Rotary shafts – gudgeons – housings – and flexible couplings for ro – Coupling accommodates drive between members having... – Coupling transmits torque via radially directed pin
Reexamination Certificate
1999-12-30
2001-07-17
Browne, Lynne H. (Department: 3629)
Rotary shafts, gudgeons, housings, and flexible couplings for ro
Coupling accommodates drive between members having...
Coupling transmits torque via radially directed pin
C464S136000, C029S516000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06261183
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a vehicle driveshaft assembly and a method for its manufacture. More specifically, this invention relates to a driveshaft assembly including a driveshaft tube having a pair of opposed lug cars formed integrally therein that are configured to support a universal joint assembly therein. The universal joint assembly includes a journal and bearing carrier that is formed from a rectangular tube section or two separate stampings and a pair of bearing supports that are inserted into the journal and bearing carrier. The invention also relates to a method of manufacturing such a driveshaft assembly.
In most land vehicles in use today, a drive train assembly is provided for transmitting rotational power from an output shaft of an transmission to an input shaft of an axle assembly so as to rotatably drive one or more wheels of the vehicle. To accomplish this, a typical vehicular drive train assembly includes a hollow cylindrical driveshaft tube. A first universal joint is connected between the output shaft of the transmission and a first end of the driveshaft tube, while a second universal joint is connected between a second end of the driveshaft tube and the input shaft of the axle assembly. The universal joints provide a rotational driving connection from the output shaft of the transmission through the driveshaft tube to the input shaft of the axle assembly, while accommodating a limited amount of angular misalignment between the rotational axes of these three shafts.
A typical universal joint includes a cross having a central body portion with four cylindrical trunnions extending outwardly therefrom. The trunnions are oriented in a single plane and extend at right angles relative to one another. A hollow cylindrical bearing cup having a cylindrical outer wall and a circular end wall is mounted on the end of each of the trunnions. A bearing structure, such as a plurality of needle bearings or roller bearings, is provided between the trunnion and the associated bearing cup to facilitate relative rotational movement therebetween. The bearing cups that are mounted on a first opposed pair of the trunnions can be connected to a first yoke secured to a first component of the drive train assembly, while the bearing cups mounted on a second opposed pair of the trunnions can be connected to a second yoke secured to a second component of the drive shaft assembly.
Traditionally, the ends of the driveshaft tube are connected to the universal joints by respective tube yokes. A typical tube yoke includes a sleeve portion that is sized to be press fit within the end of the driveshaft tube. The sleeve portion of the tube yoke is usually permanently secured to the end of the driveshaft tube, such as by welding, adhesives, and the like. The tube yoke further includes a yoke portion having a pair of opposed arms extending therefrom. The opposed arms of the yoke portion are adapted to receive the opposed bearing cups provided on the universal joint cross in the manner described above. Although this general structure has been in common use for many years, it would be desirable to provide an improved structure for a driveshaft assembly that is simpler and less expensive than known structures.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to several improved structures for a driveshaft assembly and a method of manufacturing same. The driveshaft assembly includes a universal joint and a driveshaft tube. The universal joint includes a hollow journal and bearing carrier that is adapted to support a cross having a plurality of outwardly extending trunnions therein. In a first embodiment, the universal joint is assembled by initially disposing a pair of bearing supports loosely about a first pair of opposed trunnions of the cross. Next, the cross and the bearing supports are inserted within the carrier. The bearing supports are preferably sized to fit snugly within the carrier. Then, bearing cups are inserted through openings formed through upper and lower panels of the carrier and through openings formed through the bearing supports onto the opposed trunnions of the cross. The carrier and the cross are then connected to the driveshaft tube by moving them axially such that the carrier is received within opposed channel regions provided in a pair of arms formed in an end portion of the driveshaft tube. Lastly, the outermost ends of the arms of the end portion are bent inwardly toward one another to enclose portions of the carrier therein. The bent ends of the arms function to positively retain the universal joint within the end portion of the driveshaft tube.
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Duggan James A.
Gall Ray A.
Nieman Andrew L.
Binda Greg
Browne Lynne H.
Dana Corporation
MacMillan Sobanski & Todd LLC
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