A torque converter includes a cover assembly, an impeller assembly, a turbine assembly and a damper assembly. The impeller assembly includes an impeller shell drivingly connected with the cover assembly. The turbine assembly includes a shell with a clutch portion for selective driving engagement with the impeller shell. The damper assembly includes at least one cover plate, a flange for driving engagement with a transmission input shaft, and a first resilient element drivingly engaged with the at least one cover plate and the flange. The torque converter has a second resilient element for urging the turbine assembly away from the cover assembly.

Disclosed are engine flexplates with integrated engine disconnects, methods for making and for using such flexplates, and motor vehicles with an engine flexplate having an integrated engine disconnect device. An engine flexplate assembly is disclosed for operatively coupling an engine to a hydrokinetic torque converter. The flexplate assembly includes a disk-shaped body with a central hub that rigidly attaches on the fore side thereof to the engine output shaft for common rotation therewith. A disconnect device, which is positioned on the aft side of the disk-shaped body, includes concentric inner and outer races. The outer race is rigidly attached to the disk-shaped body for common rotation therewith. The inner race rigidly attaches to the front cover of the TC housing for common rotation therewith. The disconnect device operatively disconnects the engine output shaft from the TC housing front cover when a torque transmitted therebetween reverses direction.

Presented are torque converters (TC) with hydraulic systems for converter feed and clutch control, 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 disposed inside the TC housing, between the turbine and housing, is operable to lock the housing to the output member. A disconnect clutch disposed inside the housing, between the impeller and housing, is operable to lock the housing to the impeller. A pump is attached to the TC housing and drivingly connected to the motor for feeding fluid into the housing to increase pressure within the TC chamber and activate the lockup and disconnect clutches.

A friction material for a clutch pad comprising: a base layer including: a plurality of fibers; and, a filler material; and, a surface layer, substantially devoid of fibers, including: a friction modifier; and, a coupling agent. A method of making a friction material composite, the method comprising: forming a base layer, having oppositely disposed first and second surfaces and a first density, and including a plurality of fibers and a filler material; mixing a friction modifier and an organosilane coupling agent to form a mixture; applying the mixture uniformly to the first surface of the base layer to form a friction modifying surface layer, having oppositely disposed third and fourth surfaces and a second density, and an interfacial bonding layer therebetween; and, saturating the base layer, the interfacial bonding layer, and the friction modifying surface layer with a binder.

A stator assembly for a torque converter includes a body and a washer. The body is rotatable about an axis and has a cavity defined by an axial wall radially spaced from the axis and a radial wall extending radially inward from the axial wall. The washer is disposed in the cavity and is configured to be compressed against the radial wall. The washer includes a base and a plurality of circumferentially spaced from each other and extending radially outward from the base. The plurality of tabs are configured to non-rotatably connect to the axial wall.

A method of making a wet friction material includes coating a first outer surface of a cellulose layer with a friction coating; placing a matrix of fibers and filler particles on a second outer surface of the cellulose layer; and saturating the matrix of fibers and filler particles with a binder and curing the binder to join the matrix of fibers and filler particles together to form a wet friction material base layer and to join wet friction material base layer to the second outer surface of the cellulose layer.

A hybrid module comprising a rotor assembly including a rotor carrier and a torque converter completely disposed radially inside of the rotor carrier is provided. The torque converter assembly includes an impeller having an impeller shell fixed to the rotor carrier such that the impeller shell and the rotor carrier form a housing of the torque converter.

A torque converter comprising a front cover, an impeller having an impeller shell connected to the front cover, a turbine having a turbine shell and at least one blade attached thereto, and a lock-up clutch configured to selectively couple the turbine shell to the impeller shell for torque transmission therebetween is provided. In embodiments, the lock-up clutch comprises a clutch plate connected to the turbine shell and extending radially outward therefrom. The clutch plate may include a first end, a second end, and a slot defined between the first and the second ends. The lock-up clutch further may include a piston connected to the front cover, and a piston actuation plate connected to the piston, wherein the piston is configured to actuate the piston actuation plate to close the lock-up clutch to connect the turbine shell to the impeller shell.

A hydrokinetic torque-coupling device includes an impeller wheel, a turbine wheel, a stator, a casing, a stationary shaft operatively coupled to the stator so that a driven shaft axially extends through the stationary shaft, a first fluid passage formed axially through the driven shaft, a second fluid passage formed between the stationary shaft and the driven shaft, a third fluid passage formed radially adjacent to the stationary shaft, and a lock-up clutch including a piston housing member non-moveably attached to a center hub of the casing, and a lockup piston mounted to the center hub so as to be axially movable along the center hub. The first fluid passage hydraulically connected to a first hydraulic chamber. The second fluid passage hydraulically connected to a second hydraulic chamber. The third fluid passage hydraulically connected to a torus chamber defined between the impeller shell and the turbine shell.

A transmission includes: a torque converter; a transmission input shaft; a seal member sandwiched between the hollow shaft and the transmission input shaft; and a bush, the transmission input shaft including a large diameter portion abutted on the seal member, and a small diameter portion which is positioned on the tip end side of the large diameter portion, and which has a diameter smaller than a diameter of the large diameter portion, the seal member having a diameter larger than a diameter of the bush, and the small diameter portion having an axial length set to be longer than a length from an insertion inlet of the transmission input shaft of the bush to the seal member.