JPH05187518A - Hydraulic power transmission with lockup clutch - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To reduce vibration due to fluctuation of input torque and improve control performance by connecting a rotation inertial mass body to a housing via a damper mechanism and comprising a lockup piston for engaging and disengaging so as to transmit torque to the rotation inertial mass body. CONSTITUTION:In a torque converter, a lockup piston 14 is operated hydraulically between the inside of the front cover 4 and a turbine runner 6 to press a linig member 15 against a circular main member 21 of a damper mass 12 as a rotation inertial mass body as to lock up a lockup clutch 11. The damper mass 12 is connected to the front cover 4 by a damper spring 29. A hydraulic chamber 28 as a reaction means for transmitting reaction, which is shown when the lockup piston 14 presses against the damper mass 12, to the damper mass 12 is set between the front cover 4 and the damper mass 12 to partition so as to keep the damper mass 12 in non-contact conditions against the inside of the front cover 4.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a hydraulic power transmission device having a lockup clutch such as a torque converter in an automatic transmission for a vehicle.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As is well known, a torque converter transmits torque by applying a spiral flow of fluid generated by a pump impeller to a turbine runner to rotate the turbine runner. Therefore, since the transmission of torque is carried out by the fluid, it is possible to absorb vibration and noise due to torque fluctuation of the engine to some extent. Further, conventionally, a lockup clutch is often used in order to improve power transmission efficiency in a torque converter. Since the lockup clutch directly connects the input-side member and the output-side member in the torque converter by a mechanical means, if the lockup clutch is engaged, it will result in fluctuations in the engine torque. The generated vibration may be transmitted as it is to the automatic transmission and the output shaft, resulting in poor riding comfort.

Therefore, a damper mechanism is generally used in combination with a lockup clutch, and as an example thereof, in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 63-251664, an annular weight is connected to a front cover via the damper mechanism. There is described a torque converter in which a centrifugal clutch acting as a lockup clutch is arranged on the inner peripheral side of an annular weight, and the centrifugal clutch is connected to a turbine runner.

According to the torque converter described in the above-mentioned publication, the annular weight acts as an inertial mass for damping the vibration of the flywheel on the input side, and the damper mechanism is used during high speed traveling in which the centrifugal clutch is engaged. It is said that the inertial resistance is generated by the annular weight attached via the, and the generation of a muffled sound or the like caused by the torsional vibration is suppressed.

[0005]

By the way, the operating state, that is, the lockup region, in which the lockup clutch is engaged is preferably determined by a plurality of parameters such as the vehicle speed and the throttle opening. The up area is set. Further, recently, in a specific driving state, the lockup clutch is controlled to a slip state called half lockup to improve fuel economy and riding comfort.

However, the centrifugal clutch functioning as a lock-up clutch engages and disengages in accordance with the centrifugal force acting on it, so that it is difficult to reliably engage the lock-up clutch in a previously assumed lock-up region. On the other hand, there was a risk of engaging unnecessarily.

That is, since the centrifugal force acting on the centrifugal clutch changes only by the rotational speed of the turbine runner, the conventional torque converter described above controls the lockup clutch according to only one parameter. It is difficult to control the engagement / release of the lockup clutch according to the traveling state of the vehicle. Further, it is almost impossible to perform half lockup control only in a specific operating state. Further, the rotational speed of the turbine runner changes frequently during traveling and also greatly changes during gear shifting.Therefore, the lock-up clutch is temporarily stopped by a temporary increase in the rotational speed of the turbine runner during traveling or during gear shifting. There is a risk that the change in the output shaft torque due to the engagement with the gear may cause a shock.

On the other hand, since the centrifugal clutch needs to operate against the elastic force and the sliding resistance force of the return spring and to generate a predetermined engaging force, the centrifugal clutch should be composed of a mass body having a relatively large weight. Become. Therefore, in the above-described conventional torque converter in which the centrifugal clutch is the lockup clutch, the mass on the turbine runner side is large, which may increase the clutch synchronization energy at the time of shifting and worsen the shift shock.

The above-mentioned conventional torque converter has advantages such as improvement of vibration damping characteristics and prevention of muffled sound by using an annular weight, but on the other hand, since a centrifugal clutch is used as a lock-up clutch, it is disadvantageous. However, it is considered difficult to put it to practical use. Therefore, the centrifugal clutch, which causes inconvenience,
It is conceivable to replace it with a conventional general lock-up clutch which is arranged so as to face the inner surface of the front cover and is operated by hydraulic pressure.

However, since the above-mentioned annular weight is supported in a so-called floating state by the spring of the damper mechanism, when the lockup clutch is pressed against the annular weight to engage the lockup clutch, the annular weight is attached to the front cover. Will be pressed against the inner surface of the. As a result, the torque is transmitted between the front cover and the annular weight due to the frictional force between them, and the shock absorbing action of the damper mechanism is reduced accordingly. In other words, there is a problem that the hysteresis due to the frictional resistance increases and the vibration damping characteristic deteriorates.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a fluid transmission device with a lock-up clutch capable of improving vibration damping characteristics without impairing controllability. is there.

