Torque converter

Abstract

To provide a torque converter capable of improving performance and strength while suppressing upsizing.SOLUTION: A pump sleeve is bonded in an area on an outer surface of a pump shell overlapping a coupling region of a pump blade in the pump shell. Therefore, a space inside a container can be extended more than when the pump sleeve is bonded to an inner peripheral end part of the pump shell. For example, it is possible to expand an arrangement space of the pump blade and to expand an arrangement space of a one-way clutch. Thus, it is possible to improve performance and strength of a torque converter while suppressing upsizing of the torque converter.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a torque converter in which a pump shell and a pump sleeve form part of a container. [Background technology]

[0002] A well-known torque converter has a pump shell and a pump sleeve joined to the pump shell, which form part of a container, and which includes, inside the container, pump blades joined to the inner surface of the pump shell, turbine blades positioned opposite the pump blades, a stator positioned between the pump blades and the turbine blades, and a one-way clutch positioned in a space on the inner periphery of the stator. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a torque converter that includes such a converter. Patent Document 1 discloses that a pump sleeve is joined to the inner periphery of the pump shell. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2011-69464 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the torque converter described in Patent Document 1, the pump sleeve and the pump shell are joined together at a location radially inward of the pump blade joining area on the pump shell. This may result in the pump blades being compressed by the outer periphery of the interior of the container, or the one-way clutch being compressed by the one-way clutch being compressed in the width direction. This may result in an increase in the size of the torque converter in order to improve its performance and strength.

[0005] The present invention has been made in light of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a torque converter that can improve performance and strength while suppressing an increase in size. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The gist of a first invention is (a) a torque converter having a pump shell and a pump sleeve joined to the pump shell, which constitute a part of a container, and having inside the container pump blades joined to the inner surface of the pump shell, turbine blades positioned opposite the pump blades, a stator positioned between the pump blades and the turbine blades, and a one-way clutch positioned in a space on the inner periphery of the stator, and (b) the pump sleeve is joined within an area of ​​the outer surface of the pump shell that overlaps with an area where the pump blades are joined to the pump shell. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the first aspect of the present invention, the pump sleeve is attached to the pump shell in an area of ​​its outer surface that overlaps with the pump blade attachment area of ​​the pump shell. This allows for a larger interior space in the container than when the pump sleeve is attached to the inner peripheral end of the pump shell. For example, this allows for a larger space for arranging the pump blades and a larger space for arranging the one-way clutch. This allows for improved performance and strength of the torque converter while minimizing its size. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a schematic configuration of a torque converter to which the present invention is applied; [Figure 2] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating the effects of the present embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a comparative example of the present embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. [Example]

[0010] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the schematic configuration of a torque converter 10 to which the present invention is applied. In FIG. 1, the torque converter 10 is mounted on, for example, a vehicle and is provided between a power source (not shown) and a transmission (not shown). The torque converter 10 is a fluid-type transmission device with a torque amplifying effect that transmits power from the power source to the transmission via a fluid. The torque converter 10 is driven to rotate by the power source about an axis C. The torque converter 10 is configured substantially symmetrically with respect to the axis C, and in FIG. 1 (as well as FIG. 2 described below), the lower half of the torque converter 10 is omitted from view. The axis C is the axial center of an output rotating member (not shown) of the power source, an input shaft 80 that is an input rotating member of the transmission, and the like.

[0011] The torque converter 10 includes a front cover 12, a lock-up clutch 14, a damper 16, a pump impeller 20, a turbine runner 30, a stator 40, a one-way clutch 50, a first thrust bearing 60, and a second thrust bearing 62.

[0012] The front cover 12 is formed in a cylindrical shape with a bottom, and is connected to an output rotary member of a power source so as to transmit power. The front cover 12 is connected to a pump impeller 20.

[0013] The pump impeller 20 includes a pump shell 22, a pump sleeve 24, and pump blades 26. The pump shell 22 is formed in an annular shape with an arc-shaped cross section and has an outer peripheral portion 22a extending toward the front cover 12 and a bulging portion 22b bulging from the end of the outer peripheral portion 22a opposite the front cover 12 toward an outer surface 22o. Here, the outer surface 22o side is synonymous with the side opposite the front cover 12. The end of the outer peripheral portion 22a of the pump shell 22 facing the front cover 12 is joined by welding to the end of the opening side of the front cover 12 (see portion A). The pump sleeve 24 has a cylindrical portion 24a extending parallel to the axis C and a disk portion 24b extending radially outward from the end of the cylindrical portion 24a facing the front cover 12. The cylindrical portion 24a is coupled to a drive gear of an oil pump (not shown) on the opposite side of the front cover 12, for example, so as to be capable of transmitting power. The pump sleeve 24 has an outer peripheral end, i.e., an outer peripheral end 24b1 of the disk portion 24b, joined to the pump shell 22 by welding (see portion B). The pump blades 26 are a plurality of blades joined to the inner surface 22i of the pump shell 22.

