Fluid torque converter with torsional damper and automobile including same

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a fluid torque converter for an automobile, the fluid torque converter including a cover, an impeller, a turbine, a piston disc, and one or more torsional dampers, the cover being driven by a drive member on the engine side of the automobile to rotate about a rotational axis of the fluid torque converter, the impeller being rotatably fixedly connected to the cover, the turbine being driven to rotate about the rotational axis and outputting torque to an input shaft of a transmission of the automobile, the piston disc including a friction surface, the fluid torque converter being operable to be switched between a fluid transmission mode and a mechanical transmission mode, in which in the mechanical transmission mode the friction surface is in close contact with the cover so that the cover rotates integrally with the piston disc, the one or more torsional dampers being held between the piston disc and the turbine, and including one or more springs. The present disclosure also relates to an automobile including the fluid torque converter.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a fluid torque converter with a torsional damper, and also to a motor vehicle including such a fluid torque converter. [Background technology]

[0002] In general, a fluid torque converter is provided between an engine and a transmission of an automatic transmission vehicle. The fluid torque converter is for transmitting the driving force of the engine to the transmission and can play a role of transmitting and changing torque. The fluid torque converter includes a cover driven by a driving member on the engine side, an impeller rotatably and fixedly connected to the cover, and a turbine connected to an input shaft of the transmission, and can be switched between a fluid transmission mode and a mechanical transmission mode via a piston disc. During the starting stage of the vehicle, the fluid torque converter operates in the fluid transmission mode. At this time, the impeller of the fluid torque converter drives the turbine by a fluid (usually oil). When the engine reaches a high rotation speed, the fluid torque converter is switched to a mechanical transmission mode. In the mechanical transmission mode, the torque is mechanically transmitted from the cover to the turbine via a piston disc and / or other transmission mechanism without having to pass through the impeller.

[0003] The torque generated by the engine of a motor vehicle is generally not constant. In particular, in mechanical transmission mode, such a non-constant torque can be transmitted to the transmission and cause vibrations in the transmission gearbox, which can also generate unwanted noise, shocks, etc. In order to reduce the adverse effects of vibrations and to increase the driving comfort of the motor vehicle, it is already known to arrange a torsional damper in a fluid torque converter. The torsional damper is capable of absorbing and reducing the vibrations generated by the engine of the motor vehicle. The torsional damper generally includes an elastic member, such as a spring, arranged between the piston disc and the turbine to transmit the torque between them.

[0004] Chinese Patent No. 104235301B discloses a hydraulic torque converter in which a torsional damper is attached to a piston disc. A holding plate for holding a spring is fixed to the piston disc by a rivet. The holding plate is formed with a holding portion extending in the radial direction, and a plurality of transmission claws for transmitting torque between the piston disc and the turbine are welded to the turbine.

[0005] Japanese Patent Application No. H06147294A also discloses a similar fluid torque converter in which a torsional damper is attached to a piston disc. Specifically, an annular driving disc that holds the spring of the torsional damper and transmits torque is fixed to the piston disc via rivets, and a plurality of protruding plates for transmitting torque are fixed to the turbine. A dedicated riveting process is required to fix the annular driving disc to the piston disc, and a dedicated welding process is required to fix the protruding plates to the turbine. This makes the manufacturing process of the fluid torque converter complicated. Also, the protruding plates welded to the turbine are easily deformed or separated.

[0006] Korean Patent Application No. 20070096471A also disclosed a fluid torque converter in which a torsional damper is attached to a piston disc. Similarly, an annular driving disc for holding a spring of the torsional damper and transmitting torque is fixed to the piston disc by rivets. The turbine is integrally formed with the turbine housing and a plurality of protruding plates for transmitting torque are provided on the turbine housing, so that the welding process of the torque transmission element can be omitted. However, in Korean Patent Application No. 20070096471A, the protruding plates are provided on the radial periphery of the turbine housing, so that the profile diameter of the turbine housing increases, and the cost increases because the material consumed in manufacturing the turbine housing increases.

[0007] As mentioned above, the torsional damper is generally disposed between the piston disc and the turbine. However, it is conceivable to dispose the torsional damper at other positions in the torque transmission path of the fluid torque converter. US Patent Application No. US6056093A discloses a fluid torque converter, in which the torsional damper is provided between the turbine and the output hub. Specifically, a cover disc element for holding a spring of the torsional damper is fixed to the turbine housing, and the cover disc element includes a protrusion that is joined to the piston disc, thereby transmitting torque to the turbine. The output hub includes a flange that extends radially outwardly and integrally therewith, and the flange holds the spring in the circumferential direction together with a protrusion of the turbine housing to transmit torque.

[0008] It is also known to provide a stop mechanism so that the compression amount of the elastic member does not exceed a predetermined threshold value in order to prevent the life of the torsional damper from being shortened due to excessive torque transmission of the torsional damper. The above-mentioned Chinese Patent No. CN104235301B disclosed a fluid torque converter including two torsional dampers and two stop mechanisms. A holding plate for holding the spring of the torsional damper is fixed to the piston disk and the turbine by rivets, respectively. A through-cut portion is formed in the holding plate, and a plurality of transmission claws are welded and fixed to the turbine, and the transmission claws extend into the cut portions and are engaged and coupled to the cut portions, and the two constitute a first stop mechanism. Also, a rivet for fixing the holding plate in the turbine extends into a through-hole formed in the output side plate of the turbine hub to constitute a second stop mechanism. As is well known, the two stop members included in the first stop mechanism and the second stop mechanism are different types and must be manufactured by different processes, for example, the transmission claws must be welded and rivets must be riveted, and the cutouts must be punched or machined, making the manufacturing process of the fluid torque converter complicated and prone to damage. Also, since separate members such as a holding plate and an input side plate must be further disposed in the axial direction, the axial size of the fluid torque converter increases and the installation space for other torque transmission members such as a transmission is compressed.

