Schaeffler Technologies Ag & Co .kg

Nicholas Wurst

Brian C Zaugg

Edward Goodwill

A torque converter includes a front cover arranged to receive a torque and a lock-up clutch engaged with the front cover. The lock-up clutch includes a reaction plate, a clutch plate, and an anti-rattle plate. The reaction plate is fixed to the front cover and includes a plurality of windows circumferentially spaced from each other. The clutch plate includes a plurality of tabs each engaged with the reaction plate via one respective window. The anti-rattle plate is fixed relative to the front cover and engaged with each of the plurality of tabs in the corresponding windows.

Clutch plate anti-rattle feature

A drive assembly including a primary inertia plate and clutch. The primary inertia plate is configured to be rotationally driven via a crankshaft. The clutch plate includes a body with a rotational axis (X). The clutch plate is configured to be rotationally driven by the primary inertia plate. The clutch plate includes at least one imbalance feature such that a center of gravity of the clutch plate is positioned away from the rotational axis (X). The imbalance feature generates a centrifugal force that counteracts or prevents rattling from being imparted to the clutch plate via engine vibrations through the primary inertia plate.

Anti-rattle feature for clutch plate

A reaction plate suitable for use in a torque converter is disclosed. The reaction plate has a main plate area and a webbing area at the perimeter of the main plate area, wherein the webbing area is curved out of the plane of the main plate area. The reaction plate has two sizes of coupling windows. The wider windows have both a drive torque transfer tooth and a coast torque transfer tooth. The narrower windows have only a drive torque transfer tooth. This allows for more material to be present in the webbing area, increasing its durability or allowing the use of lighter or less expensive materials in the construction of the reaction plate.

Reaction plate with an uneven number of tabs in drive and coast

A clutch assembly includes a shaft, a backing plate fixed to the shaft, a plurality of clutch plates, a hydraulic piston, and a balance dam. The hydraulic piston is sealed to the shaft and axially slidable on the shaft to clamp the plurality of clutch plates against the backing plate to close the clutch assembly. The balance dam is fixed to the shaft and disposed axially between the backing plate and the hydraulic piston. The balance dam has a cooling flow orifice and a cooling flow valve for adjusting cooling oil flow through the cooling flow orifice. In some example embodiments, the cooling flow valve is a reed valve with a displaceable steel plate fixed to the balance dam and preloaded against the balance dam to cover the cooling flow orifice.

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Akron, OH, United States of America

Nicholas Wurst