U.S. patent application number 10/528272 was filed with the patent office on 2006-02-02 for stator for a hydrodynamic torque converter.
Invention is credited to Jurgen Ackermann.
Application Number | 20060024161 10/528272 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 32403934 |
Filed Date | 2006-02-02 |
United States Patent
Application |
20060024161 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Ackermann; Jurgen |
February 2, 2006 |
Stator for a hydrodynamic torque converter
Abstract
A stamped and formed stator for a hydrodynamic torque converter
includes a hub with at least one hub section, wherein each hub
section has a plurality of hub segments formed from a common blank;
a plurality of vanes formed as one piece with respective hub
segments; and a rim including a plurality of rim segments formed as
one piece with each other and with respective vanes. The stator may
be made in three sections which are fitted to a hub base body and
connected together by welding.
Inventors: |
Ackermann; Jurgen;
(Schweinfurt, DE) |
Correspondence
Address: |
COHEN, PONTANI, LIEBERMAN & PAVANE
551 FIFTH AVENUE
SUITE 1210
NEW YORK
NY
10176
US
|
Family ID: |
32403934 |
Appl. No.: |
10/528272 |
Filed: |
December 12, 2003 |
PCT Filed: |
December 12, 2003 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/EP03/14104 |
371 Date: |
March 17, 2005 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
415/208.1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F16H 2041/285 20130101;
B23P 15/00 20130101; F16H 41/28 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
415/208.1 |
International
Class: |
F01D 1/02 20060101
F01D001/02 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Dec 19, 2002 |
DE |
102 59 412.0 |
Claims
1-24. (canceled)
25. A stator for a hydrodynamic torque converter, said stator
comprising: a hub comprising at least one hub section, each said
hub section comprising a plurality of hub segments formed from a
common blank; a plurality of vanes formed as one piece with
respective said hub segments; and a rim comprising a plurality of
rim segments formed as one piece with each other and with
respective said vanes.
26. The stator of claim 25 wherein each said blank is formed so
that said hub segments are aligned along a curve having a first
radius of curvature with respect to a center axis of the stator,
and said rim segments are aligned along a curve having a second
radius of curvature with respect to the center axis.
27. The stator of claim 25 wherein each hub segment has a pair of
circumferentially opposed ends, each said end of each said hub
segment abutting a respective said end of an adjacent hub
segment.
28. The stator of claim 27 wherein the abutting ends are connected
by welds.
29. The stator of claim 27 comprising a plurality of hub sections,
wherein each said hub section has a pair of circumferentially
opposed ends which abut respective opposed ends of at least one
other said hub section.
30. The stator of claim 29 wherein the rim segments of each said
blank are connected as a single piece to form a shroud, each said
shroud having a pair of circumferentially opposed ends which abut
respective opposed ends of at least one other said shroud.
31. The stator of claim 25 further comprising a hub base body
located radially inside of said hub segments, at least one of said
hub segments being connected to said hub base body.
32. The stator of claim 31 further comprising a retaining device
which prevents circumferential and axial movement of said hub
segments with respect to said hub base body.
33. The stator of claim 32 wherein said retaining device comprises
a channel in said hub base body, said hub segments being received
in said channel.
34. The stator of claim 30 wherein the circumferentially opposed
ends of each said hub section are welded to respective said
circumferentially opposed ends of at least one other said hub
section, and the circumferentially opposed ends of each said shroud
are welded to respective said circumferentially opposed ends of at
least one other said shroud.
35. The stator of claim 25 wherein each said vane overlaps a hub
segment which is formed as one piece with an adjacent said
vane.
36. The stator of claim 25 wherein each said hub segment is stamped
from said blank with a compensating opening and an engaging
projection, said compensating openings compensating for a
difference between the circumferential length of the rim and the
circumferential length of the hub, each said compensating opening
receiving an engaging projection of an adjacent said hub
segment.
37. The stator of claim 36 wherein each said vane is connected to a
respective said hub segment along a first bending line which
extends from said compensating opening to an axial edge of the hub
segment.
38. The stator of claim 37 wherein each said vane is connected to a
respective said rim segment along a second bending line and is
separated from an adjacent said rim segment along a separation
line.
39. The stator of claim 38 wherein each said vane has a flow inlet
edge and a flow outlet edge, the flow inlet edge of one said vane
being separated from the flow outlet edge of the adjacent said rim
segment by said separation line.