[0009] Therefore, in the conventional fluid torque converter, a plurality of holding elements and torque transmission elements are generally required to hold the torsional damper and transmit torque, which makes the manufacturing process of the fluid torque converter complicated and prone to damage. In addition, the axially arranged holding elements and torque transmission elements increase the axial size of the fluid torque converter, compressing the installation space for other torque transmission members such as a transmission. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0010] Therefore, the present disclosure is directed to solving the above-mentioned problems existing in conventional fluid torque converters, and has an object to provide a fluid torque converter that can reduce manufacturing costs, reduce size, and increase installation space for other torque transmission members. [Means for solving the problem]

[0011] The above object is achieved through a fluid torque converter including a torsional damper according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the fluid torque converter including a cover, an impeller, a turbine, a piston disc, and one or more torsional dampers, the cover being rotationally driven by a drive member on the engine side of a motor vehicle to rotate about a rotation axis of the fluid torque converter, the impeller being rotatably fixedly connected to the cover to rotate therewith, the turbine including a turbine housing and blades, being driven to rotate about the rotation axis, and transmitting torque to an input shaft of a transmission of the motor vehicle. the piston disc includes a friction surface, and the fluid torque converter is operable to be operably switched between a fluid transmission mode and a mechanical transmission mode, wherein in the fluid transmission mode, rotation of the impeller about the rotational axis generates a fluid flow to drive a turbine, and in the mechanical transmission mode, the friction surface is in intimate contact with a cover such that the cover rotates unitarily with the piston disc, and the one or more torsional dampers are held between the piston disc and the turbine to transfer torque from the piston disc to the turbine, the torsional dampers including one or more springs.

[0012] A fluid torque converter according to the present disclosure may also have one or more of the following features, either alone or in combination.

[0013] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the piston disc is provided with an annular groove formed integrally with the piston disc, and the compression and return of the spring during torque transmission are guided by the annular groove. The piston disc can be coupled to the turbine to hold the spring of the torsional damper in the annular groove. Since the piston disc itself can guide the spring and can be coupled to the turbine to hold the torsional damper, there is no need to provide a dedicated member for holding and guiding the torsional damper in the fluid torque converter. This design reduces the size of the fluid torque converter, especially the axial size, and reduces the number of required parts, thereby reducing the manufacturing cost of the fluid torque converter and making it easier to install.

[0014] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the annular groove has a substantially rectangular cross-sectional shape and includes an inner wall located radially inward, an outer wall located radially outward, and a bottom surface connecting the inner wall and the outer wall. Preferably, the outer wall of the annular groove constitutes the radially outer periphery of the piston disc. That is, the annular groove is located at the radially outermost periphery of the piston disc. The bottom surface of the annular groove is a flat bottom surface, and the friction surface is provided on the axially opposite surface of the bottom surface. With this arrangement, it is not necessary to form a dedicated protrusion for arranging the friction surface on the piston disc, and the manufacturing process of the piston disc is omitted.

[0015] According to a preferred embodiment of the present disclosure, an end of an outer wall of the annular groove includes an inward curling portion. The inward curling portion can narrow the opening of the annular groove. For example, the opening of the annular groove can be narrowed so that a spring can be inserted through the curling portion. This design not only allows the spring to be mounted, but also makes it easier to prevent the spring from escaping from the annular groove together with the turbine.

[0016] Alternatively, the annular groove may have a cross-sectional shape of another shape, for example, a semicircular cross-sectional shape, the diameter of which is slightly larger than the diameter of the spring of the torsional damper, so as to facilitate the accommodation and holding of the spring. In such a structure, the friction surface is provided at another position of the piston disc.

[0017] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the annular groove is provided with one or more spring actuators, and the spring actuators support the spring bases to drive the springs accommodated in the annular grooves and transmit torque. That is, the piston disc itself can drive the springs, and there is no need to provide a dedicated actuator disc or other torque transmission members for driving the springs. This can further reduce the number of parts of the fluid torque converter, thereby reducing manufacturing costs.

[0018] Optionally, the spring drive portion includes an inner boss protruding radially outward from the inner wall of the annular groove and an outer boss protruding radially inward from the outer wall of the annular groove. The inner boss and the outer boss face each other in the radial direction. That is, the inner boss and the outer boss are located at the same circumferential position. Thus, the inner boss and the outer boss define a narrow portion of the annular groove, and the width of the narrow portion is smaller than the diameter of the spring. The spring base portion can be in close contact with the corresponding side walls of the inner boss and the outer boss. Preferably, the corresponding side walls of the inner boss and the outer boss are located on the same radial plane passing through the rotation axis of the fluid torque converter. That is, in a plan view, the inner boss and the outer boss correspond to the same central angle of the piston disc. As a result, the bottom surface of the spring base portion in close contact with the corresponding side walls of the inner boss and the outer boss is also located on the radial plane, which is advantageous in improving the stability of torque transmission by allowing the spring base portion to receive a uniform force.

[0019] Alternatively, the spring actuator may be a protruding plate extending from the inner and / or outer wall of the annular groove into the annular groove. The side walls of the protruding plate support the base of the spring, thereby driving the spring to transmit torque. Such an arrangement can simplify the design of the spring actuator and eliminate steps required in the manufacture of the piston disc.

