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

摘要

A hydrokinetic torque coupling device includes an impeller, a casing having a first engagement surface, a turbine-piston hydrodynamically drivable by the impeller, and a bearing device. The turbine-piston is axially displaceable into and out of a lockup mode. The bearing device (80a-d) includes a non-axially oriented spring (86) and a substantially incompressible rolling member (88) urged by the spring against an oblique contact surface (90a) associated with the turbine-piston to thereby exert a variable axial force against the turbine-piston shell for biasing the turbine-piston out of the lockup mode. The variable axial force exerted by the bearing device against the turbine-piston shell decreases as the turbine-piston is axially displaced towards the lockup mode.