Shaft

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11549551-B2
Application number	US-202117532961-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 22, 2021
Priority date	Nov 26, 2020
Publication date	Jan 10, 2023
Grant date	Jan 10, 2023

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a shaft adapted to be at least partially inserted into an opening of a shaft receiver. The shaft comprises a nominal shaft portion adapted to be at least partially inserted into the opening of the shaft receiver, followed by an intermediate shaft portion that in turn is followed by a guide shaft portion terminating the shaft. The shaft comprises a cross-section with a cross-sectional contour in a plane including the central axis, the cross-sectional contour comprising a nominal shaft portion contour of the nominal shaft portion, an intermediate shaft portion contour of the intermediate shaft portion and a guide shaft portion contour of the guide shaft portion. The cross-sectional contour comprises a radial direction being perpendicular to the central axis, wherein, as seen in the radial direction, the nominal shaft portion contour is located at a nominal radial distance from the central axis.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A shaft adapted to be at least partially inserted into an opening of a shaft receiver, the shaft having an axial extension along an axial direction and comprising:
a nominal shaft portion adapted to be at least partially inserted into the opening of the shaft receiver,
an intermediate shaft portion,
a guide shaft portion terminating the shaft,
a central axis extending in the axial direction in the center of a cross-section perpendicular to the axial direction of the nominal shaft portion, the central axis extending in a direction from the nominal shaft portion towards the guide shaft portion,
a cross-section with a cross-sectional contour in a plane including the central axis, the cross-sectional contour comprising a nominal shaft portion contour of the nominal shaft portion, an intermediate shaft portion contour of the intermediate shaft portion, and a guide shaft portion contour of the guide shaft portion, the cross-sectional contour comprising a radial direction being perpendicular to the central axis, wherein the nominal shaft portion contour is located at a nominal radial distance from the central axis,
wherein a smallest distance from the central axis to the intermediate shaft portion contour occurs at an intermediate shaft portion contour trough and is less than 99% of the nominal radial distance,
wherein a largest distance from the central axis to the guide shaft portion contour occurs at a guide shaft portion contour crest, is greater than the smallest distance, and is within a range of 95% to 100% of the nominal radial distance, and
wherein the guide shaft portion contour comprises a guide shaft portion contour insert portion being located at a distance of at least 1% of the nominal radial distance in front of the guide shaft portion contour crest, wherein the distance from the guide shaft portion contour crest to the guide shaft portion contour insert portion is at least 1% of the nominal radial distance.

2. The shaft of claim 1 , wherein a distance from the guide shaft portion contour crest to the guide shaft portion contour insert portion is smaller than 3% of the nominal radial distance.

3. The shaft of claim 1 , wherein a distance between the intermediate shaft portion contour trough and the guide shaft portion contour crest is within a range of at least 1-5% of the nominal radial distance.

4. The shaft of claim 1 , wherein the guide shaft portion contour follows an arc of a sector of a circle from the guide shaft portion contour crest to the guide shaft portion contour insert portion, the sector of the circle having a radius within a range of 95% to 100% of the nominal radial distance.

5. The shaft of claim 4 , wherein the sector of the circle comprises a first leg and a second leg, each having a length corresponding to the radius of the sector of the circle, the first and second legs intersecting at a sector center point.

6. The shaft of claim 5 , wherein the sector of the circle has a central angle between the first and second legs within a range of 2-12°.

7. The shaft of claim 5 , wherein as seen along the arc, the guide shaft portion contour has a first arc length from the guide shaft portion contour crest to the first leg and a second arc length from the guide shaft portion contour crest to the second leg, a ratio between the first arc length and the second arc length being within a range of 0.9-1.1.

8. The shaft of claim 1 , wherein at least each of the nominal shaft portion, the intermediate shaft portion, and the guide shaft portion is rotationally symmetric around the central axis.

9. The shaft of claim 1 , wherein the shaft is a unitary component.

10. The shaft of claim 1 , wherein the shaft is a vehicle knuckle spindle.

11. A kit comprising:
a shaft adapted to be at least partially inserted into an opening of a shaft receiver, the shaft having an axial extension along an axial direction and comprising:
a nominal shaft portion adapted to be at least partially inserted into the opening of the shaft receiver,
an intermediate shaft portion,
a guide shaft portion terminating the shaft,
a central axis extending in the axial direction in the center of a cross-section perpendicular to the axial direction of the nominal shaft portion, the central axis extending in a direction from the nominal shaft portion towards the guide shaft portion,
a cross-section with a cross-sectional contour in a plane including the central axis, the cross-sectional contour comprising a nominal shaft portion contour of the nominal shaft portion, an intermediate shaft portion contour of the intermediate shaft portion, and a guide shaft portion contour of the guide shaft portion, the cross-sectional contour comprising a radial direction being perpendicular to the central axis, wherein the nominal shaft portion contour is located at a nominal radial distance from the central axis,
wherein a smallest distance from the central axis to the intermediate shaft portion contour occurs at an intermediate shaft portion contour trough and is less than 99% of the nominal radial distance,
wherein a largest distance from the central axis to the guide shaft portion contour occurs at a guide shaft portion contour crest, is greater than the smallest distance, and is within a range of 95% to 100% of the nominal radial distance, and
wherein the guide shaft portion contour comprises a guide shaft portion contour insert portion being located at a distance of at least 1% of the nominal radial distance in front of the guide shaft portion contour crest, wherein the distance from the guide shaft portion contour crest to the guide shaft portion contour insert portion is at least 1% of the nominal radial distance, and

a shaft receiver, the shaft receiver comprising an opening adapted to receive at least a portion of the shaft by a movement of the shaft relative to the opening in the axial direction.

12. The kit of claim 11 , wherein the opening of the shaft receiver has an opening cross-sectional area and the nominal shaft portion has a nominal shaft portion cross-sectional area, both in a plane perpendicular to the axial direction, a ratio between the opening cross-sectional area and the nominal shaft portion cross-sectional area being in a range of 1-1.05.

13. The kit of claim 12 , wherein the shaft receiver comprises an opening entrance portion having an opening entrance portion cross-sectional area in a plane perpendicular to the axial direction, a ratio between the opening entrance portion cross-sectional area and the opening cross-sectional area being at least 1.1.

14. The kit of claim 11 , wherein the shaft receiver is a vehicle knuckle, preferably a vehicle steering knuckle.

15. A vehicle comprising:
a shaft adapted to be at least partially inserted into an opening of a shaft receiver, the shaft having an axial extension along an axial direction and comprising:
a nominal shaft portion adapted to be at least partially inserted into the opening of the shaft receiver,
an intermediate shaft portion,
a guide shaft portion terminating the shaft,
a central axis extending in the axial direction in the center of a cross-section perpendicular to the axial direction of the nominal shaft portion, the central axis extending in a direction from the nominal shaft portion towards the guide shaft portion,
a cross-section with a cross-sectional contour in a plane including the central axis, the cross-sectional contour comprising a nominal shaft portion contour of the nominal shaft portion, an intermediate shaft portion contour of the intermediate shaft portion, and a guide shaft portion contour of the guide shaft po

Assignees

• Volvo Truck Corp

Inventors

• Zachrisson Jan
• Sjöholm Martin

Classifications

• F16B21/16

  with grooves or notches in the pin or shaft · CPC title

• F16C2240/70

  Diameters; Radii · CPC title

• F16C11/0685

  Manufacture of ball-joints and parts thereof, e.g. assembly of ball-joints · CPC title

• F16C11/0604 Primary

  Construction of the male part · CPC title

• F16C11/04 Primary

  Pivotal connections (hinges for doors, windows or wings E05D) · CPC title