[0014] The front cover 12, pump shell 22, and pump sleeve 24 are joined together to form a container 70 whose interior 70i is filled with hydraulic oil. The torque converter 10 has pump blades 26, a turbine runner 30, a stator 40, a one-way clutch 50, a first thrust bearing 60, and a second thrust bearing 62 in the interior 70i of the container 70. The pump shell 22 and the pump sleeve 24 together form a part of the container 70.

[0015] The turbine runner 30 includes a turbine shell 32, turbine blades 34, and a turbine hub 36. The turbine runner 30 is disposed opposite the pump impeller 20 in the direction of the axis C. The turbine shell 32 is formed in an annular shape with an arc-shaped cross section. The turbine blades 34 are a plurality of blades joined to an inner surface 32i of the turbine shell 32. The turbine blades 34 are disposed opposite the pump blades 26 in the direction of the axis C. The turbine hub 36 has an outer peripheral portion 36a connected to the inner peripheral portion 32a of the turbine shell 32 by a rivet 18. Spline teeth formed on the inner peripheral surface 36i of the turbine hub 36 are fitted with spline teeth formed on the outer peripheral surface 80o of the input shaft 80, and the turbine hub 36 is connected to the input shaft 80 so as to be able to transmit power.

[0016] The stator 40 is disposed between the pump impeller 20 and the turbine runner 30, which face each other in the direction of the axis C. In other words, the stator 40 is disposed between the pump blades 26 and the turbine blades 34.

[0017] The one-way clutch 50 is disposed in a space on the inner circumferential side of the stator 40. The inner circumferential portion 40a of the stator 40 is connected to a fixed shaft 82 via the one-way clutch 50. The fixed shaft 82 is connected to a housing (not shown), which is a non-rotating member.

[0018] The first thrust bearing 60 is a thrust bearing arranged between the outer circumferential portion 36a of the turbine hub 36 and the inner circumferential portion 40a of the stator 40. The second thrust bearing 62 is a thrust bearing arranged between the inner circumferential portion of the pump sleeve 24, i.e., the inner circumferential portion 24b2 of the disc portion 24b, and the inner circumferential portion 40a of the stator 40. The position of the stator 40 in the direction of the axis C is determined by the first thrust bearing 60 and the second thrust bearing 62.

[0019] The lock-up clutch 14 is provided between the front cover 12 and the turbine hub 36, and selectively connects and disconnects the front cover 12 and the turbine hub 36 via the damper 16. In other words, the lock-up clutch 14 functions as a direct-connection clutch that connects the input and output rotary members of the torque converter 10.

[0020] Here, in the torque converter 10, the pump sleeve 24 is joined within an area E of the outer surface 22o of the pump shell 22, which overlaps with a joining area D of the pump blades 26 of the pump shell 22. The joining area D of the pump blades 26 of the pump shell 22 is an area where the pump blades 26 are joined to the inner surface 22i of the pump shell 22. The area E of the outer surface 22o of the pump shell 22, which overlaps with the joining area D of the pump blades 26, is an area of ​​the outer surface 22o that faces, across the pump shell 22, the area of ​​the inner surface 22i where the pump blades 26 are joined.

[0021] For example, an inner peripheral portion 24b2 of the disk portion 24b is disposed radially inward of the pump shell 22. The inner peripheral portion 24b2 of the disk portion 24b is disposed radially inward of the bulging portion 22b of the pump shell 22. An outer peripheral end portion 24b1 of the disk portion 24b is joined to the pump shell 22 within a region E of the outer surface 22o of the pump shell 22.

[0022] The swollen portion 22b of the pump shell 22 includes a bonding region D for the pump blade 26. The outer peripheral end 24b1 of the disk portion 24b is joined to the inner peripheral end of the pump shell 22, i.e., the outer surface 22o of the pump shell 22 from the inner peripheral end 22b1 of the swollen portion 22b to the most bulging portion F of the swollen portion 22b.

[0023] Fig. 2 is a diagram for explaining the effect of this embodiment, and Fig. 3 is a diagram for explaining a torque converter 100 as a comparative example of this embodiment.

[0024] 3, in the torque converter 100, the outer peripheral end 120a of the pump sleeve 120 is joined to the inner peripheral end 110a of the pump shell 110 (see part G). That is, in the torque converter 100, the pump shell 110 and the pump sleeve 120 are joined at a location radially inward of the joining region H of the pump blades 112 in the pump shell 110. As a result, in the torque converter 100, the arrangement space of the built-in components such as the pump blades 112, the stator 130, the one-way clutch 140, and the thrust bearing 150 is constricted. For example, the arrangement space of the pump blades 112 may be compressed toward the outer periphery of the interior 160i of the container 160, which may compress the pump blades 112. Alternatively, the thrust bearing 150 may be compressed toward the one-way clutch 140, which may narrow the arrangement space of the stator 130 and the one-way clutch 140, which may compress the shapes of the stator 130 and the one-way clutch 140 in the width direction. This problem becomes more pronounced as the thrust bearing 150 becomes larger. This makes it difficult to improve fluid performance by increasing the size of the pump blades 112, and to improve strength by increasing the size of the thrust bearing 150. This may lead to an increase in the size of the torque converter 100 in order to improve the performance and strength of the torque converter 100. In other words, this makes it difficult to reduce the size of the torque converter 100.

