Propeller shaft

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10422388-B2
Application number	US-201715487576-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 14, 2017
Priority date	Apr 18, 2016
Publication date	Sep 24, 2019
Grant date	Sep 24, 2019

Abstract

A propeller shaft includes a shaft section connected between an input shaft and an output shaft via respective constant velocity joints, wherein the input shaft is connected to a drive source of a vehicle, and the output shaft is connected to driving wheels. The constant velocity joint includes a circlip-restricting surface to engage with a circlip provided in an outer peripheral surface of the input or output shaft, for restricting movement of the first or second shaft in an axial direction. The circlip-restricting surface is implemented by a first inclined surface and a second inclined surface, wherein the second inclined surface is closer to a rotational axis of the shaft section, and wherein the first inclined surface has an acute angle with respect to the axial direction, and the second inclined surface has a smaller angle with respect to the axial direction.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A propeller shaft for transmitting rotation between a drive source of a vehicle and a driving wheel of the vehicle, comprising:
a shaft section configured to be connected between a first shaft and a second shaft, wherein the first shaft is configured to be connected to the drive source, and wherein the second shaft is configured to be connected to the driving wheel;
an outer ring member and an inner ring member, wherein the shaft section is provided with one of the outer ring member and the inner ring member as a first ring member, wherein the outer ring member has a tubular shape, wherein the inner ring member has a tubular shape, and wherein the inner ring member is disposed radially inside the outer ring member;
a plurality of balls disposed between the outer ring member and the inner ring member;
outer-ring-side engaging grooves formed in an inner peripheral side of the outer ring member, and configured to extend in an axial direction of the shaft section, wherein each outer-ring-side engaging groove is configured to restrict relative rotation between a corresponding one of the balls and the outer ring member about the axial direction of the shaft section by engagement with the corresponding ball;
inner-ring-side engaging grooves formed in an outer peripheral side of the inner ring member, and configured to extend in the axial direction of the shaft section, wherein each inner-ring-side engaging groove is configured to restrict relative rotation between a corresponding one of the balls and the inner ring member about the axial direction of the shaft section by engagement with the corresponding ball;
a female spline part formed in an inner peripheral side of one of the outer ring member and the inner ring member as a second ring member other than the first ring member, and configured to engage with a male spline part formed in an outer peripheral side of one of the first shaft and the second shaft as a first shaft member;
a female-spline-side annular groove formed and extending circumferentially in the inner peripheral side of the second ring member, wherein the female-spline-side annular groove is defined by a first side wall, a second side wall, and a bottom wall between the first side wall and the second side wall, wherein the first side wall and the second side wall face each other in the axial direction of the shaft section, wherein the second side wall is closer to the shaft section than the first side wall, wherein the female-spline-side annular groove is configured to receive a circlip, wherein the circlip is disposed in a male-spline-side annular groove formed and extending circumferentially in the outer peripheral side of the first shaft member, and is configured to expand into the female-spline-side annular groove, to restrict movement of the first shaft member in the axial direction of the shaft section with respect to the second ring member; and
a circlip-restricting part formed in the first side wall of the female-spline-side annular groove, wherein the circlip-restricting part includes:
a first inclined portion having a first angle with respect to the axial direction of the shaft section, wherein the first angle is an acute angle; and
a second inclined portion closer to a rotational axis of the shaft section than the first inclined portion, and having a second angle with respect to the axial direction of the shaft section, wherein the second angle is smaller than the first angle;
wherein a boundary portion of the circlip-restricting part between the first inclined portion and the second inclined portion is closer to the rotational axis of the shaft section than a contact portion of the circlip-restricting part, wherein the circlip is configured to be in contact with the contact portion when the circlip is in a free state in the female-spline-side annular groove.

2. The propeller shaft as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first angle is larger than 45 degrees.

3. The propeller shaft as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the second angle is smaller than 45 degrees.

4. The propeller shaft as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the boundary portion of the circlip-restricting part is closer to the rotational axis of the shaft section than a cross-section center of the circlip when the circlip is in the free state.

5. The propeller shaft as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the second inclined portion is smaller in dimension in the axial direction of the shaft section than the first inclined portion.

6. The propeller shaft as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the boundary portion of the circlip-restricting part is closer to the rotational axis of the shaft section than the cross-section center of the circlip, even when eccentricity of the circlip from the rotational axis of the shaft section in a radial direction of the shaft section is maximized under a condition that the circlip is in the female-spline-side annular groove.

7. The propeller shaft as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the boundary portion of the circlip-restricting part is closer to the rotational axis of the shaft section than the contact portion of the circlip-restricting part, even when eccentricity of the circlip from the rotational axis of the shaft section in a radial direction of the shaft section is maximized under a condition that the circlip is in the female-spline-side annular groove.

8. The propeller shaft as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the second inclined portion of the circlip-restricting part has a straight shape in a longitudinal sectional view along the axial direction of the shaft section.

9. The propeller shaft as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the second inclined portion of the circlip-restricting part has a rounded shape projecting toward the male-spline-side annular groove in a longitudinal sectional view along the axial direction of the shaft section.

10. The propeller shaft as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first inclined portion and the second inclined portion of the circlip-restricting part are formed simultaneously by a single processing tool.

Assignees

• Hitachi Automotive Systems Ltd

Inventors

• Mabe Yasutomo
• Sugiyama Kenichi
• Tsutsumi Daiki

Classifications

• F16D2003/22326

  Attachments to the outer joint member, i.e. attachments to the exterior of the outer joint member or to the shaft of the outer joint member · CPC title

• F16D2001/103

  the torque is transmitted via splined connections · CPC title

• F16D3/845

  allowing relative movement of joint parts due to the flexing of the cover · CPC title

• F16D1/116 Primary

  the interengaging parts including a continuous or interrupted circumferential groove in the surface of one of the coupling parts (circlips for retaining hubs on shafts F16B21/18) · CPC title

• F16D3/223 Primary

  the rolling members being guided in grooves in both coupling parts · CPC title