Universal Joint With Protective Shield

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016146263-A1
Application number	US-201414551623-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 24, 2014
Priority date	Nov 24, 2014
Publication date	May 26, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A constant velocity (CV) joint includes a conical shield to protect a J-boot from damage due to projectiles such as stones. In order to facilitate vehicle assembly, the conical shield is divided into a number of leaves which each flex radially to permit installation of bolts. When the CV joint is shipped to the vehicle assembly plant, a band is installed to hold the leaves in a stowed position. Once the bolts have been installed to attach the CV joint to a driveline component, the band is removed and the leaves flex to a deployed position in which they protect the J-boot.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A universal joint comprising:
a ring having a ring axis, the ring defining a plurality of holes to receive fasteners to fasten the ring to a powertrain component; a shaft coupled to the ring and having a shaft axis non-coincident with the ring axis; a flexible boot fixed to the ring and to the shaft; and a protective shield having a cylindrical section fixed to the shaft and having a plurality of leaves, the leaves hinged to the cylindrical section permitting movement of the leaves from a stowed position which provides access to install the fasteners to a deployed position which protects the flexible boot from projectiles.

2 . The universal joint of claim 1 wherein the leaves are spring biased toward the deployed position.

3 . The universal joint of claim 1 further comprising a retention strap configured to hold the leaves in the stowed position.

4 . The universal joint of claim 1 wherein an instantaneous rotational speed of the ring with respect to the ring axis is constrained to be equal to an instantaneous rotational speed of the shaft with respect to the shaft axis at all rotational positions of the shaft.

5 . The universal joint of claim 1 further comprising:
six balls each configured to roll within a respective convex groove in the shaft and within a respective concave groove in the ring.

6 . A vehicle driveshaft comprising:
a shaft having a shaft axis and adapted for fixation at a first end to a differential; a ring adapted for fixation to a transmission and coupled to a second end of the shaft to rotate about a ring axis non-coincident with the shaft axis; and a conical sleeve fixed at a narrow end to the shaft and having a number of leaves configured to flex radially.

7 . The driveshaft of claim 6 further comprising a flexible boot fixed to the ring and to the shaft.

8 . The driveshaft of claim 7 wherein the ring defines a plurality of holes, each hole having a hole axis that intersects the conical sleeve when the leaves are in a deployed position and does not intersect the conical sleeve when the leaves are in a stowed position.

9 . The driveshaft of claim 7 further comprising a retention strap configured to hold the leaves in a stowed position.

10 . The driveshaft of claim 7 further comprising:
six balls each configured to roll within a respective convex groove in the shaft and within a respective concave groove in the ring.

11 . A method of assembling a vehicle comprising:
positioning a U-joint ring of a shaft adjacent to a flange of a driveline component; while leaves of a U-joint sleeve are in a stowed position, inserting fasteners from a shaft side of the ring into the flange; and moving the leaves to a deployed position in which they form a conical shield to protect a flexible boot on the shaft side of the ring.

12 . The method of claim 11 wherein moving the leaves of the U-joint sleeve comprises removing a retention strap.

13 . The method of claim 11 wherein the fasteners are bolts.

14 . The method of claim 11 further comprising, after inserting fasteners into the flange and before deploying the leaves:
rotating the shaft; and
inserting additional fasteners into the flange.

15 . The method of claim 11 wherein the driveline component is a transmission output shaft.

16 . The method of claim 11 wherein the driveline component is a differential input shaft.

17 . The method of claim 11 wherein the driveline component is a differential side shaft.

18 . The method of claim 11 wherein the driveline component is a wheel.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Nicholas Christopher Peter
• Wilson Scott
• Gretsky Jonathan

Classifications

• F16D3/841 Primary

  Open covers, e.g. guards for agricultural p.t.o. shafts · CPC title

• B60K17/22

  characterised by arrangement, location, or type of main drive shafting, e.g. cardan shaft · CPC title

• F16D3/223

  the rolling members being guided in grooves in both coupling parts · CPC title

• F16D2003/22326

  Attachments to the outer joint member, i.e. attachments to the exterior of the outer joint member or to the shaft of the outer joint member · CPC title

• Y10S464/906

  Torque transmitted via radially spaced balls · CPC title