a locking clutch plate 5 arranged around the central axis A, which are rotationally symmetrical around the central axis A. The housing 1 is used to receive input torque, for example, from an engine of a vehicle. The pump wheel 2 is fixedly connected to the housing 1 and can rotate around the central axis A together with the housing. The turbine 3 is in fluid communication with the pump wheel 2 and can rotate under the impact of the fluid (for example, oil) flowing out of the pump wheel 2, that is, the turbine 3 can be driven to rotate by the pump wheel 2. The output hub 4 is fixed to the turbine 3 and is used to output torque.

[0033] The lockup clutch plate 5 can be coupled to the housing 1 to rotate together with the housing 1 and can be separated from the housing 1. For example, the lockup clutch plate 5 is coupled to the housing 1 by a friction material capable of maintaining adsorption and good fit with the engagement surface. The lockup clutch plate 5 is fixed to the output hub 4 together with the turbine 3, and the lockup clutch plate 5 is, for example, Figure 1 The left and right sides of the center) can move in a direction parallel to the central axis A under the action of oil pressure (for example, Figure 1The locking clutch plate 5 can be engaged with or disengaged from the housing 1. Under certain conditions, such as when the vehicle is running at high speed, the locking clutch plate 5 can be engaged with the housing 1, and the locking clutch plate 5 rotates together with the housing 1. The power input by the engine is directly transmitted to the output hub 4 by the housing 1, the locking clutch plate 5 and the turbine 3, thereby forming a direct transmission with a transmission efficiency of 100%. Under certain conditions, such as when the vehicle is running at a low speed, the locking clutch plate 5 can be separated from the housing 1, and the power input by the engine is transmitted to the output hub 4 by the housing 1, the pump wheel 2, the fluid in the torque converter, and the turbine 3, thereby realizing the torque conversion function.

[0034] like Figure 1 As shown, the locking clutch plate 5 is provided with an elastic damping component 6 which may be an arc spring.

[0035] like Figure 2 As shown, a plurality of transmission plates 8 are arranged on the turbine housing 7 of the turbine 3. Figure 1 The plurality of transmission plates 8 are engaged with the corresponding elastic damping components 6 to transmit the power of the engine to the turbine. One of the turbine housing 7 and the transmission plate 8 has protrusions 9 and 10, and the other has recesses 11 and 12 that cooperate with the protrusions.

[0036] Combine the following Figure 2-6 The specific structures of the turbine housing 7 and the transmission plate 8 will be described in detail.

[0037] exist Figures 2 to 4 In the example shown, the transmission plate 8 has a protrusion 9 and the turbine housing 7 has a recess 12 matching the protrusion 9 .

[0038] like Figure 2 As shown, for example, three transmission plates 8 are provided on the turbine housing 7, which are evenly arranged on the body of the turbine housing 7 around the central axis A. The "body" here refers to the housing portion of the turbine for mounting blades, which does not have any extension for other purposes in the radial direction perpendicular to the central axis A. In other examples, other numbers of transmission plates 8 may also be provided on the turbine housing 7, and the present invention has no limitation thereto.