[0012]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to achieve the above object, the present invention forms a housing by an outer shell of a pump impeller for generating a fluid flow and a front cover integrally connected to the outer shell. A turbine runner is disposed in the housing so as to face the pump impeller, and a lock-up clutch for selectively transmitting torque between the housing and an output member integrated with the turbine runner is provided in the housing. In a provided hydraulic transmission with lock-up clutch, a rotary inertia mass body that is rotatable relative to the housing is arranged between the inner surface of the front cover and the turbine runner and on the same axis as the housing. And an elastic body that is compressed when the rotary inertia mass body rotates relative to the housing. A damper mechanism is provided, and is moved back and forth in the axial direction of the housing by fluid pressure between the rotary inertia mass body and the turbine runner to contact the rotary inertia mass body in a torque transferable manner and transmit the torque. The lock-up piston is arranged so that it is not separated, and when the lock-up piston comes into contact with the rotary inertia mass body, a reaction force to the lock-up piston side is applied to the rotary inertia mass body to front the rotary inertia mass body. A reaction force means for maintaining non-contact with the inner surface of the cover is provided, and when the lock-up piston comes into contact with the rotary inertia mass body, the portions on both sides in the axial direction sandwiching the lock-up piston are brought into non-communication state. It is characterized in that a sealing means for sealing is provided.

Further, according to the present invention, an annular protrusion projecting in the axial direction is formed on the inner surface of the front cover, and the rotary inertia mass body is rotatably fitted to the annular protrusion so that the rotary inertia mass body is rotated. Centering, that is, positioning on the same axis as the housing, can be performed.

Further, in the present invention, the lock-up piston can be used as the torque transmitting means, and more specifically,
The lock-up piston can be connected to the output member integrated with the turbine runner so that torque can be transmitted.

Further, according to the present invention, the fitting portion between the lock-up piston and the output member is kept liquid-tight, and the radius from the center of rotation to the fitting portion is provided on the inner peripheral side of the rotary inertia mass body. The radius of the sealed portion can be made substantially equal.

[0016]

In the fluid transmission device according to the present invention, torque is transmitted between the pump impeller and the turbine runner through the fluid. Further, if the lock-up piston is in contact with the rotary inertia mass body so that torque can be transmitted, a part of the input torque is transmitted to the output member without passing through the fluid. Since the rotary inertia mass body is connected to the housing through the damper mechanism, it causes inertial resistance to the input torque regardless of the operation of the lockup piston, and as a result, is caused by the fluctuation of the input torque. Suppress vibration.

Further, when the lock-up piston is in contact with the rotary inertia mass body so that torque can be transmitted, vibrations due to fluctuations in input torque are absorbed, and muffled noise is reduced or suppressed. Since the lock-up piston can be brought into contact with and separated from the rotary inertia mass body by hydraulic pressure, engagement / release of the lock-up clutch can be arbitrarily controlled, and its controllability is improved. When the lock-up piston is hydraulically pressed against the rotating inertial mass body, the reaction force counteracting the pressing force acts on the rotating inertial mass body by the reaction force means, so that the rotating inertial mass body makes frictional contact with the front cover. There is no. Therefore, even when the lock-up clutch is engaged, the rotary inertia mass body can freely rotate relative to the housing, so that the vibration damping characteristic can be maintained in a good state.

Further, since both sides of the lock-up piston sandwiched by the sealing means can be made in a non-communication state, leakage of fluid pressure that presses the lock-up piston against the rotary inertia mass body is prevented and the lock-up piston is secured. Or at any controlled pressure on the rotating inertial mass. And in this invention, the weight necessary for damping the vibration is secured by the rotary inertia mass body,
Since the lock-up piston, which is a member on the output side, can be made light in weight, the clutch synchronizing energy at the time of shifting is reduced, which is advantageous for reducing shift shock.

Further, since the rotary inertia mass body is a heavy member, if it is positioned and centered by the boss portion of the front cover, the shaft centers of the two will coincide, and as a result, vibration or noise may occur during rotation. Is less.

Further, if the lockup piston is non-rotatably connected to the output member, the lockup piston also serves as a transmission member, so that the number of parts can be reduced and the size and weight can be reduced.

On the other hand, the radius from the center of rotation of the seal part that seals the rotary inertia mass on the inner peripheral side and the center of rotation of the seal part that seals the lock-up piston on the inner peripheral side. By making the radius almost the same, the forces acting in the axial direction across the rotary inertia mass and the lockup piston are almost balanced, preventing the rotary inertia mass and lockup piston from moving in the axial direction. can do.

[0022]

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing an embodiment of the present invention, in which a shell 2 of a pump impeller 1 is integrally connected to a front cover 4 via an annular extension member 3. The extension member 3 and the front cover 4 form a torque converter housing 5. Inside the housing 5, a turbine runner 6 is arranged so as to face the pump impeller 1.
The turbine runner 6 is attached at its inner peripheral portion to a hub 7 which is an output member by rivets 8. Further, between the pump impeller 1 and the turbine runner 6, and on the inner peripheral side thereof, a stator 10 spline-fitted to the outer race of the one-way clutch 9 is arranged. And the inner surface of the front cover 4 and the turbine runner 6
Between the lock-up clutch 11 and the damper mass 12, which is a rotary inertia mass body, and the damper mechanism 13.
Are arranged.

The lock-up clutch 11 is a lock-up piston 14 which is an annular plate member curved along the rear surface (left side surface in FIG. 1) of the turbine runner 6 and a lining material attached to the outer peripheral side surface thereof. It is composed of 15 and. The lock-up piston 14 is shown in FIG. 2. A cylindrical portion 16 is formed on the inner peripheral portion of the lock-up piston 14, and one end portion of the cylindrical portion 16 (the left end portion in FIG. ), A plurality of protrusions 17 acting as engaging teeth for transmitting torque are formed so as to be spaced at regular intervals in the circumferential direction and project toward the inner peripheral side.

