Bearing assembly having spline cutting inner race

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9816561-B2
Application number	US-201514803283-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 20, 2015
Priority date	Jul 23, 2014
Publication date	Nov 14, 2017
Grant date	Nov 14, 2017

Abstract

A bearing assembly for a motor vehicle drive train includes rolling elements, an outer race supporting the rolling elements, and an inner race rotatably supported by the rolling elements. The inner race includes a radially inner surface having a plurality of axially extending splines. The radially inner surface includes a primary chip groove formed therein that is defined by a primary cutting edge for spline cutting a mating shaft inserted into the radially inner surface. The radially inner surface further includes a secondary chip groove formed therein axially offset from the primary chip groove that is defined by a second cutting edge for spline cutting the shaft inserted into the radially inner surface.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A bearing assembly for a motor vehicle drive train comprising:
rolling elements;
an outer race supporting the rolling elements; and
an inner race rotatably supported by the rolling elements, the inner race including a radially inner surface including a plurality of axially extending splines, the radially inner surface including a primary chip groove formed therein, the primary chip groove being defined by a primary cutting edge for spline cutting a mating shaft inserted into the radially inner surface, the radially inner surface further including a secondary chip groove formed therein axially offset from the primary chip groove, the secondary chip groove being defined by a second cutting edge for spline cutting the mating shaft inserted into the radially inner surface, the radially inner surface including a first splined portion axially between the primary chip groove and the secondary chip groove on a first axial side of the secondary chip groove and a second splined portion on a second axial side of the secondary chip groove opposite the first axial side, the first cutting edge being configured to cut second axially extending splines into the mating shaft, the second cutting edge being configured to clean up material that is formed into a major diameter of the second axially extending splines by the cutting of the second axially extending splines.

2. The bearing assembly as recited in claim 1 wherein the radially inner surface includes a pilot portion having a greater innermost diameter than the first splined portion, the primary chip groove being axially between the pilot portion and the first splined portion.

3. The bearing assembly as recited in claim 1 wherein the rolling elements include a first set of rolling elements and a second set of rolling elements axially offset from the first set of rolling elements.

4. The bearing assembly as recited in claim 3 wherein the inner race includes a first radially outer surface portion for supporting the first set of rolling elements and a second radially outer surface portion for supporting the second set of rolling elements, the first radially outer surface portion having a greater diameter than the second radially outer surface portion.

5. The bearing assembly as recited in claim 4 wherein the first radially outer surface portion forms a one-way clutch bearing surface and the second radially outer surface portion forms a needle bearing surface.

6. The bearing assembly as recited in claim 1 wherein the first splined portion and the second splined portion have a same inner diameter and a same spline alignment as each other.

7. The bearing assembly as recited in claim 1 wherein the primary cutting edge is perpendicular to a center axis of the bearing assembly.

8. A rotatable component for a motor vehicle drive train comprising:
a hollow shaft including a radially inner surface including a plurality of first axially extending splines, the radially inner surface including a primary chip groove formed therein, the primary chip groove being defined by a primary cutting edge, the radially inner surface further including a secondary chip groove formed therein axially offset from the primary chip groove, the secondary chip groove being defined by a second cutting edge, the radially inner surface including a first splined portion axially between the primary chip groove and the secondary chip groove on a first axial side of the secondary chip groove and a second splined portion on a second axial side of the secondary chip groove opposite the first axial side, the first cutting edge being configured to cut second axially extending splines into a mating shaft inserted into the hollow shaft, the second cutting edge being configured to clean up material that is formed into a major diameter of the second axially extending splines by the cutting of the second axially extending splines.

9. The rotatable component as recited in claim 8 further comprising the mating shaft, the mating shaft having a radially outer surface held by the radially inner surface of the hollow shaft, the second axially extending splines mating with the first axially extending splines.

10. The rotatable component as recited in claim 9 wherein the mating shaft includes a first portion of displaced material radially extending from the radially outer surface into the primary chip groove.

11. The rotatable component as recited in claim 10 wherein the mating shaft includes a second portion of displaced material radially extending from the radially outer surface into the secondary chip groove.

12. The rotatable component as recited in claim 8 wherein the first splined portion and the second splined portion have a same inner diameter and a same spline alignment as each other.

13. The rotatable component as recited in claim 8 wherein the radially inner surface includes a pilot portion having a greater innermost diameter than the first splined portion, the primary chip groove being axially between the pilot portion and the first splined portion.

14. A method of forming a bearing assembly for a motor vehicle drive train comprising:
providing an inner race including a radially inner surface including a plurality of axially extending splines;
forming a primary annular chip groove in the radially inner surface defined by a primary cutting edge;
forming a secondary annular chip groove in the radially inner surface defined by a secondary cutting edge, the secondary chip groove being axially offset from the primary chip groove, the radially inner surface including a first splined portion axially between the primary chip groove and the secondary chip groove on a first axial side of the secondary chip groove and a second splined portion on a second axial side of the secondary chip groove opposite the first axial side, the first cutting edge being configured to cut second axially extending splines into a mating shaft, the second cutting edge being configured to clean up material that is formed into a major diameter of the second axially extending splines by the cutting of the second axially extending splines; and
providing the inner race radially inside of rolling elements.

15. The method as recited in claim 14 further comprising providing the rolling elements radially inside of an outer race.

16. The method as recited in claim 14 further comprising spline cutting a radially outer surface of the mating shaft using the axially extending splines by inserting the shaft into the inner race such that an end of the shaft slides along the primary cutting edge and then the secondary cutting edge.

17. The method as recited in claim 16 wherein the spline cutting includes displacing a first portion of material from the radially outer surface into the primary annular chip groove and displacing a second portion of material from the radially outer surface into the secondary annular chip groove.

18. The method as recited in claim 17 wherein the spline cutting includes sliding the end of the shaft along the first splined portion and then sliding the end of the shaft along the second splined portion so the secondary cutting edge cleans up material that is formed into the major diameter of the second axially extending splines by the cutting of the second axially extending splines.

19. The method as recited in claim 18 wherein the radially inner surface includes a pilot portion having a greater innermost diameter than the first splined portion, the primary chip groove being axially between the pilot portion and the first splined portion, the sp

Assignees

• Schaeffler Technologies Ag

Inventors

• Hodge Michael

Classifications

• F16C19/48

  with two or more rows of needles · CPC title

• F16D1/072

  involving plastic deformation (plastic welding F16D1/068) · CPC title

• Y10T403/4966

  Deformation occurs simultaneously with assembly · CPC title

• F16C2361/43

  Clutches, e.g. disengaging bearing · CPC title

• F16C35/063

  Fixing them on the shaft (with interposition of an element F16C35/07) · CPC title