Exedy Corporation

Tatsuyuki Aoki

Yoshihiro Matsuoka

Kozo Yamamoto

Yasuyuki Hashimoto

Ken Mototsune

Michitomo Masaki

Hiroshi Uehara

A lock-up device is disposed between a front cover and a turbine in a torque converter to mechanically connect the front cover and the turbine. The lock-up device includes a clutch part and a release part. The clutch part is disposed in a power transmission path from the front cover to the turbine and is configured to be in a clutch-on state of transmitting a power from the front cover to the turbine in a set posture. The release part is configured to be actuated by a hydraulic pressure being increased in a space on a turbine-side of the piston to turn the clutch part from the clutch-on state to a clutch-off state and to block transmission of the power from the front cover to the turbine.

Lock-up device for torque converter

A lock-up device is a device disposed in a space produced between a front cover and a turbine in a torque converter so as to mechanically connect the front cover and the turbine, and includes a clutch part and a release part. The clutch part is disposed in a power transmission path from the front cover to the turbine, and is configured to be in a clutch-on state of transmitting a power from the front cover to the turbine in a set posture. The release part is configured to be actuated by means of a hydraulic pressure, turn the clutch part of the clutch-on state into a clutch-off state, and block transmission of the power from the front cover to the turbine.

Coil springsandcouple input and output rotary membersandtogether such that they can rotate relative to each other. The coil springsandhave a torsion characteristic having a positive region and a negative region that has a lower rigidity than the positive region. A second friction generating sectionis arranged such that friction is generated rotationally-between the input rotary memberand the output rotary memberdue to the elastic force of the coil springsandwhen the two rotary membersandrotate relative to each other. A friction suppressing mechanism secures rotational gapsandon only the negative side of the torsion characteristic. These rotational gaps serve to prevent the elastic force of the coil springsandfrom acting on the second friction generating sectionwithin a prescribed angular range.

Damper mechanism

A damper mechanism is provided to suppress the enlargement of a prescribed angle in a damper mechanism. A clutch disk assemblyhas an input rotary member, a spline hub, a damper section, a large friction mechanism, a friction suppressing mechanism, and an elastic member. The spline hubis arranged to rotate relative to the input rotary member. The damper sectioncouples the input rotary memberand the spline hubtogether rotationally. The large friction mechanismcan generate friction when the input rotary memberand the spline hub rotate relative to each other. The friction suppressing mechanism is a rotational gap &#x3b8;ACp for preventing the large friction mechanism operating within a prescribed angular range. The elastic membersoftens the impact between the members that touch against each other at the end of the prescribed angular range.

A damper mechanism is provided to suppress the enlargement of a prescribed angle in a damper mechanism. A clutch disk assembly has an input rotary member a spline hub a damper section a large friction mechanism a friction suppressing mechanism, and an elastic member The spline hub is arranged to rotate relative to the input rotary member The damper section couples the input rotary member and the spline hub together rotationally. The large friction mechanism can generate friction when the input rotary member and the spline hub rotate relative to each other. The friction suppressing mechanism is a rotational gap &thgr;ACp for preventing the large friction mechanism operating within a prescribed angular range. The elastic member softens the impact between the members that touch against each other at the end of the prescribed angular range.

Growing community of inventors

Ibaraki, Japan

Tatsuyuki Aoki