The lock-up piston 14 is the hub 7
Is fitted so as to be slidable in the axial direction. This hub 7
As shown in FIG. 3, has a boss portion 18 into which the cylindrical portion 16 of the lockup piston 14 is fitted, and a seal ring 19 attached thereto makes a liquid-tight state between the lockup piston 14 and the boss portion 18. It is designed to be sealed. A plurality of protrusions 20 that engage with the protrusions 17 in the circumferential direction are formed on one side surface (the left side surface of FIG. 3B) of the boss portion 18. Therefore, the lock-up piston 14 is formed by the protrusion 17 and the protrusion 20.
The torque is transmitted between the hub and the hub 7.

The damper mass 12 has a main member 21 having an outer diameter substantially equal to that of the lock-up piston 14 and an inner diameter smaller than that of the lock-up piston 14 and having a substantially annular shape as a whole, and having a larger inner diameter and smaller mass. It is composed of an annular cover member 22. The main member 21 and the cover member 22 are connected to each other by rivets 23 so as to face each other to form the damper mass 12, and are arranged between the lockup piston 14 and the inner surface of the front cover 4. This damper mass 12
The inner peripheral portion of the main member 21 is rotatably fitted to the outer peripheral surface of the annular protrusion 24 provided on the inner surface of the front cover 4 so as to be positioned on the same axis as the housing 5. That is, it is centered with respect to the housing 5.

Further, on the main member 21, an annular projection 25 having the same inner diameter as that of the cylindrical portion 16 of the lockup piston 14 is formed toward the inner surface of the front cover 4. The annular protrusion 25 is rotatably fitted to a cylindrical portion 26 provided on the inner surface of the front cover 4. A space between the annular projection 25 and the cylindrical portion 26 is sealed in a liquid-tight state by a seal ring 27 attached to the cylindrical portion 26. That is, the radius R14 of the seal portion on the inner peripheral side of the lockup piston 14 and the damper mass 12
The radius R12 of the seal portion on the inner peripheral side is equal. And front cover 4 and damper mass 1
By sealing the space between the damper cover 1 and the damper 2 with a seal ring 27 in a liquid-tight manner,
A hydraulic chamber 28 is formed between the two.

Main member 2 forming damper mass 12
In each of the facing portions of 1 and the cover member 22, a plurality of concave portions along the circumferential direction are formed at regular intervals, and a damper spring 29 which is a coil spring is accommodated therein. A center plate 30 which is an annular plate-shaped member is provided between the main member 21 and the cover member 22.
However, they are sandwiched so as to be rotatable relative to the damper mass 12. Further, the center plate 30 is formed with a window hole into which the damper spring 29 is fitted. Therefore, when the damper mass 12 and the center plate 30 rotate relatively, the damper mass 12 and the center plate 30 compress the damper spring 29.

Further, the outer peripheral portion of the center plate 30 is
It engages with the housing 5 in the circumferential direction and transmits torque between the two. As the meshing structure, various structures can be adopted as required. For example, the outer peripheral end of the front cover 4 is formed with teeth protruding in the axial direction, and the outer peripheral end of the center plate 30 is formed. It is also possible to form teeth protruding outward in the radial direction and mesh these teeth to transmit torque between the housing 5 and the center plate 30.

Reference numeral 31 in FIG. 1 is a friction plate, and the friction plate 31 is an annular member as a whole in which elastically deforming arcuate cross-sections 32 are formed at regular intervals. The friction plate 31 is arranged on the inner surface side of the front cover 4 so that an arcuate cross section 32 is located in the punched portion of the cover member 22 with a predetermined gap in the circumferential direction. The bow-shaped cross section 32 is elastically deformed and sandwiched between the front cover 4 and the center plate 30, and the bow-shaped cross section 32 is strong against the inner surface of the front cover 4 and the center plate 30 by the elastic force. It is pressed.

The above-described torque converter transmits the torque by applying the fluid flow generated in the pump impeller 1, that is, the spiral flow of oil to the turbine runner 6 to rotate the turbine runner 6, and therefore the housing 5 is used. The inside of the is filled with oil. The lock-up clutch 11 is a clutch that engages and disengages in accordance with the pressure difference between the both sides of the lock-up piston 14, and therefore the lock-up piston 14 is provided in the space on the turbine runner 6 side with respect to the lock-up piston 14. There are an oil passage for supplying oil pressure (oil passage shown by arrow A in FIG. 1) and an oil passage for supplying oil pressure between the lockup piston 14 and the damper mass 12 (oil passage shown by arrow B in FIG. 1). Has been formed.

As is known from the configuration shown in FIG.
When the lock-up piston 14 moves to the left in FIG. 1 and the lining material 15 comes into contact with the damper mass 12 so that torque can be transmitted, that is, when the lock-up clutch 11 is engaged, the hydraulic chamber 28 is locked with the damper mass 12. Although not in communication with the up piston 14, it is in communication with the location where hydraulic pressure is supplied from the lock up piston 14 to the turbine runner 6 side, that is, in the direction of arrow A. In other words, the hydraulic pressure for engaging the lockup clutch 11 also acts on the hydraulic chamber 28.

Next, the operation of the torque converter shown in FIG. 1 will be described. FIG. 1 shows a lock-up / off state, that is, a state in which the lock-up clutch 11 is released. Supplying hydraulic pressure from the direction of arrow B to increase the hydraulic pressure between the lock-up piston 14 and the damper mass 12. As a result, the lockup piston 14 is separated from the damper mass 12. When torque is applied to the front cover 4 from an engine (not shown) in this state, the pump impeller 1 rotates together with the housing 5 to generate a spiral flow of oil. By giving the spiral flow to the turbine runner 6, torque is transmitted to the turbine runner 6 and rotates together with the hub 7. The torque is transmitted to the automatic transmission via an input shaft (not shown) fitted to the hub 7.

