DYNAMIC LATCHING MECHANISMS FOR SELECTABLE CLUTCHES OF MOTOR VEHICLE POWERTRAINS

摘要

Disclosed are latching mechanisms for engine disconnect devices, methods for making and for using such latching mechanisms, and motor vehicles with a disconnect device for coupling/decoupling an engine with a torque converter (TC). A disconnect clutch for selectively connecting an engine with a TC includes a pocket plate that movably mounts to the TC. The pocket plate includes pockets movably seating therein struts that engage notches in a notch plate to lock the pocket plate to the notch plate. A selector plate moves between deactivated and activated positions such that the struts shift into and out of engagement with the notch plate notches, respectively. An activation device is selectively actuable to move the selector plate between activated and deactivated positions. A latching mechanism automatically transitions to a latched state responsive to the selector plate being activated. When latched, this latching mechanism retains the selector plate in the activated position.