Stator cone clutch

1. A stator for a torque converter comprising:

a body portion including a first frusto-conical surface;

a flange including a second frusto-conical surface; and,

a stator clutch including the first and second frusto-conical surfaces and at least one clutch plate disposed therebetween, wherein the at least one clutch plate comprises a pair of frusto-conical surfaces.

2. The stator of claim 1 wherein at least one of the at least one clutch plate frusto-conical surfaces includes a friction material bonded thereto.

3. The stator of claim 1 wherein the body portion or the flange includes a first drive tab and the at least one clutch plate includes a second drive tab drivingly engaged with the first drive tab.

4. The stator of claim 1 wherein:

the at least one clutch plate comprises two clutch plates;

the body portion and the flange each comprises respective drive tabs;

one of the clutch plates includes a first drive tab drivingly engaged with the body portion drive tab; and,

the other of the clutch plates includes a second drive tab drivingly engaged with the flange drive tab.

5. The stator of claim 4 wherein the body portion comprises a radial wall and the other of the clutch plates includes an integral spring portion contacting the body portion radial wall.

6. The stator of claim 5 wherein the flange comprises a radial wall and the second drive tab is in contact with the flange radial wall.

7. The stator of claim 1 wherein the body portion and the flange comprise respective circumferential surfaces in contact with one another.

8. The stator of claim 1 wherein the body portion or the flange comprises a circumferential protrusion for radially positioning a bearing.

9. The stator of claim 1 further comprising a bearing.

10. The stator of claim 1 wherein the flange comprises a spline for driving engagement with a transmission stator shaft.

11. The stator of claim 1 wherein the body portion comprises at least one stator blade.

12. A torque converter, comprising:

a cover arranged to receive torque;

an impeller including an impeller shell non-rotatably connected to the cover;

a turbine:

in fluid communication with the impeller; and,

including a turbine shell;

a stator:

at least partially located between the impeller and the turbine; and,

including a body portion with at least one stator blade and a first frusto-conical surface;

a stator cone clutch including:

the first frusto-conical surface;

a flange including a second frusto-conical surface; and,

at least one clutch plate disposed between the first and second frusto-conical surfaces; and,

a first thrust bearing axially disposed between the stator cone clutch and the impeller shell, wherein in a stator locked mode:

the body portion, the clutch plate, and the flange are non-rotatably connected; and,

the stator cone clutch is arranged to urge the first thrust bearing against the impeller shell in a first axial direction.

13. The torque converter of claim 12 , wherein a line, orthogonal to an axis of rotation for the torque converter, passes through the first and second frusto-conical surfaces and forms respective acute angles with respect to the first and second frusto-conical surfaces.

14. The torque converter of claim 12 , wherein:

in the stator locked mode, fluid circulating through the impeller and the turbine is arranged to generate a first force urging the body portion in the first axial direction to non-rotatably connect the body portion and the flange; and,

in a stator free-wheel mode, the fluid circulating through the impeller and the turbine is arranged to generate a second force, in a second axial direction opposite the first axial direction, urging the body portion in the second axial direction to enable rotation between the body portion and the flange.

15. The torque converter of claim 12 , further comprising:

friction material disposed between the body portion and the flange and fixed to one of the body portion, the at least one clutch plate, or the flange, wherein in the stator locked mode, the body portion, the friction material, and the flange are non-rotatably connected.

16. The torque converter of claim 12 , further comprising:

a second thrust bearing located between the turbine shell and the stator cone clutch in the first axial direction, wherein for the stator locked mode, the second thrust bearing is arranged to transmit thrust from the turbine shell to the stator cone clutch to non-rotatably connect the body portion and the flange.

17. The torque converter of claim 16 , wherein:

the first thrust bearing:

is directly engaged with the flange; and,

in the stator locked mode, is arranged to transmit the thrust from the turbine shell to the impeller shell; and,

the second thrust bearing is directly engaged with the body portion.

18. The torque converter of claim 16 , wherein:

the second thrust bearing:

is directly engaged with the body portion; and,

in the stator locked mode, is arranged to transmit the thrust from the turbine shell to the body portion to displace the body portion in the first axial direction; and,

the first thrust bearing is directly engaged with the flange.

19. The torque converter of claim 12 , wherein:

the at least one clutch plate comprises two clutch plates;

one of the clutch plates includes a radially outer-most distal end non-rotatably connected to the body portion; and,

the other of the clutch plates includes a radially inner-most distal end non-rotatably connected to the flange.