Torque converter with non-friction locking structure and locking synchronization method thereof

Abstract

The invention relates to a locking structure and a locking synchronization method thereof, and provides a torque converter with a non-friction type locking structure and a locking synchronization method thereof in order to solve the problems that an existing torque converter locking device adopts a friction transmission mode to achieve synchronous operation, so that the synchronization time is long, the speed is discontinuous and the combination efficiency is reduced easily. The locking device comprises a locking piston, a deflection guide ring, a turbine synchronizer, a deflection spiral spring assembly and a piston reset spring. The locking piston comprises a first circular ring, a second circular ring and a third circular ring which are sequentially sleeved from inside to outside; the deflection guide ring comprises a second annular plate and a third annular plate which are arranged in parallel, and the second annular plate and the third annular plate are connected through a connecting piece; the turbine synchronizer comprises a fourth circular ring, a fifth circular ring and a sixth circular ring which are sequentially arranged in a sleeving mode from inside to outside. When the turbine and the cover wheel are locked, the phenomena of discontinuous speed, relatively strong impact and unstable transmission caused by locking can be reduced, so that the locking transmission efficiency of the torque converter is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to a locking structure and a locking synchronization method thereof, and in particular to a torque converter with a non-friction locking structure and a locking synchronization method thereof. Background Art

[0002] The existing torque converter locking device relies on friction to achieve synchronous operation of the turbine and pump wheel speeds. Its synchronization effect relies on the combination of the friction surface of the locking device and the friction surface of the tire plate connected to the cover wheel to achieve a sufficiently large friction force, thereby achieving synchronous operation. However, the use of friction transmission during locking is prone to cause transmission instability, and the time it takes to synchronize the turbine and the cover wheel through friction is long, which is prone to cause a short-term discontinuity in speed during engagement. In addition, during the engagement process, the energy generated by friction is converted into heat energy and dissipated, thereby reducing the efficiency of the torque converter engagement process. The cover wheel and the turbine are synchronized through friction. As the working time increases, the friction engagement ability decreases, resulting in a decrease in the engagement transmission ability. Summary of the invention

[0003] The purpose of the present invention is to solve the problem that the existing torque converter locking device adopts a friction transmission method to achieve synchronous operation, which easily leads to long synchronization time, discontinuous speed and reduced coupling efficiency, and to provide a torque converter with a non-friction locking structure and a locking synchronization method thereof.

[0004] To achieve the above purpose, the technical solution provided by the present invention is:

[0005] A torque converter with a non-friction locking structure comprises a torque converter housing, a turbine, a turbine output shaft and a cover wheel arranged in the torque converter housing, wherein the turbine is arranged on the turbine output shaft through a spline sleeve, and the cover wheel comprises a cover wheel hub and a cover wheel shell; the special feature of the torque converter is that it also comprises a locking structure;

[0006] The locking structure includes a locking piston, a deflection guide ring, a turbine synchronizer, a deflection coil spring assembly, and a piston return spring;

[0007] The locking piston comprises a first circular ring, a second circular ring and a third circular ring which are sequentially sleeved from the inside to the outside; a first annular chamber is formed between the first circular ring and the second circular ring; the outer wall of the second circular ring and the inner wall of the third circular ring are connected by a plurality of connecting rods evenly distributed around the circumference; the third circular ring, the second circular ring and one end of the first circular ring are connected by a first circular plate; the outer side surface of the third circular ring is evenly distributed around the circumference with a plurality of external splines which mesh with the cover wheel shell; the other end of the third circular ring is evenly distributed around the circumference with a number of splines with first isosceles triangle ends, where a is a positive integer; the first circular plate is located at the outlet of the oil passage (9);

[0008] The deflection guide ring comprises a second circular plate and a third circular plate arranged in parallel, wherein the second circular plate and the third circular plate are connected by a connecting piece; a distance between the second circular plate and the third circular plate is defined as d1, and a second isosceles triangle guide inclined surfaces matching the first isosceles triangle are evenly distributed on the outer circumference of the second circular plate, and the vertex angle of the second isosceles triangle faces the locking piston;

