Patent ID: 7753183

Claim:
In a hydrokinetic torque converter that includes a casing, an impeller driveably connected to the casing and a turbine located between the casing and the impeller, a clutch for driveably releasing and locking the impeller and turbine, comprising: a turbine hub connected to said turbine; a piston slidably mounted on said turbine hub, sealed on said turbine hub against passage of fluid, and having a first friction surface located at a radially outer portion of the piston; a drive ring having second and third friction surfaces, said piston displaceable to engage the first and second friction surfaces; a drive plate having fourth and fifth friction surfaces, the drive ring displaceable to engage the third and fourth friction surfaces, said drive plate driveably connected to said piston and to an elastic member of a damper, such that the drive plate and the piston rotate together when the third and fourth surfaces are not engaged and such that torque from the drive plate is transferred to the elastic member; and, a sixth friction surface for the casing, the drive plate displaceable to engage the fifth and sixth friction surfaces, wherein the drive ring and the casing are nonreleasably connected and wherein the drive ring is axially displaceable with respect to the casing.