Slip yoke assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10323692-B2
Application number	US-201715406831-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 16, 2017
Priority date	Jan 16, 2017
Publication date	Jun 18, 2019
Grant date	Jun 18, 2019

Abstract

A slip yoke assembly having a shaft sleeve, a yoke sleeve, and a yoke. The yoke sleeve may have a set of yoke sleeve splines that may mate with a set of shaft sleeve splines and permit axial movement of the yoke sleeve with respect to the shaft sleeve. The yoke may be fixedly disposed on the yoke sleeve.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A slip yoke assembly comprising:
a shaft sleeve that is rotatable about an axis, the shaft sleeve having a first shaft sleeve cavity that extends around the axis, a first shaft sleeve end surface, a second shaft sleeve end surface disposed opposite the first shaft sleeve end surface, and a set of shaft sleeve splines that are arranged around the first shaft sleeve cavity and face away from the axis, wherein the shaft sleeve is fixedly mounted to a shaft that is received inside the shaft sleeve and is rotatably supported by a roller bearing assembly, and the second shaft sleeve end surface engages the roller bearing assembly;
a yoke sleeve that receives the shaft sleeve, the yoke sleeve having a set of yoke sleeve splines that mates with the set of shaft sleeve splines and permits axial movement of the yoke sleeve with respect to the shaft sleeve; and
a yoke that is fixedly disposed on the yoke sleeve, wherein the yoke and the yoke sleeve are moveable along the axis with respect to the shaft sleeve.

2. The slip yoke assembly of claim 1 wherein the yoke sleeve extends continuously around the axis and the shaft sleeve.

3. The slip yoke assembly of claim 1 wherein the yoke sleeve splines are arranged around the shaft sleeve and extend toward the axis.

4. The slip yoke assembly of claim 1 wherein the yoke and yoke sleeve are moveable in an axial direction between a first position in which the shaft sleeve stops axial movement of the yoke and yoke sleeve and a second position in which the shaft sleeve does not stop axial movement of the yoke.

5. The slip yoke assembly of claim 4 wherein the shaft sleeve has a shaft sleeve flange that extends away from the axis, wherein the yoke sleeve engages the shaft sleeve flange when the yoke and yoke sleeve are in the first position and the yoke sleeve does not engage the shaft sleeve flange when the yoke and yoke sleeve are in the second position.

6. The slip yoke assembly of claim 4 wherein the yoke engages the first shaft sleeve end surface when the yoke and yoke sleeve are in the first position.

7. The slip yoke assembly of claim 4 wherein the yoke has a yoke cavity that extends around and receives the shaft sleeve when the yoke is in the first position.

8. The slip yoke assembly of claim 7 wherein the shaft sleeve is not received in the yoke cavity when the yoke is in the second position.

9. The slip yoke assembly of claim 7 wherein the yoke is spaced apart from and does not engage the shaft sleeve when the yoke is in the second position.

10. A slip yoke assembly comprising:
a shaft sleeve having an inner surface that at least partially defines a first shaft sleeve cavity that extends around an axis, a set of shaft sleeve splines disposed opposite the inner surface, and a second shaft sleeve cavity that extends around the axis and that extends from the first shaft sleeve cavity, wherein the second shaft sleeve cavity is configured to receive a shaft such that the shaft sleeve does not rotate with respect to the shaft;
a yoke sleeve that extends around and receives the shaft sleeve, the yoke sleeve having a set of yoke sleeve splines that mates with the set of shaft sleeve splines and permits axial movement of the yoke sleeve with respect to the shaft sleeve;
a yoke that is fixedly positioned with respect to the yoke sleeve; and
an outer sleeve that is disposed on the shaft sleeve and that extends around and receives the yoke sleeve.

11. The slip yoke assembly of claim 10 wherein the outer sleeve is spaced apart from and does not engage the yoke sleeve.

12. The slip yoke assembly of claim 10 further comprising a seal that extends around the axis and that extends from the outer sleeve to the yoke sleeve.

13. The slip yoke assembly of claim 12 wherein the yoke and the yoke sleeve are moveable along the axis with respect to the shaft sleeve, the outer sleeve, and the seal.

14. The slip yoke assembly of claim 13 wherein the yoke is received in the yoke sleeve.

15. The slip yoke assembly of claim 14 wherein the yoke sleeve has a first yoke sleeve end surface that is disposed adjacent to the yoke and a yoke sleeve groove that extends from the first yoke sleeve end surface to the set of yoke sleeve splines, wherein the yoke is received in the yoke sleeve groove.

16. The slip yoke assembly of claim 15 wherein the yoke sleeve has a second yoke sleeve end surface that is disposed opposite the first yoke sleeve end surface, wherein the yoke sleeve splines extend from the yoke sleeve groove to the second yoke sleeve end surface.

17. The slip yoke assembly of claim 15 wherein the yoke and yoke sleeve are moveable between a first position and a second position, wherein the outer sleeve extends around the seal, the seal extends around the yoke sleeve groove and the yoke, and the yoke extends around the shaft sleeve when the yoke and yoke sleeve are in the first position.

18. The slip yoke assembly of claim 12 wherein the outer sleeve has a first cylindrical portion that receives and is fixedly disposed on the shaft sleeve and a second cylindrical portion that is disposed adjacent to the first cylindrical portion, wherein the second cylindrical portion receives the seal and the first cylindrical portion and the second cylindrical portion have different diameters.

19. The slip yoke assembly of claim 18 wherein the second cylindrical portion has a larger diameter than the first cylindrical portion.

20. A slip yoke assembly comprising:
a housing;
a shaft sleeve that is rotatable about an axis with respect to the housing, the shaft sleeve having a first shaft sleeve cavity that extends around the axis and a set of shaft sleeve splines that are arranged around the first shaft sleeve cavity and face away from the axis;
a shaft that is rotatable about the axis and is received in the housing and the shaft sleeve;
a yoke sleeve that receives the shaft sleeve, the yoke sleeve having a set of yoke sleeve splines that mates with the set of shaft sleeve splines and permits axial movement of the yoke sleeve with respect to the shaft sleeve; and
a yoke that is fixedly disposed on the yoke sleeve, wherein the yoke and the yoke sleeve are moveable along the axis with respect to the shaft sleeve.

Assignees

• Arvinmeritor Technology Llc

Inventors

• Lentini Anthony
• Steele Christopher
• Kwasniewski Dale
• Lang Kenneth

Classifications

• F16C3/03

  telescopic (axially displaceable couplings F16D3/06) · CPC title

• F16D3/06 Primary

  specially adapted to allow axial displacement · CPC title

• F16D13/22

  with axially-movable clutching members (similar brakes F16D55/00) · CPC title

• F16D2001/062

  characterised by adaptors where hub bores being larger than the shaft · CPC title

• F16D3/387

  Fork construction; Mounting of fork on shaft; Adapting shaft for mounting of fork · CPC title