On the other hand, since the damper mass 12 is connected to the housing 5 by the damper mechanism 13 including the center plate 30 and the damper spring 29, the damper mass 12 rotates integrally with the housing 5. In that case, since the main member 21 of the damper mass 12 is fitted into the annular projection 24 of the front cover 4 and the damper mass 12 is positioned on the same axis as the front cover 4, the damper mass 12 is rotated. Does not vibrate or make noise. Further, since the damper mass 12 has a large inertial mass due to a large weight, an inertial resistance is generated with respect to a change in the input torque, and vibrations caused by the change in the input torque are damped or controlled.

When the lockup clutch 11 is engaged, that is, when the lockup is turned on, as shown in FIG.
The hydraulic pressure is supplied in the direction of arrow A, and is discharged in the direction opposite to arrow B. The lining material 15 and the main member 2
Since the distance between the lockup piston 1 and the main member 21 is small, the orifice effect in this portion reduces the pressure in the space between the lockup piston 14 and the main member 21.
4, the pressure in the space on the turbine runner 6 side of the lock-up piston 14 is higher than that of the lock-up piston 14. As a result, the lockup piston 14 relatively approaches the damper mass 12, and the lining material 15 comes into contact with the side surface of the main member 21 so that torque can be transmitted.

In that case, the hydraulic chamber 28 is sealed by the seal ring 27.
Damper mass 12 and lock-up piston 1
4 is fluid-tightly sealed against a low-pressure portion between the lockup piston 14 and the damper mass 12 and is in communication with a high-pressure portion on the turbine runner 6 side. It becomes equal to the pressure that pushes to the side. Since the radius R12 of the seal portion on the inner peripheral side that divides the hydraulic chamber 28 and the radius R14 of the seal portion on the inner peripheral side of the lockup piston 14 are equal, the lockup piston 14
Is balanced with the load pushing the damper mass 12 to the right in FIG. 1, and the damper mass 12 is kept at a position away from the inner surface of the front cover 4.

Therefore, the input torque transmitted to the front cover 4 is transmitted to the damper mass 12 via the damper spring 29 in the damper mechanism 13, and further the lockup piston 14 is transmitted from the damper mass 12.
Be transmitted to. When the input torque fluctuates, the damper mass 12 is rotatable with respect to the housing 5, and the lock-up piston 14 is in contact with the damper mass 12 so that the torque can be transmitted.
Members such as 2 and the lock-up piston 14 act as inertial resistance. As a result, the damper spring 29 is compressed according to the fluctuation of the input torque, and the damper spring 2
9 absorbs the vibration.

Since the protrusion 17 formed on the inner peripheral portion of the lock-up piston 14 is engaged with the protrusion 20 formed on the side surface of the hub 7 which is the output member in the circumferential direction, the damper mass. Lockup piston 1 from 12
The torque transmitted to the No. 4 is applied to the protrusion 17 and the protrusion 20.
Is transmitted to the hub 7 via. That is, in the configuration shown in FIG.
It acts as an actuator that engages and disengages with respect to and also serves as a transmission member that transmits torque from the damper mass 12 to the hub 7.

Further, in the structure shown in FIG. 1, when the energy stored in the damper spring 29 is released, the friction plate 31 makes a large sliding movement between the damper mass 12 of the damper mechanism 13 and the inner surface of the front cover 4. Due to the resistance, some of the emitted energy is absorbed in the sliding part. That is, when the relative rotation between the damper mass 12 and the drive-side member such as the center plate 31 increases as the input torque fluctuates greatly, the arcuate cross section 32 of the friction plate 31.
Since there is no gap in the circumferential direction between the cover member 22 and the punched portion of the cover member 22, the friction plate 31 and the damper mass 12 are removed.
Rotate together and the friction plate 31 slides with respect to the front cover 4. The sliding resistance at that time acts so as to suppress the relative rotation of the damper mass 12, and as a result, the "hiccuping" phenomenon, which is a long variation in the wavelength of the output shaft torque, is prevented, and the riding comfort is improved. Further, when the input torque is small and the fluctuation of the input torque is small, there is a gap in the circumferential direction between the arcuate section 32 of the friction plate 31 and the punched portion of the cover member 22, so that the friction plate 31 Since the output member such as the damper mass 12 does not come into contact with the output member, adverse effects such as loud muffled noise do not occur.

As described above, since the mass required for the damper mechanism 13 is secured by the damper mass 12, the weight of the lockup piston 14 can be reduced, and therefore, the lockup clutch 11 can be released when shifting. For example, the amount of energy to be absorbed by the clutch of the automatic transmission at the time of shifting is small, which is advantageous in reducing shift shock.

Next, another embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the example shown in FIG. 4, the thrust bearing 40 is used as a reaction force means for holding the damper mass 12 at a position separated from the inner surface of the front cover 4, and accordingly, the sealing means is made different from the configuration shown in FIG. Further, the friction plate 31 is eliminated.

That is, in the torque converter shown in FIG. 4, the housing 2 is formed by directly welding the shell 2 of the pump impeller 1 to the front cover 4 and integrating them, and the inner surface of the front cover 4 is formed. The damper mass 12 and the front cover 4 arranged to face each other
A thrust bearing 40 is arranged between the and. Therefore, the space portion between the front cover 4 and the damper mass 12 communicates with the space portion between the damper mass 12 and the lockup piston 14, and the hydraulic chamber 28 shown in FIG. 1 is not formed.

