Drive shaft bearing support assembly and multi-radius cap for bearing support housing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10675972-B2
Application number	US-201816101774-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 13, 2018
Priority date	Aug 13, 2018
Publication date	Jun 9, 2020
Grant date	Jun 9, 2020

Abstract

A drive shaft bearing support assembly is disclosed. The assembly may include a bearing support housing structured to be mountable to a portion of a vehicle. The bearing support housing may define a cavity structured for receiving a portion of a bearing therein. The assembly may also include a bearing support housing cap structured to be securable to the bearing support housing to secure the bearing in the cavity. The bearing support housing cap may be structured to contact the bearing only along two discrete regions of contact when the bearing support housing cap is secured to the bearing support housing to secure the bearing in the cavity.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A drive shaft bearing support assembly comprising:
a bearing support housing structured to be mountable to a portion of a vehicle, the bearing support housing defining a cavity structured for receiving a portion of a bearing therein; and
a bearing support housing cap structured to be securable to the bearing support housing to secure the portion of the bearing in the cavity,
wherein the bearing support housing cap includes a first surface structured to contact the bearing along a first discrete region of contact when the bearing support housing cap is secured to the bearing support housing to secure the bearing in the cavity, the first surface having a radius of curvature larger than a radius of a surface of the bearing to be contacted by the housing cap first surface, and wherein the bearing support housing cap also has a second surface structured to contact the bearing along a second discrete region of contact separate from the first discrete region of contact when the bearing support housing cap is secured to the bearing support housing to secure the bearing in the cavity, the second surface having a radius of curvature larger than a radius of a surface of the bearing to be contacted by the housing cap second surface.

2. The support assembly of claim 1 further comprising at least one spacer structured to be interposable between the bearing support housing and the bearing support housing cap, and so as to enable securement of the at least one spacer to the bearing support housing, the at least one spacer including a housing cap attachment surface structured to provide a location for attachment of a portion of the bearing support housing cap to the at least one spacer.

3. The support assembly of claim 2 wherein the at least one spacer comprises a first spacer and a second spacer, the first spacer including a first spacer housing cap attachment surface structured to provide a location for attachment of a first portion of the bearing support housing cap to the first spacer, the second spacer including a second spacer housing cap attachment surface structured to provide a location for attachment of a second portion of the bearing support housing cap to the second spacer, wherein the first spacer and the second spacer are structured so that the first spacer housing cap attachment surface and the second spacer housing cap attachment surface are coplanar when the first and second spacers are secured to the bearing support housing.

4. The support assembly of claim 2 wherein the at least one spacer is structured to be securable to the bearing support housing independently of the bearing support housing cap.

5. The support assembly of claim 2 wherein the at least one spacer is secured to the bearing support housing cap prior to attachment of the at least one spacer and the bearing support housing cap to the bearing support housing.

6. The support assembly of claim 1 wherein the bearing support housing includes a first housing cap attachment surface structured to provide a location for attachment of a first portion of the bearing support housing cap to the bearing support housing, wherein the first housing cap attachment surface is structured such that a first flat plane extends along the first housing cap attachment surface, wherein a second flat plane spaced apart from the first flat plane extends parallel to the first flat plane, and wherein only the second flat plane extends through a rotational axis of a bearing received in the cavity.

7. The support assembly of claim 6 wherein the bearing support housing includes a second housing cap attachment surface structured to provide a location for attachment of a second portion of the bearing support housing cap to the bearing support housing, and wherein the second housing cap attachment surface is structured so as to be coplanar with the first housing cap attachment surface along the first flat plane.

8. The support assembly of claim 1 wherein the two discrete regions of contact are angularly spaced apart by 90±13.5 degrees inclusive.

9. The support assembly of claim 1 wherein the housing cap first surface radius is within a range (1.3×R)±(0.13×R) inclusive, where R=a radius of an outermost surface of the bearing to be contacted by the housing cap.

10. The support assembly of claim 9 wherein the housing cap second surface radius is within a range (1.3×R)±(0.13×R) inclusive.

11. The support assembly of claim 1 wherein the first surface radius and the second surface radius are equal.

12. The support assembly of claim 1 wherein the bearing support housing cap first surface is structured such that a central axis of the first surface radius is parallel with and spaced apart from a rotational axis of the bearing when the bearing support housing cap is secured to the bearing support housing to secure the bearing in the cavity, and wherein the bearing support housing cap second surface is structured such that a central axis of the second surface radius is parallel with and spaced apart from a rotational axis of the bearing when the bearing support housing cap is secured to the bearing support housing to secure the bearing in the cavity.

13. The support assembly of claim 1 wherein the bearing support housing cap comprises a bearing support portion including the first surface and the second surface, the bearing support portion having a first end and a second end opposite the first end, the bearing support housing cap also including a first securement portion extending from the bearing support portion first end, and a second securement portion extending from the bearing support portion second end,
the first securement portion being structured to enable attachment of the first securement portion to the bearing support housing such that the bearing support portion first end and the first securement portion are spaced apart from the bearing,
and the second securement portion being structured to enable attachment of the second securement portion to the bearing support housing such that the bearing support portion second end and the second securement portion are spaced apart from the bearing.

14. The support assembly of claim 1 wherein the bearing support housing cap includes a third surface residing between the first surface and the second surface, the third surface being structured to reside opposite and spaced apart from the bearing when the bearing support housing cap is secured to the bearing support housing to secure the bearing in the cavity.

15. The support assembly of claim 1 wherein the bearing support housing cap includes a first lip extending from a first edge of the bearing support housing cap, and a second lip extending from a second edge of the bearing support housing cap opposite the first edge, the second lip extending opposite the first lip to form a pocket structured to receive a portion of the bearing therebetween when the bearing support housing cap is secured to the bearing support housing to secure the bearing in the cavity.

16. The support assembly of claim 1 wherein the bearing support housing includes a first housing cap attachment surface structured to provide a location for attachment of a first portion of the bearing support housing cap to the bearing support housing, and a second housing cap attachment surface structured to provide a location for attachment of a second portion of the bearing support housing cap to the bearing support housing, and wherein the first housing cap attachment surface and the second housing cap attachment surface are structured so as to be coplanar with a flat plane extending through a rotational

Assignees

• Toyota Eng & Mfg North America

Inventors

• Mclaughlin Daniel J

Classifications

• B60K17/24 Primary

  Arrangement of mountings for shafting · CPC title

• B60B35/18

  Arrangement of bearings · CPC title

• F16C35/042 Primary

  Housings for rolling element bearings for rotary movement · CPC title

• F16C35/06 Primary

  Mounting {or dismounting} of ball or roller bearings; Fixing them onto shaft or in housing · CPC title

• F16C2226/60

  with threaded parts, e.g. bolt and nut connections · CPC title