[0020] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the annular groove is provided with three spring actuators uniformly distributed in the circumferential direction. The three spring actuators may divide the annular groove into three groove sections, each groove section may accommodate one spring. Thus, the torsional damper includes three springs. It is understood that the annular groove may be provided with various numbers of spring actuators, such as two spring actuators, four spring actuators, five spring actuators, or more than five actuators. Correspondingly, the number of springs included in the torsional damper will vary accordingly.

[0021] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the turbine housing includes a bent body, the bent body having a curvature and corresponding to the blades in the axial direction, and the bent body is provided with a protrusion formed integrally with the turbine housing to receive the torque transmitted by the piston disc through the torsional damper, i.e., the protrusion can act as a torque transmission part. The above-mentioned design allows the turbine housing itself to receive the torque transmitted through the torsional damper, and there is no need to provide a dedicated driving disc, and there is no need to weld or otherwise attach a torque transmission element to the turbine housing. Such a design reduces the number of parts required and reduces the size, including the axial size and radial size, of the hydrodynamic torque converter, thereby saving material consumed in the manufacture of the turbine housing and reducing the manufacturing cost of the hydrodynamic torque converter.

[0022] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the protrusion is formed on a boss of a bent-type body of a turbine housing. A radial position of the boss corresponds to a radial position of a spring of a torsional damper. The base of the spring can be in close contact with a side wall of the boss to apply a deflection force along a circumferential tangential direction to the boss to realize torque transmission. Preferably, the side wall of the boss is located on a radial plane passing through a rotation axis of the fluid torque converter. As a result, the bottom surface of the spring base that is in close contact with the side wall of the boss is also located on the radial plane, which is advantageous in improving the stability of torque transmission by allowing the spring base to receive a uniform force.

[0023] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the protrusion is formed on a hook portion of a bent-type body of a turbine housing. A radial position of the hook portion corresponds to a radial position of a spring of a torsional damper. A base portion of the spring can be in close contact with a side edge of the hook portion so as to apply a deflection force along a circumferential tangential direction to the hook portion to realize torque transmission. Preferably, the side edge of the hook portion is located on a radial plane passing through a rotation axis of the fluid torque converter. As a result, the bottom surface of the spring base portion in close contact with the side edge of the boss is also located on the radial plane, which is advantageous in improving the stability of torque transmission by allowing the spring base portion to receive a uniform force.

[0024] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the turbine is provided with three protrusions uniformly distributed in the circumferential direction. Specifically, the radial positions of the three protrusions on the bent-type body of the turbine housing are the same, and the spring of the torsional damper is located between two adjacent protrusions. Thus, the torsional damper includes three springs. It is understood that the turbine may be provided with various numbers of protrusions, such as two protrusions, four protrusions, five protrusions, or more than five protrusions. Correspondingly, the number of springs included in the torsional damper also varies accordingly.

[0025] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the piston disc is provided with one or more first stop protrusions integrally formed with the piston disc, and the turbine housing is provided with one or more second stop protrusions integrally formed with the turbine housing, and the first stop protrusions and the second stop protrusions can be coupled to each other to limit the compression amount of the spring of the torsional damper. Specifically, when the compression amount of the spring reaches a predetermined threshold, the first stop protrusions and the second stop protrusions interfere with each other to limit the relative displacement in the circumferential direction between the turbine housing and the piston disc, so that the spring cannot be further compressed. Since the first stop protrusions and the second stop protrusions are of the same type, they can be manufactured in the same process, simplifying the manufacturing steps of the fluid torque converter. At the same time, since the first stop protrusions and the second stop protrusions are integrally formed with the piston disc and the turbine housing, respectively, there is no need to provide a dedicated holding element and a torque transmission element to provide a stop mechanism, so that the axial size of the fluid torque converter is reduced and the installation space for other torque transmission members is expanded.

[0026] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the first stop protrusion is a first stop boss protruding from the piston disc toward the turbine housing, and the second stop protrusion is a second stop boss protruding from the turbine housing toward the piston disc. The radial positions of the first stop boss and the second stop boss correspond to each other. When the compression of the spring reaches a predetermined threshold, the opposing side walls of the first stop boss and the second stop boss are in close contact with each other, and the function of limiting the compression of the spring of the torsional damper is realized. Preferably, the side walls of the first stop boss and the second stop boss are located in a radial plane passing through the rotation axis of the fluid torque converter. This allows the opposing side walls of the first stop boss and the second stop boss to be in close contact with each other, increasing the contact area and reducing damage to the stop boss when the torque is excessively large.

[0027] According to another embodiment of the present disclosure, the piston disc includes an axial extension extending from a radially inner periphery toward the turbine, the first stop protrusion being a first stop tooth extending axially from an end of the axial extension, and the second stop protrusion being a second stop tooth extending radially from the radially inner periphery of the turbine housing. When the compression of the spring reaches a predetermined threshold, the opposing side walls of the first stop tooth and the second stop tooth are brought into close contact with each other, thereby realizing the function of limiting the compression of the spring of the torsional damper. Preferably, the side walls of the first stop tooth and the second stop tooth are located in a radial plane passing through the rotation axis of the hydrodynamic torque converter. This allows the opposing side walls of the first stop tooth and the second stop tooth to be brought into close contact with each other, increasing the contact area and reducing possible damage to the stop teeth when the torque is excessively large.

[0028] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the piston disc is provided with three circumferentially uniformly distributed first stop protrusions and the turbine housing is provided with three circumferentially uniformly distributed second stop protrusions. The piston disc may be provided with a variable number of first stop protrusions and / or the turbine housing may be provided with a variable number of second stop protrusions.

