Patent ID: 8069563

Claim:
A blade structure for a torque converter, produced by a process comprising the steps of: stamping a flat blank into a first annular plate that includes a first connecting ring portion, a second connecting ring portion disposed on a radial inside of the first connecting ring portion and a plurality of blades that arc arranged to be spaced from each other in a circumferential direction of the first and second connecting ring portions, and connected with the first connecting ring portion on a radial outside of the blades and with the second connecting ring portion on a radial inside of the blades; bending the blades into a curved shape curved with respect to the first annular plate; bending the blades to be inclined by a predetermined angle with respect to the first connecting ring portion and the second connecting ring portion; and expanding the first annular plate outwardly in a radial direction thereof to thereby form a predetermined annular shape that has a larger radial dimension than the first annular shape and a larger circumferential distance between respective adjacent two of the blades than that in the first annular plate, wherein the first connecting ring portion comprises: a plurality of first bridge portions that arc spaced from each other in a circumferential direction of the first connecting ring portion and connected with the blades, respectively; a plurality of segments that are spaced from each other in the circumferential direction of the first connecting ring portion and connected with the first bridge portions, respectively; and a plurality of first adjusting portions that are disposed between respective adjacent two of the segments and connected with the respective adjacent two of the segments, each of the first adjusting portions being configured to adjust a distance between respective adjacent two of the first bridge portions when the expanding step is performed, and wherein each of the first adjusting portions is formed into a generally V shape to project in a radially outward direction of the first connecting ring portion.