A drive system includes an electric machine that generates a torque. An output shaft rotates bi-directionally and receives the torque. A coupling is disposed between the electric machine and the output shaft. The coupling includes a torque converter that multiplies the torque. One clutch transfers the torque from the electric machine to the torque converter, when the electric machine operates in a first rotational direction. Another clutch transfers the torque from the electric machine to the torque converter, when the electric machine operates in a second rotational direction that is opposite to the first rotational direction. A gearset includes a number of meshing gears and is disposed between the electric machine and the output shaft to transfer the torque to the output shaft.

A torque converter, including: a cover arranged to receive torque; a pump including a pump shell connected to the cover, and pump blades; a turbine in fluid communication with the pump and including a turbine shell and turbine blades; a stator including stator blades disposed between the turbine and the pump; a pump hub non-rotatably connected to the pump shell and including a first planar surface facing radially outward with respect to an axis of rotation; and a resolver rotor non-rotatably connected to the pump hub and including a second planar surface in contact with the first planar surface and facing radially inward with respect to the axis of rotation. The pump hub includes a protrusion extending radially outward from the first planar surface and in contact with the resolver rotor. The resolver rotor is arranged to determine a rotational position of the torque converter around the axis of rotation.

A torque converter, including: a cover arranged to receive torque; an impeller including an impeller shell connected to the cover and at least one impeller blade; a turbine in fluid communication with the impeller and including a turbine shell and at least one turbine blade; and a stator assembly. The stator assembly includes: a stator including at least one stator blade axially disposed between the turbine and the impeller; a one-way clutch including an outer race non-rotatably connected to the stator and an inner race arranged to non-rotatably connect to a stator shaft; and a combination washer and seal including a first portion axially disposed between the turbine shell and the stator and a second portion extending radially inwardly from the first portion and arranged to at least partially seal against the stator shaft.

A torque converter, including: a cover arranged to receive torque; an impeller including an impeller shell connected to the cover and at least one impeller blade; a turbine in fluid communication with the impeller and including a turbine shell and at least one turbine blade; and a stator assembly. The stator assembly includes: a stator including at least one stator blade axially disposed between the turbine and the impeller; a one-way clutch including an outer race non-rotatably connected to the stator and an inner race arranged to non-rotatably connect to a stator shaft; and a combination washer and seal including a first portion axially disposed between the turbine shell and the stator and a second portion extending radially inwardly from the first portion and arranged to at least partially seal against the stator shaft.

Presented are clutch control systems for torque converter (TC) assemblies, methods for making/operating such TC assemblies, and vehicles equipped with such TC assemblies. A TC assembly includes a housing that drivingly connects to an electric motor, and an output member that drivingly connects to a multi-gear transmission. Rotatable within the TC housing are a turbine attached to the TC output member and an impeller juxtaposed with the turbine. A lockup clutch is operable to lock the housing to the output member. A system controller is programmed to receive a shift signal to shift the powertrain from a neutral or park operating mode to a forward driving operating mode; responsive to receipt of this shift signal, the lockup clutch is opened. The system controller then receives a TCC lock signal to lock the lockup clutch; responsive to receipt of the TCC lock signal, the lockup clutch is closed.

Presented are clutch control systems for torque converter (TC) assemblies, methods for making/operating such TC assemblies, and vehicles equipped with such TC assemblies. A TC assembly includes a housing that drivingly connects to an electric motor, and an output member that drivingly connects to a multi-gear transmission. Rotatable within the TC housing are a turbine attached to the TC output member and an impeller juxtaposed with the turbine. A lockup clutch is operable to lock the housing to the output member. A system controller is programmed to receive a shift signal to shift the powertrain from a neutral or park operating mode to a forward driving operating mode; responsive to receipt of this shift signal, the lockup clutch is opened. The system controller then receives a TCC lock signal to lock the lockup clutch; responsive to receipt of the TCC lock signal, the lockup clutch is closed.

A damper device including an input element and an output element; an elastic body transmitting torque between the input element and the output element; and a rotary inertia mass damper having a mass body. The rotary inertia mass damper includes a sun gear, a carrier rotatably supporting pinion gears, and a ring gear that meshes with the pinion gears and serving as the mass body. A pair of washers is located on both sides of each pinion gear axially. The ring gear includes an annulus gear having internal teeth meshing with the pinion gears and a weight body fixed to the annulus gear such that the weight body is in contact with a side surface of the annulus gear. An inner circumferential surface of the weight body is supported in a radial direction by a tip of the pinion gear or an outer circumferential surface of the washer.

A damper device including an input element and an output element; an elastic body transmitting torque between the input element and the output element; and a rotary inertia mass damper having a mass body. The rotary inertia mass damper includes a sun gear, a carrier rotatably supporting pinion gears, and a ring gear that meshes with the pinion gears and serving as the mass body. A pair of washers is located on both sides of each pinion gear axially. The ring gear includes an annulus gear having internal teeth meshing with the pinion gears and a weight body fixed to the annulus gear such that the weight body is in contact with a side surface of the annulus gear. An inner circumferential surface of the weight body is supported in a radial direction by a tip of the pinion gear or an outer circumferential surface of the washer.

The present invention relates to a lock-up device for a torque converter which has a simple structure compared to the prior art, which reduces manufacturing costs, and which may reduce a size of the entire torque converter and improve a damping ability of the dynamic damper by minimizing an installation space of a dynamic damper.

In one aspect, a control method and a control apparatus are provided for protecting a damper clutch of a vehicle. In one aspect, the control method of protecting the damper clutch of the vehicle includes determining whether a vehicle state satisfies a condition for operating a damper clutch protection logic, calculating a slip power in real time on the basis of a turbine speed of a torque converter, an engine speed, a capacity coefficient of the torque converter, a clutch torque, and a hydraulic torque when the condition for operating the damper clutch protection logic is satisfied, determining whether a repetitive tip-in/tip-out that is intentionally performed occurs or not on the basis of a change in the slip power that is calculated in real time for a set time, and operating the damper clutch protection logic for restraining a slip of the damper clutch when there is the repetitive tip-in/tip-out that is intentionally performed.