[0009] The turbine synchronizer comprises a fourth ring, a fifth ring and a sixth ring which are sequentially sleeved from the inside to the outside; a second annular chamber is formed between the sixth ring and the fifth ring for installing the deflection guide ring, a third annular chamber is formed between the fifth ring and the fourth ring, the sixth ring, the fifth ring and one end of the fourth ring are connected through a fourth annular plate, a synchronizer slots matching the spline are evenly distributed on the circumference of the other end of the sixth ring, and two adjacent synchronizer slots are provided with third isosceles triangle teeth matching the first isosceles triangle; the inner wall of the fourth ring is provided with an internal spline matching the turbine output shaft; the distance between the tooth top of the third isosceles triangle tooth and the fourth annular plate is defined as d2, then d1≥d2;

[0010] The deflection coil spring assembly is arranged between the second circular ring plate and the third circular ring plate, and is connected to the connecting piece, the fifth circular ring and the sixth circular ring; one end of the piston return spring is arranged in the first annular chamber, and the other end is arranged in the third annular chamber, and the middle part thereof passes through the inner circle of the second circular ring plate and the third circular ring plate.

[0011] Further, the connecting member of the deflection guide ring includes X connecting plates arranged radially along the second circular ring plate, X≥4, and X is an integer; the deflection coil spring assembly includes X deflection coil springs, each of which includes a fixed thin block and arc springs respectively arranged on both sides of the fixed thin block, and one end of each arc spring away from the fixed thin block contacts one side of the connecting plate, and all the arc springs form a circle;

[0012] The inner wall of the sixth circular ring is evenly distributed with X fixing block slots on its circumference, the outer wall of the fifth circular ring is provided with X fixing block slots at positions corresponding to the X fixing block slots of the sixth circular ring, and the two ends of the fixed thin block are respectively provided in a pair of fixing block slots corresponding to the inner wall of the sixth circular ring and the outer wall of the fifth circular ring.

[0013] Furthermore, a sealing ring is installed between the locking piston and the cover wheel to prevent leakage of hydraulic oil.

[0014] Furthermore, X=4.

[0015] Furthermore, the number of the connecting rods is four.

[0016] At the same time, the present invention also provides a locking synchronization method for the torque converter with a non-friction locking structure, which is special in that it includes the following steps:

[0017] Step 1: When the preset speed of the cover wheel is reached, the oil channel control valve controls the oil channel to open, and the hydraulic oil in the oil channel pushes the locking piston to move toward the deflection guide ring, and the piston return spring is continuously compressed until the inserting teeth of the locking piston contact the guide inclined surface of the corresponding deflection guide ring;

[0018] Step 2: Under the thrust of the hydraulic oil, the spline continues to slide along the guide inclined surface, and the deflection guide ring continuously transmits the torque to the turbine synchronizer through the deflection coil spring assembly until the spline disengages from the corresponding guide inclined surface, and the spline begins to contact the outer edge of the second circular ring plate of the deflection guide ring, and the piston return spring is further compressed;

[0019] Step 3: The gear moves to the position where it contacts the third isosceles triangle tooth slope of the corresponding turbine synchronizer, and then each gear end enters the bottom end of the corresponding synchronizer slot and engages. At the same time, the piston return spring is fully compressed, and the locking piston and the turbine synchronizer begin to rotate at the same angular velocity, completing the locking synchronization of the turbine and the cover wheel.

[0020] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0021] 1. The present invention provides a torque converter with a non-friction locking structure, which realizes the non-friction locking structure by deflecting the coil spring assembly. When the turbine and the cover wheel are locked, the speed discontinuity, strong impact and unstable transmission caused by the locking are reduced, thereby improving the locking transmission efficiency of the torque converter;

[0022] 2. The torque converter with a non-friction locking structure provided by the present invention can reduce the problems such as the decrease in the combined transmission capacity of the torque converter due to the increase in working time, thereby increasing the service life of the locking torque converter and reducing the cost;

