Torque transmitting assembly including a sprocket assembly displaceable along a shaft and method thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9951857-B2
Application number	US-201514751873-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 26, 2015
Priority date	Aug 5, 2014
Publication date	Apr 24, 2018
Grant date	Apr 24, 2018

Abstract

A torque transmitting assembly, including: a shaft including a longitudinal axis, first and second longitudinal ends, a radially outermost surface, a first portion including at least one indentation, and second and third portions between the first portion and the first and second longitudinal ends, respectively; and a sprocket assembly disposed about the shaft and including a sprocket with a circumferentially disposed and radially outwardly extending teeth and at least one key engaged with the sprocket. The sprocket assembly is displaceable along the shaft to displace the at least one key into the at least one indentation. The sprocket is non-rotatably connected the shaft when the at least one key is disposed in the at least one indentation. At least respective portions of the radially outermost surface are at a uniform distance from the longitudinal axis in a radial direction orthogonal to the longitudinal axis and extending from the longitudinal axis.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A torque transmitting assembly, comprising:
a shaft including:
a longitudinal axis;
first and second longitudinal ends through which the longitudinal axis passes;
a radially outermost surface;
a first portion including at least one indentation; and,
second and third portions between the first portion and the first and second longitudinal ends, respectively; and,

a sprocket assembly disposed about the shaft and including:
a sprocket with a plurality of circumferentially disposed and radially outwardly extending teeth; and,
at least one key engaged with the sprocket, wherein:
the sprocket assembly is displaceable along the shaft to displace the at least one key into the at least one indentation;
the sprocket is non-rotatably connected the shaft when the at least one key is disposed in the at least one indentation; and,
the sprocket is rotatable for 360 degrees about the second and third portions.

2. The torque transmitting assembly of claim 1 , wherein the sprocket assembly is displaceable from the first portion, with the at least one key disposed in the at least one indentation, to the first or second longitudinal ends, respectively.

3. The torque transmitting assembly of claim 1 , wherein the sprocket assembly is rotatable with respect to segments of the shaft circumferentially disposed between the at least one indentation.

4. The torque transmitting assembly of claim 1 , wherein the sprocket assembly is rotatable for 360 degrees with respect to the shaft when the sprocket assembly is disposed about the second or third portion.

5. The torque transmitting assembly of claim 1 , wherein the at least one indentation terminates at respective boundaries between the first portion and the second portion and between the first portion and the third portion.

6. The torque transmitting assembly of claim 1 , wherein:
the sprocket assembly includes at least one resilient element engaged with the at least one key and urging the at least one key in a second radial direction, opposite the first radial direction;
the at least one resilient element is arranged to displace the at least one key into the at least one first indentation as the sprocket assembly displaces from the second or third portion into alignment with the at least one indentation; and,
the at least one key is arranged to displace, in response to contact with the radially outermost surface of the shaft, in a second radial direction, opposite the first radial direction, as the sprocket assembly displaces from the at least one indentation to the second or third portion.

7. The torque transmitting assembly of claim 1 , wherein:
the at least one indentation includes:
first and second side walls; and,
first and second end walls connecting the first and second side walls and positioned so that a respective line parallel to the longitudinal axis passes through the first and second end walls;

the first and second end walls slope from the second and third portions, respectively, toward the longitudinal axis in the first radial direction; and,
as the at least one key displaces between the at least one indentation and the second or third portion, the at least one key is arranged to slide along the first or second end wall, respectively.

8. The torque transmitting assembly of claim 7 , wherein:
the at least one key includes third and fourth side walls arranged to engaged the first and second side walls, respectively, when the at least one key is disposed in the at least one indentation;
a first torque path is created from the shaft to the sprocket via the first or second side walls and the third or fourth side walls for first torque applied to the shaft; and,
a second torque path is created from the sprocket to the shaft via the third or fourth side walls and the respective first or second side walls for second torque applied to the sprocket.

9. The torque transmitting assembly of claim 8 , wherein:
the sprocket includes at least one slot;
the sprocket assembly includes at least one resilient element disposed in the at least one slot;
the at least one key is at least partially disposed in the at least one slot;
the at least one slot includes:
fifth and sixth side walls engaged with the third and fourth side walls, respectively; and,
a bottom surface connected to the fifth and sixth side walls;

the at least one key includes an engagement surface; and,
the at least one resilient element is engaged with the engagement surface and the bottom surface to urge the at least one key in the first radial direction.

10. The torque transmitting assembly of claim 1 , wherein:
the sprocket includes a radially innermost surface with first and second grooves circumferentially disposed about at least a portion of the radially innermost surface and separated in the first axial direction;
the at least one key includes third and fourth grooves; and,
the sprocket assembly includes:
a first snap ring disposed in the first groove and third grooves; and,
a second snap ring disposed in the second groove and fourth grooves; and,

the first and second snap rings urge the at least one key in a second radial direction opposite the first radial direction.

11. The torque transmitting assembly of claim 1 , wherein:
the sprocket assembly includes first and second cover plates fixedly secured to the sprocket; and,
the at least one key is:
disposed between the first and second cover plates in the first and second axial directions;
restrained by the first and second cover plates in the first and second axial directions; and,
displaceable with respect to the first and second cover plates in the first radial direction and in a second radial direction, opposite the first radial direction.

12. The torque transmitting assembly of claim 1 , wherein:
the at least one indentation includes first and second indentations opposite each other with respect to the longitudinal axis;
the at least one slot includes first and second slots opposite each other with respect to the longitudinal axis;
the at least one key includes first and second keys disposed in the first and second slots, respectively; and,
the at least one resilient element includes first and second resilient elements engaged with the first and second keys, respectively.

13. A torque transmitting assembly, comprising:
an input shaft for a transmission, the input shaft including:
a first portion with at least one indentation; and,
second and third portions between the first portion and first and second longitudinal ends of the shaft, respectively; and,

a sprocket assembly radially disposed about the shaft and including:
a sprocket with a plurality of circumferentially disposed radially outwardly extending teeth; and,
at least one key, wherein:
the at least one indentation terminates at respective boundaries between the first portion and the second portion and between the first portion and the third portion;
the sprocket assembly is displaceable along the shaft:
in a first axial direction from the second portion to the first portion to displace the at least one key into the at least one indentation; and,
in the first axial direction or in a second axial direction, opposite the first axial direction, from the first portion, with the at least one key displaced into the at least one indentation, to the third portion or second portion, respectively; and,

when the sprocket assembly is radially disposed about the first portion:
the at least one key is engaged with the at least one first indentation to non-rotatably connect the sprocket and the shaft; or,
the sprocket assembly is rotatable abou

Assignees

• Schaeffler Technologies Ag

Inventors

• Sturgin Todd J
• Luipold Chris

Classifications

• F16H57/0025 Primary

  with gearing elements rigidly connected to a shaft, e.g. securing gears or pulleys by specially adapted splines, keys or methods · CPC title