In order to prevent leakage of the hydraulic pressure for engaging the lockup clutch 11, a directional lip seal 41 is provided.
Is provided on the outer peripheral portion of the lockup piston 14. The structure of the lip seal 41 is shown in a sectional view in FIG. That is, the lip portion 42 made of an elastic material such as rubber is held by the annular holder 43 at the left end portion in FIG. 5, and the right end portion of the lip portion 42 is pressed against the outer peripheral surface of the lockup piston 14 by the spring. There is. Therefore, when the pressure on the right side of FIG. 5 is high, the lip portion 42 is in close contact with the outer peripheral surface of the lockup clutch 14 to ensure liquid tightness. On the contrary, when the pressure on the left side of FIG. 5 is high. , The lip portion 42 separates from the outer peripheral surface of the lockup clutch 14 against the elastic force of the spring,
The left and right sides are connected.

Therefore, when hydraulic pressure is supplied in the direction of arrow A in FIG. 4, the lip seal 41 seals between the outer peripheral portion of the lockup piston 14 and the inner peripheral surface of the housing 5, and the lockup piston 14 is hydraulically operated. Figure 4
Is pressed to the left, and the lining material 15 comes into contact with the damper mass 12 so that torque can be transmitted. That is, the lockup clutch 11 is in the engaged state. If oil pressure is supplied in the direction of arrow B in FIG. 4 and pressure is discharged in the direction opposite to arrow A, the lip seal 41 causes the lock-up piston 14 to move.
Since the oil flows from the left side to the right side across the lock-up piston 14, the lock-up piston 14 retracts in the right direction in FIG. 4, and as a result, the lining material 15 moves toward the damper mass 12. Get away from.
That is, the lockup clutch 11 is released.
In addition, since the thrust bearing 40 receives a force that pushes the damper mass 12 toward the inner surface of the front cover 4, the damper mass 12 is separated from the inner surface of the front cover 4.
And it is held rotatably.

The structure shown in FIG. 4 is the same as that of the torque converter shown in FIG. 1 except for the structure described above. Therefore, in the torque converter shown in FIG. It is possible to improve the damping characteristics such as muffled sound.

In the example shown in FIG. 6, the lip seal 41 shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 is replaced with a non-directional seal member 44.
And the check ball valve 45 are used. That is, a seal member 44 such as a seal ring is fitted on the outer circumference of the lock-up piston 14 to ensure liquid tightness with the housing 5, and the lock-up piston 14 has an inner circumference side of the lining material 15 from the lining material 15. Part of
A check ball valve 45 is provided which is closed when the pressure on the back side of the lock-up piston 14 is high. Other configurations are the same as the configurations shown in FIG.

Therefore, if hydraulic pressure is supplied from the direction of arrow A in FIG. 6, the check ball valve 45 closes and the pressure on the back side of the lockup piston 14 increases, so that the lockup piston 14 moves to the damper mass 12 side. The lining material 15 comes into contact with the damper mass 12 so that torque can be transmitted. In that case, the lockup piston 14 pushes the damper mass 12 toward the front cover 4, but since the damper mass 12 is rotatably held by the thrust bearing 40 arranged between the damper mass 12 and the front cover 4, Does not frictionally contact the front cover 4.

In the example shown in FIG. 7, the lockup piston 1
By forming a taper surface 46 on the outer peripheral surface of 4, the seal between the housing 5 and the lockup piston 14 is performed or released depending on the position of the lockup piston 14 in the axial direction. Is. That is, the outer peripheral surface of the lockup piston 14 is
As shown in FIG. 8, a tapered surface 46 having a gradually decreasing diameter is formed on the left side of the drawing, and a seal ring 47 is fitted on the inner surface of the housing 5 so as to be located on the outer peripheral side of the tapered surface 46. ing. These tapered surfaces 46
The seal ring 47 is the same as the lip seal 4 shown in FIG.
1 and is otherwise the same as the configuration shown in FIG.

In the structure shown in FIG. 7, when the hydraulic pressure is supplied from the direction of arrow A, the lockup piston 14 moves to the position shown in FIG.
Of the oil pressure supplied in the direction of arrow A can be prevented by moving the lock surface of the lockup piston 14 toward the damper mass 12 side. The lockup clutch 11 is engaged. The damper mass 12 is held at a position separated from the inner surface of the front cover 4 by the thrust bearing 40.

In the example shown in FIG. 9, in place of the extension member 3 shown in FIG. 1, a ring-shaped intermediate member 50 having a positioning protrusion 49 protruding in the axial direction is used as the shell 2 of the pump impeller 1 and the front cover 4. And the positioning protrusion 49 is abutted against the center plate 30,
This is an example of positioning the damper mechanism 13 in the axial direction. Further, in the example shown in FIG. 9, the friction plate 31
Is not provided. Other configurations are the same as the configurations shown in FIG.

Therefore, also in the torque converter shown in FIG. 9, as in the torque converter shown in FIG. 1, the damping characteristics of vibrations due to the fluctuation of the input torque and the effect of preventing muffled noise are excellent, and the inside of the hydraulic chamber 28 is also excellent. The damper mass 12 can be kept away from the front cover 4 by the hydraulic pressure and the lockup piston 14 serves as a power transmission element, so that the number of parts can be reduced and the size and weight can be reduced. You can Further, since the damper mass 12 is supported by the front cover 4, the central axes of both are exactly aligned, and there is no fear of vibration or noise during high-speed rotation.

