Rotary shafts – gudgeons – housings – and flexible couplings for ro – Coupling accommodates drive between members having... – Coupling transmits torque via radially spaced ball
Reexamination Certificate
2000-12-14
2004-08-24
Binda, Greg (Department: 3679)
Rotary shafts, gudgeons, housings, and flexible couplings for ro
Coupling accommodates drive between members having...
Coupling transmits torque via radially spaced ball
C464S906000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06780114
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to drive wheel bearing assemblies and, more particularly, to a drive wheel bearing assembly comprising drive shafts and wheel bearings for use in power transmission systems for transmitting power from the engine of vehicles to the drive wheels.
2. Description of the Background Art
The power transmission system for transmitting power from the engine of a vehicle to the drive wheels needs to respond to angular and axial displacements caused by a change in the relative positional relationship between the engine and the wheels. For example, as shown in
FIG. 40
, there is interposed an intermediate shaft
1
between the engine and the drive wheel, and one end of the intermediate shaft
1
is coupled to a differential via a sliding type constant velocity universal joint J
1
, while the other end thereof is coupled to a wheel rib
2
via a fixed type constant velocity universal joint J
2
and a wheel bearing
8
. There are installed seal boots
10
a
,
10
b
for preventing the entry of foreign matter and preventing grease from leaking outwardly, between the fixed-type constant velocity universal joint J
2
and the intermediate shaft
1
as well as between the sliding type constant velocity universal joint J
1
and the intermediate shaft
1
, respectively.
The sliding type constant velocity universal joint J
1
is adapted to plunge to absorb axial displacements, whereas the fixed type constant velocity universal joint J
2
is adapted to allow only angular displacements. The sliding type constant velocity universal joint J
1
, the fixed type constant velocity universal joint J
2
, and the intermediate shaft
1
constitute a drive shaft
1
′ which is in turn provided with the wheel bearing
8
to constitute the drive wheel bearing assembly.
In the drive wheel bearing assembly, the constant velocity universal joints J
1
, J
2
are provided with specified operative angles with the drive shaft
1
′ being mounted to the vehicle body. Since the operative angle of the constant velocity universal joints J
1
, J
2
changes successively, the fixed type constant velocity universal joint J
2
is generally used outboard of the vehicle, whereas the sliding type constant velocity universal joint J
1
is used inboard of the vehicle, thereby responding to a change in operative angle.
The fixed type constant velocity universal joint J
2
located on the outboard side mainly comprises an inner joint ring
4
mounted to the other end of the intermediate shaft
1
, an outer joint ring
3
connected to the wheel bearing
8
, a plurality of torque transmission bearing balls
5
which are incorporated in between the track grooves of the inner joint ring
4
and the outer joint ring
3
, and retainers
6
which are interposed between the outer spherical surface of the inner joint ring
4
and the inner spherical surface of the outer joint ring
3
to retain the torque transmission bearing balls
5
.
The wheel bearing
8
mounted concentrically to the fixed type constant velocity universal joint J
2
comprises a hub ring
7
into which a stem portion
11
of the outer joint ring
3
is inserted and which is connected by a nut
12
to allow torque to be transmitted by means of serrations. The wheel bearing
8
is so adapted as to rotatably support said hub ring
7
, to which the wheel rib
2
is fixed, against a knuckle
9
connected to the vehicle body via a plurality of rows of bearing balls
13
a
,
13
b
. For example, there is also another structure available for connecting the wheel bearing
8
to the constant velocity universal joint J
2
, as shown in
FIG. 41
(Japanese Patent Laid-Open publication No. Hei 10-264605).
The structure shown in
FIG. 41
is adapted to form one race
14
a
of a plurality of rows of races
14
a
,
14
b
directly on the outer diameter portion of the hub ring
7
, whereas the other race
14
b
is formed on the outer diameter portion of a separate inner ring
15
which is press fitted over a reduced diameter shoulder portion of the hub ring
7
. An extended portion
16
t
or a reduced diameter shoulder portion of the hub ring
7
extended axially, is connected with an auxiliary ring
17
and the end portion of the extended portion
16
is caulked, thereby providing the bearing balls
13
a
,
13
b
with a specified preload. Serrations
18
a
,
18
b
are formed on the outer diameter portion of the extended portion
16
and on the inner diameter portion of the auxiliary ring
17
, respectively. In addition, serrations
19
a
,
19
b
are formed on the outer diameter portion of the auxiliary ring
17
and on the inner diameter portion of the outer joint ring
3
of the constant velocity universal joint J
2
, respectively. The inner diameter portion of the outer joint ring
3
is adapted to fit over the outer diameter portion of the auxiliary ring
17
, thereby allowing the serrations
18
a
,
18
b
,
19
a
,
19
b
of the extended portion
16
of the hub ring
7
, the auxiliary ring
17
, and the outer joint ring
3
to serve to transmit torque. Annular grooves are formed circumferentially on the engagement surfaces of the auxiliary ring
17
and the outer joint ring
3
, and a keeper ring
20
is thereby allowed to sit in the annular grooves and thus engageably mounted therein. Incidentally, for example, as another connection structure similar to the one in the foregoing, also available is the one disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,536,075.
Incidentally, the structure shown in
FIG. 41
allows the constant velocity universal joints J
2
and the wheel bearing
8
to be freely mounted thereto or dismounted therefrom. However, in the assembly process, it is necessary to mount the drive shaft
1
′ to the wheel bearing
8
, where said drive shaft
1
′ comprises the fixed type constant velocity universal joint J
2
located on the outboard side, the sliding type constant velocity universal joint J
1
located on the inboard side (refer to FIG.
40
), and the intermediate shaft
1
. The drive shaft
1
′ comprising the two constant velocity universal joints. J
1
, J
2
and the intermediate shaft
1
was axially long and heavy, thus making it difficult to be handled and to improve efficiency of assembly.
In addition, the seal boots
10
a
,
10
b
have to be more frequently replaced than other parts. In particular, the seal boot
10
a
located on the outboard side has a shorter life than the seal boot
10
b
located on the inboard side due to more frequent cracks or scratches caused by small stones or obstacles.
Furthermore, the seal boots
10
a
,
10
b
are generally formed of rubber, however, recent years have seen a greater use of resinous boots which are higher in hardness than the rubber boots, more resistant to damage caused by cracks or scratches, and more reliable in durability. However, it is still difficult to totally eliminate the possibility of damage even with the boots of this type, thus remaining the boots susceptible to improvement. Under the aforementioned circumstances, it is now desired to improve the replacement efficiency of boots.
Upon replacement of the seal boot
10
a
on the outboard side, the drive shaft
1
′, which is axially long and heavy, has to be once dismounted from the vehicle body, then the sliding type constant velocity universal joint J
1
on the inboard side is disassembled, and then the seal boot
10
a
has to be replaced from the inboard side. This causes a decrease in efficiency of the replacement.
For example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No.Hei 10-325420 discloses an assembly for saving time and manpower for disassembling the constant velocity universal joint J
1
located on the inboard side. The assembly allows the opening edge of the reduced diameter side of a boot on the outboard side to be equal in diameter to or greater than the fixed portion of the enlarged diameter side of a boot on the inboard side in order to allow the boot on the outboard side to pass over the outer circumference of the boot on the inboard side so that the
Fukushima Shigeaki
Hozumi Kazuhiko
Ogura Hiroyuki
Ohtsuki Hisashi
Ozawa Masahiro
Arent & Fox PLLC
Binda Greg
NTN Corporation
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