Power transfer assemblies for motor vehicle drivelines having integrated two-piece pinion shaft and coupling unit

• US 10,539,214 B2
• Filed: 07/26/2017
• Issued: 01/21/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 04/09/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Magna Powertrain Incorporated (Magna International Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Magna Powertrain Incorporated (Magna International Incorporated)
• Inventors: Bujold, Michael P., Ketchel, Brad, Smith, Wade
• Primary Examiner(s): Walters, Ryan J.
• Application Number:
  US15/659,723
• Publication Number:
  US 20170321788A1
• Time in Patent Office: 909 Days
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 1/145 with offset axes, e.g. hypoïd gearings
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 48/08 comprising bevel gears
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 48/38 Constructional details the outer casing comprising the differential and supporting input and output shafts F16H57/037

Abstract

An integrated pinion, bearing and coupling (PBC) assembly for use with a hypoid gearset in power transfer assemblies of motor vehicles. The PBC assembly includes a pinion unit having a pinion gear segment and a pinion stub shaft segment, and a coupler unit having a coupling flange segment and a coupler shaft segment. The pinion stub shaft segment surrounds and is in press fit engagement with the coupler shaft segment. A portion of the coupler shaft segment is deformed to be retained within one of a receiver groove and raised projections formed in the pinion stub shaft segment so as to fixedly secure the coupler unit to the pinion unit.

Claims

1. A method for fixedly securing a tubular shaft segment of a shaft to a rotary drive component for providing a two-piece assembly for use in a motor vehicle power transfer device, the method comprising the steps of:

providing the shaft segment of the shaft with an exterior surface and an interior surface having a radially inwardly extending annular rim;

providing the rotary drive component with a bore having an inner wall defining a non-smooth receiver surface;

axially aligning the exterior surface of the shaft segment with the bore of the rotary drive component;

establishing a press-fit engagement between the exterior surface of the shaft segment and the receiver surface by pressing the shaft segment of the shaft into the bore of the rotary drive component until the receiver surface is aligned with the annular rim; and

upsetting the annular rim until the annular rim is at least partially deformed radially outwardly with respect to the exterior surface of the shaft segment for engaging at least one of a groove and a projection formed on the receiver surface of the rotary drive component to fixedly secure the rotary drive component to the shaft.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the shaft is a pinion shaft, wherein the shaft segment of the pinion shaft is a pinion shaft segment, wherein the rotary drive component is a coupler component, and wherein the two-piece assembly is a pinion shaft/coupler assembly.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the pinion shaft/coupler assembly is adopted for use in at least one of a power take-off unit and a drive axle assembly.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the rotary drive component is a gear, and wherein the two-piece assembly is a shaft/gear assembly.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the rotary drive component is a sprocket, and wherein the two-piece assembly is a shaft/sprocket assembly.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of upsetting the annular rim includes driving a mandrel through at least a portion of the tubular shaft segment to engage the annular rim and cause radial deformation of the annular rim.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of establishing a press-fit engagement includes abutting the exterior surface of the shaft segment and the inner wall of the rotary drive component with a stop shoulder defined by at least one of the exterior surface of the shaft segment and the inner wall of the rotary drive component.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of upsetting the annular rim includes deforming the annular rim into the projection, the projection extending radially inwardly and including at least one of splines and knurls.

9. A method of assembling a pinion-bearing-coupling (PBC) unit, the PBC unit facilitating the transfer of drive torque from a rotary input to a rotary output in a motor vehicle, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a coupler including a coupler shaft having an outer surface defining a first cylindrical surface and an first inner race surface;

providing a pinion unit having an outer surface defining a second inner race surface;

providing a bearing unit including a lock collar and a bearing ring, the bearing ring having an inner surface defining a first outer race surface including at least one respective first roller and a second outer race surface including at least one respective second roller;

mounting the pinion unit to the coupler shaft to establish a press-fit relationship;

installing the bearing unit such that the at least one first roller engages the first inner race surface and the first outer race surface and the at least one second roller engages the second inner race surface and the second outer race surface; and

displacing the lock collar for moving the bearing ring so as to adjust the preload applied to the at least one first roller and the at least one second roller.

10. The method of claim 9 including connecting a coupler flange segment extending radially outwardly from the coupler unit opposite of the press-fit pinion unit to a propshaft and pressing the lock collar into an axle housing.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein the PBC unit is adopted for use in at least one of a power take-off unit and a drive axle assembly.

12. The method of claim 9 wherein said step of providing at least one first roller and at least one second roller between the respective inner and outer race surfaces includes providing a plurality of first and second rollers having one of a generally spherical and oblong shape.

13. The method of claim 9 wherein said step of mounting the pinion unit to the coupler shaft to establish a press-fit relationship includes aligning an annular rim extending radially inwardly from an inner surface of the coupler shaft with a non-smooth receiver surface defined by an inner surface of the pinion unit and deforming the annular rim until it is at least partially deformed radially outwardly with respect to the exterior surface of the coupler shaft into fixed engagement with the receiver surface.

14. The method of claim 13 including a step of abutting the coupler shaft and the pinion unit with an annular step defined by at least one of the inner surface of the pinion unit and the outer surface of the tubular coupler shaft.

15. A method of assembling a torque transfer device for transferring drive torque from a coupler assembly having a shaft segment to a pinion shaft, the method comprising the steps of:

providing the shaft segment wherein the shaft segment includes an exterior surface that is cylindrical, an interior surface defining an inner bore, and an annular rim extending radially inwardly from the interior surface;

providing the pinion shaft wherein the pinion shaft includes an interior surface and an exterior surface, the interior surface defining a bore that is cylindrical and a receiver surface that is non-smooth;

clamping the coupler assembly onto a base so that the inner bore of the shaft segment extends about an axis;

placing the bore of the pinion shaft over the exterior surface of the shaft segment until the annular rim is axially aligned with the receiver surface;

driving a ram into the inner bore of the shaft segment along the axis into the annular rim; and

upsetting the annular rim with the ram until the annular rim is at least partially deformed radially outwardly into locking engagement with the receiver surface.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the interior surface of the pinion shaft includes a radial stop surface and said step of and axially aligning the annular rim with the receiver surface further includes abutting the shaft segment against the radial stop surface.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the receiver surface is at least partially recessed from the interior surface of the pinion shaft.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the receiver surface includes a bottom surface recessed from the interior surface and a plurality of projections extending radially inwardly from the bottom surface.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein said step of upsetting the annular rim with the ram includes deforming the annular rim radially outwardly into the recessed receiver surface with a mandrel having a radially tapered head disposed on the ram.