Rotary shafts – gudgeons – housings – and flexible couplings for ro – Housing – Flexible housing
Patent
1997-05-09
1999-03-09
Hannon, Thomas R.
Rotary shafts, gudgeons, housings, and flexible couplings for ro
Housing
Flexible housing
277636, F16D 384
Patent
active
058792384
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
The invention relates to a protective bellows having an end fitted to and protecting the open end of the casing of an articulated transmission joint which incorporates individual rotary elements permitting angular movement of the joint, the bellows having an integral zone extending around the inside of the bellows adjacent the bellows end and adjacent to the open end of the casing of the joint to which that bellows end is fitted, the integral zone comprising material which extends both radially inwards of the bellows and axially towards the said bellows end so as to be contacted by a rotary element dislodged from the joint.
Such a bellows is known, for example, from DE-A-2 927 648. In this bellows, the integral zone is reinforced by a metal cap which is clipped to the open end of the casing of the transmission joint and has a portion extending in a radially inward direction partway across the open end of the casing so as to reinforce the integral zone of the bellows. A dislodged rotary element of the joint is therefore blocked against further dislodgement by the reinforcing effect of this radially directed portion of the metal end cap. Such a metal cap adds weight, complexity and cost and may locally adversely affect the flexibility of the bellows. The invention aims to overcome these problems.
According to the invention, therefore, the known form of bellows as first set forth above is characterised in that the integral zone is devoid of separate reinforcement whereby it alone prevents further dislodgement of the rotary element.
Protective bellows embodying the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings in which:
FIG. 1 is a longitudinal half-section through one of the bellows embodying the invention, shown fitted to an articulated transmission joint;
FIG. 2 corresponds to FIG. 1 but shows a modified form of the bellows of FIG. 1; and
FIG. 3 is a cross-section on the line III--III of FIG. 2.
FIG. 1 shows in diagrammatic form an articulated joint 5 of the transmission system of a motor vehicle. The joint 5 is in the form of a bowl-shaped casing 6 which is connected to an input shaft 8 so that the casing 6 rotates with the input shaft 8. The joint 5 has an output shaft 10 connected (in this example) to one of the driving wheels of the vehicle. The shaft 10 is rigid with an inner element 12 supporting a plurality of balls 14 (of which only one is shown in the drawing) each of which engages in a groove 16 in the element 12 and also in a groove 18 on the inside surface of the casing 6. The balls 14 are further supported in a cage 20. Therefore, as the casing 6 is rotated by the input shaft 8, this rotational movement is transmitted to the output shaft 10 via the grooves 18 and 16 and the balls 14. The balls 14 may be replaced by rollers.
In known manner, the provision of the balls 14 enables angular movement between the axis of the output shaft 10 and the axis of the input shaft 8 to take place, up to a maximum of about 50 degrees, thereby accommodating corresponding movement of the road wheel.
In order to protect the mechanism of the joint 5 from the effects of moisture and dirt and other contamination, a protective bellows 24 is provided. This bellows is advantageously produced by blow moulding from thermoplastics material. It comprises a number of individual bellows turns 26,28 which integrally extend between the two ends of the bellows. At one end of the bellows, a large diameter fixing collar 30 is provided which locates in a groove 32 on the outside of the casing 6 and is firmly secured in position by an annular clamp 34. At the opposite end of the bellows, a small diameter fixing collar 36 is provided which is clamped around the outside of the shaft 10 by a fixing clamp 38.
In addition to the angular movement permitted by the joint 5, it is normal in such joints to permit small limited movement of the shaft 10 in an axial direction relative to the casing 6. During such axial movement, the inner element 12 moves with the shaft 10, and
REFERENCES:
patent: 4378858 (1983-04-01), Goft et al.
patent: 4403781 (1983-09-01), Riemscheid
patent: 4456269 (1984-06-01), Krude et al.
patent: 4927678 (1990-05-01), Lallement
patent: 5451186 (1995-09-01), Poulin et al.
Draftex Industries Limited
Hannon Thomas R.
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