Method for manufacturing universal joint

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10399188-B2
Application number	US-201615580381-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 1, 2016
Priority date	Jun 17, 2015
Publication date	Sep 3, 2019
Grant date	Sep 3, 2019

Abstract

A universal joint includes a bearing including a bearing cup fitted in a bearing hole of a yoke and rolling elements arranged between the bearing cup and a shaft portion of a cross shaft. A method for manufacturing the universal joint includes: simulating a shrunken state in which a sample bearing cup selected from bearing cups in a same lot is fitted in the bearing hole such that only an outside diameter is restrained, by press-fitting the sample bearing cup into a reference hole of a reference jig; measuring a diameter of an inscribed circle inscribed to the rolling elements in the shrunken state; setting an outside diameter of the shaft portion to a required outside diameter according to the diameter of the inscribed circle; and inserting the bearing cup with the rolling elements between the shaft portion having the required outside diameter and the bearing hole.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for manufacturing a universal joint where a bearing is interposed between each shaft portion of a cross shaft and a corresponding bearing hole of a yoke, and the bearing comprises a cylindrical bearing cup fitted in the bearing hole by press-fitting and a plurality of rolling elements annularly arranged between an inner peripheral surface of the bearing cup and an outer peripheral surface of the shaft portion, the method comprising:
simulating a shrunken state in which a sample bearing cup selected from among a plurality of bearing cups manufactured in a same lot is fitted in the bearing hole of the yoke such that only an outside diameter is restrained, by press-fitting the sample bearing cup into a reference hole of a reference jig;
measuring a diameter of an inscribed circle inscribed to the plurality of rolling elements annularly held along the inner peripheral surface of the sample bearing cup in the simulated shrunken state;
setting an outside diameter of the shaft portion of the cross shaft to a required outside diameter that enables a required radial clearance to be achieved according to the measured diameter of the inscribed circle; and
inserting the sample bearing cup having undergone measurement of the diameter of the inscribed circle or a non-measured bearing cup not having undergone the measurement of the diameter of the inscribed circle among the bearing cups manufactured in the lot, together with the plurality of rolling elements, between the shaft portion of the cross shaft set to the required outside diameter and the bearing hole.

2. The method for manufacturing the universal joint according to claim 1 ,
wherein when the diameter of the inscribed circle is measured, a single-piece first reference jig having a stiffness equal to that of the yoke is used as the reference jig.

3. The method for manufacturing the universal joint according to claim 1 ,
wherein when the diameter of the inscribed circle is measured, a second reference jig comprising a plurality of split members which define the reference hole, are split in a circumferential direction of the reference hole and are capable of enlarging and shrinking the reference hole is used as the reference jig, and
wherein when the diameter of the inscribed circle is measured, after the sample bearing cup is accommodated in the reference hole in an enlarged state of the reference hole of the second reference jig, a load that shrinks the reference hole such that the simulated shrunken state is achieved is applied to the split member.

4. The method for manufacturing the universal joint according to claim 1 ,
wherein when the outside diameter of the shaft portion is set, the cross shaft of a predetermined group is selected from among cross shafts sorted into a plurality of groups by the outside diameter of the shaft portion, and the outside diameter of the shaft portion of the cross shaft to be combined with the sample bearing cup or the non-measured bearing cup is set to the required outside diameter.

5. The method for manufacturing the universal joint according to claim 1 ,
wherein when the outside diameter of the shaft portion is set, the outside diameter of the shaft portion of the cross shaft to be combined with the sample bearing cup or the non-measured bearing cup is finished by finish process and set to the required outside diameter.

6. The method for manufacturing the universal joint according to claim 5 ,
wherein when the diameter of the inscribed circle is measured, the diameters of the inscribed circles at all the bearing cups manufactured in the lot are measured.

Assignees

• Jtekt Corp

Inventors

• Koyama Takeshi
• Kobayashi Masanori

Classifications

• F16D2300/12

  Mounting or assembling · CPC title

• F16D3/405

  Apparatus for assembling or dismantling · CPC title

• F16D3/382

  constructional details of other than the intermediate member · CPC title

• F16C35/067

  Fixing them in a housing (with interposition of an element F16C35/07) · CPC title

• F16C21/005

  the external zone of a bearing with rolling members, e.g. needles, being cup-shaped, with or without a separate thrust-bearing disc or ring, e.g. for universal joints (seals F16C33/72, F16D3/38) · CPC title