[0039] like Figure 3 As shown, the transmission plate 8 includes a main body 13, a protrusion 9 extending from the main body 13, and a transmission portion 14 extending from the main body 13. Figure 2 As shown, the main body 13 extends along the outer surface of the turbine housing 7, for example, in a section bent around the central axis A. Figure 3 As shown in FIG. 1 , the protrusions 9 are four bosses protruding from the main body 13 in one direction (eg, a direction substantially opposite to the extending direction of the transmission part 14). Figure 1As shown, the transmission part 14 extends approximately perpendicularly to the main body 13 and engages with the corresponding elastic vibration-damping component 6. Accordingly, the turbine housing 7 has a recess 12 that matches the protrusion 9. The recess 12 is, for example, a through hole on the main body of the turbine housing 7, which has a shape (e.g., rectangular) that matches the protrusion 9 and is located at a position that is staggered from the position for installing the blades. The through hole is, for example, formed on the turbine housing 7 by stamping. Figure 4 As shown, the recess 12 includes a first group of recesses 12' and a second group of recesses 12", wherein the recesses 12 are arranged along a radial direction (a direction perpendicular to the central axis, Figure 4 In the direction of the radius of the turbine housing 7), the first group of recesses 12' is outside the second group of recesses 12". For example, the first group of recesses 12' has two through holes, and the second group of recesses 12" also has two through holes, and the through holes in each group are at an equal distance from the central axis A, but the present disclosure is not limited to this, and the distances of the through holes from the central axis A may be different. Corresponding to the first group of recesses 12' and the second group of recesses 12", the protrusions 9 may also include a first group of protrusions 9' and a second group of protrusions 9". The first group of protrusions 9' has two bosses respectively located at the two ends of the main body 13, and the second group of protrusions 9" has a similar structure. In other examples, the first group of protrusions 9' and the second group of protrusions 9" may be a boss extending along the edge of the main body 13 of the transmission plate 8, or three bosses, four bosses, etc. The present disclosure does not limit the number of protrusions and recesses.

[0040] exist Figures 5 to 7 In the example shown, the turbine housing 7 has a protrusion 10 , and the transmission plate 8 has a recess 11 matching the protrusion 10 .

[0041] For example, the turbine housing 7 may be provided with three Figure 5 The transmission plate shown, such as Figure 2 As shown, these transmission plates 8 are evenly arranged on the body of the turbine housing 7 around the central axis A. In other examples, Figure 5 Other numbers of transmission plates 8 may also be provided on the turbine housing 7 .

[0042] like Figure 6 As shown, the transmission plate 8 includes a main body 13, a recess 11 disposed on the main body 13, and a transmission portion 14 extending from the main body 13. Figure 5 As shown, the protrusion 10 is a boss extending outward from the turbine housing 7 approximately perpendicular to the outer surface thereof, and is formed by the turbine housing 7 by, for example, stamping. Figure 7As shown, the protrusion 10 includes a first group of protrusions 10' and a second group of protrusions 10", wherein the first group of protrusions 10' is outside the second group of protrusions 10" in the radial direction (the direction perpendicular to the central axis A, the direction of the radius of the turbine housing 7). For example, the first group of protrusions 10' has two bosses, the second group of protrusions 10" also has two bosses, and the bosses in each group are at an equal distance from the central axis A, but the present disclosure is not limited to this, and the distances of the bosses from the central axis A may be different. Corresponding to the first group of protrusions 10' and the second group of protrusions 10", the recess 11 includes a first group of recesses 11' and a second group of recesses 11". When the transmission plate 8 is mounted on the turbine housing 7, the first group of recesses 11' is outside the second group of recesses 11" in the radial direction. The recess 11 is, for example, a through hole on the transmission plate 8, which has a shape matching the protrusion 10, such as a rectangle.

[0043] In the above embodiment, the protrusion 9 and the recess 12 as well as the protrusion 10 and the recess 11 are joined together by press fit, so that a sufficiently high joining strength for torque transmission can be provided without the need for other joining methods. In this way, the torque converter of the present disclosure does not require additional welding processes during assembly, thereby saving costs.

[0044] The present disclosure also provides other ways to couple the drive plate 8 to the turbine housing 7 to provide additional connection strength.

[0045] For example, the protrusions 9 and 10 can be combined with the recesses 12 and 11 by brazing. The brazing position is between the inner surface of the body 13 and the outer surface of the turbine housing 7. The inner surface of the body 13 refers to the surface of the body 13 of the transmission plate 8 that contacts the turbine housing 7. The outer surface of the turbine housing 7 refers to the surface of the turbine housing 7 on which the transmission plate is mounted. For example, brazing is achieved by infiltrating a brazing material between the inner surface of the body 13 and the outer surface of the turbine housing.

