Patent ID: 8240443

Claim:
A powertrain comprising: an engine; a torque converter with a stator portion supported on a stator shaft; wherein the stator shaft has a stator shaft feed passage and a stator shaft return passage; and wherein the torque converter has a torque converter housing with a torque converter housing feed passage and a torque converter housing return passage; wherein the engine is configured to provide oil to the torque converter housing feed passage through the stator shaft feed passage for operation of the torque converter; wherein the oil provided by the engine forms a fluid coupling in the torque converter; a transmission having an input member operatively connected with the engine through the torque converter; wherein the input member at least partially defines an input member feed passage to provide oil from the engine to the torque converter housing feed passage through the stator shaft feed passage; wherein the input member at least partially defines an input member return passage to return oil from the torque converter housing return passage to the engine through the stator shaft return passage; a stator sleeve between the input member and the stator shaft configured to permit flow from the input member feed passage to the torque converter housing feed passage through the stator shaft feed passage; and wherein the stator sleeve is further configured to prevent flow from the torque converter housing return passage to the input member feed passage through the stator shaft return passage.