[0029] The fluid torque converter may include multiple torsional dampers to further improve the damping effect. For example, the torsional damper located radially outward is a first torsional damper, and the fluid torque converter further includes a second torsional damper located radially inward. The second torsional damper may have a similar structure to the first torsional damper.

[0030] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the piston disc and / or the turbine housing of the fluid torque converter are manufactured by punching. Specifically, the first stop boss and the second stop boss are formed by punching the piston disc and the turbine housing in the axial direction, respectively. The piston disc and the turbine housing are not pierced during the punching process, and the punch used is selected as a suitable shape for the first stop boss and the second stop boss. The first stop tooth is formed by punching and removing a portion of material of the axial extension of the piston disc in the radial direction, and the second stop tooth is formed by punching and removing a portion of material of the radially inner periphery of the turbine housing in the axial direction. After punching, the thickness of the particular portion of the piston disc and / or the turbine housing is correspondingly reduced. Preferably, in order to increase the strength of the piston disc and / or the turbine housing, after punching, the piston disc and / or the turbine housing are strengthened by a heat treatment process.

[0031] The present disclosure also relates to a motor vehicle including the above-described fluid torque converter.

[0032] The above and other features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the most preferred embodiment of the present invention which is described in detail below in conjunction with the drawings. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0033] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic, partial cross-sectional view of a fluid torque converter according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2A] 2A to 2C show a piston disk according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, where FIG. 2A shows one side of the piston disk facing the turbine, FIG. 2B shows one side of the piston disk facing the cover, and FIG. 2C shows a cross-sectional view of an annular groove portion of the piston disk. [Figure 2B]2A to 2C show a piston disk according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, where FIG. 2A shows one side of the piston disk facing the turbine, FIG. 2B shows one side of the piston disk facing the cover, and FIG. 2C shows a cross-sectional view of an annular groove portion of the piston disk. [Figure 2C] 2A to 2C show a piston disk according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, where FIG. 2A shows one side of the piston disk facing the turbine, FIG. 2B shows one side of the piston disk facing the cover, and FIG. 2C shows a cross-sectional view of an annular groove portion of the piston disk. [Figure 3A] 3A and 3B show in detail the spring drive of the piston disc shown in FIGS. 2A-2C. [Figure 3B] 3A and 3B show in detail the spring drive of the piston disc shown in FIGS. 2A-2C. [Figure 4A] 4A and 4B show partial cross-sectional views of a fluid torque converter according to two different embodiments of the present disclosure, detailing the protrusions provided on the turbine housing for receiving the torque transmitted by the piston disc through the torsional damper. [Figure 4B] 4A and 4B show partial cross-sectional views of a fluid torque converter according to two different embodiments of the present disclosure, detailing the protrusions provided on the turbine housing for receiving the torque transmitted by the piston disc through the torsional damper. [Figure 5A] 5A and 5B respectively show a piston disk provided with a first stop protrusion and a turbine housing provided with a second stop protrusion according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 5B] 5A and 5B respectively show a piston disk provided with a first stop protrusion and a turbine housing provided with a second stop protrusion according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 6A] 6A and 6B show a partial cross-sectional view of a fluid torque converter in an assembled configuration where the compression of the spring has reached a predetermined threshold. [Figure 6B] 6A and 6B show a partial cross-sectional view of a fluid torque converter in an assembled configuration where the compression of the spring has reached a predetermined threshold. [Figure 7A] 7A-7C show a first stop projection and a second stop projection according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 7B] 7A-7C show a first stop projection and a second stop projection according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 7C] 7A-7C show a first stop projection and a second stop projection according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 8] 8 is a schematic partial cross-sectional view of a fluid torque converter according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. In the drawings, the same or similar elements are designated by the same reference numerals. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0034] In order to make the objectives, technical solutions and advantages of the embodiments of the present disclosure clearer, the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present disclosure will be clearly and completely described hereinafter in combination with the drawings of the embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0035] Unless otherwise defined, technical or scientific terms used herein have the common meaning as understood by a person of ordinary skill in the art to which the present disclosure belongs. Words such as "a", "an" or "said" used in the patent application specification and claims of the present disclosure also mean the presence of one or more, but do not mean a limitation on quantity. Words such as "inclusive" or "comprise" mean that the component or item preceding the word includes the component or item exemplified after the word and its equivalents, and does not exclude other components or items. Directions such as "axial", "radial" and "circumferential" are defined with respect to the rotation axis RO of the fluid torque converter, where the axial direction is the direction along which the rotation axis RO extends, the radial direction is the direction perpendicular to the rotation axis RO, and the circumferential direction is the circumferential direction centered on the rotation axis RO.

[0036] 1 is a schematic partial cross-sectional view of a fluid torque converter according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. For clarity, in the structure of the fluid torque converter, elements that are not relevant to understanding the technical solution of the present disclosure are omitted.

[0037] As shown in Fig. 1, the fluid torque converter includes a cover 1, an impeller 2, a turbine 3, a piston disk 4, a torsional damper 5 disposed between the turbine and the piston disk, and a stator 6. The cover 1 is rotationally driven by a driving member on the engine side of the automobile, and the impeller 2 is rotatably and fixedly connected to the cover 1 by, for example, welding. In this manner, torque is input to the fluid torque converter through the cover 1 and the impeller 2. The turbine 3 is driven to rotate about a rotation axis RO, and transmits the torque to an input shaft of the automobile transmission through a turbine hub 30. That is, the torque is output from the fluid torque converter through the turbine 3 and the turbine hub 30.

[0038] Depending on various driving conditions of the automobile, the torque transmission from the cover 1 and the impeller 2 to the turbine 3 can be switched between a fluid transmission mode and a mechanical transmission mode. Such switching is realized by axially actuating the piston disc 4 (e.g., hydraulically actuating it).