[0023] 3. The locking synchronization method of a torque converter with a non-friction locking structure provided by the present invention can achieve frictionless synchronization within a larger speed difference range with high efficiency. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0024] Figure 1 An exploded view of a locking structure in an embodiment of a torque converter with a non-friction locking structure of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 2 It is a structural schematic diagram of a locking piston in an embodiment of a torque converter with a non-friction locking structure of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 3It is a structural schematic diagram of a turbine synchronizer in an embodiment of a torque converter with a non-friction locking structure of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 4 It is a structural schematic diagram of a deflection coil spring in an embodiment of a torque converter with a non-friction locking structure of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of a locking structure of a torque converter with a non-friction locking structure according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0029] Figure 6 A schematic diagram of a locking and synchronization process of an embodiment of a locking and synchronization method for a torque converter with a non-friction locking structure according to the present invention;

[0030] Figure 7 A partial cross-sectional view of an embodiment of a torque converter with a non-friction locking structure of the present invention;

[0031] Description of reference numerals:

[0032] 1-locking piston, 101-gear, 102-first annular chamber, 103-connecting rod, 104-external spline; 2-turbine synchronizer, 201-synchronizer slot, 202-fixed block slot, 203-second annular chamber, 204-third annular chamber, 205-internal spline; 3-deflection guide ring, 301-guide ramp; 4-deflection coil spring assembly; 5-piston return spring; 6-fixed thin block, 7-cover wheel, 8-turbine, 9-oil channel, 10-turbine output shaft. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0033] The present invention will be further described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0034] In an automobile engine, the torque converter includes a torque converter housing, a turbine 8, a turbine output shaft 10, and a cover wheel 7 arranged in the torque converter housing. The turbine 8 is arranged on the turbine output shaft 10 through a spline sleeve. The hydraulic oil is used to control the axial reciprocating motion of the cover wheel 7. The cover wheel 7 includes a cover wheel hub and a cover wheel shell.

[0035] The present embodiment provides a torque converter with a non-friction locking structure, which also includes a locking structure. Figure 1 , Figure 5 and Figure 7 The locking structure includes a locking piston 1, a deflection guide ring 3, a turbine synchronizer 2, a deflection coil spring assembly 4, and a piston return spring 5;

[0036] See also Figure 2The locking piston 1 includes a first circular ring, a second circular ring and a third circular ring which are sequentially sleeved from the inside to the outside; a first annular chamber 102 is formed between the first circular ring and the second circular ring, the outer wall of the second circular ring and the inner wall of the third circular ring are connected by a plurality of circumferentially evenly distributed connecting rods 103, the third circular ring, the second circular ring and one end of the first circular ring are connected by a first circular ring plate, the outer side surface of the third circular ring is circumferentially evenly distributed with a plurality of external splines 104 meshing with the cover wheel shell, and the other end of the third circular ring is circumferentially evenly distributed with a number of splines 101 with first isosceles triangle ends, where a is a positive integer; the first circular ring plate is located at the outlet of the oil passage 9, and a sealing ring is installed between the locking piston 1 and the cover wheel 7 to prevent leakage of hydraulic oil.

[0037] The deflection guide ring 3 includes a second circular plate and a third circular plate arranged in parallel, and the second circular plate and the third circular plate are connected by a connecting piece; the distance between the second circular plate and the third circular plate is defined as d1, and a second isosceles triangle guide slope 301 matching the first isosceles triangle is evenly distributed on the outer circumference of the second circular plate, and the vertex angle of the second isosceles triangle faces the locking piston 1; the deflection guide ring 3 is used to lock the locking piston 1 with the deflection guide ring 3 when the inserting tooth 101 of the locking piston 1 is successfully embedded in the guide slope 301 of the deflection guide ring 3, so that the deflection guide ring 3 and the locking piston 1 rotate together at the same angular velocity.