40. The stator of claim 38 wherein each said hub segment is bent in
a pivot direction around said first bending line with respect to
said connected vane, and each said rim segment is bent in an
opposite pivot direction around said second bending line with
respect to said connected vane.
41. A method of manufacturing a stator for a hydrodynamic torque
converter comprising at least one circumferential section, said
method comprising: providing a sheet metal blank; stamping said
blank to form a plurality of adjacent hub segments, a plurality of
adjacent vanes which are connected to respective said hub segments,
and a plurality of adjacent rim segments which are connected to
each other and to respective said vanes; forming said hub segments
to extend along a curve having a first radius of curvature with
respect to a center axis of the stator; forming said rim segments
to extend along a curve having a second radius of curvature with
respect to a center axis of the stator; and forming said vanes to
extend perpendicular to respective said hub segments and respective
said rim segments.
42. The method of claim 41 wherein said stator comprises a
plurality of said circumferential sections, each said section being
made from a respective said blank.
43. The method of claim 42 wherein said sections are fixed together
by welding.
Description
TECHNICAL AREA
[0001] The invention pertains to a stator for a hydrodynamic torque
converter according to the introductory clause of Claim 1.
STATE OF THE ART
[0002] A stator for a hydrodynamic torque converter is known from
DE 195 33 151 A1, which is located between a pump wheel and a
turbine wheel and has stator elements in the form of a stator hub
with stator vanes mounted thereon. The vanes are connected to each
other in the radially outward area by a stator rim. The vanes have
the effect of feeding the fluid arriving at the turbine wheel to
the pump wheel at the desired angle.
[0003] A stator of this type can be produced in various ways. For
cost reasons, an injection-molding process is preferred in which
the molds are drawn in the axial direction. The molds have
cavities, into which material is introduced during the
injection-molding process. After this material has cooled, the
molds are pulled apart in the axial direction to release the
stator. Aluminum is the material which is usually used for an
injection molding process of this type. Because of its low
viscosity in the heated state, however, the material can escape
through the contact zone between the molds, which results in
undesirable fins on the vanes. To remove these fins, a chisel is
pushed in the axial direction between the flow outlet of a first
vane and the flow inlet of the second vane. While the fins are
being cut away, forces act on the inserted chisel and threaten to
fracture it, since the blade of the chisel is very narrow in the
circumferential direction. As a result, the blade of a chisel of
this type usually has a minimum width of about 4 mm. As a result of
this, however, a corresponding offset equivalent to the width of
the chisel is created between the flow outlet of the one vane and
the flow inlet of the other vane in the circumferential direction.
This has the effect of reducing the length of the vane which is
available to guide the flow, which leads in turn in lower
efficiency and to an inferior characteristic. As a result, the
transmission ratio of the converter is reduced.
[0004] Because of these disadvantages, stators are often made of a
thermoset plastic. According to this approach, a thermoset powder
is introduced into a compression mold and consolidated into a
stator under the effects of temperature and pressure. Although the
stator has a smooth surface, the necessary admixture of glass
fibers or carbon fibers means that it cannot be cut by machine,
because this would cause cracks to form. The contact between these
cracked surfaces and another material such as steel has the effect
of roughening the surface of this other material, and this results
in considerable wear.
[0005] These types of thermoset plastic stators are preferably
drawn in the radial direction. Although it is possible in this way
to obtain vanes with the optimal shape, the production method is
very expensive, because, after the thermoset powder has been
"baked", the molds, the number of which is equivalent to the number
of vanes, must be pulled away in the radially outward
direction.
TASK OF THE INVENTION
[0006] The invention is based on the task of designing a stator in
such a way that it can be produced at low cost and will not
fracture, whereas it can also offer good efficiency and a good
characteristic at the same time.
DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0007] This task is accomplished according to the invention by the
features given in the characterizing clause of Claim 1.
[0008] Through the use of a blank for the various groups of stator
elements, i.e., the stator hub segments, the stator vanes, and the
stator rim segments, the particular advantage is obtained that a
considerable amount of design freedom is obtained for each group of
stator elements. Thus each group of stator elements can be shaped
in the best possible way to achieve optimal operating results. Of
essential importance here is the design of the vane group of stator
elements, because these affect the efficiency and the
characteristic of the hydrodynamic torque converter. By properly
laying out the geometry of the areas on the blank which will later
form the vanes, it is easy to create the basis for a system of
stator vanes in which the individual vanes overlap each other to
the maximum possible extent, which promotes efficiency. In the case
of the group of hub segment elements and the group of rim segment
elements, however, the dimensionally stable support which they give
to the vanes and their ability to keep the vanes properly oriented
in the desired planes is probably the more important aspect, which
means that the hub segments and the rim segments must offer
sufficient strength after all the elements have been connected
together to form a unit.
[0009] The individual groups of stator elements can be freed from
each other in the blank by a separation process. The phrase "freed
from each other" has been chosen to emphasize that the intention is
not to separate the individual stator element groups completely
from each other but rather to separate them only just enough so
that these groups, which remain connected to each other at
predetermined points, can be moved by a deformation process such as
plastic metal working out of the original plane of the blank into
new planes of extension deviating from the original plane, so that
ultimately the desired 3-dimensional stator can be formed out of
the original 2-dimensional blank. The deformation processes are not
limited to changes in the relative positions of the stator element
groups with respect to each other but can also include the plastic
deformation of the individual components of each group of stator
elements. This type of plastic deformation appears to be especially
important for the formation of the vanes in particular, because a
considerable effect can be exerted on the operating behavior and
efficiency of the hydrodynamic torque converter by manipulating the
profile of the vanes. It is also true that the other groups of
stator elements can be subjected advantageously to plastic
deformation in order to orient them, for example, along lines of
curvature, so that both the hub segments and the rim segments
extend around the center axis of the stator. It is easy to see here
that the lines of curvature of the hub segments will differ from
those of the rim segments because the distances which separate the
two groups from the previously mentioned center axis are
different.
[0010] By attaching the individual segments of the stator hub to
each other, which can be done, for example, by welding, brazing, or
bonding them together with an adhesive at their abutting ends, a
segmented stator hub is obtained which can be set onto a base body
hub, which acts as a carrier. The two components together, i.e.,
the segmented hub and the base body hub, are thus ultimately able
to form the complete stator hub.
[0011] It is possible to dimension the original blank in such a way
that, after the individual hub segments have been lined up in the
circumferential direction and connected to each other, a single
segmented stator hub is obtained, which can be drawn onto the base
body hub and then completed simply by connecting the two abutting
ends, which are now facing each other. But it is also equally
possible to provide shorter blanks and to produce two or more
segmented hub sections. These shorter sections are then connected
to each other after they have been fastened to the base body hub. A
segmented hub formed in this way must, of course, will be fastened
to the base body hub in such a way that no relative movement is
possible between the segmented hub and the base body hub in either
the axial direction or the circumferential direction. To reduce the
number of connecting points, it can be preferable to provide a
retaining device between the segmented hub and the base body hub.
This retaining device acts in the circumferential direction and/or
in the axial direction and fastens the segmented hub to the base
body hub so that the two parts cannot move relative each other. To
form the retaining device, a profiled channel, for example, can be
machined into the base body hub. The segmented hub is given a
mating shape, which can fit into the channel. The positive
connection between the base body hub and the segmented hub prevents
any movement between these two components in the circumferential
and/or axial direction. A permanent connection can also be provided
for safety reasons between the the base body hub and the segmented
hub in the form of individual spot welds, although the two
components can also be brazed together or bonded together with an
adhesive, which can also be done in a spotwise manner.
[0012] In contrast to the hub segments, which must be attached to
each other at their abutting ends, the rim segments can be joined
together without any additional connecting measures in that, on the
blank, a shroud is provided, at which the blank is not interrupted
by separation processes, in contrast to the other groups of stator
elements. During the deformation processes which are to be
performed, therefore, the stator rim segments can, together with
the shroud, obtain the curvature which is required for the rim to
surround the center axis.
[0013] Ideally, the blanks consist of a metallic material which
ensures that the finished stator has the necessary stability and
which at the same time offers good ductility so that the necessary
deformation process, preferably a cold working process such as
deep-drawing or die forming, can be successfully performed. As a
result, by the use of appropriately shaped tool carriers, it is
possible not only to orient the individual groups of elements
properly with respect to each other without material problems but
also to carry out the plastic deformations which are also required
for the individual stator element groups such as adjusting the
curvature of the vanes.
[0014] Additional special design features of the individual groups
of stator elements are described in the claims. By interaction with
each other, these features improve the stability of the stator and
increase its efficiency even more.
[0015] The invention is illustrated in the attached drawing and is
explained in greater detail below:
[0016] FIG. 1 shows a partial cross section through a torque
converter, including essentially the stator with its various groups
of elements;
[0017] FIG. 2 shows a blank used for the production of the stator
after the various groups of elements have been freed from each
other;
[0018] FIG. 3 shows part of the blank according to FIG. 2;
[0019] FIG. 4 shows a perspective view of the stator after the
blank of FIG. 2 has been subjected to various deformation
processes;
[0020] FIG. 5 shows a top view of the stator from an axial
perspective;
[0021] FIG. 6 shows a part of the stator from a radially outer
perspective;
[0022] FIG. 7 shows a base body hub serving as a carrier for the
stator;
[0023] FIG. 8a shows a special design of the radially outside
surface of the base body hub;
[0024] FIG. 8b shows a cross-sectional view along line VIIIb-VIIIb
of FIG. 8a;
[0025] FIG. 9 shows a metal-forming tool used for the production of
the stator; and
[0026] FIG. 10 shows a cross-sectional view along line IX-IX of
FIG. 9.
[0027] FIG. 1 shows only the inventive area of a hydrodynamic
torque converter. No attempt has been made to illustrate or to
describe the torque converter as a whole, because these torque
converters are known from the state of the art, e.g., from DE 41 21
586 A1.
[0028] The pump shell 1 shown in FIG. 1 is used to form a pump
wheel 2, which cooperates with a turbine wheel 3. The turbine wheel
is permanently connected in its radially inner area to a turbine
hub 4, which is connected by a set of teeth 5 to a drive shaft (not
shown).
[0029] The previously mentioned pump shell 1 is attached in its
radially inner area to a pump hub 6, which extends toward the power
takeoff. Axially between the pump wheel 2 and the turbine wheel 3
there is a stator 7, which is mounted by way of a first axial
bearing 8 between the turbine hub 4 and a freewheel 9 and by way of
a second axial bearing 10 between the freewheel 9 and the pump hub
6. The two axial bearings 8 and 10 are each provided with grooves
11, 12 for the hydraulic fluid with which the converter circuit is
supplied, especially via the grooves 11 in the axial bearing 8.
[0030] The axial bearing 8 is formed as a single piece with a
stator hub 15, illustrated only schematically, on the
circumferential area of which vanes 17 are provided. The radially
outer ends of these vanes are connected to each other by a rim 19.
The freewheel 9, on which the stator 7 is mounted, has an outer
freewheel ring 23, which is guided by clamping bodies 25 on an
inner freewheel ring 27, which is connected nonrotatably by a set
of teeth 29 to a power takeoff element (not shown). Fluid for
supplying the converter circuit via the groove 11 can be guided
radially between this power takeoff element and the power takeoff
shaft connected nonrotatably to the turbine hub 4.
[0031] As shown in FIG. 2, a blank 32 is used to produce the stator
7 shown in FIG. 1. The original plane 40 of this blank is
exclusively 2-dimensional.
[0032] The blank 32 has stator hub segments 36 on the side
designated by the letter U in FIG. 2; these segments have abutting
ends 54, 56 adjacent to each other, where in each case the abutting
end 56 of the hub segment 36 closer to the side L of the blank 32
is in contact with the abutting end 54 of the hub segment 36 closer
to the side R of the blank 32.
[0033] Each hub segment 36 of the stator has a first bending line
74, which forms the boundary between it and a vane 17, which for
its own part has a second bending line 76, which forms the boundary
between it and a stator rim segment 38, where all of the rim
segments 38 of the blank 32 are formed as integral parts of a
common shroud 39, which extends along the side of the blank 32
marked with the symbol 0 in FIG. 2. The hub segments 36 form a
first group 34 of stator elements; the vanes 17 form a second group
of stator elements 34; and the rim segments 38 together with the
shroud 39 forms the third group 34 of stator elements. A segment 33
of the blank containing elements of all three stator groups 34 is
shown in enlarged detail in FIG. 3.
[0034] After the blank 32 has been laid in a workpiece carrier
designed in the usual way (and therefore not shown) with a flat
receiving area for the blank 32, the blank is subjected to
separating operations by means of a stamping tool, also of the
conventional type, by means of which the individual segments 33 of
the blank are freed from each other and unneeded or even
interfering areas of the blank are completely removed. The areas
which are removed from the blank include both the cutouts 53 in the
area of the hub segments 36 on side U of the blank 32 and also the
compensating cutouts 70 between the hub segments 36 and the
adjacent vanes 17. For the sake of clarity, the lines along which
one of the blank segments 33 is cut during the process of
separating it from the two adjacent blank segments 33 are
emphasized in FIG. 2 by the shading of the edges.
[0035] The blank 32 is now transferred to a different workpiece
carrier 90, the basic design of which can be derived from FIGS. 9
and 10. The workpiece carrier 90 consists of a first metal-forming
tool 86 and a second metal-forming tool 88, which cooperates with
the first. The second metal-forming tool 88, which, in the area of
the vane 17, is at the bottom in FIGS. 9 and 10, has a receiving
bed 92 for the vane 17. This receiving bed 92 has the shape of what
will later be the curvature of the vane. In cooperation with this
receiving bed 92, a ram 94 is formed on the first metal-forming
tool 86, which is at the top in FIGS. 9 and 10. When this ram is
lowered toward the receiving bed 92 of the second metal-forming
tool 88, the vanes 17 are plastically deformed, where the curvature
of the vanes 17 in this direction obviously depends on the shape of
both the receiving bed 92 and the contact side of the ram 94. Of
course, both the receiving bed 92 and the ram 94 can also be
provided with a curvature in the direction in which the vanes 17
extend as shown in FIG. 10, so that ultimately the vanes 17 are
curved both in the radial direction and in the axial direction. A
great deal of freedom is available with respect to the design of
the vanes 17, which means that the geometry of the vanes 17 will
depend essentially on the fluid dynamics requirements.
[0036] FIG. 10, which shows a cross-sectional view of FIG. 9 along
line X-X, shows that the vanes 17 are located preferably in a new
plane of extension 47, which, although it may agree essentially
with the original plane 40 of the blank, can nevertheless deviate
from it as a result of the possible plastic curvature of the vanes
17. In contrast, the stator hub segments 36 are bent around the
first bending line 74 into a new plane of extension 42, and the
stator rim segments 38 are also located now, after deformation
around the second bending line 76, in a new plane of extension 46.
The new planes of extension 42 and 46, i.e., the plane of the
stator hub segments 36 and the plane of the stator rim segments 38,
can preferably be essentially perpendicular to the original plane
40 of the blank. As the bending arrows B1 and B2 in FIG. 10 show,
however, the stator hub segments 36 are bent around the first
bending line 74 in the direction opposite that in which the stator
rim segments 38 are bent around the second bending line 76.
[0037] The results of these deformation operations is illustrated
in FIGS. 4-6 of the drawing. FIG. 4 shows a perspective diagram of
part of a stator. FIG. 5 shows a top view looking in the axial
direction, and FIG. 6 shows a view from a radially outer
perspective in the viewing direction VI of FIG. 5. Before the
details are discussed, it should be mentioned that, in FIGS. 4-6,
arrows are used to indicate the flow direction of the fluid in the
area of the vanes 17. FIG. 5 shows the axial side of the flow
inlet.
[0038] During the course of the previously mentioned deformation
operations, the hub segments 36 as well as the rim segments 38
opposite the vanes 17 are bent in such a way around the bending
lines 74, 76 shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 that the hub segments 36, as
can be seen especially clearly in FIG. 5, proceed around a line of
curvature 50 at a distance R1 from the center axis 48 of the stator
7. The hub segments 36 thus assume their positions in the new plane
of extension 42 (FIG. 4). The rim segments 38, however, proceed
together with the shroud 39 around a line of curvature line 52,
which is a certain distance R2 away from the center axis 48 of the
stator 7, the stator rim segments 38 now assuming positions in
their new planes of extension 46 (FIG. 4). As previously described,
the vanes 17 remain in a plane of extension 44, which can be
essentially the same as the original plane 40 of the blank,
although the now-present curvature of the vanes 17 causes an at
least partial departure from the original plane of the blank. The
curvature of the vanes 17 can be seen especially clearly in FIGS. 4
and 6.
[0039] Because of the new orientation produced during the course of
the deformation operations, the hub segments 36 arrive in positions
relative to each other in which, as FIGS. 4 and 6 show especially
clearly, circumferential trailing lips 66 (see FIGS. 2 and 3) offer
a receiving area 68 (FIG. 6) for the adjacent vane 17 and also
ensure that the segmented stator hub 58, formed by the lining-up of
the hub segments 36 in a circumferential row, forms a closed edge
108 all the way around the circumference on the flow outlet side A,
as shown in FIGS. 4 and 6. At the same time, an engaging projection
72 of the hub segments 36 on the flow inlet side E (see FIGS. 2 and
3) projects in each case into the compensating opening 70 in the
adjacent hub segment 36, so that an uninterrupted, closed edge 110
is also obtained on the flow inlet side E of the segmented hub. To
this extent, the opening 53 shown in FIG. 2, formed in each of the
hub segments 36 by a separating operation, assists with the
formation a continuous segmented stator hub 58 on both closed edges
108, 110 and with the formation of a receiving area 68, which
supports the vanes 17 against the action of the flow. Merely for
the sake of completeness, it should be remarked that the straight
shape of the receiving area 68 shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 is based on
the assumption that the vane 17 is also essentially free of
curvature, at least in the section extending along the receiving
area 68. In a practical design, such as that shown in FIGS. 4 and
6, however, the vanes 17 can be formed with a curvature, to which
the shape of the receiving area 68 will, of course, conform.
[0040] To return to FIGS. 2 and 3, these show an overlap area 80
between the vanes 17 and the rim segments 38. It is along this area
that, during the course of the separating operations, the vanes 17
are freed from the rim segments 38. After the rim segments 38 have
been bent into the plane of extension 46 as a result of the
deformation processes, a radially outer support 79 element which
braces the vanes 17 against the action of the flow is created in
the area of the outside diameter of the stator 7 along the second
bending line 76, whereas the shroud 39, which connects the
individual rim segments 38 to each other in the circumferential
direction, introduces a significant stability-increasing effect. As
FIGS. 4 and 6 show in particular, the rim segments 38 in their new
plane of extension 46 also ensure that the vanes 17 are kept at the
necessary relative distance from each other in the circumferential
direction, in that the support elements 79 of the rim segments 38,
which proceed from the separation line 78, work together with the
associated receiving areas 68 of the hub segments 36 to position
the vanes 17 at their two radial ends and thus establish the
desired circumferential gap between a flow outlet edge 84 of the
vane 17 which leads in the circumferential direction and the flow
inlet edge 82 of the vane 17 which follows in the circumferential
direction. As the flow arrows entered in FIGS. 4 and 6 indicate,
this gap serves, on the side designated by the letter E in these
figures, as a flow inlet 81 between two adjacent flow inlet edges
82, and on the side designated A of the figure, as a flow outlet 83
between two adjacent flow outlet edges 84. In addition, as shown in
the half of FIG. 4 which contains the stator rim 19, the
circumferential row of rim segments 38 together with the shroud 39
form a radially outer boundary, whereas the segmented stator hub 58
forms a radially inner boundary of the flow inlets 81 and flow
outlets 83 located radially between these two boundaries.
[0041] Formed in this way, the hub segments 36 can be connected to
each other by welding or possibly by brazing or adhesive bonding at
the contact points located between the engaging projections 72 and
the compensating openings 70 and at the circumferential ends of the
adjacent circumferential trailing lips 66, so that the previously
mentioned segmented stator hub 58 is obtained. Because the rim
segments 38 are connected to each other in any case by the shroud
39 and cooperate with the segmented stator hub 58 to hold the vanes
17 in their predetermined, defined positions, the vane area 96 of
the stator 7 is thus also obtained in finished form. If the
original blank 32 was dimensioned in such a way that the vane area
96 completely encloses the outer circumference 100 of a base body
hub 60, shown schematically in FIG. 7, the segmented stator hub 58
will be attached by welds 98 or possibly brazed or adhesively
bonded to the outside circumference 100 of the base body hub 60,
whereas two ends 112, 114 of the vane area 96 will be connected to
each other preferably also by welds 99 (compare FIG. 5),
alternatively by brazing or by the use of an adhesive, in that the
abutting ends 62, 64 of the stator rim 19 provided for this purpose
and shown in FIG. 2 and the abutting ends 65, 67 of the segmented
hub 54 on the two circumferential ends 112, 114 of the stator rim
19 and segmented stator hub 58 are connected to each other. The
partial view shown in FIG. 5 shows the points at which the ends 112
and 114 are connected to each other in detail.
[0042] Even better conditions with respect to fabrication are
obtained when the vane area 96 extends not over an angle of
360.degree. but rather over only a portion thereof, such as for
example over an angle of 120.degree.. The individual vane areas 96
are thus easier to fabricate and can then be connected to each
other when the segmented hub is attached to the base body hub 60,
for which purpose, in the previously described manner, both the
abutting ends 65, 67 of the individual sections of the segmented
stator hub 58 and also the abutting ends 62, 64 of the individual
sections of the stator rim 19 are connected to each other by welds
99 (or by brazing or adhesive bonding) and also by welds 98 (or by
brazing or adhesive bonding) to the base body hub 60.
[0043] FIG. 8a shows a view of the base body hub 60 radially from
the outside, without the mounted vane area 96. In contrast to the
design according to FIG. 7, the radially outer circumference 100 of
the base body hub 60 is designed with a retaining device 61 in the
form of a profiled channel 102, into which the segmented stator hub
58 (see FIG. 8b) is inserted, where the latter, as the view
radially from the outside reveals, is adapted with respect to the
course of its two closed hub edges 108, 110 to the geometry of the
axial edges 104 of the profiled channel 102. As a result of this
design of both the outer circumference 100 of the base body hub 60
and of the segmented stator hub 58, a positive connection 61 is
obtained, which prevents relative movement between the segmented
stator hub 58 and the base body hub 60 in both the axial direction
and the circumferential direction. In this design, there is no need
for the welds 98 (or brazing or adhesive bonding) shown in FIG. 7
between the segmented stator hub 58 and the base body hub 60. Thus,
to produce the stator 7, it is necessary only to connect the
individual vane areas 96 circumferentially to each other in the
manner previously described.
[0044] 1 pump shell
[0045] 2 pump wheel
[0046] 3 turbine wheel
[0047] 4 turbine hub
[0048] 5 set of teeth
[0049] 6 pump hub
[0050] 7 stator
[0051] 8 first axial bearing
[0052] 9 freewheel
[0053] 10 second axial bearing
[0054] 11, 12 groove
[0055] 15 stator hub
[0056] 17 stator vanes
[0057] 19 stator rim
[0058] 23 outer ring of the freewheel
[0059] 25 clamping body
[0060] 27 inner ring of the freewheel
[0061] 29 set of teeth
[0062] 30 stator elements
[0063] 32 blank
[0064] 33 segments of the blank
[0065] 34 groups of stator elements
[0066] 36 stator hub segments
[0067] 38 stator rim segments
[0068] 39 shroud
[0069] 40 original plane of the blank
[0070] 42, 44, 46 new plane of extension
[0071] 48 center axis
[0072] 50, 52 lines of curvature
[0073] 53 openings
[0074] 54, 56 abutting ends of the stator hub segments
[0075] 58 segmented stator hub
[0076] 60 base body hub
[0077] 61 retaining device
[0078] 62, 64 abutting ends of the stator rim
[0079] 65, 67 abutting ends of the segmented stator hub
[0080] 66 circumferential trailing lip
[0081] 68 receiving area
[0082] 70 compensating opening
[0083] 72 engaging projection
[0084] 74 first bending line
[0085] 76 second bending line
[0086] 78 separation line
[0087] 79 support
[0088] 80 overlap area
[0089] 81 flow inlet
[0090] 82 flow inlet edge
[0091] 83 flow outlet
[0092] 84 flow outlet edge
[0093] 86, 88 metal-forming tools
[0094] 90 workpiece carrier
[0095] 92 receiving bed
[0096] 94 ram
[0097] 96 vane area
[0098] 98, 99 spot welds
[0099] 100 outside circumference
[0100] 102 profiled groove
[0101] 104 axial edges
[0102] 106 converter circuit
[0103] 108, 110 closed edges of the segmented hub
[0104] 112, 114 circumferential ends
* * * * *