[0039] Specifically, the impeller 2, the turbine 3 and the stator 6 define an annular channel within which the working fluid of the fluid torque converter circulates. In the fluid transmission mode, the piston disc 4 operates so as not to come into contact with the cover 1, and the two can rotate freely relative to each other. At this time, the impeller 2 rotates about the rotation axis RO to drive the flow of the working fluid, thereby driving the turbine 3. That is, in the fluid transmission mode, the torque transmission path of the fluid torque converter is torque input → cover 1 → impeller 2 → (working fluid) → turbine 3 → turbine hub 30 → torque output. The solid lines in FIG. 1 indicate the torque transmission path in the fluid transmission mode.

[0040] In the mechanical transmission mode, the piston disc 4 operates by facing the cover 1 so that the friction surface 41 is in close contact with the cover 1. The frictional contact between the piston disc 4 and the cover 1 causes them to rotate together. The piston disc 4 transmits torque to the turbine 3 via the torsional damper 5. That is, in the mechanical transmission mode, the torque transmission path of the fluid torque converter is torque input → cover 1 → piston disc 4 → (torsion damper 5) → turbine 3 → turbine hub 30 → torque output. The dotted line in FIG. 1 indicates the torque transmission path in the mechanical transmission mode.

[0041] In order to transmit the torque and reduce the torque fluctuation transmitted at the torque output, the torsional damper 5 includes one or more springs 51, such as a helical compression spring. The piston disc 4 compresses the spring 51, and the spring 51 exerts an elastic force on the turbine 3, thereby realizing the torque transmission from the piston disc 4 to the turbine 3. As shown in FIGS. 2A-2C and 4A-4B, the spring 51 is held in the annular groove 42 of the piston disc 4 by the piston disc 4 and the turbine 3, and the compression and return of the spring 51 are guided by the annular groove 42. If the piston disc 4 compresses the spring 51, the spring 51 exerts an elastic force on a protrusion 33 provided on the turbine housing 31 of the turbine 3, thereby realizing the torque transmission from the piston disc 4 to the turbine 3. In particular, the protrusion 33 is provided on the bent type body 31A of the turbine housing 31.

[0042] FIG. 2A shows one side of the piston disc 4 facing the turbine 3, FIG. 2B shows one side of the piston disc 4 facing the cover 1, and FIG. 2C shows a partial cross-sectional view of the piston disc 4. As is well known, the annular groove 42 is recessed from the turbine 3 toward the cover 1. The annular groove 42 has a substantially rectangular cross-sectional shape and includes an inner wall 42a located radially inward, an outer wall 42b located radially outward, and a bottom surface 42c connecting the inner wall 42a and the outer wall 42b. The width of the annular groove 42 is slightly larger than the diameter of the spring 51, so that it is suitable for accommodating the spring 51. Since the annular groove 42 is located at the radially outermost portion of the piston disc 4, the outer wall 42b of the annular groove 42 constitutes the radially outer periphery of the piston disc 4. The bottom surface 42c of the annular groove 42 is flat and constitutes the portion of the piston disc 4 closest to the cover 1 in the axial direction. The friction surface 41 is provided on the axially opposite surface of the bottom surface 42c. With this arrangement, when the piston disc 4 operates toward the cover 1, the friction surface 41 first comes into contact with the cover 1, thereby locking the piston disc 4 and the cover 1 in rotation. Also, when the annular groove 42 is positioned at the radially outermost portion of the piston disc 4, the friction surface 41 is also positioned at the radially outermost portion of the piston disc 4, facilitating torque transmission between the piston disc 4 and the cover 1. With this design, it is not necessary to form a protrusion on the piston disc 4 for arranging the friction surface 41, and the manufacturing process of the piston disc 4 is omitted.

[0043] 2C, an end of the outer wall 42b of the annular groove 42 includes an inward curling portion 43, i.e., curled from the outer wall 42b to the inner wall 42a. Therefore, the inward curling portion 43 can narrow the opening of the annular groove 42. For example, the opening of the annular groove 42 is narrowed so that a spring can be inserted through the curling portion 43. This design not only makes it easy to install the spring, but also prevents the spring from coming off the annular groove 42 together with the turbine 3.

[0044] Although not shown, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the annular groove 42 may have other cross-sectional shapes. For example, the cross-sectional shape of the annular groove 42 may be semicircular, with a diameter slightly larger than that of the spring 51 of the torsional damper 5 so as to facilitate the accommodation and holding of the spring 51.

[0045] As shown in FIG. 2A, the annular groove 42 is further provided with three spring actuators 44, and the annular groove 42 is divided into three sections, with one spring 51 disposed in each section. Although not shown, various numbers of spring actuators can be envisioned. The spring actuators 44 define a narrow portion of the annular groove 42, and the width of the narrow portion is smaller than the diameter of the spring 51. Thus, the spring actuators 44 can drive the spring 51 by supporting the base portion of the spring 51 to transmit torque. In this manner, the piston disc 4 itself can drive the spring 51, and there is no need to additionally provide a dedicated actuator disc or other torque transmission member for driving the spring.

[0046] 3A shows one spring drive 44 in detail. In the illustrated embodiment, the spring drive 44 includes an inner boss 44a protruding radially outward from the inner wall 42a of the annular groove 42 and an outer boss 44b protruding radially inward from the outer wall 42b of the annular groove 42. The inner boss 44a and the outer boss 44b face each other in the radial direction. The angles and positions of the inner boss 44a and the outer boss 44b of the same spring drive 44 are the same.