[0038] See also Figure 3 The turbine synchronizer 2 includes a fourth ring, a fifth ring and a sixth ring which are sequentially sleeved from the inside to the outside; a second annular chamber 203 is formed between the sixth ring and the fifth ring for installing the deflection guide ring 3, a third annular chamber 204 is formed between the fifth ring and the fourth ring, the sixth ring, the fifth ring and one end of the fourth ring are connected through a fourth annular plate, and a synchronizer slots 201 which cooperate with the spline 101 are evenly distributed on the circumference of the other end of the sixth ring, and two adjacent synchronizer slots 201 are provided with third isosceles triangle teeth which cooperate with the first isosceles triangle; the inner wall of the fourth ring is provided with an internal spline 205 which cooperates with the turbine output shaft 10; the distance between the tooth top of the third isosceles triangle tooth and the fourth annular plate is defined as d2, then d1≥d2;

[0039] One end of the piston return spring 5 is arranged in the first annular chamber 102, and the other end is arranged in the third annular chamber 204, and the middle part thereof passes through the inner circles of the second annular plate and the third annular plate. The connecting member of the deflection guide ring 3 includes four connecting plates arranged along the radial direction of the second annular plate; the deflection coil spring assembly 4 includes four deflection coil springs, each of which includes a fixed thin block 6 and arc springs respectively arranged on both sides of the fixed thin block 6, see Figure 4, one end of each arc-shaped spring away from the fixed thin block 6 is in contact with one side of the connecting plate, and all the arc-shaped springs form a circle; four fixed block slots 202 are evenly distributed on the circumference of the inner wall of the sixth circular ring, and four fixed block slots 202 are arranged on the outer wall of the fifth circular ring at positions corresponding to the four fixed block slots 202 of the sixth circular ring, and the two ends of the fixed thin block 6 are respectively arranged in a pair of fixed block slots 202 corresponding to the inner wall of the sixth circular ring and the outer wall of the fifth circular ring.

[0040] When the torque converter performs the locking synchronization operation, the deflection guide ring 3 compresses or stretches each deflection coil spring, causing the deflection spring to undergo elastic deformation. This deformation converts the kinetic energy generated by the angular velocity difference between the turbine synchronizer 2 and the locking piston 1 into elastic potential energy and stores it. This not only reduces the impact force caused by the angular velocity difference between the two, but also applies a gentle pre-acceleration torque to both ends of the deflection coil spring, making the angular velocity change more coherent, thereby gradually causing the angular velocity difference to approach zero. In this way, the impact force generated when the locking piston 1 is engaged with the deflection guide ring 3 can be minimized.

[0041] At the same time, this embodiment also provides a locking synchronization method for the torque converter with a non-friction locking structure, see Figure 6 , including the following steps:

[0042] Step 1: Initial stage of the locking process

[0043] The insert gear 101 of the locking piston 1 and the synchronizer slot 201 are not combined. When the preset speed is reached (for example, when the vehicle enters the high-speed driving stage), the control valve controls the oil passage 9 to pass hydraulic oil, and the hydraulic oil pushes the locking piston 1 to move in the direction of the deflection guide ring 3. During this period, the insert gear 101 has not yet contacted the deflection guide ring 3, and the deflection guide ring 3 will maintain the same angular velocity rotation as the turbine synchronizer 2. Since the angular velocities of the insert gear 101, the deflection guide ring 3 and the turbine synchronizer 2 are inconsistent, the combined part of the insert gear 101, the deflection guide ring 3 and the turbine synchronizer 2 will produce relative rotation. Before the inclined surface of the insert gear 101 contacts the guide inclined surface 301 of the deflection guide ring 3, this stage belongs to the idle stroke stage of the locking piston 1, until the insert gear 101 of the locking piston 1 contacts the guide inclined surface 301 of the deflection guide ring 3. This stage is the load-free movement stage of the locking piston 1, and at this stage, the piston return spring 5 begins to be compressed.

[0044] Step 2: In the middle of the closure process

[0045] The inclined surface of the toothing 101 contacts the guiding inclined surface 301 of the deflection guide ring 3. Under the thrust of the hydraulic oil, the toothing 101 continues to slide along the guiding inclined surface 301. Due to the speed difference between the locking piston 1 and the deflection guide ring 3, the toothing 101 will apply a deflection force to the deflection guide ring 3, causing the deflection guide ring 3 and the synchronizer slot 201 to rotate relative to each other. This process will cause the deflection coil spring assembly 4 set between the turbine synchronizer 2 and the deflection guide ring 3 to be dynamically compressed or stretched, thereby applying a gentle speed regulation torque to the turbine synchronizer 2, which helps to adjust the speed difference between the locking piston 1 and the turbine synchronizer 2 and reduce the impact force during locking. When this stage ends, the toothing 101 disengages from the guiding inclined surface 301 of the deflection guide ring 3 and contacts the outer edge of the second circular ring plate in the deflection guide ring 3. At this time, the toothing 101 is just in front of the synchronizer slot 201 of the turbine synchronizer 2. At the same time, the piston return spring 5 is further compressed.

