Schaeffler Technologies Ag & Co .Kg

Andrew Derhammer

Jeremy Vanni

A torque converter includes a turbine disposed in a hydrodynamic chamber. A bypass clutch has an apply chamber fluidly isolated from the hydrodynamic chamber. A first hydraulic passage is in fluid communication with the apply chamber. A variable-pitch stator including blades controllable by an actuator that has a chamber in fluid communication with the first hydraulic passage.

Four-pass torque converter with variable-pitch stator and bypass clutch

A torque converter includes an impeller, a turbine, and a variable-pitch stator adjacent the turbine. The stator includes a hub and blades circumferentially arranged around the hub and pivotal between open and closed positions. The stator further includes an annular carrier connected to the blades and configured to rotate relative to the hub in response to pivoting of the blades, and a thrust disk engageable with the carrier to inhibit rotation of the carrier relative to the hub to maintain positions of the blades.

Variable-pitch stator for torque converter

A disk assembly of a torque converter bypass clutch includes a disk defining a circular spring cavity and a plurality of arc springs circumferentially arranged in the cavity with gaps defined between adjacent ones of the arc springs. Each of the springs includes an end cap fitted on an end of the spring. Spring connectors are each disposed in one of the gaps and include an end received within a corresponding one of the end caps.

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Wadsworth, OH, United States of America

Andrew Derhammer