Torque Converter Damper Assembly for High-Torque Vibration Damping
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle torque converters with blade dampers are ineffective for high engine torque applications above 250 Nm, as they require thick blades that are difficult and expensive to produce, and have unknown stopper torque values, leading to design challenges and manufacturing complexities.
Innovation Solution
A damper assembly combining a blade damper and a spring damper, where the blade damper includes a blade and a roller that bends and unbends to generate damping torque, and the spring damper includes a coil spring that compresses and decompresses, both configured to work together to dampen torsional vibrations effectively across a wide range of engine torques.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a blade damper is used for high engine torque applications above 250 Nm, then damping effectiveness is improved, but blade thickness must be increased which makes production difficult and expensive
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines a blade damper and a spring damper into a single integrated damper assembly. The blade damper provides damping for high torque applications while the spring damper handles lower torque conditions, allowing the blade to remain thin and easy to manufacture while maintaining effective damping performance across the full torque range.
2Power
If a blade damper is used for high engine torque applications, then damping torque is improved, but stopper torque becomes unknown leading to design challenges
Solution Approach 1:
The spring damper acts as an intermediary element that provides a known and controllable stopper torque. When the blade reaches its stopper position, the spring damper engages to provide a predetermined torque limit, eliminating the design uncertainty associated with unknown stopper torque values in pure blade damper systems.
3Strength
If blade thickness is increased to handle high torque, then damping capacity is improved, but manufacturing cost and difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
By merging the blade damper and spring damper functions into one assembly, the system achieves high damping capacity through the combined action of both dampers rather than relying on a single thick blade. This allows the blade to be manufactured at standard thickness with lower cost and complexity, while the spring damper supplements the damping capacity for high torque conditions.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The combined damper assembly effectively reduces torsional vibrations in vehicle transmissions and drivelines during high torque applications, preventing damage and allowing for thinner, less expensive blade production, while maintaining performance.
Implementation Method 1
Movement of the roller relative to the blade bends and unbends the blade
Implementation Method 2
Movement of the first spring damper portion relative to the second spring damper portion compresses and decompresses the spring
Implementation Method 3
a roller engaging the blade. Movement of the roller relative to the blade bends and unbends the blade
Data Source
AI summary
Blade and spring damper apparatus for use with vehicle torque converters are disclosed. A disclosed vehicle torque converter includes a housing, a hub, a clutch including a piston in the housing, and a damper assembly operatively interposed between the clutch and the hub. The damper assembly includes a blade damper having a blade and a roller engaging the blade. Movement of the roller relative to the blade bends and unbends the blade. The damper assembly also includes a spring damper connected to the blade damper. The spring damper includes a first spring damper portion, a second spring damper portion, and a spring between the first and second spring damper portions. Movement of the first spring damper portion relative to the second spring damper portion compresses and decompresses the spring. The blade damper and the spring damper, together, are configured to dampen a torsional vibration received by the housing when the clutch is engaged.