Rotary shafts – gudgeons – housings – and flexible couplings for ro – Coupling facilitates relative axial motion between coupled... – Coupler includes antifriction rolling body engageable with...
Reexamination Certificate
1998-12-15
2001-07-03
Browne, Lynne H. (Department: 3629)
Rotary shafts, gudgeons, housings, and flexible couplings for ro
Coupling facilitates relative axial motion between coupled...
Coupler includes antifriction rolling body engageable with...
C464S140000, C464S906000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06254487
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a CV-jointed shaft having a first and a second constant velocity fixed joint. Each joint comprises an outer part with outer running grooves, an inner part with inner running grooves and a cage arranged therebetween for guiding balls which engage opposed outer running grooves and inner running grooves, forming a pair. The outer part is provided with first connecting means and the inner part is provided with second connecting means, having a plunging assembly which comprises a plunging journal connected to the inner part of the first constant velocity joint and a plunging sleeve connected to an intermediate shaft. Rolling contact members engage opposing running grooves arranged in the plunging journal and the plunging sleeve, and the intermediate shaft is connected to the inner part of the second constant velocity fixed joint.
Such a CV-jointed shaft is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,611,733. The plunging journal is produced to be integral with the inner part of the first constant velocity fixed joint, with a journal being formed on to the inner part of the second constant velocity fixed joint. The intermediate shaft, by means of a first portion, is firmly positioned on the journal of the inner part of the second constant velocity fixed joint. At its other end, the intermediate shaft carries the plunging sleeve. The disadvantage of this embodiment is that the inner parts of the two constant velocity joints have to be of a different design. This results in higher costs, especially for the tools for producing the inner parts.
It is the object of the invention to propose a CV-jointed shaft which can be produced at reasonable cost.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with the invention, the objective is achieved in that the inner parts of both constant velocity joints comprise identical receiving bores, that the intermediate shaft, at its end removed from the plunging sleeve, and the plunging journal, at its end projecting from the plunging sleeve, are each provided with an plug-in portion, which two portions are designed to match the two receiving bores.
The advantage of this embodiment is that, with the exception of the connecting means for the outer parts, identically designed CV fixed joints can be used for the CV-jointed shaft. The resulting advantage consists in that the degree of deformation for the inner parts as compared to prior art inner parts can be greatly reduced, because as a rule it is possible to use inner parts produced by non-chip forming methods in order to keep costs at a reasonable level and to achieve a high degree of repeat accuracy. The intermediate shaft is preferably provided in the form of a tubular shaft and comprises the plunging sleeve. For the plug-in portion there is selected a wall which is thicker than the wall portion in the region between the plug-in portion and the portion designed as a plunging sleeve. Such an intermediate shaft, starting from a tube, can be given its final shape by hammering, for example.
Furthermore, the plunging journal is also tubular in order to keep the deformation forces as low as possible. The plunging journal with the running grooves and the teeth in the region of the plug-in portion can also be produced by hammering. To achieve a rotationally fast connection between the inner parts and the plug-in portions of the plunging journal and the intermediate shaft respectively, these parts and portions respectively are provided with teeth which extend parallel relative to the longitudinal axis of the inner parts.
A particularly advantageous embodiment of the CV-jointed shaft is achieved if the outer parts of the constant velocity fixed joints are each associated with a supporting element with a hollow spherical face comprising a supporting face which serves to support a spherical control face of a dish-shaped control element. The edge of said dish-shaped control element comprises a planar end face on which the inner part is supported by means of a planar end face. The longitudinal axis of the inner part is positioned perpendicularly on the latter planar end face. The inner part is held and centered relative to the outer part by balls which are guided in a cage. The cage, by means of a hollow spherical face, is supported on a spherical outer face of the inner part. There is no contact between the cage and the outer part. As, in the aligned condition, the inner running grooves and the outer running grooves, from the CV fixed joint end with which the supporting element is associated, comprise a narrowing cross-section along the longitudinal axis, the inner part is centered relative to the outer part along the longitudinal axis on the joint articulation center by the control element. By designing and arranging the control element in this way, it is possible to select a relatively large diameter for the receiving bore. It only has to be ensured that underneath the inner running grooves there is sufficient material in the radial direction to permit the transmission of torque. One type of constant velocity fixed joint which will particularly benefit from this invention is claimed and described in greater detail in the U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/193,097.
REFERENCES:
patent: 754066 (1904-03-01), Hoffmann
patent: 4177654 (1979-12-01), Aucktor
patent: 5052979 (1991-10-01), Welschof et al.
patent: 5453052 (1995-09-01), Harz et al.
patent: 5611733 (1997-03-01), Jacob et al.
patent: 2107655A (1983-05-01), None
Browne Lynne H.
GKN Lobro GmbH
Thompson Kenneth
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