[0046] For example, the protrusions 9 and 10 can be combined with the recesses 12 and 11 by electric welding. For example, electric welding can be performed at the contact position between the protrusion 9 and the recess 12 or between the protrusion 10 and the recess 11. For example, the protrusion and the recess can be combined by spot welding on the protrusion at the contact line between the protrusion and the recess.

[0047] For example, Figure 8 and 9 As shown, the transmission plate 8 can also be combined with the turbine housing 7 by riveting. The main body 13 of the transmission plate 8 is provided with a rivet hole 15, and the turbine housing 7 is provided with a corresponding rivet hole (not shown for the purpose of simplicity). The rivet hole 15 is, for example, a single hole located at the center of the main body 13, but can also have other numbers. Fig. 9As shown, rivets can be provided in the rivet holes on the main body 13 and the corresponding rivet holes on the turbine housing 7 to achieve connection.

[0048] By providing the protrusion or recess on the body of the turbine housing and the recess or protrusion on the transmission plate that cooperates therewith, the torque converter disclosed in the present invention not only has a smaller volume and lower cost, but also provides higher mechanical strength for torque transmission.

[0049] It should be understood that the structures described above and shown in the drawings are merely examples of the present disclosure, which can be replaced by other structures that exhibit the same or similar functions for obtaining the desired end result. In addition, it should be understood that the embodiments described above and shown in the drawings should be regarded as constituting only non-limiting examples of the present disclosure, and that it can be modified in many ways within the scope of the patent claims.

Claims

1. A torque converter having a central axis (A) and comprising: A housing (1) for receiving an input torque; A pump wheel (2) fixedly connected to the housing (1) and capable of rotating together with the housing (1) around the central axis (A); A turbine (3) capable of being driven to rotate by the pump wheel (2); an output hub (4) fixed to the turbine (3) and used for outputting torque; and a locking clutch plate (5) capable of being engaged with the housing (1) to rotate together with the housing (1) and capable of being separated from the housing (1), in, The locking clutch plate (5) is provided with an elastic vibration-damping component (6), a turbine housing (7) of the turbine (3) is provided with a plurality of transmission plates (8), and the plurality of transmission plates (8) are engaged with corresponding elastic vibration-damping components (6). wherein one of the turbine housing (7) and the transmission plate (8) has a protrusion, and the other has a recess that matches the protrusion, and The transmission plate (8) comprises a main body (13) and a transmission portion (14) extending from the main body (13), wherein the transmission portion (14) is engaged with a corresponding elastic vibration-damping component (6).

2. The torque converter according to claim 1, wherein: The plurality of transmission plates (8) are evenly arranged on the body of the turbine housing (7) around the central axis (A).

3. The torque converter according to claim 1, wherein: The transmission plate (8) further comprises the protrusion (9) extending from the main body.

4. The torque converter according to claim 1, wherein: The transmission plate (8) further comprises the recessed portion (11) arranged on the main body (13).

5. The torque converter according to claim 3 or 4, wherein: The main body (13) extends along the outer surface of the turbine housing (7).

6. The torque converter according to claim 1, wherein: The recesses include a first group of recesses and a second group of recesses, wherein the first group of recesses is outside the second group of recesses in a radial direction.

7. The torque converter according to claim 1, wherein: The protrusion and the recess are engaged together by press-fitting.

8. The torque converter according to claim 3 or 4, wherein: The protrusion and the recess are bonded together by brazing.

9. The torque converter according to claim 8, wherein: The brazing position is between the inner surface of the main body (13) and the outer surface of the turbine housing (7).

10. The torque converter according to claim 1, wherein: The protrusion and the recess are joined together by electric welding.

11. The torque converter according to claim 10, wherein: The electric welding position is a contact position between the protrusion and the recess.

12. The torque converter according to claim 3 or 4, wherein: The main body (13) is provided with a riveting hole (15), and the turbine housing (7) is provided with a corresponding riveting hole.

13. A powertrain comprising the hydraulic torque converter according to any one of claims 1 to 12.

14. A vehicle comprising a powertrain as claimed in claim 13.

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