In the example shown in FIG. 10, the intermediate member 50 described above is eliminated by forming the above-mentioned positioning projection 49 on the shell 2 of the pump impeller 1, and the front cover 4 is provided in the portion near the center of the hub 7. Boss portion 5 protruding to the side
1 is formed and the damper mass 12 is rotatably fitted to the damper mass 12 via the bush 52. In FIG. 10, the other configurations are the same as those shown in FIG. 9. Therefore, also in the torque converter shown in FIG. 10, vibration damping characteristics can be improved, muffled noise can be prevented from occurring, and the size and weight can be further reduced.

In the example shown in FIG. 11, the lockup piston 14 is sandwiched between two types of damper masses to increase the engaging force of the lockup clutch 11. In the following description, the same parts as those shown in FIG. 1 will be assigned the same reference numerals as those in FIG. 1 and their description will be omitted.

In FIG. 11, the shell 2 of the pump impeller 1 is welded to and integrated with the front cover 4, and the shell 2 and the front cover 4 form a torque converter housing 5. Further, three damper masses 53, 54, 55 are provided as the rotary inertia mass body. The first damper mass 53 is arranged along the inner surface of the front cover 4, and the turbine runner 6 is provided on the outer peripheral portion thereof.
A cylindrical portion 56 protruding to the side is formed. On the other hand, on the inner surface of the front cover 4, annular protrusions 57 and 58 are formed in the outer peripheral portion and the central portion, and the protrusion length is long in the intermediate portion thereof and is not continuous in the circumferential direction. Two rows of protrusions 59 and 60 are formed, and the first damper mass 53 is fitted onto the outer periphery of the center side annular protrusion 58 via a needle bearing 61, and is rotatably supported here. The first damper mass 53 is also fitted to the annular protrusion 57 on the outer peripheral side, and is sealed by the seal ring 62 with respect to the annular protrusion 57. Furthermore the first
A needle bearing 63 as a reaction force means is interposed between a portion of the damper mass 53 on the outer peripheral side of the annular projection 57 and the front cover 4, whereby the axial position of the first damper mass 53 is increased. The determined first damper mass 53 is rotatably supported by the front cover 4.

The projections 59 and 60 arranged at two different radial positions serve as stoppers for the damper spring 29, and the coil spring 29 is provided between the projections 59 and 60 in each row. It is arranged. The first damper 53 is provided with openings for fitting these coil springs 29. Therefore, when the front cover 4 and the first damper mass 53 rotate relative to each other, the coil springs The projections 59 and 60 press one end of the coil 29, and the other end is pressed by one end of the opening of the first damper mass 53 to compress the coil spring 29.

The second damper mass 54 is disposed in close contact with the surface of the first damper mass 53 on the side opposite to the surface on the front cover 4 side, and is connected so as to be integrated by the rivet 23. The second damper mass 54 also has an opening for accommodating the coil spring 29.

Further, the third damper mass 55 is a block member that is fixed in the axial direction and is a block member, while it is a block member that moves in the axial direction. The damper mass 55 is configured as an annular member having a trapezoidal cross section or a triangular cross section as shown in the figure. Also, the third damper mass 55 is
The damper mass 53 is spline-fitted to the inner peripheral portion of the distal end of the cylindrical portion 56, is retained by a snap ring 64, and is further sealed by a seal ring 65.

The outer peripheral portion of the lockup piston 14 is inserted between the second damper mass 54 and the third damper mass 55. The lock-up piston 14 is fitted on the outer peripheral portion of the hub 7 by a spline 66 so as to move in the axial direction and transmit torque, and is an annular plate sealed by a seal ring 67 provided on the inner peripheral side of the spline 66. -Shaped member, the front and back surfaces (second
The lining material 15 is attached to each of the surfaces facing the damper mass 54 and the third damper mass 55. Therefore, the lockup clutch 11 is configured such that the front and back surfaces of the lockup piston 14 are friction surfaces (torque transmission surfaces).

The outer peripheral end of the lock-up piston 14 is separated from the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion 56 of the first damper mass 53, and the second low-pressure side of the lining material 15 is engaged. The lining material 15 on the damper mass 54 side is formed with a large number of radial concave grooves (not shown) extending from the inner peripheral edge to the outer peripheral edge. Therefore, even when the lining material 15 is in close contact with the second damper mass 54, the recessed groove allows the gap between the other lining material 15 and the third damper mass 55 to be secured to the lock-up piston 14 and the second damper mass 54. The space between the damper mass 54 and the damper mass 54 is communicated.

In the torque converter shown in FIG. 11,
When hydraulic pressure is supplied in the direction of arrow A, the lock-up piston 14 is pressed toward the second damper mass 54 side, and the lining material 15 comes into contact with the second damper mass 54 in a torque-transmittable manner. Since the groove is formed in the lining material 15 as described above, the pressure between the third damper mass 55 and the lockup piston 14 becomes low, and as a result, the third damper mass 55 locks. Move the up piston 14 so as to push it toward the second damper mass 54,
The lining material 15 is contacted so that torque can be transmitted. That is, the second and third damper masses 54 and 55 sandwich the outer peripheral portion of the lockup piston 14, and the lockup clutch 11 is engaged. Then, the input torque is transmitted from the front cover 4 to the damper masses 53, 54 and 55 via the damper spring 29, and further from here to the hub 7 which is an output member via the lockup piston 14.

