Torque converter including inertia ring connected to a turbine by a extruded rivet weldless connection

Abstract

A torque converter is provided. The torque converter includes a turbine including a turbine shell and a plurality of turbine blades fixed to the turbine shell by tabs of the turbine blades. The turbine shell includes a rounded blade supporting portion supporting the turbine blades. The torque converter also includes an inertia ring and a connector fixing the inertia ring to the turbine shell. Some of the turbine blade tabs fix the connector to the turbine shell. A method of constructing a torque converter is also provided.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A torque converter comprising:
 a turbine including a turbine shell and a plurality of turbine blades fixed to the turbine shell by tabs of the turbine blades, the turbine shell including a rounded blade supporting portion supporting the turbine blades; 
 an inertia ring; and 
 a connector fixing the inertia ring to the turbine shell, some of the turbine blade tabs fixing the connector to the turbine shell. 
 
     
     
       2. The torque converter as recited in  claim 1  wherein the connector is a connection ring including a plurality of circumferentially spaced slots passing therethrough that each are aligned with one of a plurality of circumferentially spaced slots passing through the turbine shell, the tabs fixing the connection ring to the turbine shell each passing through one of the slots in the connection ring and one of the slots in the turbine shell and being bent against an engine-side surface of the connection ring. 
     
     
       3. The torque converter as recited in  claim 2  wherein the inertia ring includes a base including a radially extending ring section fixed to the connection ring and an axially extending ring section extending from an outer circumference of the radially extending ring section. 
     
     
       4. The torque converter as recited in  claim 3  wherein the axially extending ring section is directly radially outside of the rounded blade supporting portion. 
     
     
       5. The torque converter as recited in  claim 3  wherein the axially extending ring section is positioned radially outside of an outermost circumferential surface of the turbine shell. 
     
     
       6. The torque converter as recited in  claim 1  wherein the connector is a connection ring including a radially outer section fixed against a turbine-side radially extending surface of the inertia ring and a radially inner section fixed against an engine-side surface of the rounded blade supporting portion. 
     
     
       7. The torque converter as recited in  claim 6  wherein the radially inner section is angled at an obtuse angle with respect to the radially outer section. 
     
     
       8. The torque converter as recited in  claim 6  wherein the inertia ring is fixed to the radially outer section of the connection ring by extruded rivets formed from the inertia ring. 
     
     
       9. The torque converter as recited in  claim 1  wherein the tabs include radially inner tabs, radially outer tabs and intermediate tabs radially between the radially inner tabs and the radially outer tabs, the intermediate tabs fixing the connector to the turbine shell. 
     
     
       10. A method of constructing a torque converter comprising:
 fixing a connector to an inertia ring; 
 providing a turbine shell including a rounded blade supporting portion including a plurality of circumferentially spaced first slots; 
 aligning second slots of the connector with the first slots of the turbine shell; and 
 passing some tabs of turbine blades through the first slots and the second slots to connect the turbine blades and the connector to the rounded blade supporting portion by bending the tabs passed through the first slots and the second slots against an engine-side surface of the connector. 
 
     
     
       11. The method as recited in  claim 10  wherein the inertia ring includes a base including a radially extending ring section fixed to the connector and an axially extending ring section extending from an outer circumference of the radially extending ring section. 
     
     
       12. The method as recited in  claim 11  wherein the axially extending ring section is directly radially outside of the rounded blade supporting portion. 
     
     
       13. The method as recited in  claim 11  wherein the axially extending ring section is positioned radially outside of an outermost circumferential surface of the turbine shell. 
     
     
       14. The method as recited in  claim 10  wherein the connector is a connection ring including a radially outer section fixed against a turbine-side radially extending surface of the inertia ring and a radially inner section fixed against an engine-side surface of the rounded blade supporting portion. 
     
     
       15. The method as recited in  claim 14  wherein the radially inner section is angled at an obtuse angle with respect to the radially outer section. 
     
     
       16. The method as recited in  claim 14  further comprising extruding protrusions from the inertia ring, the fixing of the inertia ring to the connection ring including passing the extruded protrusions through holes in the radially outer section of the connection ring and then stamping ends of extruded protrusions to form rivet heads. 
     
     
       17. The method as recited in  claim 10  wherein the tabs include radially inner tabs, radially outer tabs and intermediate tabs radially between the radially inner tabs and the radially outer tabs, the intermediate tabs fixing the connector to the turbine shell.