IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,385,562
Granted Patent B2
US 12,385,562 · App. 18/313,676 · Granted Aug 12, 2025

Motor vehicle transmission with a torque converter

Inventors: Gürhan Gönülalan (Friedrichshafen, DE); Harald Stier (Bodnegg, DE); Stefan Benz-Breitweg (Wolfegg, DE); Gabriele Glade (Friedrichshafen, DE); Manuel Breymayer (Ehingen, DE)
Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
F16H57/0452F16H45/02F16H57/0424F16H2045/0215
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,385,562
App. No.
18/313,676
Granted
Aug 12, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

A motor vehicle transmission ( 1 ) includes a transmission housing ( 2 ) with torque converter ( 4 ) accommodated in the transmission housing ( 2 ) and a first oil guide device ( 9 ) positioned at an axial side of the torque converter ( 4 ). A housing wall ( 11 ) of the transmission housing ( 2 ) encloses the torque converter ( 4 ) radially outwardly at least in sections and has an inner surface ( 17 ) with an inner diameter configured such that a gap ( 13 ) defined by the inner surface ( 17 ) of the housing wall ( 11 ) and an outer surface ( 39 ) of the torque converter ( 4 ) is configured to convey oil from a first area ( 15 ) of the motor vehicle transmission ( 1 ) into a second area ( 16 ) of the motor vehicle transmission ( 1 ) during a rotary movement of the torque converter ( 4 ). The second area ( 16 ) is arranged above the first area ( 15 ) in an installed position of the motor vehicle transmission ( 1 ).

Claims (37)

1. A motor vehicle transmission ( 1 ), comprising:

a transmission housing ( 2 ), the transmission housing ( 2 ) having a housing wall ( 11 ) comprising an inner surface ( 17 );

a torque converter ( 4 ) accommodated in the transmission housing ( 2 ), the housing wall ( 11 ) of the transmission housing ( 2 ) enclosing the torque converter ( 4 ) radially outwardly at least in sections, an inner diameter of the inner surface ( 17 ) of the housing wall ( 11 ) being configured such that a gap ( 13 ) defined by the inner surface ( 17 ) of the housing wall ( 11 ) and an outer surface ( 39 ) of the torque converter ( 4 ) in a radial direction is configured to convey oil from a first area ( 15 ) of the motor vehicle transmission ( 1 ) into a second area ( 16 ) of the motor vehicle transmission ( 1 ) during rotary movement of the torque converter ( 4 ), the second area ( 16 ) of the motor vehicle transmission ( 1 ) being arranged above the first area ( 15 ) in an installed position of the motor vehicle transmission ( 1 ); and

a first oil guide device ( 9 ), the first oil guide device ( 9 ) being positioned exclusively outside of the gap ( 13 ) and at an axial side of the torque converter ( 4 ), the first oil guide device ( 9 ) being configured to influence an oil flow in a direction of the torque converter ( 4 ).

2. The motor vehicle transmission of claim 1 , wherein the first oil guide device ( 9 ) is formed as an oil collecting plate.

3. The motor vehicle transmission of claim 1 , wherein:

the first oil guide device ( 9 ) comprises at least one first through-hole ( 10 ) via which the first oil guide device ( 9 ) guides oil in the direction of the torque converter ( 4 ); and

the first oil guide device ( 9 ) comprises at least one second through-hole ( 36 ) in the second area ( 16 ) of the motor vehicle transmission ( 1 ) via which the first oil guide device ( 9 ) guides oil away from the torque converter ( 4 ), the oil being conveyable during the rotary movement of the torque converter ( 4 ) via the gap ( 13 ) defined by the inner surface of the housing wall ( 11 ) and the outer surface of the torque converter ( 4 ).

4. The motor vehicle transmission of claim 1 , further comprising a second oil guide device ( 24 ) arranged upstream from the housing wall ( 11 ) relative to an oil flow through the gap ( 13 ) caused by the rotary movement of the torque converter ( 4 ).

5. The motor vehicle transmission of claim 4 , wherein the second oil guide device ( 24 ) and the first oil guide device ( 9 ) are formed of discrete pieces of material.

6. The motor vehicle transmission of claim 4 , wherein:

the second oil guide device ( 24 ) closes an opening ( 25 ) in the transmission housing ( 2 ) and separates a first housing chamber ( 3 ) accommodating the torque converter ( 4 ) from a second housing chamber ( 6 ) accommodating an oil pump and a pump motor ( 7 ) and electronic components ( 8 ); and

wherein the second housing chamber ( 6 ) is arranged below the first housing chamber ( 3 ) in the installed position of the motor vehicle transmission ( 1 ).

7. The motor vehicle transmission of claim 4 , wherein the second oil guide device ( 24 ) forms a housing wall in the first area ( 15 ) of the motor vehicle transmission ( 1 ).

8. The motor vehicle transmission of claim 4 , wherein the second oil guide device ( 24 ) comprises an inner surface with an inner diameter, the inner diameter of the inner surface of the second oil guide device ( 24 ) decreasing at least in sections as viewed in a direction of the oil flow caused by the rotary movement of the torque converter ( 4 ) as a gap ( 38 ) between the second oil guide device ( 24 ) and the torque converter ( 4 ) decreases.

9. The motor vehicle transmission of claim 8 , wherein the inner diameter of the second oil guide device ( 24 ) adjacent to the inner diameter of the housing wall ( 11 ) is maximally as great as or less than the inner diameter of the housing wall ( 11 ).

10. The motor vehicle transmission of claim 1 , further comprising a third oil guide device ( 30 ) arranged downstream from the housing wall ( 11 ) relative to the oil flow through the gap ( 13 ) caused by the rotary movement of the torque converter ( 4 ).