Therefore, also in the torque converter shown in FIG. 11, the damper masses 53, 54, 55 are connected to the front cover 4 via the damper spring 29, and the damper masses 53, 54, 55 are covered by the needle bearing 63. Since it is held so as not to come into frictional contact with 4, the vibration damping characteristics are excellent, and muffled noise can be effectively prevented. Further, since the lock-up piston 14 also serves as a torque transmission element, the number of parts can be reduced and the size and weight can be reduced. Further, since the damper masses 53, 54, 55 are supported by the front cover 4, it is possible to accurately align the central axes of the two and effectively prevent vibration and noise during high rotation. Since the damper masses 53, 54, 55 and the front cover 4 are sealed by a seal ring 62 provided between the annular protrusion 57 on the outer peripheral side and the first damper mass 53, the lock-up clutch 11 It is possible to prevent the leakage of the hydraulic pressure that engages.

The example shown in FIG. 12 is an example in which the third damper mass 55 is eliminated from the configuration shown in FIG. The torque converter shown in FIG. 12 has half the engagement area of the lockup clutch 11 as compared with the torque converter shown in FIG. 11, but the same action and effect as those of the torque converter shown in FIG. 11 can be obtained.

The example shown in FIG. 13 is an example in which, in addition to increasing the engagement area of the lockup clutch 11, a bush and a hydraulic chamber are adopted as reaction force means. That is, the first damper mass 68 arranged along the inner surface of the front cover 4 has the cylindrical portion 69 extending in the axial direction at the outer peripheral end.
The first damper mass 68 has an annular projection 58 protruding from the center of the front cover 4.
Is rotatably fitted through a bush 70, and the position in the radial direction and the axial direction is determined by the bush 70. Further, another annular protrusion 57 is formed on the inner surface of the front cover 4 near the outer periphery, and the first damper mass 68 fits into this annular protrusion 57 and
It is sealed by a seal ring 62. Further, an annular second damper mass 71 having a substantially triangular cross section or a substantially trapezoidal cross section is spline fitted to the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion 69 so as to be movable in the axial direction, and is sealed by the seal ring 65. There is.

The lock-up piston 14 is inserted between the damper masses 68 and 71, and the lining material 15 is attached to both front and back surfaces thereof. The lining material 15 on the first damper mass 68 side is provided with a groove (not shown) extending from the inner peripheral end to the outer peripheral end thereof.

Lockup piston 1 of the example shown in FIG.
4 is connected to the hub 7 via an intermediate member 72.
The intermediate member 72 is fixed to the hub 7 together with the turbine runner 6 at the inner peripheral portion thereof, and has a cylindrical portion 73 having an outer diameter substantially equal to the inner diameter of the annular protrusion 57 near the outer periphery of the front cover 4 at the outer peripheral portion thereof. Has been done. The lockup piston 14 is fitted in the cylindrical portion 73 so as to be movable in the axial direction, and is sealed by a seal ring 74.
Therefore, the inner diameter of the hydraulic chamber 28 between the inner surface of the front cover 4 and the first damper mass 68 is substantially equal to the inner diameter of the pressure receiving surface of the lockup piston 14.
Further, the lock-up piston 14 and the intermediate member 72 are coupled to each other by a convex / concave portion 75 formed so as to mesh with each other in the circumferential direction so that torque can be transmitted.
Since the other configuration is almost the same as that of the torque converter shown in FIG. 11, the same reference numerals as those in FIG. 11 are given to FIG. 13 and the description thereof is omitted.

Therefore, also in the torque converter shown in FIG. 13, the damper mass 68 can be kept away from the front cover 4 when the lockup clutch 11 is engaged, and the mass of the damper mechanism 13 can be increased, so that the vibration can be damped. Excellent characteristics and muffled sound prevention effect.

FIG. 14 shows an improvement of the torque converter shown in FIG. 12, in which the needle bearing 63 is replaced with the hydraulic chamber 28 as the reaction means. That is, the damper mass 12 is rotatably fitted through the bush 52 to the annular projection 58 provided at a location near the center of the front cover 4, and is sealed by the seal ring 27. Since the seal portion is thus formed near the center, the third inner surface of the front cover 4 that is not continuous in the circumferential direction is located near the outer circumference.
Projections 76 are formed on both ends of the damper spring 29 held by the damper mass 12.
The damper spring 29 is compressed between itself and the damper mass 12. The lockup piston 14 is directly fixed to the hub 7.

In the structure shown in FIG. 14, the hydraulic chamber 28 is provided between the inner surface of the front cover 4 and the damper mass 12.
The hydraulic pressure for engaging the lock-up clutch 11 also acts on the hydraulic chamber 28 to hold the damper mass 12 in a state of being separated from the front cover 4. Therefore, sliding resistance when the damper mass 12 rotates relative to the front cover 4 becomes small. That is, the damper characteristic has a small hysteresis, and the tendency is shown in FIG.
It is shown in. Note that, in FIG. 15, the broken line shows the damper characteristic in the torque converter shown in FIG. 14, and the alternate long and short dash line shows the damper characteristic of the torque converter using the thrust bearing as the reaction force means. Therefore, if a reaction chamber having a small frictional resistance such as a hydraulic chamber is used, the damper characteristics are improved, which is advantageous for preventing muffled noise.

In addition to the torque converter described above, the present invention can be applied to a fluid coupling having no torque amplifying action.

