Launch torus torque converter

Abstract

A torque converter having an impeller, a turbine, and a stator disposed between the impeller and the turbine is provided. The torque converter has an axially thin design, with a torus width to torque converter diameter ratio of about 0.15 to 0.17, by way of example. In some variations, the stator has twisted blades that have lower shell blade angles than core blade angles with respect to the center line of torque converter flow, at both the inlet and outlet.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A torque converter for a motor vehicle, the torque converter comprising:
 an impeller member configured to be driven hydraulically by a prime mover of the motor vehicle;   a turbine member configured to receive fluid energy from the impeller member and convert the fluid energy to mechanical energy, the turbine member being disposed opposite the impeller member, the impeller member and the turbine member cooperating to define a torus width L t  and a torque converter diameter D; and   a stator member disposed between the impeller member and the turbine member, the stator member being configured to increase torque multiplication of the torque converter, wherein   the torque converter has a torus width L t  to torque converter diameter D ratio (L t /D) in the range of about 0.15 to about 0.17.   
     
     
         2 . The torque converter of  claim 1 , wherein the stator member has a plurality of stator blades, the plurality of stator blades comprising about 20 to about 42 stator blades. 
     
     
         3 . The torque converter of  claim 2 , wherein the impeller member and the turbine member cooperate to define a torus height d, the torque converter having an aspect ratio (torus width L t  divided by torus height d, L t /d) in the range of about 0.73 to about 0.78. 
     
     
         4 . The torque converter of  claim 3 , wherein the torque converter has a torus passage height h to torque converter diameter D ratio (h/D) of about 0.053 to about 0.057. 
     
     
         5 . The torque converter of  claim 4 , wherein the stator member defines a stator shell radius R s , the torque converter having a torus position (2 times the stator shell radius R s  divided by the torque converter diameter D, 2*R s /D) in the range of about 0.55 to about 0.61. 
     
     
         6 . The torque converter of  claim 5 , wherein at least one of the impeller member and the turbine member defines a torus area ratio distribution that decreases along a torus length TL of one of the impeller member and the turbine member by an amount in the range about 75% to 90%. 
     
     
         7 . The torque converter of  claim 6 , wherein each stator blade extends at an inlet core stator blade angle θ from a center line C of torque converter flow at a core side of the stator member and at an inlet side of the stator member; wherein each stator blade extends at an outlet core stator blade angle γ from a center line C of torque converter flow at the core side of the stator member and at an outlet side of the stator member; wherein each stator blade extends at an inlet shell stator blade angle α from a center line C of torque converter flow at a shell side of the stator member and at the inlet side of the stator member; wherein each stator blade extends at an outlet shell stator blade angle β from a center line C of torque converter flow at the shell side of the stator member and at the outlet side of the stator member; wherein the inlet shell stator blade angle α is less than the inlet core stator blade angle θ; and wherein the outlet shell stator blade angle β is less than the outlet core stator blade angle γ. 
     
     
         8 . The torque converter of  claim 7 , wherein the inlet core stator blade angle θ minus the inlet shell stator blade angle α is in the range of about 12° to about 17°; and wherein the outlet core stator blade angle γ minus the outlet shell stator blade angle β is in the range of about 9° to about 22°. 
     
     
         9 . The torque converter of  claim 8 , wherein each stator blade is twisted and has a greater two-dimensional length at the shell side of the stator member than at the core side of the stator member. 
     
     
         10 . The torque converter of  claim 9 , wherein each stator blade has a shell length Ls s  at the shell side of the stator member and each stator blade has a core length Ls c  at the core side of the stator member, the ratio of the shell length Ls s  to the core length Ls c  being in the range of about 1.2 to about 1.9. 
     
     
         11 . The torque converter of  claim 10 , wherein the impeller member has 37 pump blades. 
     
     
         12 . The torque converter of  claim 11 , wherein the turbine member has 35 turbine blades. 
     
     
         13 . The torque converter of  claim 1 , wherein the torque converter has a coupling speed ratio in the range of about 0.89 to about 0.90. 
     
     
         14 . The torque converter of  claim 13 , wherein the torque converter has a retention (K-factor at the coupling speed ratio divided by K-factor at a stall speed ratio, K cp /K s ) in the range of about 1.01 to about 1.10. 
     
     
         15 . The torque converter of  claim 14 , wherein the torus width L t  to torque converter diameter D ratio (L t /D) is about 0.16. 
     
     
         16 . A torque converter for a motor vehicle, the torque converter comprising:
 an impeller member configured to be driven hydraulically by a prime mover of the motor vehicle;   a turbine member configured to receive fluid energy from the impeller member and convert the fluid energy to mechanical energy, the turbine member being disposed opposite the impeller member; and   a stator member disposed between the impeller member and the turbine member, the stator member being configured to increase torque multiplication of the torque converter, the stator member having a plurality of stator blades, wherein each stator blade of the plurality of stator blades extends at an inlet core stator blade angle θ from a center line C of torque converter flow at a core side of the stator member and at an inlet side of the stator member; wherein each stator blade extends at an outlet core stator blade angle γ from a center line C of torque converter flow at the core side of the stator member and at an outlet side of the stator member; wherein each stator blade extends at an inlet shell stator blade angle α from a center line C of torque converter flow at a shell side of the stator member and at an inlet side of the stator member; wherein each stator blade extends at an outlet shell stator blade angle β from a center line C of torque converter flow at the shell side of the stator member and at the outlet side of the stator member; wherein the inlet shell stator blade angle α is less than the inlet core stator blade angle θ; and wherein the outlet shell stator blade angle β is less than the outlet core stator blade angle γ.   
     
     
         17 . The torque converter of  claim 16 , wherein the inlet core stator blade angle θ minus the inlet shell stator blade angle α is in the range of about 12-17°; and wherein the outlet core stator blade angle γ minus the outlet shell stator blade angle β is in the range of about 9-22°. 
     
     
         18 . The torque converter of  claim 17 , wherein each stator blade is twisted and has a greater two-dimensional length at the shell side of the stator member than at the core side of the stator. 
     
     
         19 . The torque converter of  claim 18 , wherein each stator blade has a shell length Ls s  at the shell side of the stator member and each stator blade has a core length Ls c  at the core side of the stator member, the ratio of the shell length Ls s  to the core length Ls c  being in the range of about 1.2 to about 1.9. 
     
     
         20 . The torque converter of  claim 19 , wherein the impeller member has 37 pump blades, wherein the turbine member has 35 turbine blades, and wherein the plurality of stator blades comprises about 20-42 stator blades.