Steering shaft assembly and method of assembling same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11383755-B2
Application number	US-202017124059-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 16, 2020
Priority date	Dec 16, 2020
Publication date	Jul 12, 2022
Grant date	Jul 12, 2022

Abstract

A steering shaft assembly comprising female shaft and a male shaft. The female shaft includes an inner surface defining a plurality of outer roller bearing tracks. The male shaft includes an outer surface defining a plurality of inner roller bearing tracks. An adaptable sleeve assembly is located between the inner surface of the female shaft and the outer surface of the male shaft and includes a body. The body defines an outer surface for contacting the inner surface of the female shaft and an inner surface for contacting the outer surface of the male shaft. The body defines at least one rib projecting radially outwardly from the outer surface of the body and projecting radially inwardly from the inner surface of the body. The at least one rib is inserted into one of the plurality of inner roller bearing tracks and one of the plurality of outer roller bearing tracks.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An adaptable sleeve assembly for connecting a female shaft to a male shaft of a steering shaft assembly configured to include roller bearings, the adaptable sleeve assembly comprising:
a body extending about an axis, the body defining an outer surface for contacting an inner surface of the provided female shaft and an inner surface for contacting an outer surface of the provided male shaft; and
the body defining at least one rib projecting radially outwardly from the outer surface of the body and projecting radially inwardly from the inner surface of the body, wherein the at least one rib is inserted into an inner roller bearing track defined by the provided female shaft and an outer roller bearing track defined by the provided male shaft, wherein the at least one rib defines at least one opening for placing at least one bearing element that extends radially outwardly past the outer surface of the body and radially inwardly past an inner surface of the body, wherein the at least one opening includes an opening that extends centrally through the at least one rib and the at least one bearing element includes an elongated pin located in the opening, wherein the elongated pin is spaced from the inner roller bearing track defined by the provided female shaft and the outer roller bearing track defined by the provided male shaft by the at least one rib.

2. The adaptable sleeve assembly of claim 1 , wherein the at least one bearing element includes a pin extending parallel to the axis.

3. The adaptable sleeve assembly of claim 2 , wherein the at least one rib extends parallel to the axis.

4. The adaptable sleeve assembly of claim 2 , wherein the at least one rib defines a plurality of openings with at least one bearing element located in each of the openings.

5. The adaptable sleeve assembly of claim 1 , wherein the at least one bearing element contacts the inner roller bearing track defined by the provided female shaft and the outer roller bearing track defined by the provided male shaft.

6. The adaptable sleeve assembly of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of ribs is equal in number to at least one of number of the inner roller bearing tracks defined by the provided female shaft and the number of the outer roller bearing tracks defined by the provided male shaft.

7. The adaptable sleeve assembly of claim 1 , wherein the adaptable sleeve assembly further comprises a connection feature for axially connecting the adaptable sleeve assembly to one of the female shaft and the male shaft.

8. The adaptable sleeve assembly of claim 1 , wherein the adaptable sleeve assembly is formed of a material with a lower creeping temperature than the female shaft and the male shaft.

9. A steering shaft assembly comprising:
a female shaft extending along an axis and including an inner surface defining a plurality of outer roller bearing tracks;
a male shaft extending along the axis and including an outer surface defining a plurality of inner roller bearing tracks; and
an adaptable sleeve assembly located between the inner surface of the female shaft and the outer surface of the male shaft, the adaptable sleeve assembly comprising:
a body extending along the axis, the body defining an outer surface for contacting the inner surface of the female shaft and an inner surface for contacting the outer surface of the male shaft; and
the body defining at least one rib projecting radially outwardly from the outer surface of the body and projecting radially inwardly from the inner surface of the body, wherein the at least one rib is inserted into one of the plurality of inner roller bearing tracks and one of the plurality of outer roller bearing tracks, wherein the plurality of ribs is equal in number to at least one of number of the inner roller bearing tracks and the number of the outer roller bearing tracks, wherein the number of the inner roller bearing tracks and the number of the outer roller bearing tracks are not equal, and the plurality of ribs are equal in number to whichever of the inner roller bearing tracks and the outer roller bearing tracks are less in number.

10. The steering shaft assembly of claim 9 , wherein the at least one rib defines at least one opening for placing at least one bearing element that extends radially outwardly past the outer surface of the body and radially inwardly past an inner surface of the body.

11. The steering shaft assembly of claim 10 , wherein the adaptable sleeve assembly further comprises a connection feature for axially connecting the adaptable sleeve assembly to one of the female shaft and the male shaft.

12. The steering shaft assembly of claim 11 , wherein the connection feature includes a flange projecting radially outwardly from the body to axially connect the adaptable sleeve assembly to the female shaft.

13. The steering shaft assembly of claim 11 , wherein the connection feature includes a flange projecting radially inwardly from the body to axially connect the adaptable sleeve assembly to the male shaft.

14. The steering shaft assembly of claim 9 , wherein the plurality of ribs is equal in number to each of the number of the inner roller bearing tracks and the number of the outer roller bearing tracks.

15. A method for forming a steering shaft assembly comprising:
forming a female shaft and a male shaft;
forming an adaptable sleeve assembly;
inserting at least one bearing element in the adaptable sleeve assembly;
connecting the adaptable sleeve assembly to one of the female shaft and the male shaft with a connection feature;
placing the male shaft into the female shaft with the adaptable sleeve assembly located between the female shaft and the male shaft and the bearing element located between an inner roller bearing surface of the female shaft and an outer rolling bearing surface of the male shaft; and
heating the adaptable sleeve assembly to a creeping temperature or above until the adaptable sleeve assembly conforms to an inner surface of the female shaft and an outer surface of the male shaft.

Assignees

• Steering Solutions Ip Holding

Inventors

• Molinar Sergio R
• Partyka Michael E
• Finney Brandon L

Classifications

• F16D3/06

  specially adapted to allow axial displacement · CPC title

• F16C29/02

  Sliding-contact bearings · CPC title

• F16C3/035

  with built-in bearings · CPC title

• F16C2326/24

  Steering systems, e.g. steering rods or columns · CPC title

• B62D1/20 Primary

  Connecting steering column to steering gear · CPC title