Drive shafts

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12123458-B2
Application number	US-202117484793-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 24, 2021
Priority date	Sep 24, 2021
Publication date	Oct 22, 2024
Grant date	Oct 22, 2024

Abstract

A drive shaft which includes a first tube body having one or more first body channels defined through a wall thickness thereof. The one or more channels are configured to increase bending and/or axial flexibility of the first tube body while only allowing for a less than proportional reduction in torsional stiffness of the first tube body. A second tube body can be concentrically disposed relative to the first tube body and connected to the first tube body at a first end portion and a second end portion. The second tube body can include one or more second body channels defined through a wall thickness thereof. The one or more channels are configured to increase bending and/or axial flexibility of the second tube body while only allowing for a less than proportional reduction in torsional stiffness of the second tube body.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A drive shaft, comprising:
a first tube body having one or more first body channels defined through a wall thickness thereof;
a second tube body concentrically disposed relative to the first tube body and connected to the first tube body at a first end portion and a second end portion, wherein the second tube body includes one or more second body channels defined through a wall thickness thereof,
a sleeve configured to connect to one or both of the first and second tube bodies at respective ends thereof, wherein the sleeve separately connects to the first and second tube bodies at different axial locations.

2. The drive shaft of claim 1 , wherein the one or more first body channels and/or the one or more second body channels are configured to increase bending and/or axial flexibility of the shaft.

3. The drive shaft of claim 2 , wherein the one or more first body channels are angled at a first channel angle relative to an axial direction such that the one or more first body channels form one or more first helical pathways in the first tube body.

4. The drive shaft of claim 3 , wherein the one or more second body channels are angled at a second channel angle relative to an axial direction such that the one or more second body channels form one or more second helical pathways in the second tube body such that second channel angle and the first channel angle have orientations mutually symmetric with respect to the axial direction.

5. The drive shaft of claim 4 , wherein the first channel angle is about 45 degrees relative to the axial direction, and the second channel angle is about −45 degrees relative to the axial direction such that the one or more first body channels and the one or more second body channels have orientations mutually symmetric with respect the axial direction.

6. The drive shaft of claim 5 , wherein the one or more axial locations include an axial middle portion of the first and/or second tube bodies.

7. The drive shaft of claim 5 , wherein the one or more axial locations include both the axial middle portion and each end portion of the first and/or second tube bodies.

8. The drive shaft of claim 3 , wherein the one or more first or second helical pathways include a plurality of helix channels axially offset in an axial and/or circumferential directions.

9. The drive shaft of claim 3 , wherein the one or more first and/or second body channels are defined having limited axial length and positioned at one or more axial locations of the first and/or second tube bodies.

10. The drive shaft of claim 9 , wherein the one or more axial locations include each end portion of the first and/or second tube bodies.

11. The drive shaft of claim 10 , wherein the one or more axial length and/or locations of the first body channels is different than the one or more axial length and/or locations of the second body channels.

12. The drive shaft of claim 1 , wherein the sleeve includes a plurality of sleeve bodies connected together.

13. The drive shaft of claim 1 , wherein the second tube body includes at least a portion configured to contact an inner diameter of the first tube body where there is a connection between the first and second tube bodies, wherein the sleeve is connected to at least one the first and second tube bodies.

14. The drive shaft of claim 13 , wherein the sleeve connects to one of the first tube body or the second tube body, and wherein the first and second tube bodies are connected together at an axial location separate from where the sleeve connects to the first tube body or the second tube body.

15. The drive shaft of claim 1 , wherein at least a portion the first and/or second tube body includes a wall thickened section.

16. The drive shaft as recited in claim 1 , further comprising:
a third tube body concentrically disposed relative to the second tube body and having one or more third body channels defined through a third wall thickness thereof,
wherein the one or more third body channels are angled at a third channel angle relative to an axial direction such that the one or more third body channels form one or more third helical pathways in the third tube body, and
wherein the third body is connected to the first tube body and the second tube body at the first end portion and the second end portion.

17. The drive shaft of claim 1 , wherein the one or more first body channels and the one or more second tube body channels are axially offset from one another in an axial and/or circumferential direction.

18. A drive shaft, comprising:
a first tube body having one or more first body channels defined through a wall thickness thereof;
a second tube body concentrically disposed relative to the first tube body and connected to the first tube body at a first end portion and a second end portion, wherein the second tube body includes one or more second body channels defined through a wall thickness thereof,
a sleeve configured to connect to one or both of the first and second tube bodies at respective ends thereof via a first fastener and a second fastener, wherein the sleeve separately connects to the first and second tube bodies at a first axial location and a second axial location,
wherein the second tube body includes a portion configured to contact an inner diameter of the first tube body where there is a connection between the first and second tube bodies, wherein the sleeve is connected to the second tube body,
wherein the first and second tube bodies are connected together at the first axial location through the first fastener and the second axial location through the second fastener, wherein the first fastener extends only through the wall thickness of the first tube body, and a wall thickness of the sleeve, and wherein the second fastener extends only through the wall thickness of the second tube body and the wall thickness of the sleeve.

19. A drive shaft, comprising:
a first tube body having one or more first body channels defined through a wall thickness thereof;
a second tube body concentrically disposed relative to the first tube body and connected to the first tube body at a first end portion and a second end portion, wherein the second tube body includes one or more second body channels defined through a wall thickness thereof,
a first sleeve configured to connect to the first tube body at a first axial location at an axial end of the first tube body; and
a second sleeve configured to connect to the second tube body at a second axial location at an axial end of the second tube body, wherein the second axial location is different than the first axial location.

20. The drive shaft of claim 19 , wherein the first sleeve and the second sleeve are configured to connect to one another at a third axial location different from the first axial location and different from the second axial location.

Assignees

• Goodrich Corp

Inventors

• Gurvich Mark R
• Reed Brayton
• King Michael
• Schaefer Joyel M

Classifications

• F16D3/005

  incorporating leaf springs, flexible parts of reduced thickness or the like acting as pivots · CPC title

• F16C2326/06

  Drive shafts · CPC title

• F16C3/026

  Shafts made of fibre reinforced resin · CPC title

• F16C1/02 Primary

  for conveying rotary movements · CPC title

• F16C3/023 Primary

  made of several parts, e.g. by welding · CPC title