Schaeffler Technologies Ag & Co .kg

Christine Malott

Rashid Farahati

Jeffrey Krause

Prasanna Gurumurthy

A torque converter, including: a cover arranged to receive torque; an impeller including an impeller shell fixedly connected to the cover and including a first surface; a first plurality of blades fixedly connected to the impeller shell; a turbine including a turbine shell with a second surface; a second plurality of blades fixedly connected to the turbine shell; friction material bonded, with an adhesive, to one of the first surface or the second surface; and a stator connected to the turbine and the impeller and including a third plurality of blades. The one of the first surface or the second surface includes a periodic pattern etched into the one of the first surface or the second surface.

Torque converter with an etched clutch surface

A method of fabricating a torque converter, including: forming a turbine shell including a first annular portion with a first surface having a first roughness and forming a radially outermost portion of the turbine shell; fixing a first plurality of blades to the turbine shell; forming an impeller shell including a second annular portion with a second surface having a second roughness; fixing a second plurality of blades to the impeller shell; removing at least a portion the first or second surface without the use of particulate matter or a liquid; increasing the first or second roughness of the first or second surface from which the at least a portion is removed; applying an adhesive to the first or second surface from which the at least a portion is removed; and bonding, with the adhesive, friction material to the first or second surface.

Growing community of inventors

Ashland, OH, United States of America

Christine Malott