Koppy Corporation

Ronjo Company

Ronald E Prater

Joseph A Szuba

A clutch housing assembly for use in vehicle drivelines includes at least one strengthening member at an open end of the housing. The strengthening member preferably is formed by cutting away portions of the housing near the open end and then deforming the remaining portions. The deformed portions preferably are folded over and against a surface of the housing near the open end. The strengthening members provide additional strength to the housing at the open end to resist deformations that may otherwise occur because of forces incident on the assembly during operation of the vehicle driveline.

Clutch assembly including strengthening members

A torque converter housing includes an end cover that is secured to an impeller outer wall in a unique manner. The outward portions of the end cover extend in a radial direction but not in an axial direction. The end cover preferably does not extend axially beyond a plane of a clutch supported within the assembly. The impeller outer wall extends axially beyond the plane where it is secured to the end cover. The inventive arrangement changes the location of the connection between the impeller outer wall and the end cover, which enables the use of various other optional and advantageous features of the inventive arrangement. In one example, the impeller outer wall is welded to the end cover. In another example, a threaded connection secures the impeller outer wall to the end cover.

Torque converter

An assembly for use in a vehicle driveline comprises a housing with an inner surface and an outer surface for a vehicle driveline component, a retention element disposed in the housing, and at least one deformation formed on the inner surface operatively in contact with the retention element to retain the vehicle driveline component in the housing. This design and method of manufacture eliminates the need for differently sized spacers because the location of the deformations and the retention element can be tailored relative to the actual location of the components to ensure proper distance between components and the retention element. Moreover, because the spacer may be used as the retention element, the need for a snap ring is eliminated.

Assembly for vehicle driveline components

A clutch housing for use in a transmission is generally cylindrical or cup-shaped and has an open end. Axially-extending inner planar portions and outer planar portions are alternately disposed about the periphery of the clutch housing. Angular planar portions are disposed between the inner and outer planar portions and are continuous with the inner and outer planar portions. A retaining member is formed on each inner planar portion by lancing each inner planar portion and inwardly displacing a portion of the inner planar portion adjacent the lance. Preferably, the lance is arcuate in shape, with the arc centered toward the open end of the clutch housing. The displaced portion is formed into a retaining member, which has for its shape two generally planar, generally triangular sidewalls and a generally regular-trapezoidal wall. The trapezoidal wall has a long parallel edge and a short parallel edge. The long parallel edge is defined by the open end of the clutch housing and the short parallel edge is defined by the lance. The displaced portion of material adjacent the lance defines the abutment surface for contacting a snap ring. Preferably the trapezoidal wall has a flattened portion adjacent the lance which is generally parallel to the inner planar portion. A lance and form tool and method for manufacturing the retaining members are also disclosed.

Method of forming retaining members on a housing

A clutch drum is formed from a single piece of material. The clutch drum includes an inner surface having a plurality of spline portions interspersed with inner wall spaces. Each spline portion includes at least one slot to form at least one snap ring groove within the clutch drum. The outer surface of the clutch drum is smooth and continuous and adapted to receive a brake band. The clutch drum does not include any perforations or breaks through the single piece of material forming the cylindrical portion of the clutch drum.

Clutch drum and method of manufacture

A transmission assembly includes an inner housing member and an outer band member. The outer band member is slidingly received over the outer surface of the inner housing member. An inner surface of the outer band member includes a plurality of notches. After the outer band member is placed in a desired radial and axial alignment with the inner housing member, a plurality of deformations are lanced in the inner housing member. The deformations extend radially outward into the notches formed in the band member. The cooperation between the lanced deformations and the notches maintain the two pieces of the transmission assembly in an desired axial and radial alignment.

Assembly having an outer band member secured to an inner housing

A carrier made up of two housings includes a plurality of drive members that facilitate transferring a driving force between the two housings. When the carrier is used in a vehicle transmission, for example, the two housings preferably include generally cylindrical wall portions. A plurality of lanced drive members are formed on each of the housings. The two housings are interconnected so that the drive members on the first housing engage the drive members on the second housing and a rotary force imposed on one of the housings is transferred to the other.

Two-piece carrier assembly

Coast clutch with power take off gear

Clutch housing

A torque converter for an automatic transmission includes a turbine having the vanes thereof retained by tabs which fit into fluid-tight recesses formed in the housing of the turbine.

Growing community of inventors

Rochester, MI, United States of America

Ronald E Prater