Shaft assembly with balance weight bonded to shaft member

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9772004-B1
Application number	US-201615186567-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Jun 20, 2016
Priority date	Jun 20, 2016
Publication date	Sep 26, 2017
Grant date	Sep 26, 2017

Abstract

A method for balancing a shaft assembly having a shaft member. The method can include providing a balance weight having a body portion that is formed of a material that permits transmission of ultra-violet (UV) light therethrough, the body portion having a perimeter; applying an UV light-curable adhesive to at least one of the balance weight and the shaft member; positioning the balance weight to the shaft member such that the UV light-curable adhesive is abutted to the balance weight and the shaft member; and transmitting UV light through the balance weight to cure at least a portion of the UV light-curable adhesive that is disposed inwardly of the perimeter of the body portion.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for balancing a shaft assembly having a shaft member, the method comprising:
providing a balance weight having a body portion that is formed of a material that permits transmission of ultra-violet (UV) light there through, the body portion having a perimeter;
applying an UV light-curable adhesive to at least one of the balance weight and the shaft member;
positioning the balance weight to the shaft member such that the UV light-curable adhesive is abutted to the balance weight and the shaft member; and
transmitting UV light through the balance weight to cure at least a portion of the UV light-curable adhesive that is disposed inwardly of the perimeter of the body portion.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the balance weight further comprises a weight portion that is formed of a material having a density that is greater than a density of the material from which the body portion is formed.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the weight portion comprises two or more discrete structures that are disposed in the material from which the body portion is formed.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the two or more discrete structures are formed as rods.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the rods are cylindrically shaped.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
providing a strip of balance weight material; and
cutting the balance weight from the strip of balance weight material.

7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising:
determining a magnitude of a correction mass that corrects an imbalance in the shaft assembly; and
determining a length of the strip of balance weight material that is needed so that the balance weight and the UV light-curable adhesive have a mass that is equal to the magnitude of the correction mass.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the material from which the body portion is formed is transparent.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the material from which the body portion is formed is clear.

10. A shaft assembly comprising:
a shaft member;
a balance weight having a body portion with a perimeter, the body portion being formed of a material that permits transmission of ultra-violet (UV) light there through; and
a UV light-cured adhesive that bonds the balance weight the shaft member, the UV light-cured adhesive being disposed inwardly of the perimeter of the body portion.

11. The shaft assembly of claim 10 , wherein the balance weight further comprises a weight portion that is formed of a material having a density that is greater than a density of the material from which the body portion is formed.

12. The shaft assembly of claim 11 , wherein the weight portion comprises two or more discrete structures that are disposed in the material from which the body portion is formed.

13. The shaft assembly of claim 12 , wherein the two or more discrete structures are formed as rods.

14. The shaft assembly of claim 13 , wherein the rods are cylindrically shaped.

15. The shaft assembly of claim 10 , wherein the shaft assembly comprises a first joint that is fixedly coupled to an end of the shaft member.

16. The shaft assembly of claim 10 , wherein the material from which the body portion is formed is transparent.

17. The shaft assembly of claim 16 , wherein the material from which the body portion is formed is clear.

Assignees

• American Axle & Mfg Inc

Inventors

• Stuart Charles G
• Hibbler John C

Classifications

• Y10T464/50

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• F16F15/322

  the rotating body being a shaft (F16F15/34, F16F15/36 take precedence) · CPC title

• Y10T29/49826

  Assembling or joining · CPC title

• F16F15/34 Primary

  Fastening arrangements therefor · CPC title

• G01M1/30

  Compensating imbalance · CPC title