Patent ID: 8157529

Claim:
A blade structure of a torque converter, having a plurality of blades circumferentially arranged at a predetermined distance, the blade structure produced according to processes comprising: (a) stamping a plane plate into a first shape, the first shape having: (i) the plurality of circumferentially arranged blades; (ii) ring-shaped first connecting portions, each of which integrally couples adjacent blades together at an outer circumference side of the blade structure; and (iii) ring-shaped second connecting portions, each of the ring-shaped second connecting portions integrally coupled the adjacent blades together at an inner circumference side of the blade structure; (b) curving a surface of a stamped blade between the first and second connecting portions; (c) inclining the stamped blade having the curved surface at a predetermined angle with respect to the first and second connecting portions while inclining the first and second connecting portions with respect to a horizontal plane of the plane plate; and (d) adjusting a distance between the adjacent blades and shrinking the first shape in a radial direction by inclination of the first and second connecting portions, wherein the first connecting portion includes: (i) a deformable first adjustment portion which has first and second branch portions and is integrally coupled with one of the blades through the first and second branch portions; and (ii) a first arc portion which integrally couples adjacent first adjustment portions together through the first and second branch portions, wherein a distance between the adjacent blades is adjusted by overlapping the first and second branch portions in a circumferential direction and inclining the first arc portion in the circumferential direction, wherein the second connecting portion includes: (i) a deformable second adjustment portion which has third and fourth branch portions and is integrally coupled with one of the blades through the third and fourth branch portions; and (ii) a second arc portion which integrally couples adjacent second adjustment portions together through the third and fourth branch portions, and wherein a distance between the adjacent blades is adjusted by overlapping the third and fourth branch portions in a circumferential direction and inclining the second arc portion in the circumferential direction.