TORQUE CONVERTER AND HYDROKINETIC TORQUE COUPLING DEVICE HAVING TURBINE-PISTON LOCKUP CLUTCH, AND RELATED METHODS

摘要

A hydrokinetic torque coupling device features an impeller including an impeller shell and impeller blades, and a turbine-piston including a turbine-piston shell and turbine blades. The turbine-piston is movable axially toward and away from the impeller shell to position the torque converter (or a hydrokinetic torque coupling device containing the torque converter) into and out of lockup mode.

主权项

1. A hydrokinetic torque coupling device for coupling together a driving shaft and a driven shaft, the torque coupling device comprising:
an impeller rotatable about a rotational axis and comprising an impeller shell and a plurality of impeller blades, the impeller shell comprising a substantially toroidal impeller shell portion that at least partially houses the impeller blades and terminates at a first distal end clutch surface; and a turbine-piston coaxially aligned with and hydrodynamically drivable by the impeller, the turbine-piston comprising a turbine-piston shell and a plurality of turbine blades, the turbine-piston shell comprising a substantially toroidal turbine-piston shell portion that at least partially houses the turbine blades and terminates at a second distal end clutch surface that faces the first distal end clutch surface, the turbine-piston being axially movable to move the second distal end clutch surface towards and away from the first distal end clutch surface to position the hydrokinetic torque coupling device into and out of a lockup mode in which the turbine-piston is mechanically locked with the impeller shell so as to be non-rotatable relative to the impeller shell.