[0025] In FIG. 2 , in the torque converter 10, the pump shell 22 and the pump sleeve 24 are joined within an area E of the outer surface 22o of the pump shell 22, which overlaps with a joining area D of the pump shell 22 for the pump blades 26 (see part B). As a result, the torque converter 10 has a larger arrangement space for internal components, such as the pump blades 26, the stator 40, the one-way clutch 50, and the second thrust bearing 62, compared to the torque converter 100. For example, the arrangement space for the pump blades 26 is expanded toward the inner periphery of the interior 70i of the container 70, thereby increasing the area of ​​the pump blades 26. Furthermore, the second thrust bearing 62 is moved in the direction opposite the one-way clutch 50, thereby expanding the arrangement space for the stator 40 and the one-way clutch 50, and thereby expanding the shapes of the stator 40 and the one-way clutch 50 in the width direction. In the torque converter 10, the expanded internal space of the pump shell 22 allows the internal components to be enlarged, achieving higher strength and performance, without increasing the overall outer shape or axial length. From another perspective, the torque converter 10 as a whole can be made smaller.

[0026] As described above, according to this embodiment, the pump sleeve 24 is joined within the region E of the outer surface 22o of the pump shell 22, which overlaps with the joining region D of the pump shell 22 for the pump blades 26. This makes it possible to increase the space inside the container 70i compared to when the pump sleeve 24 is joined to the inner circumferential end portion 22b1 of the pump shell 22. For example, it is possible to increase the space for arranging the pump blades 26 and the one-way clutch 50. This makes it possible to improve the performance and strength of the torque converter 10 while preventing the torque converter 10 from becoming larger.

[0027] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the inner peripheral portion 24b2 of the pump sleeve 24 is disposed radially inside the pump shell 22, and the outer peripheral end portion 24b1 of the pump sleeve 24 is joined to the pump shell 22. As a result, the pump sleeve 24 is appropriately joined to the region E of the outer surface 22o of the pump shell 22.

[0028] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the outer peripheral end 24b1 of the pump sleeve 24 is joined to the outer surface 22o from the inner peripheral end 22b1 of the pump shell 22 to the most expanded part F of the expanded portion 22b. This makes it possible to appropriately expand the space inside 70i of the container 70 compared to when the pump sleeve 24 is joined to the inner peripheral end 22b1 of the pump shell 22.

[0029] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the second thrust bearing 62 is provided between the inner circumferential portion 24b2 of the pump sleeve 24 and the inner circumferential portion 40a of the stator 40. In the torque converter 10, the arrangement space for the second thrust bearing 62 can be expanded.

[0030] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above with reference to the drawings, the present invention can also be applied to other embodiments.

[0031] For example, the above-described embodiment does not necessarily require the lock-up clutch 14 or the damper 16. In short, the present invention can be applied to any torque converter in which the pump shell 22 and the pump sleeve 24 form a part of the container 70, and the container 70 contains the pump blades 26, the turbine blades 34, the stator 40, and the one-way clutch 50.

[0032] It should be noted that the above is merely one embodiment, and the present invention can be embodied in various forms with various modifications and improvements based on the knowledge of those skilled in the art. [Explanation of symbols]

[0033] 10: Torque converter 22: Pump shell 22b: Expanded portion 22b1: Inner peripheral end (inner peripheral end of pump shell) 22i: Inner surface 22o: Outer surface 24: Pump sleeve 24b1: Outer peripheral end (outer peripheral end of pump sleeve) 24b2: Inner peripheral portion (inner peripheral portion of pump sleeve) 26: Pump blade 34: Turbine blade 40: Stator 40a: Inner peripheral portion 50: One-way clutch 62: Second thrust bearing (thrust bearing) 70: Container 70i: Interior D: Bonding region E: Region F: Most expanded portion

Claims

1. A torque converter comprising a pump shell and a pump sleeve joined to the pump shell, which constitute a part of a container, and having, inside the container, pump blades joined to the inner surface of the pump shell, turbine blades arranged in positions facing the pump blades, a stator arranged between the pump blades and the turbine blades, and a one-way clutch arranged in a space on the inner circumferential side of the stator, The torque converter is characterized in that the pump sleeve is joined to an area of ​​the outer surface of the pump shell that overlaps with a joining area of ​​the pump shell to which the pump blades are attached.

2. an inner circumferential portion of the pump sleeve is disposed radially inside the pump shell; 2. The torque converter according to claim 1, wherein an outer peripheral end of the pump sleeve is joined to the pump shell.

3. the pump shell has a bulging portion on the outer surface side including the joining region of the pump blade; 3. The torque converter according to claim 2, wherein the outer peripheral end of the pump sleeve is joined to the outer surface of the pump shell from the inner peripheral end to the most bulging portion of the expanded portion.

4. 4. The torque converter according to claim 2, further comprising a thrust bearing disposed between the inner periphery of the pump sleeve and the inner periphery of the stator.

Images