Camshaft having at least one axially fixed sliding element

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10047646-B2
Application number	US-201515524295-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 4, 2015
Priority date	Nov 6, 2014
Publication date	Aug 14, 2018
Grant date	Aug 14, 2018

Abstract

A camshaft for a multiple-cylinder internal combustion engine may include a sliding element comprising at least two cam elements, as well as a splined shaft that extends in an axial direction and on which the sliding element is received. The sliding element may comprise an internal spline system that interacts with an external spline system of the splined shaft such that the sliding element is seated fixedly on the splined shaft so as to rotate with the splined shaft. The sliding element may be received on the splined shaft such that the sliding element can, at least initially, be displaced axially. For axially-fixing the sliding element to the splined shaft, the sliding element may include a positively locking connection that is configured in the axial direction and is produced by way of at least one calked connection between the sliding element and the splined shaft. It should be understood that many camshafts include more than one sliding element.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A camshaft for a multiple-cylinder internal combustion engine, the camshaft comprising:
a sliding element comprising at least two cam elements for selective control of valves of the multiple-cylinder internal combustion engine, wherein the sliding element includes an internal spline system; and
a splined shaft extending in an axial direction, wherein the sliding element is received on the splined shaft, wherein the internal spline system of the sliding element interacts with an external spline system of the splined shaft such that the sliding element is seated fixedly on the splined shaft so as to rotate with the splined shaft, wherein the sliding element is received on the splined shaft in an axially displaceable manner,
wherein the sliding element is configured to be fixed in the axial direction to the splined shaft by way of a positively locking connection comprising a calked connection between the sliding element and the splined shaft.

2. The camshaft of claim 1 further comprising a plurality of sliding elements, with the sliding element being one of the plurality of sliding elements.

3. The camshaft of claim 1 wherein at least one of
the splined shaft comprises an interruption of the external spline system at an axial position, wherein a part of the sliding element is calked in sections, or
the sliding element comprises a receiving geometry into which a part of the splined shaft is calked in sections.

4. The camshaft of claim 1 wherein the sliding element comprises a support tube on which the at least two cam elements are received, wherein the calked connection exists between the support tube of the sliding element and the splined shaft.

5. The camshaft of claim 4 wherein the support tube comprises an end-side section with a reduced tube wall thickness, wherein the calked connection is configured in a region of the end-side section of the support tube.

6. The camshaft of claim 1 wherein the sliding element comprises axial end sides, the camshaft further comprising at least two calked connections between the sliding element and the splined shaft on each of the axial end sides of the sliding element, wherein the at least two calked connections are distributed about a circumference of the splined shaft.

7. The camshaft of claim 1 wherein the sliding element comprises axial end sides, the camshaft further comprising at least three calked connections between the sliding element and the splined shaft on each of the axial end sides of the sliding element, wherein the at least three calked connections are distributed about a circumference of the splined shaft.

8. The camshaft of claim 1 wherein the sliding element comprises axial end sides, the camshaft further comprising four calked connections between the sliding element and the splined shaft on each of the axial end sides of the sliding element, wherein the four calked connections are distributed about a circumference of the splined shaft.

9. The camshaft of claim 1 wherein the splined shaft comprises an interruption of the external spline system at an axial position, wherein the interruption comprises a circumferential groove in the splined shaft.

10. The camshaft of claim 1 wherein the sliding element includes a bearing section by way of which the sliding element can be received in a rotatably mountable manner on a bearing bracket.

11. A method for producing a camshaft for a multiple-cylinder internal combustion engine, the method comprising:
providing a sliding element with at least two cam elements for selective control of valves of the multiple-cylinder internal combustion engine, wherein the sliding element includes an internal spline system;
providing a splined shaft that extends in an axial direction and includes an external spline system;
guiding the splined shaft through the sliding element so that the sliding element is seated fixedly on the splined shaft and rotates with the splined shaft due to interaction between the internal and external spline systems, wherein the sliding element is axially displaceable with respect to the splined shaft; and
producing a calked connection between the sliding element and the splined shaft to fix the sliding element in the axial direction on the splined shaft.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the sliding element that is provided includes a support tube comprising an end-side section with a reduced tube wall thickness, wherein the calked connection is produced in a region of the end-side section.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein the sliding element is provided in a bearing bracket of a camshaft module such that calking of the support tube on the splined shaft is performed in or on the camshaft module.

14. The method of claim 11 further comprising providing a calking tool for producing the calked connection between the sliding element and the splined shaft, wherein the calked connection is produced when the sliding element is positioned in a bearing bracket of a camshaft module.

Assignees

• Thyssenkrupp Presta Tecct Ag

Inventors

• Muster Manfred
• Pfitscher Aaron
• Curlic Marko
• Junge Volker

Classifications

• F01L2013/0052

  with cams provided on an axially slidable sleeve · CPC title

• F01L2001/0473

  Composite camshafts, e.g. with cams or cam sleeve being able to move relative to the inner camshaft or a cam adjusting rod · CPC title

• F01L1/047 Primary

  Camshafts · CPC title

• F01L2001/0471

  Assembled camshafts · CPC title

• F01L13/0036 Primary

  the valves being driven by two or more cams with different shape, size or timing or a single cam profiled in axial and radial direction · CPC title