[0047] The inner boss 44a and the outer boss 44b may have different circumferential lengths. As shown in FIG. 3B, the inner boss 44a and the outer boss 44b correspond to the same central angle of the piston disc 4. In this manner, the corresponding side walls of the inner boss 44a and the outer boss 44b are located on the same radial plane passing through the rotation axis RO of the fluid torque converter. As a result, the spring base parts in close contact with the corresponding side walls of the inner boss 44a and the outer boss 44b are also located on the radial plane. In this manner, the spring base parts can receive a uniform force, which is advantageous for improving the stability of torque transmission.

[0048] Although not shown, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the spring actuator 44 may have other configurations. For example, a portion of the inner wall and / or outer wall of the annular groove 42 may form a protruding plate extending into the annular groove and leaving an opening or aperture in the corresponding side wall of the annular groove 42. The protruding plate may form a spring actuator.

[0049] 4A and 4B show in detail the protrusion 33 provided on the turbine housing 31 for receiving the torque transmitted by the piston disc 4 via the torsional damper 5. FIG.

[0050] In the embodiment shown in FIG. 4A, the protrusion 33 has the form of a boss 33A protruding from a bent body 31A of the turbine housing 31 to the piston disc 4. The bent body 31A means a curvature portion facing the blade 32 in the axial direction of the turbine housing 31. The radial position of the boss 33A corresponds to the radial position of the spring 51 of the torsional damper 5. The base of the spring 51 is in close contact with the side wall of the boss 33A and can apply a deflection force to the boss 33A along the circumferential tangential direction. The side wall of the boss 33A is located in a radial plane passing through the rotation axis RO of the fluid torque converter. Thus, the bottom surface of the spring base part in close contact with the side wall of the boss 33A is also located in the radial plane. In this manner, the spring base part can receive a uniform force, which is advantageous for improving the stability of the torque transmission.

[0051] In the embodiment shown in Fig. 4B, the protrusion 33 has a form of a hook portion 33B protruding from the bent body 31A of the turbine housing 31 towards the piston disc 4. The radial position of the hook portion 33B corresponds to the radial position of the spring 51 of the torsional damper 5. The base portion of the spring 51 is in close contact with the side of the hook portion 33B and can apply a deflection force to the hook portion 33B along the circumferential tangential direction. Similar to the boss 33A, the side of the hook portion 33B is also located in a radial plane passing through the rotation axis RO of the fluid torque converter, so that the bottom surface of the spring base is also located in the radial plane, improving the stability of the torque transmission.

[0052] 5B generally illustrates the arrangement of the protrusions 33 on the turbine housing 31. As illustrated, the turbine housing 31 is arranged with three protrusions 33 uniformly distributed in the circumferential direction at a radial position corresponding to the spring 51. In the assembled structure of the fluid torque converter, the spring of the torsional damper 5 is located between two adjacent protrusions 33. Thus, the torsional damper 5 includes three springs. Although not illustrated, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the turbine 3 may include various quantities of protrusions 33, such as two protrusions, four protrusions, five protrusions, or more than five protrusions. Correspondingly, the number of springs included in the torsional damper 5 will also vary.

[0053] In order to extend the life of the torsional damper, the compression of the spring 51 must not exceed a certain threshold. For this purpose, the piston disc 4 and the turbine housing 31 are provided with a first stop protrusion 8 and a second stop protrusion 9, respectively. When the compression of the spring 51 reaches the certain threshold, the first stop protrusion 8 and the second stop protrusion 9 come into close contact with each other and limit the relative displacement between the turbine housing 31 and the piston disc 4 along the circumferential direction, so that the spring 51 cannot be further compressed.

[0054] 5A and 5B show a piston disc 4 provided with a first stop projection 8 and a turbine housing 31 provided with a second stop projection 9, respectively, according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure. In the illustrated embodiment, the first stop projection 8 has the form of a boss protruding from the piston disc 4, i.e., the first stop projection is a first stop boss 81. Similarly, the second stop projection 9 has the form of a boss protruding from the turbine housing 31, i.e., the second stop projection is a second stop boss 91. The piston disc 4 is provided with three first stop bosses 81 uniformly distributed in the circumferential direction, and the turbine housing 31 is provided with three second stop bosses 91 uniformly distributed in the circumferential direction. It will be appreciated that the piston disc 4 and the turbine housing 31 may also have a variable number of first stop bosses 81 and second stop bosses 91, respectively.

[0055] 6A and 6B show partial cross-sectional views of the fluid torque converter in an assembled structure state, where the compression of the spring 51 reaches a predetermined threshold. As shown, the radial positions of the first stop boss 81 and the second stop boss 91 correspond to each other, and the opposing side walls are in close contact with each other to prevent the spring 51 from further compression. In the enlarged view of FIG. 6B, the side walls of the first stop boss 81 and the second stop boss 91 are located on a radial plane passing through the central axis of the fluid torque converter. In this manner, the opposing side walls of both are in close contact with each other and the contact area is increased, which can reduce the damage that may be caused to the stop boss when the torque is too large.

