Sector journal bearing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016123404-A1
Application number	US-201414529896-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 31, 2014
Priority date	Oct 31, 2014
Publication date	May 5, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

In another aspect of the invention, a universal joint assembly is provided. The assembly includes a hollow upper shaft, a lower shaft extending at least partially within the upper shaft, and a cage having a plurality of bearing apertures. Each bearing aperture includes a pair of opposed loading pads having a distinct inner wall surface sector extending radially inward into the at least one bearing aperture. The cage receives at least a portion of the lower shaft and is positioned within the hollow upper shaft. The assembly further includes at least one upper tilt pin extending through the upper shaft and a bearing aperture of the plurality of bearing apertures, and a lower tilt pin extending through the lower shaft and a bearing aperture of the plurality of bearing apertures.

First claim

Having thus described the invention, it is claimed:

1 . A cardan joint cage comprising:
at least one bearing aperture having an inner wall surface; and a pair of opposed loading pads extending radially inward into the at least one bearing aperture.

2 . The cardan joint cage of claim 1 , wherein the opposed loading pads are oriented along a load path in a transverse plane of the cage and are discontiguous along the inner wall surface.

3 . The cardan joint cage of claim 1 , wherein each loading pad of the pair of opposed loading pads is a non-adjoining sector of a circumference of the at least one bearing aperture, the sector defining a portion of the circumference having a sector radial angle.

4 . The cardan joint cage of claim 3 , wherein the sector radial angle is between 15° and 120°.

5 . The cardan joint cage of claim 3 , wherein the sector radial angle is between 75° and 105°.

6 . The cardan joint cage of claim 3 , wherein the sector radial angle is approximately 90°.

7 . A universal joint assembly comprising:
a hollow upper shaft; a lower shaft extending at least partially within the upper shaft; a cage having a plurality of bearing apertures, each bearing aperture having a pair of opposed loading pads having a distinct inner wall surface sector extending radially inward into the at least one bearing aperture, the cage receiving at least a portion of the lower shaft, the cage positioned within the hollow upper shaft; at least one upper tilt pin extending through the upper shaft and a bearing aperture of the plurality of bearing apertures; and a lower tilt pin extending through the lower shaft and a bearing aperture of the plurality of bearing apertures.

8 . The assembly of claim 7 , wherein the opposed loading pads are oriented along a load path in a transverse plane of the cage.

9 . The assembly of claim 8 , wherein the inner wall surface of the bearing aperture includes sectors that are discontiguous with the inner wall surface of opposed loading pads.

10 . The assembly of claim 7 , wherein each loading pad of the opposed loading pads is a sector of a circumference of its respective bearing aperture, the sector defining a portion of the circumference having a sector radial angle.

11 . The assembly of claim 10 , wherein the sector radial angle is between 60° and 120°.

12 . The assembly of claim 10 , wherein the sector radial angle is between 75° and 105°.

13 . The assembly of claim 10 , wherein the sector radial angle is approximately 90°.

14 . A method of fabricating a cardan joint cage, the method comprising:
forming the cardan joint cage with at least one bearing aperture; and removing material from a portion of the circumference of the bearing aperture to define a pair of opposed loading pads extending radially inward into the at least one bearing aperture.

15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the step of removing material further comprises removing material from an area that is unloaded by a load path in a transverse plane of the cage.

16 . The method of claim 14 , further comprising defining each loading pad as a sector of the circumference of the at least one bearing aperture, the sector defining a portion of the circumference having a sector radial angle.

17 . The method of claim 16 , further comprising forming the sector radial angle between 15° and 120°.

18 . The method of claim 16 , further comprising forming the sector radial angle between 75° and 105°.

19 . The method of claim 16 , further comprising forming the sector radial angle as approximately 90°.

Assignees

• Steering Solutions Ip Holding

Inventors

• Bodtker Joen C
• Brzezinski Gregory D

Classifications

• B23P15/003

  bearings (see also F16C33/00) · CPC title

• F16D3/385 Primary

  Bearing cup; Bearing construction; Bearing seal; Mounting of bearing on the intermediate member · CPC title

• B23P2700/11

  Joints, e.g. ball joints, universal joints · CPC title

• F16C17/02 Primary

  for radial load only · CPC title

• F16C11/0614

  the female part of the joint being open on two sides · CPC title