Hardened turbine plate

1. An assembly for a torque converter, comprising:

a damper assembly including a cover plate including a first plurality of openings, a flange, and at least one spring in contact with the flange and the cover plate;

a turbine including at least one first blade and a shell including a portion disposed radially inward of the at least one blade, and a second plurality of openings in the portion;

a turbine plate with a third plurality of openings; and,

a plurality of fasteners passing through the first, second, and third pluralities of openings and:

fixedly securing the cover plate, the portion of the turbine shell, and the turbine plate to one another; or,

fixedly securing the portion of the turbine shell to the turbine plate and restricting rotation of the cover plate with respect to the portion of the turbine shell to the turbine plate, wherein the turbine plate is hardened by heat treatment and the turbine shell is not hardened by heat treatment.

2. The assembly of claim 1 wherein a radially inner circumference of the turbine plate is in contact with the flange to radially center the turbine with respect to the flange.

3. The assembly of claim 2 wherein a radially inner circumference of the flange is arranged to contact an input shaft for a transmission to radially center the flange with respect to the input shaft.

4. The assembly of claim 1 wherein torque from the turbine is transmitted from the portion of the turbine shell to the cover plate through the plurality of fasteners and from the cover plate to the flange of the damper through the at least one spring.

5. The assembly of claim 4 wherein the flange is arranged to engage an input shaft for a transmission to transmit the torque to the input shaft.

6. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the turbine plate is arranged to seal against an input shaft for a transmission.

7. The assembly of claim 1 wherein:

the torque converter includes an impeller with at least one second blade, a stator with at least one third blade, and a bearing;

the stator is axially disposed between the turbine and the impeller; and,

the bearing is axially disposed between the turbine plate and the stator and in contact with the turbine plate and the stator to enable relative rotation of the turbine shell with respect to the stator.

8. The assembly of claim 7 wherein axial force associated with axial displacement of the damper assembly or the turbine toward each other is transmitted to the bearing.

9. The assembly of claim 7 wherein a most radially inward segment of the portion of the turbine shell is radially outward of the bearing.

10. The assembly of claim 1 wherein an inner circumference of the portion of the turbine shell and an outer circumference of the turbine plate are aligned in a radial direction.

11. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the second and third pluralities of openings are at least partially aligned in a circumferential direction.

12. The assembly of claim 1 wherein at least respective segments of the portion of the turbine shell and the turbine plate are aligned in an axial direction.

13. The assembly of claim 1 wherein:

for each fastener in the plurality of fasteners, a first portion of said each fastener passing through the cover plate has a first diameter; and,

each opening in the first plurality of openings has a radial extent and a circumferential extent each greater than the diameter such that relative rotation of the cover plate and the plurality of fasteners is enabled.

14. The assembly of claim 13 wherein the first portion of said each fastener is in contact with a radial surface for the turbine plate.

15. The assembly of claim 13 further comprising a resilient element in contact with the plurality of fasteners and the cover plate and urging the cover plate toward the turbine plate.

16. The assembly of claim 1 wherein:

the portion of the turbine shell includes a plurality of radially inwardly projecting protrusions; and,

the turbine plate includes a plurality of radially outwardly projecting protrusions interleaved with the plurality of radially inwardly projecting protrusions and at least partially aligned in a circumferential direction with the plurality of radially inwardly projecting protrusions.

17. A torque converter, comprising:

a turbine including at least one first blade and a shell including a portion disposed radially inward of the at least one blade, and a first plurality of openings in the portion;

an impeller with at least one second blade;

a stator with at least one third blade, the stator axially disposed between the turbine and the impeller;

a damper assembly including a cover plate including a second plurality of openings, a flange, and at least one spring in contact with the flange and the cover plate;

a turbine plate assembly including:

a turbine plate with a third plurality of openings;

a plurality of fasteners passing through the first, second, and third pluralities of openings and fixedly securing the portion of the turbine shell to the turbine plate; and,

a radially inner circumference of the turbine plate is in contact with the flange to radially center the turbine with respect to the flange;

torque from the turbine is transmitted from the portion of the turbine shell to the cover plate through the plurality of fasteners and from the cover plate to the flange of the damper through the at least one spring;

the portion of the turbine shell and a radially outward portion of the turbine plate are aligned in an axial direction;

for each fastener in the plurality of fasteners, a first portion of said each fastener passing through the cover plate has a first diameter; and,

each opening in the first plurality of openings has a radial extent and a circumferential extent each greater than the diameter such that relative rotation of the cover plate and the plurality of fasteners is enabled.

18. A torque converter, comprising:

a turbine including at least one first blade and a shell including a portion disposed radially inward of the at least one blade, and a first plurality of openings in the portion;

an impeller with at least one second blade;

a stator with at least one third blade, the stator connected to the turbine and the impeller;

a damper assembly including a cover plate including a second plurality of openings, a flange, and at least one spring in contact with the flange and the cover plate;

a turbine plate assembly including:

a turbine plate with a third plurality of openings; and,

a plurality of fasteners passing through the first, second, and third pluralities of openings and fixedly securing the portion of the turbine shell to the turbine plate, wherein:

torque from the turbine is transmitted from the portion of the turbine shell through the turbine plate to the cover plate through the plurality of fasteners and from the cover plate to the flange of the damper through the at least one spring; and

the portion of the turbine shell and a radially outward portion of the turbine plate are aligned in a radial direction, wherein:

a radially inner circumference of the turbine plate is in contact with the flange to radially center the turbine with respect to the flange; or,

the turbine plate assembly is arranged to seal against an input shaft for a transmission.