[0056] 7A-7C show a first stop projection 8 and a second stop projection 9 having stop tooth configurations according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure. In the second embodiment, as shown in FIG. 7A, the piston disc 4 includes an axial extension 42 extending from a radially inner periphery toward the turbine 3. An axially extending projection, i.e., a first stop tooth 82 as the first stop projection 8 is provided at the end of the axial extension 42. Corresponding to the axial extension 42, as shown in FIG. 7B, the turbine housing 31 is provided with a projection extending radially inward from the radially inner periphery, i.e., a second stop tooth 92 as the second stop projection 9. The piston disc 4 is provided with three first stop teeth 82 uniformly distributed in the circumferential direction on the axial extension 42, and the turbine housing 31 is provided with three second stop teeth 92 uniformly distributed in the circumferential direction. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the piston disc 4 and the turbine housing 31 may have various quantities of the first stop teeth 82 and the second stop teeth 92, respectively. FIG. 7C shows an assembled structure of the turbine housing 3 and the piston disc 4. As shown, the first stop teeth 82 extend axially within the space between adjacent second stop teeth 92. When the compression amount of the spring 51 reaches a predetermined threshold, the sidewall of the first stop tooth 82 contacts the sidewall of the second stop tooth 92 and prevents the spring 51 from compressing further. Similar to the embodiment shown in FIGS. 5A-5B, the sidewalls of the first stop tooth 82 and the second stop tooth 92 are also located in a radial plane passing through the central axis of the fluid torque converter to increase the contact area and reduce possible damage to the stop teeth when the torque is excessively large.

[0057] Although not shown, it is understood that the fluid torque converter may be provided with the stop protrusions according to the first and second embodiments of the present disclosure at the same time, i.e., the piston disc 4 and the turbine housing 3 are provided with the first stop boss 81 and the second stop boss 91, respectively, at their radially intermediate positions, and the first stop tooth 82 and the second stop tooth 92, respectively, at their radially inner positions.

[0058] The two stop members included in the stop mechanism shown in Figures 5A to 7C are of the same type, such as a first stop boss 81 and a second stop boss 91, or a first stop tooth 82 and a second stop tooth 92. In this manner, the two stop members can be manufactured in the same process, simplifying the manufacturing steps of the fluid torque converter.

[0059] FIG. 8 shows a fluid torque converter including two torsional dampers to further improve the damping effect. The above-mentioned torsional damper 5 is located radially outward and is the first torsional damper. The second torsional damper 7 is located radially inward and has a similar structure to the first torsional damper. The piston disc 4 has a separate annular groove for the second torsional damper 7 arranged radially inward, and the turbine housing 3 has a separate protrusion for the second torsional damper 7 arranged radially inward. Similar to the above-mentioned first stop protrusion 8 and second stop protrusion 9, the spring compression of the second torsional damper 7 can be prevented from exceeding a predetermined threshold. One special advantage of the above-mentioned fluid torque converter is that the piston disc 4 and / or the turbine housing 31 can be manufactured by punching. After manufacturing the main body of the piston disc 4, the annular groove 42 of the piston disc 4 is formed by punching the piston disc 4, and the spring drive part 44 is formed by punching the side wall of the annular groove 42. In particular, if the spring drive part 44 does not penetrate the side wall of the annular groove, a boss-shaped spring drive part 44 can be formed, and if the spring drive part 44 penetrates the side wall, a protruding plate-shaped spring drive part 44 can be formed. Similarly, after forming the turbine housing 31, the protrusion 33 is formed by punching the bending mold body 31A in the axial direction. Specifically, if the protrusion 33 does not penetrate the bending mold body 31A of the turbine housing 31, a boss-shaped protrusion 33 can be formed, and if the protrusion 33 penetrates the bending mold body 31A, a hook-shaped protrusion 33 can be formed. In addition, the first stop boss 81 and the second stop boss 91 may be manufactured on the piston disc 4 and the turbine housing 31 by punching in the axial direction. The punch used can be selected as a shape suitable for forming the first stop boss 81 and the second stop boss 91. The first stop tooth 82 is formed by radially punching and removing a portion of material from the axial extension 42 of the piston disc 4, and the second stop tooth 92 is formed by axially punching and removing a portion of material from the radially inner periphery of the turbine housing 31.In this manner, the piston disc 4 and the turbine housing 31 body and various structures provided thereon can all be manufactured by punching, without the need for other processes, and without the need for a dedicated torsional damper holding element, torque transmission element and stop mechanism. In addition, since the protrusions 33 are located on the turbine housing bent body and do not come off the turbine housing bent body from the outer periphery, it is possible to save material consumed in manufacturing the turbine housing. The thickness of the material at certain parts on the turbine housing 31 is correspondingly reduced by punching. After punching, the thickness of certain parts on the piston disc 4 and / or the turbine housing 31 is correspondingly reduced. Preferably, in order to increase the strength of the piston disc 4 and / or the turbine housing 31, the piston disc 4 and / or the turbine housing 31 are strengthened by a heat treatment process after punching.

