Patent Application
20190285155
The present disclosure relates to torque converters and more specifically to the cover, impeller shell, and turbine shell for torque converters.
In a torque converter, a cover, turbine, and pump may be the largest components. The tooling required to stamp the cover, turbine, and pump may consist of multiple die sets. The form in each of these components need to be very accurate to meet various requirements, thus tooling may be expensive. As additional tooling is needed for more components, expenses to create those components may increase. For example, it may be more expensive to stamp three components versus two components. In low volume production, the cost of tooling may not be justifiable as it is with high volume production.
According to one embodiment, a torque converter comprising a cover that includes a cover profile defined by the cover's contour, and an impeller shell that includes an impeller profile defined by an impeller contour, and wherein the impeller profile and cover profile includes a substantially identical contour.
According to a second embodiment, a torque converter includes a cover that includes a cover-thickness defined by an outer peripheral surface and inner peripheral surface of the cover. The torque converter further includes a turbine shell that includes a turbine-shell thickness defined by a turbine-shell outer peripheral surface and turbine-shell inner peripheral surface, wherein the cover-thickness and the turbine-shell thickness are substantially identical.
According to a third embodiment, a method of producing a torque converter is disclosed. The method includes tooling a cover for a torque converter from a first machine, tooling a turbine assembly for a torque converter from the first machine, and tooling an impeller assembly including for a torque converter from the machine, wherein the cover, turbine assembly, and impeller assembly each contain substantially identical contours.
Embodiments of the present disclosure are described herein. It is to be understood, however, that the disclosed embodiments are merely examples and other embodiments can take various and alternative forms. The figures are not necessarily to scale; some features could be exaggerated or minimized to show details of particular components. Therefore, specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the embodiments. As those of ordinary skill in the art will understand, various features illustrated and described with reference to any one of the figures can be combined with features illustrated in one or more other figures to produce embodiments that are not explicitly illustrated or described. The combinations of features illustrated provide representative embodiments for typical applications. Various combinations and modifications of the features consistent with the teachings of this disclosure, however, could be desired for particular applications or implementations.
In a torque converter, a cover, turbine shell, and impeller shell may be the largest components. The tooling required to stamp the cover, turbine assembly, and pump assembly may consist of multiple die sets. The form in each of these components need to be very accurate to meet various requirements, thus tooling may be expensive. As additional tooling is needed for more components, expenses may increase. For example, it may be more expensive to stamp three components versus two components. In low volume production (e.g. forklifts or construction vehicles), the cost may not be justifiable as with high volume products.
It may be feasible to utilize the same stamped form for a cover, turbine assembly, and impeller assembly. In such a situation, the outer diameter (OD) and inner diameter (ID) of each component could be machined or pierced based on the function and tolerance stacks. The torque converter may include a turbine core ring and an impeller core ring that may also utilize the same form. The same form can be utilized on both core rings to allow a communizing of the forming tool. If blades that are utilized on the impeller and turbine need different slots to accommodate for the blades, one die can be changed over to accommodate for such changes.
Each of the shells may include an outer peripheral surface and an inner peripheral surface. For example, the impeller shell 104 may include an outer-peripheral surface 112 and an inner peripheral surface 114. The impeller shell 104 may include a thickness t1 that is defined between the impeller shell's inner peripheral surface 114 and outer peripheral surface 112. The turbine shell 102 may include an outer-peripheral surface 116 and an inner peripheral surface 118. The turbine shell 102 may include a thickness t2 that is defined by the turbine shell's inner peripheral surface 118 and outer peripheral surface 116. The cover shell 106 may include an outer-peripheral surface 124 and an inner peripheral surface 126. The cover shell 106 may include a thickness t3 between the cover shell's inner peripheral surface 126 and outer peripheral surface 124. In an embodiment of the torque converter 100 in
In one embodiment, the cover 106, the turbine shell 102, and the impeller shell 104 may have a substantially identical form or profile. For example, the curvature, dimensions (e.g. length, breadth, depth, or height), shape, contour, etc., may be substantially identical for the cover 106, turbine shell 102, and impeller shell 104. For example, a cover of a torque converter may have a very unique shape compared to a turbine or impeller. But because the cover 106, turbine shell 102, and impeller shell 104 may be formed from the same tooling, the profile for these components will be substantially identical. The thickness, profiles, shapes, contour of these components being substantially identical may allow for each component to be substantially identical or have a very minor tolerance in variation. For example, the tolerance for thickness may be +/−0.35 mm. The tolerance for dimensions measured on the same side of the component or components may be +/−0.5 mm, e.g. measuring from a point on one side (e.g. inner surface) of the component a distance from that point to a furthest dimension of the same side (e.g. inner surface) of the component may a difference of +/−0.5 mm. The tolerance for dimensions measured on the opposite side of material thickness are +/−0.6 mm, e.g. measuring from a point on one side (e.g. inner surface side) the component a distance from that point to a furthest dimension of the opposite side (e.g. outer surface side) of the component may have a difference of +/−0.6 mm. Thus, this also allows for a tolerance for the curvature, profile, contour, etc. of the components to be substantially identical. Additionally, the cover 106, turbine shell 102, and impeller shell 104 may also be manufactured from the same material.
While the components of the turbine assembly, impeller assembly, cover may be manufactured substantially identically because they may be manufactured from the same tooling, machining (e.g. piercing, utilizing a die, etc.) may allow for slight variations of the finished torque converter components. As shown in
Additionally, the turbine core ring 132 and the pump core ring 134 may have substantially identical forms or profiles. As shown in
In one embodiment, the impeller 122 may include tab-less blades on the impeller shell 104 side. Because the blades may not have tabs, there may be no need for corresponding slots. The various components of the impeller assembly and turbine assembly may be glued together in such an embodiment. One of the stations for tooling may include a station that allows tooling the core rings differently to adapt for various slots that may be needed for the blades of the impeller. Thus, certain torque converters made in accordance to this disclosure may include the ability to have different core rings. For example, the turbine 120 may be stamped for blades at one machine and the impeller 122 may be stamped for blades at another machine. In such an example, blade configurations may be individualized for the turbine 120 versus the impeller 122. In another example, the turbine 120 and impeller 122 are stamped for blades at the same machine. Another station may also allow for the impressions for the blades to be made for the impeller 122. The stator 110 may also include blades.
While exemplary embodiments are described above, it is not intended that these embodiments describe all possible forms encompassed by the claims. The words used in the specification are words of description rather than limitation, and it is understood that various changes can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure. As previously described, the features of various embodiments can be combined to form further embodiments of the invention that may not be explicitly described or illustrated. While various embodiments could have been described as providing advantages or being preferred over other embodiments or prior art implementations with respect to one or more desired characteristics, those of ordinary skill in the art recognize that one or more features or characteristics can be compromised to achieve desired overall system attributes, which depend on the specific application and implementation. These attributes can include, but are not limited to cost, strength, durability, life cycle cost, marketability, appearance, packaging, size, serviceability, weight, manufacturability, ease of assembly, etc. As such, to the extent any embodiments are described as less desirable than other embodiments or prior art implementations with respect to one or more characteristics, these embodiments are not outside the scope of the disclosure and can be desirable for particular applications.
100 torque converter
102 turbine shell
104 impeller shell
106 cover
108 weld
110 stator
112 impeller outer peripheral surface
114 impeller inner peripheral surface
116 turbine outer peripheral surface
118 turbine inner peripheral surface
120 turbine
122 impeller
124 cover outer peripheral surface
126 cover inner peripheral surface
128 turbine shell inner diameter
130 impeller shell inner diameter
132 turbine core ring
134 impeller core ring
