Patent ID: 11859369
Assignee: CATERPILLAR INC.
Field: Mechanical elements (Mechanical engineering)
Classification: CPC E  F | IPC E  F

Claim 10:
11. A machine, comprising:
a frame;
a prime mover supported by the frame;
a torque converter coupled to the prime mover and supported by the frame, the torque converter housing a lockup clutch system, the lockup clutch system including:
one or more clutch discs operational to, when engaged, couple rotational force from an input component to an output component in the torque converter, the one or more clutch discs, the input component, and the output component housed in a hydraulic fluid chamber of the torque converter,
a lockup piston housed in a piston housing of the torque converter; the lockup piston having a first end portion and a second end portion opposite of the first end portion, the lockup piston operational to:
engage with the one or more clutch discs when the lockup piston is biased, and
disengage from the one or more clutch discs when the lockup piston is unbiased, and

a mechanical spring housed in the piston housing and coupled to the lockup piston at the second end portion of the lockup piston, the mechanical spring operational to bias the lockup piston to engage with the one or more clutch discs;

a relief valve coupled to the hydraulic fluid chamber, the relief valve operational to, based on a state of the prime mover:
in an open position, relieve hydraulic pressure from hydraulic fluid in the hydraulic fluid chamber allowing the lockup piston to be biased, and
in a closed position, allow the hydraulic pressure from the hydraulic fluid in the hydraulic fluid chamber to build up allowing the lockup piston to be unbiased; and

an electronic control module (ECM) coupled to the prime mover and the relief valve, the ECM operational to monitor the state of the prime mover and control the relief valve based on the state of the prime mover.