Drive shaft axle seal for performance testing of transmissions

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10975968-B2
Application number	US-201816198070-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 21, 2018
Priority date	Nov 21, 2018
Publication date	Apr 13, 2021
Grant date	Apr 13, 2021

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a fluid seal to prevent fluid and lubricant loss during automotive transmission testing. The fluid seal may be disposed on a surface of an axle shaft such that a variety of transmissions may be evaluated without replacement of the axle shaft, a laborious and ergonomically stressful task. Moreover, the fluid seal may be disposed on a standard collar of the axle shaft for interaction with an internal surface of a transmission coupler.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of automotive transmission testing, comprising:
selecting an initial transmission;
installing the selected initial transmission and a corresponding initial axle shaft;
selecting a subsequent transmission;
determining, based upon a comparison of a diameter of the selected initial transmission and a corresponding diameter of the selected subsequent transmission, a requisite axle shaft;
uninstalling the selected initial transmission;
fitting, concentrically, a fluid seal to the initial axle shaft based upon the determination of the requisite axle shaft; and
installing the selected subsequent transmission,
wherein the fluid seal includes
a seal having an axial length and an outer diameter, the axial length and the outer diameter defining an outer surface of the seal, and
two or more compressible elements, each having a radial thickness, disposed on the outer surface of the seal and at positions along the axial length of the seal, each of the two or more compressible elements including features that project from an outer surface of each compressible element, the outer surface of each compressible element being defined by an outer diameter of each compressible element and an axial length of each compressible element, wherein the outer diameter of the seal, twice the radial thickness of one of the two or more compressible elements, and twice a radial thickness of one of the features define a working diameter that is pre-determined relative to the corresponding diameter of the selected subsequent transmission to be subjected to the automotive transmission testing, the radial thickness of each of the two or more compressible elements being half a distance between the outer diameter of the seal and the outer diameter of each compressible element.

2. The method according to 1 , wherein each of the features have a cross-sectional shape selected from a group including but not limited to a hemisphere, a triangle, a square, a rectangle, or a combination thereof.

3. The method according to 1 , wherein each of the features is linear, curved, or a combination thereof over the outer surface of each the two or more compressible elements.

4. The method according to 1 , wherein each of the features is continuous, discontinuous, or a combination thereof over the outer surface of each of the two or more compressible elements.

5. The method according to 1 , wherein the two or more compressible elements are annuli.

6. The method according to 1 , wherein the fluid seal further comprises an inner diameter, the inner diameter being pre-determined relative to a diameter of the initial axle shaft.

7. The method according to 1 , wherein the two or more compressible elements arranged at positions along the axial length of the seal are separated, along the axial length of the seal, by a pre-determined distance, an exposed outer surface of the seal being defined by the outer diameter of the seal and the pre-determined distance between the two or more compressible elements.

8. The method according to 1 , wherein a diameter of the initial axle shaft is smaller than a diameter of the requisite axle shaft.

9. A fluid seal for automotive transmission testing, comprising:
a seal having an axial length and an outer diameter, the axial length and the outer diameter defining an outer surface of the seal; and
two or more compressible elements, each having a radial thickness, disposed on the outer surface of the seal and at positions along the axial length of the seal, each of the two or more compressible elements including features that project from an outer surface of each compressible element, the outer surface of each compressible element being defined by an outer diameter of each compressible element and an axial length of each compressible element,
wherein the outer diameter of the seal, twice the radial thickness of one of the two or more compressible elements, and twice a radial thickness of one of the features define a working diameter that is pre-determined relative to a diameter of an automotive transmission to be subjected to the automotive transmission testing, the radial thickness of each of the two or more compressible elements being half a distance between the outer diameter of the seal and the outer diameter of each compressible element.

10. The fluid seal according to claim 9 , wherein each of the features have a cross-sectional shape selected from a group including but not limited to a hemisphere, a triangle, a square, a rectangle, or a combination thereof.

11. The fluid seal according to claim 9 wherein each of the features is linear, curved, or a combination thereof over the outer surface of each of the two or more compressible elements.

12. The seal according to claim 9 , wherein each of the features is continuous, discontinuous, or a combination thereof over the outer surface of each of the two or more compressible elements.

13. The fluid seal according to claim 9 , wherein the two or more compressible elements are annuli.

14. The fluid seal according to claim 9 , wherein an inner diameter of the seal is pre-determined relative to a diameter of an axle shaft associated with the automotive transmission to be subjected to the automotive transmission testing.

15. The fluid seal according to claim 14 , wherein the diameter of the axle shaft is a diameter of a standard collar of the axle shaft.

16. The fluid seal according to claim 9 , wherein the two or more compressible elements arranged at positions along the axial length of the seal are separated, along the axial length of the seal, by a pre-determined distance, an exposed outer surface of the seal being defined by the outer diameter of the seal and the pre-determined distance between the two or more compressible elements.

17. The seal according to claim 9 , wherein the automotive transmission is a two-wheel drive transmission or a four-wheel drive transmission.

Assignees

• Toyota Eng & Mfg North America

Inventors

• Mcfarland Jason W
• Hudson Andrea L
• Taylor Mike

Classifications

• G01M13/022

  Power-transmitting couplings or clutches · CPC title

• F16J15/46 Primary

  with packing ring expanded or pressed into place by fluid pressure, e.g. inflatable packings (connection of valves to inflatable elastic bodies B60C29/00; {for sealing arrangements in vehicles B60J10/244; for sealing arrangements of openings in buildings E06B7/2318}; for tube connections F16L) · CPC title

• F16J3/041 Primary

  Non-metallic bellows · CPC title