[0046] Step 3: Final stage of the closure process

[0047] The gear 101 is already in contact with the outer edge of the second circular ring plate in the deflection guide ring 3. Driven by the hydraulic oil, the gear 101 continues to slide in the direction close to the turbine synchronizer 2 until its inclined surface contacts the third isosceles triangle tooth inclined surface of the synchronizer slot 201. This contact causes the locking piston 1 to start rotating at a consistent angular velocity with the deflection guide ring 3 and the turbine synchronizer 2. The gear 101 continues to slide along the third isosceles triangle tooth inclined surface, pushing the deflection guide ring 3 to continue rotating relative to the synchronizer slot 201. This action further compresses or stretches the deflection coil spring assembly 4, applies a greater speed regulating torque, and achieves a smooth change in angular velocity, thereby effectively adjusting the speed and reducing the impact during engagement. Finally, the gear 101 is quickly pushed to the bottom end of the synchronizer slot 201 and engages, and the piston return spring 5 reaches a fully compressed state, completing the locking synchronization process.

[0048] After the locking is completed, the insert gear 101 is completely embedded in the bottom end of the synchronizer slot 201. At this moment, the locking piston 1 and the turbine synchronizer 2 rotate synchronously, and the tooth profiles of the two cooperate with each other to form a tightly meshed locking state. It is worth noting that in the locked state, the deflection coil spring assembly 4 and the piston return spring 5 will remain in a compressed state. If the locking needs to be released, the hydraulic oil inlet of the oil channel 9 needs to be cut off through the control valve so that the locking piston 1 is no longer subjected to thrust, and then the locking piston 1 is withdrawn to the initial idle stroke position under the action of the piston return spring 5. At the same time, the deflection guide ring 3 will also rotate back to the starting state under the action of the deflection coil spring assembly 4.

[0049] The core difference between the non-friction locking structure of this embodiment and the traditional torque converter locking structure lies in the change of the synchronization mechanism. In the hydraulic torque converter using the non-friction locking structure, the process of locking synchronization between the cover wheel and the turbine no longer relies on the traditional friction force to adjust the speed. Instead, it uses the deflection coil spring assembly 4 located between the locking piston 1 and the turbine synchronizer 2 to complete the speed matching, thereby achieving synchronization without friction.

Claims

1. A torque converter with a non-friction locking structure, comprising a torque converter housing, a turbine (8), a turbine output shaft (10), and a cover wheel (7) arranged in the torque converter housing, wherein the turbine (8) is arranged on the turbine output shaft (10) through a spline sleeve, the cover wheel (7) comprises a cover wheel hub and a cover wheel shell, and the cover wheel shell is provided with an oil passage (9); characterized in that: Also includes a locking structure; The locking structure comprises a locking piston (1), a deflection guide ring (3), a turbine synchronizer (2), a deflection coil spring assembly (4), and a piston return spring (5); The locking piston (1) comprises a first circular ring, a second circular ring and a third circular ring which are sequentially sleeved from the inside to the outside; a first annular chamber (102) is formed between the first circular ring and the second circular ring; the outer wall of the second circular ring and the inner wall of the third circular ring are connected by a plurality of connecting rods (103) evenly distributed around the circumference; the third circular ring, the second circular ring and one end of the first circular ring are connected by a first circular plate; the outer side surface of the third circular ring is evenly distributed around the circumference with a plurality of external splines (104) which mesh with the cover wheel shell; the other end of the third circular ring is evenly distributed around the circumference with a number of splines (101) with first isosceles triangle ends, where a is a positive integer; the first circular plate is located at the outlet of the oil passage (9); The deflection guide ring (3) comprises a second circular plate and a third circular plate arranged in parallel, the second circular plate and the third circular plate being connected via a connecting piece; a distance between the second circular plate and the third circular plate is defined as d1, a number of second isosceles triangle guide inclined surfaces (301) matching the first isosceles triangle are evenly distributed on the outer circumference of the second circular plate, and the vertex angle of the second isosceles triangle faces the locking piston (1); The turbine synchronizer (2) comprises a fourth ring, a fifth ring and a sixth ring which are sequentially sleeved from the inside to the outside; a second annular chamber (203) is formed between the sixth ring and the fifth ring for mounting the deflection guide ring (3); a third annular chamber (204) is formed between the fifth ring and the fourth ring; the sixth ring, the fifth ring and one end of the fourth ring are connected via a fourth annular plate; a synchronizer slots (201) matching the spline (101) are evenly distributed on the circumference of the other end of the sixth ring; two adjacent synchronizer slots (201) are provided with a third isosceles triangle tooth matching the first isosceles triangle; the inner wall of the fourth ring is provided with an internal spline (205) matching the turbine output shaft (10); the distance between the tooth top of the third isosceles triangle tooth and the fourth annular plate is defined as d2, then d1≥d2; The deflection coil spring assembly (4) is arranged between the second annular plate and the third annular plate, and is connected to the connecting piece, the fifth annular ring and the sixth annular ring; one end of the piston return spring (5) is arranged in the first annular chamber (102), and the other end is arranged in the third annular chamber (204), and the middle part thereof passes through the inner circles of the second annular plate and the third annular plate.

