Abstract:
A flexplate coupling is disclosed. The flexpate coupling may be used as part of a transmission. The flexplate coupling comprises a flywheel, a damper assembly including a hub portion, and a flexplate. The flexplate includes a hub fastened to the hub portion of the damper assembly and a peripheral portion fastened to the flywheel.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/844,963, filed Sep. 15, 2006. 
    
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The field to which the disclosure generally relates includes mechanical connections between engines and transmissions. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Automotive powertrains may include splined mechanical connections between engines and transmissions. 
     SUMMARY OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION 
     One embodiment includes a flexplate coupling for a wet clutch transmission. 
     Other exemplary embodiments of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description provided hereinafter. It should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while disclosing exemplary embodiments of the invention, are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Exemplary embodiments of the present invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description and the accompanying drawings, wherein: 
         FIG. 1  illustrates one embodiment of the invention. 
         FIG. 2  illustrates another embodiment of the invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS 
     The following description of the embodiments is merely exemplary in nature and is in no way intended to limit the invention, its application, or uses. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 1 , one embodiment of the invention may include an automotive powertrain  10  including an engine  12  (partially shown) coupled to a transmission  14  (partially shown) via a flexplate coupling as will be described in greater detail below. 
     The engine  12  may include a crankshaft  16 , which may be connected to a flywheel  18  via one or more fasteners  20  such as bolts. The flywheel  18  may be assembled to the engine crankshaft  16  before the engine  12  and transmission  14  are coupled together. 
     The transmission  14  may be any suitable type of transmission such as a wet clutch or dual clutch transmission. The transmission  14  may include a center support  22  and a clutch assembly  24 , which may be a dual clutch assembly as shown. The clutch assembly  24  may be assembled over the center support  22  and thereafter secured thereto with a clutch-to-support fastener  26 , which may be threadingly engaged to a portion of the support  22 . The transmission  14  may also include any other suitable components, such as clutch hubs  28 ,  30  and any suitable bearings or washers therebetween. The transmission  14  also may include a damper assembly  32  suitably coupled to the clutch assembly  24 , such as substantially at the peripheries thereof as shown. Finally, the transmission  14  may also include an oil cover  34  that may be installed after the clutch and damper assemblies  24 ,  32  are installed. The oil cover  34  may include radially outer and inner seals  36 ,  38  to resist oil leakage out of the transmission  14 . 
     The flexplate coupling may include at least portions of the flywheel  18  and damper assembly  32 , and a flexplate  40  coupled therebetween. In general, the flexplate  40  may be coupled between the flywheel  18 , which may be connected to the engine crankshaft, and the damper assembly  32 , which may be installed in the transmission  14 . The flexplate  40  may include a radial hub  42 , one or more drive lugs  44  disposed radially outwardly of the radial hub  42 , an axial seal hub  46  disposed radially outwardly of the drive lug(s)  44 , and a peripheral portion  48  disposed radially outwardly of the axial seal hub  46 . The flexplate  40  may be manufactured in any suitable manner, including stamping and other suitable processing. 
     The flexplate  40  may be assembled to the transmission  14  by axially aligning and sliding the axial seal hub  46  into the inner seal  38  of the oil cover  34 . The flexplate  40  may be further assembled to the transmission  14  by circumferentially aligning and inserting the drive lugs  44  into corresponding drive holes  50  in the damper assembly  32 . A clearance to slight interference fit may be provided between the drive lugs  44  of the flexplate  40  and the drive holes  50  in the damper assembly  32  to resist backlash. Also, the flexplate  40  may be secured to the damper assembly  32  using a fastener such as a nut  52  threaded internally to a hub portion  54  of the damper assembly  32  and trapping a portion of the flexplate radial hub  42  therebetween. The clamping force of the nut  52  may be supplemented using projections or serrations (not shown) in axial faces of the hubs  42 ,  54  of the damper assembly  32  and flexplate  40 . 
     The flywheel  18  may be coupled to the flexplate  40  in any suitable manner. For example, any suitable fasteners may be used to connect the flywheel  18  to the flexplate  40 . As shown in  FIG. 1 , the flywheel  18  may include one or more axial fastener passages  56  to accept one or more fasteners such as bolts  58  therethrough that may be threaded to one or more corresponding fasteners such as nuts  60 . As shown, the fastener passages  56  may include any suitable reliefs, such as counterbores, to accept the bolts and nuts therein. The nuts  60  may be coupled to the peripheral portion  48  of the flexplate  40  in any suitable manner such as by welding, staking, integral forming, etc. Those skilled in the art will recognize that the bolts  58  and nuts  60  may be reversed, and that any other suitable connection may be provided between the flexplate  40  and flywheel  18 . 
       FIG. 2  illustrates another embodiment of the invention. This embodiment is similar in many respects to the embodiment of  FIG. 1 , and like numerals between the embodiments generally designate like or corresponding elements throughout the several views of the drawing figures. Additionally, the description of the previous embodiment is incorporated by reference and the common subject matter may generally not be repeated here. 
     In this embodiment, a powertrain  110  may include an engine  112  and a transmission  114  and a flexplate coupling therebetween that may include at least portions of a flywheel  118  and a damper assembly  132 , and a flexplate  140  coupled therebetween. The flexplate  140  may include a radial hub  142 , and an axial flange  148  disposed radially outwardly of the radial hub  142  and substantially at a peripheral portion of the flexplate  140 . The flexplate  140  may also include reliefs  144  therein to accommodate fasteners  120  that may fasten the flywheel  118  to a crankshaft  116 . 
     The flexplate  140  may be assembled to the transmission  114  by first mounting the radial hub  142  of the flexplate  140  against a hub portion  154  of the damper assembly  132 . Then, the flexplate  140  may be restrained from rotation and the flexplate  140  secured to the damper assembly  132  in any suitable manner, such as using a fastener such as a nut  152  threaded externally to the hub portion  154  of the damper assembly  132  and trapping a portion of the flexplate radial hub  142  therebetween. As clearly shown in  FIG. 2 , the hub portion  154  may cooperate with an oil cover. 
     The flywheel  118  may be coupled to the flexplate  140  in any suitable manner. For example, any suitable fasteners may be used to connect the flywheel  118  to the flexplate  140 . As shown in  FIG. 2 , the flywheel  118  may include one or more radial fastener passages  156  to accept one or more fasteners  158  such as screws or bolts therein. The fasteners  158  may extend through axial slots (not shown) in the axial flange  148  of the flexplate  140 . The axial slots enable additional axial adjustment between the engine  112  and transmission  114 , such as during assembly of the engine  112  to the transmission  114 . 
     The above description of embodiments of the invention is merely exemplary in nature and, thus, variations thereof are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention.