To provide a torque converter equipped with a lock-up mechanism which can be effectively cooled with a necessary fastening capacity ensured.
There is provided a torque converter equipped with a lock-up mechanism capable of forming a directly coupled state by means of a friction clutch which couples an input shaft to which torque is input from an engine and an output shaft coupled to wheels to each other. In the torque converter, the above clutch includes a friction material 30A (30B) on a surface engaging with or disengaging from a member opposed to the friction clutch. The above friction member is approximately annular relatively to the rotary center CP of the friction clutch and includes a plurality of grooves SL which allow a fluid to get in and out between a central side and outside of the friction member and is provided along its circumference. Further, the grooves SL is set so as to vary in width in incremental steps in its radial direction RD and get wider in their outward directions.
Kosaku Sugimura
Kiyoshi Kuruma
Shiro Fujitani
Tatsuya Sawada
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