2. The torque converter with a non-friction locking structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: The connecting piece of the deflection guide ring (3) comprises X connecting plates arranged radially along the second circular ring plate, X≥4, and X is an integer; the deflection coil spring assembly (4) comprises X deflection coil springs, each of which comprises a fixed thin block (6) and arc springs arranged on both sides of the fixed thin block (6), one end of each arc spring away from the fixed thin block (6) contacts one side of the connecting plate, and all the arc springs form a circle; The inner wall of the sixth circular ring is evenly distributed with X fixing block slots (202) on its circumference, the outer wall of the fifth circular ring is provided with X fixing block slots (202) at positions corresponding to the X fixing block slots (202) of the sixth circular ring, and the two ends of the fixing thin block (6) are respectively arranged in a pair of fixing block slots (202) corresponding to the inner wall of the sixth circular ring and the outer wall of the fifth circular ring.

3. The torque converter with a non-friction locking structure according to claim 2, characterized in that: A sealing ring is installed between the locking piston (1) and the cover wheel (7) to prevent leakage of hydraulic oil.

4. The torque converter with a non-friction locking structure according to claim 3, characterized in that: Said X=4.

5. The torque converter with a non-friction locking structure according to claim 4, characterized in that: The number of the connecting rods (103) is four.

6. A locking and synchronization method for a torque converter with a non-friction locking structure according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: The following steps are involved: Step 1: When the cover wheel (7) reaches a preset speed, the oil channel control valve controls the oil channel to open, and the hydraulic oil in the oil channel pushes the locking piston (1) to move in the direction of the deflection guide ring (3), and at the same time, the piston return spring (5) is continuously compressed until the inserting teeth (101) of the locking piston (1) contact the corresponding guide inclined surface (301) of the deflection guide ring (3); Step 2: Under the thrust of the hydraulic oil, the toothed gear (101) continues to slide along the guide inclined surface (301), and the deflection guide ring (3) continues to transmit the torque to the turbine synchronizer (2) through the deflection coil spring assembly (4), until the toothed gear (101) is disengaged from the corresponding guide inclined surface (301), and the toothed gear (101) begins to contact the outer edge of the second annular plate of the deflection guide ring (3), and the piston return spring (5) is further compressed; Step 3, the insert gear (101) moves to a position where it contacts the third isosceles triangle tooth slope of the corresponding turbine synchronizer (2), and then each end of the insert gear (101) enters the bottom end of the corresponding synchronizer slot (201) and engages, and at the same time, the piston return spring (5) is fully compressed, and the locking piston (1) and the turbine synchronizer (2) begin to rotate at the same angular velocity, completing the locking synchronization of the turbine (8) and the cover wheel (7).

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