[0069]

As described above, in the present invention, the rotary inertia mass body is connected to the housing through the elastic body of the damper mechanism, and the lock-up piston that is hydraulically operated is provided with respect to the rotary inertia mass body. Since the rotational inertia mass body is configured to engage and disengage so as to be able to transmit torque, and further the reaction force means for holding the rotational inertia mass body in a non-contact state with the inner surface of the front cover when the lockup clutch is engaged, the rotational inertia mass body is provided. The damper mechanism including is capable of performing the same operation as that of the flywheel damper, and effectively damping the vibration caused by the fluctuation of the input torque. Further, when the lock-up clutch is engaged, the rotary inertia mass does not come into contact with the front cover, and sliding friction between the two does not occur, resulting in a damper characteristic with less hysteresis, and effectively preventing muffled noise. it can. Furthermore, when the lockup clutch is released, the lockup piston acts as inertial resistance against the output member, but the mass required for the damper mechanism is secured by the rotating inertial mass body, and the lockup piston is lightweight. Therefore, since the synchronous energy applied to the clutch of the automatic transmission at the time of shifting is small, it is advantageous to reduce the shift shock. Further, the lock-up clutch controls engagement / disengagement by hydraulic pressure, so that controllability is improved.

Further, if the rotary inertia mass body is supported by the front cover, the central axes of the two can be accurately aligned with each other, and vibration and noise can be prevented from occurring during high speed rotation.

Further, if the lock-up piston is connected to the output member so that torque can be transmitted, the lock-up piston functions as a transmission element from the damper mechanism to the output member, so that the number of parts can be reduced and the size and weight can be reduced. You can

If the radius of the seal portion on the inner peripheral side of the rotary inertia mass body and the radius of the seal portion on the inner peripheral side of the lock-up piston brought into contact with this are substantially equal to each other, the lock-up piston has a rotary inertia mass. Since the force pushing against the body and the force against it are balanced, it is possible to maintain the rotary inertia mass body apart from the front cover without increasing the sliding resistance, and as a result, to improve the vibration damping characteristics. You can

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a view showing a lockup piston,
(A) is a partially omitted front view, (B) is BB of (A)
It is a line sectional view.

FIG. 3 is a view showing a hub, (A) is a front view,
(B) is a BB line sectional view of (A).

FIG. 4 is a partial sectional view showing a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a lip seal according to a second embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a partial sectional view showing a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a partial sectional view showing a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a sectional view showing a seal structure of an outer peripheral portion of a lockup piston according to a fourth embodiment.

FIG. 9 is a partial cross-sectional view showing a fifth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a partial sectional view showing a sixth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 11 is a partial sectional view showing a seventh embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 12 is a partial sectional view showing an eighth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 13 is a partial sectional view showing a ninth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 14 is a partial cross-sectional view showing a tenth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 15 is a damper characteristic diagram.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Pump Impeller 2 Shell 4 Front Cover 5 Housing 6 Pump Impeller 7 Hub 11 Lockup Clutch 12 Damper Mass 13 Damper Mechanism 14 Lockup Piston 17 Projection 19 Seal Ring 20 Projection 24 Annular Projection 27 Seal Ring 28 Hydraulic Chamber 29 Damper Spring 40 Thrust Bearing 41 Lip Seal 44 Seal Member 45 Check Ball Valve 46 Tapered Surface 47 Seal Ring 53, 54, 55 Damper Mass 58 Protrusion 61 Needle Bearing 62 Seal Ring 63 Needle Bearing 65 Seal Ring 66 Spline 67 Seal Ring 68 Damper Mass 70 Bush 71 Tamper Mass 74 Seal Ring 75 Uneven Parts

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A housing is formed by an outer shell of a pump impeller for generating a fluid flow and a front cover integrally connected to the outer shell, and a turbine runner is arranged in the housing so as to face the pump impeller. And a lockup clutch for selectively transmitting torque between the housing and an output member integrated with the turbine runner, wherein the lockup clutch is provided in the housing. A relatively rotatable rotary inertia mass is disposed between the inner surface of the front cover and the turbine runner and on the same axis as the housing, and when the rotary inertia mass rotates relative to the housing. A damper mechanism having an elastic body that is compressed by the rotary inertia mass body and the A lock-up piston, which is moved back and forth in the axial direction of the housing by fluid pressure to contact with the rotary inertia mass body in a torque-transmittable manner and is separated so as not to transmit torque, is disposed between the bin runner and the bin runner. When the up piston comes into contact with the rotary inertia mass body, a reaction force means for applying a reaction force to the lock inertia piston side to the rotary inertia mass body to maintain the rotary inertia mass body in a non-contact state with the inner surface of the front cover is provided. And a sealing means for sealing the portions on both sides in the axial direction sandwiching the lock-up piston in a non-communication state when the lock-up piston contacts the rotary inertia mass body. Fluid transmission with lockup clutch. 2. An annular protrusion protruding in the axial direction is formed on the inner surface of the front cover, and the rotary inertia mass body is rotatably fitted to the annular protrusion and positioned on the same axis as the housing. Claim 1 characterized by the above.
A hydraulic power transmission device with a lock-up clutch according to. 3. The lockup clutch according to claim 1, wherein the lockup piston is non-rotatably coupled to the output member integral with the turbine runner so as to transmit torque to the output member. Transmission device with. 4. A seal portion for sealing both sides of the rotary inertia mass body in a liquid-tight state is provided on an inner peripheral portion of the rotary inertia mass body, and the lock-up piston is integrated with a turbine runner. The lock according to claim 1, wherein the lock member is fitted in the output member while maintaining a liquid-tight state, and the radius of the fitting portion from the rotation center and the radius of the seal portion are set to be substantially equal to each other. Fluid transmission with up clutch.