[0060] It should be understood that the structures described above and shown in the drawings are merely illustrative of the present disclosure and may be substituted with other structures performing the same or similar functions to achieve a desired end result. It should also be understood that the embodiments described above and shown in the drawings should be considered as non-limiting examples of the present disclosure and may be modified in various ways within the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. In an automotive fluid torque converter, The fluid torque converter includes a cover (1), an impeller (2), a turbine (3), a piston disc (4), and one or more torsional dampers (5); The cover (1) is driven by a driving member on the engine side of the automobile so as to rotate around a rotation axis (RO) of the fluid torque converter, The impeller (2) is rotatably and fixedly connected to the cover (1); The turbine (3) includes a turbine housing (31) and blades (32), the turbine (3) is driven to rotate about the rotation axis (RO) and outputs torque to an input shaft of a transmission of a vehicle; the piston disc (4) includes a friction surface (41), the piston disc (4) is operable such that the fluid torque converter is operably switched between a fluid transmission mode and a mechanical transmission mode, in which in the fluid transmission mode, rotation of the impeller (2) about the rotation axis (RO) generates a fluid flow to drive the turbine (3), and in the mechanical transmission mode, the friction surface (41) is in intimate contact with the cover (1) such that the cover (1) rotates integrally with the piston disc (4); the one or more torsional dampers (5) are held between the piston disc (4) and the turbine (3) to transmit torque from the piston disc (4) to the turbine (3), and include one or more springs (51); The piston disc (4) is provided with an annular groove (42) formed integrally with the piston disc (4), The annular groove (42) is for receiving and guiding the spring (51); The spring (51) is held in the annular groove (42) by the turbine (3); The annular groove (42) is provided with one or more spring actuators (44), The spring drive portion (44) includes an inner boss (44a) protruding radially outward from an inner wall (42a) of the annular groove, and an outer boss (44b) protruding radially inward from an outer wall (42b) of the annular groove, The inner boss (44a) and the outer boss (44b) are opposed to each other in the radial direction and have lengths corresponding to the same circumferential angle, The piston disc (4) is provided with one or more first stop projections (8) formed integrally with the piston disc (4), the turbine housing (31) is provided with one or more second stop projections (9) formed integrally with the turbine housing (31), and the first stop projections (8) and the second stop projections (9) are coupled to each other so as to limit the amount of compression of the spring (51).

2. The annular groove (42) is an inner wall (42a) located radially inward; an outer wall (42b) located radially outward; 2. The hydraulic torque converter of claim 1, further comprising a bottom surface (42c) connecting said inner and outer walls.

3. 3. The hydraulic torque converter for an automotive vehicle according to claim 2, wherein said outer wall (42b) constitutes the radially outer periphery of said piston disc (4).

4. 4. A fluid torque converter for an automotive vehicle according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the bottom surface (42c) is flat and the friction surface (41) is provided on the axially opposite surface of the bottom surface.

5. 5. The fluid torque converter for an automobile according to claim 2, wherein an end of an outer wall (42b) of the annular groove (42) includes an inward curling portion (43).

6. 6. The hydraulic torque converter for an automotive vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the corresponding side walls of the inner boss (44a) and the outer boss (44b) lie in the same radial plane passing through a rotational axis (RO) of the hydraulic torque converter.

7. 7. The fluid torque converter for an automobile according to claim 1, wherein the spring drive portion (44) is a protruding plate extending from an inner wall (42a) and / or an outer wall (42b) of the annular groove (42) into the annular groove.

8. 8. The fluid torque converter for an automotive vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the annular groove (42) is provided with three spring actuators (44) uniformly distributed in the circumferential direction.

9. 9. The fluid torque converter for an automobile according to claim 1, wherein the turbine housing (31) includes a bent-type body (31A), the bent-type body (31A) has a curvature and corresponds to the blades (32) in the axial direction, and the turbine housing (31) is provided with a protrusion (33) formed integrally with the turbine housing (31) on the bent-type body (31A) so as to receive a torque transmitted by a piston disc (4) via a torsional damper (5).

10. 10. The fluid torque converter for an automotive vehicle according to claim 9, wherein the projection (33) is a boss (33A) formed on a bent body (31A) of the turbine housing (31).

11. 11. The hydraulic torque converter of claim 10, wherein the side wall of the boss (33A) lies in a radial plane passing through the rotational axis (RO) of the hydraulic torque converter.

12. 10. The fluid torque converter for an automobile according to claim 9, wherein the projection (33) is a hook portion (33B) formed on a bent body (31A) of the turbine housing (31).

13. 13. The hydraulic torque converter for an automotive vehicle according to claim 12, wherein a side of said hook portion (33B) lies in a radial plane passing through a rotational axis (RO) of the hydraulic torque converter.

14. A fluid torque converter for an automotive vehicle according to any one of claims 9 to 13, wherein the turbine housing (31) is provided with three projections (33) uniformly distributed in the circumferential direction.

15. 15. The fluid torque converter for an automotive vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the first stop projection (8) is a first stop boss (81) protruding from the piston disc (4) towards the turbine housing (31), and the second stop projection (9) is a second stop boss (91) protruding from the turbine housing (31) towards the piston disc (4).

16. 16. The automotive hydraulic torque converter of claim 15, wherein the side walls of the first stop boss (81) and the second stop boss (91) lie in a radial plane passing through the rotational axis (RO) of the hydraulic torque converter.

17. 15. A fluid torque converter for an automotive vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the piston disc (4) includes an axial extension (42) extending from a radially inner periphery towards the turbine (3), the first stop projection (8) being a first stop tooth (82) extending axially from an end of the axial extension (42) and the second stop projection (9) being a second stop tooth (92) extending radially from the radially inner periphery of a turbine housing (31).

18. 18. The automotive hydraulic torque converter of claim 17, wherein the side walls of the first (82) and second (92) stop teeth lie in a radial plane passing through an axis of rotation (RO) of the hydraulic torque converter.

19. 19. The fluid torque converter for an automotive vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the piston disc (4) has three first stop projections (8) uniformly distributed in the circumferential direction, and the turbine housing (31) has three second stop projections (9) uniformly distributed in the circumferential direction.

20. The torsional damper (5) is a first torsional damper, The fluid torque converter for an automotive vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 19, further comprising a second torsional damper (7) located radially inward of the first torsional damper (5).

21. The fluid torque converter for an automotive vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 20, wherein the turbine housing (31) and / or the piston disc (4) are manufactured by punching.

22. 22. The hydraulic torque converter for automotive applications according to claim 21, wherein the turbine housing (31) and / or the piston disc (4) are strengthened by a heat treatment process after punching.

23. In automobiles, A motor vehicle comprising a fluid torque converter according to any preceding claim.

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