11. The motor vehicle transmission of claim 10 , wherein the third oil guide device ( 30 ) and the first oil guide device ( 9 ) are formed of discrete pieces of material.

12. The motor vehicle transmission of claim 10 , wherein the third oil guide device ( 30 ) is integrally formed with the first oil guide device ( 9 ).

13. The motor vehicle transmission of claim 10 , wherein the third oil guide device ( 30 ) is arranged in the second area ( 16 ) of the motor vehicle transmission.

14. The motor vehicle transmission of claim 10 , wherein the gap ( 13 ) increases upstream from the third oil guide device ( 24 ) relative to the oil flow through the gap ( 13 ) caused by the rotary movement of the torque converter ( 4 ).

15. The motor vehicle transmission of claim 1 , further comprising:

a second oil guide device ( 24 ) arranged upstream from the housing wall ( 11 ) relative to an oil flow through the gap ( 13 ) caused by the rotary movement of the torque converter ( 4 ); and

a third oil guide device ( 30 ) arranged downstream from the housing wall ( 11 ) relative to the oil flow through the gap ( 13 ) caused by the rotary movement of the torque converter ( 4 ),

wherein an enveloping circle extending around the torque converter ( 4 ) in the installed position of the motor vehicle transmission ( 1 ) has a 0° angle position at a top of the enveloping circle and a 180° angle position at a bottom of the enveloping circle,

wherein the housing wall ( 11 ) comprises an upstream edge from the 180° angle position, the upstream edge of the housing wall ( 11 ) enclosing a first angular range between 20° and 70° from the 180° angle position, the second oil guide device ( 24 ) covering at least the first angular range, and

wherein the third oil guide device ( 30 ) comprises an upstream edge from the 0° angle position, the upstream edge of the third oil guide device ( 30 ) enclosing a second angular range between 5° and 30° with the 0° angle position.

16. A motor vehicle transmission ( 1 ), comprising:

a transmission housing ( 2 ), the transmission housing ( 2 ) having a housing wall ( 11 ) comprising an inner surface ( 17 );

a torque converter ( 4 ) accommodated in the transmission housing ( 2 ), the housing wall ( 11 ) of the transmission housing ( 2 ) enclosing the torque converter ( 4 ) radially outwardly at least in sections, an inner diameter of the inner surface ( 17 ) of the housing wall ( 11 ) being configured such that a gap ( 13 ) defined by the inner surface ( 17 ) of the housing wall ( 11 ) and an outer surface ( 39 ) of the torque converter ( 4 ) is configured to convey oil from a first area ( 15 ) of the motor vehicle transmission ( 1 ) into a second area ( 16 ) of the motor vehicle transmission ( 1 ) during rotary movement of the torque converter ( 4 ), with the second area ( 16 ) of the motor vehicle transmission ( 1 ) being arranged above the first area ( 15 ) in an installed position of the motor vehicle transmission ( 1 );

a first oil guide device ( 9 ) positioned at an axial side of the torque converter ( 4 ) and configured to influence an oil flow in a direction of the torque converter ( 4 ); and

a second oil guide device ( 24 ) arranged upstream from the housing wall ( 11 ) relative to an oil flow through the gap ( 13 ) caused by the rotary movement of the torque converter ( 4 ), the second oil guide device ( 24 ) comprising an inner surface with an inner diameter, the inner diameter of the inner surface of the second oil guide device ( 24 ) decreasing at least in sections as viewed in a direction of the oil flow caused by the rotary movement of the torque converter ( 4 ) as a gap ( 38 ) between the second oil guide device ( 24 ) and the torque converter ( 4 ) decreases.

17. A motor vehicle transmission ( 1 ), comprising:

a transmission housing ( 2 ), the transmission housing ( 2 ) having a housing wall ( 11 ) comprising an inner surface ( 17 );

a torque converter ( 4 ) accommodated in the transmission housing ( 2 ), the housing wall ( 11 ) of the transmission housing ( 2 ) enclosing the torque converter ( 4 ) radially outwardly at least in sections, an inner diameter of the inner surface ( 17 ) of the housing wall ( 11 ) being configured such that a gap ( 13 ) defined by the inner surface ( 17 ) of the housing wall ( 11 ) and an outer surface ( 39 ) of the torque converter ( 4 ) is configured to convey oil from a first area ( 15 ) of the motor vehicle transmission ( 1 ) into a second area ( 16 ) of the motor vehicle transmission ( 1 ) during rotary movement of the torque converter ( 4 ), with the second area ( 16 ) of the motor vehicle transmission ( 1 ) being arranged above the first area ( 15 ) in an installed position of the motor vehicle transmission ( 1 );

a first oil guide device ( 9 ) positioned at an axial side of the torque converter ( 4 ) and configured to influence an oil flow in a direction of the torque converter ( 4 ); and

a third oil guide device ( 30 ) arranged downstream from the housing wall ( 11 ) relative to the oil flow through the gap ( 13 ) caused by the rotary movement of the torque converter ( 4 ), the gap ( 13 ) increasing upstream from the third oil guide device ( 24 ) relative to the oil flow through the gap ( 13 ) caused by the rotary movement of the torque converter ( 4 ).

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 8, 2023
From: GÖNÜLALAN, GÜRHAN; STIER, HARALD; BENZ-BREITWEG, STEFAN; GLADE, GABRIELE; BREYMAYER, MANUEL
To: ZF FRIEDRICHSHAFEN AG
Reel/Frame 063566/0697 →
Priority Claims (1)
DE 10 2022 204 508.4 · May 9, 2022 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20240019026A1 · Jan 18, 2024
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