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A hydrokinetic torque converter has a rotary housing which is connectable to the crankshaft or camshaft of a combustion engine in a motor vehicle to drive the input shaft of the transmission. The housing confines a turbine, a pump, a stator (if necessary) and a lockup clutch between a radially exten

A hydrokinetic torque converter has a rotary housing which is connectable to the crankshaft or camshaft of a combustion engine in a motor vehicle to drive the input shaft of the transmission. The housing confines a turbine, a pump, a stator (if necessary) and a lockup clutch between a radially extending wall of the housing and the turbine. A piston of the lockup clutch is movable in the axial direction of the housing and defines a first fluid-filled compartment with the turbine as well as a second fluid-filled compartment with the wall of the housing. The force which is required to engage, to partially disengage or to fully disengage the lockup clutch is reduced by the provision of one or more profiles on the piston and/or on a friction disc of the lockup clutch which extends or extend into the adjacent compartment or compartments to influence the speed of circulation of fluids in the respective compartments and/or the fluid pressures acting upon opposite sides of the piston. This enables a control unit to predictably and reliably change the condition of the lockup clutch (from engaged to partially engaged (slipping) to fully disengaged or in the opposite direction) in response to relatively small changes of fluid pressure in the first or in the second compartment.

대표청구항 ▼

A hydrokinetic torque converter comprising: a housing rotatable about a predetermined axis by an output element of an engine in a vehicle and defining a chamber for a pressurizable hydraulic fluid which circulates in response to rotation of the output element, said housing having a wall extending at

A hydrokinetic torque converter comprising: a housing rotatable about a predetermined axis by an output element of an engine in a vehicle and defining a chamber for a pressurizable hydraulic fluid which circulates in response to rotation of the output element, said housing having a wall extending at least substantially radially of said axis between a rotary turbine of the torque converter and said output element; a lockup clutch disposed in said chamber between said wall and said turbine and including at least one friction disc rotatable with said turbine and a piston disposed between said wall and said turbine, said at least one friction disc being rotatable relative to said piston and said piston dividing said chamber into a first compartment adjacent said turbine and a second compartment adjacent said wall, said piston being movable in the direction of said axis in response to the establishment of pressure differentials between the fluids in said compartments, said clutch being at least partially engaged in response to a rise of fluid pressure in said first compartment and being disengaged in response to a rise of fluid pressure in said seccond compartment; and means for reducing differences developing between a lower speed of circuation of fluid in said first compartment and a higher speed of circulation of fluid in said second compartment when the clutch is at least partially disengaged while the engine pulls a load, said difference reducing means being disposed in at least one of said compartments.