Importance

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Abstract

In one embodiment, a torque converter is provided with a fluid coupling and a viscous coupling. The viscous coupling includes a plurality of closely-spaced surfaces, wherein facing ones of the closely-spaced surfaces are alternately splined to rotate with driving or driven elements of the torque converter, and wherein the closely-spaced surfaces have an average spacing that causes ones of the surfaces rotating with the driving elements to exert a viscous pull on ones of the surfaces rotating with the driven elements when the torque converter is filled with a viscous fluid. A fluid receiving portion of the torque converter receives a viscous fluid into the torque converter, and a fluid return portion expels the viscous fluid from the torque converter. The fluid receiving and fluid return portions are positioned to define a fluid pumping path through the torque converter, wherein the fluid pumping path traverses paths between the closely-spaced surfaces of the viscous coupling, and wherein the fluid pumping path increases a shear force of the viscous fluid as the viscous fluid is pumped between the closely-spaced surfaces of the viscous coupling.

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First Claim