Universal joint with torsionally-compliant spider assembly

• US 20040224778A1
• Filed: 05/08/2003
• Published: 11/11/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/08/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: American AXLE & Manufacturing Incorporated (American AXLE & Manufacturing Holdings Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: American AXLE & Manufacturing Incorporated (American AXLE & Manufacturing Holdings Incorporated)
• Inventors: Menosky, Marc M., Grupido, Salvatore N.
• Granted Patent: US 6,893,350 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 464/136
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 3/385 Bearing cup; Bearing construction; Bearing seal; Mounting of bearing on the intermediate member mounting of bearing in fork F16D3/382
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 3/40 with intermediate member provided with two pairs of outwardly-directed trunnions on intersecting axes
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 3/41 with ball or roller bearings

Abstract

A torsionally-compliant universal joint includes a cruciform having trunnion posts partially encapsulated within a body. The body is formed from an elastomeric material. A bearing cup assembly is rotatably coupled to one of the trunnion posts. The bearing cup assembly is coupled to a yoke.

Claims

1. A cruciform for a universal joint, the cruciform comprising:

a body molded from an elastomeric material;

a first pair of coaxially aligned trunnion posts partially encapsulated by said body; and

a second pair of coaxially aligned trunnion posts partially encapsulated by said body, said second pair of trunnion posts being orthogonally oriented relative to said first pair of trunnion posts, each of said trunnion posts including an aperture in receipt of a portion of said elastomeric material to retain said trunnion posts within said body.

2. The cruciform of claim 1 wherein said body includes a substantially cylindrically shaped outer surface having a plurality of substantially planar surfaces interrupting said cylindrical surface.

3. The cruciform claim 2 wherein a portion of each of said trunnion posts extends outwardly from said body at one of said substantially planar surfaces.

4. The cruciform of claim 3 wherein said body includes an aperture extending therethrough, said aperture extending along an axis orthogonally positioned relative to each of said first and second pair of coaxially aligned trunnion posts.

5. The cruciform of claim 4 wherein said aperture of said trunnion post transversely extends through said trunnion post.

6. The cruciform of claim 1 wherein said elastomeric material is rubber.

7. The cruciform of claim 1 wherein said elastomeric material exhibits a predetermined durometer to vibrationally dampen a desired frequency range.

8. A method of making a cruciform for a universal joint comprising:

positioning a first pair of substantially coaxially aligned trunnion posts in a mold;

positioning a second pair of substantially coaxially aligned trunnion posts in said mold, said second pair of trunnion posts being orthogonally oriented relative to said first pair of trunnion posts;

injecting molten elastomeric material into said mold to form a body; and

partially encapsulating each of said trunnion posts in said body.

9. The method of claim 8 further including injecting said molten elastomeric material into an aperture formed in one of said trunnion posts to retain said trunnion post within said body.

10. The method of claim 9 further including forming an aperture in said body to modify the vibrational damping characteristics of said cruciform.

11. The method of claim 8 further including selecting said elastomeric material to exhibit a predetermined vibrational damping characteristic.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein said predetermined vibrational damping characteristic is attenuation of a predetermined range of frequencies.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein the step of selecting said elastomeric material involves selecting from a group of materials having different durometers.

14. The method of claim 8 further including determining a range of frequencies to be isolated and selecting a material to isolate said range of frequencies.

15. A method of making a torsionally-compliant universal joint including an elastomeric material, a trunnion post, a bearing cup assembly and a yoke, the method comprising:

positioning the trunnion post within a mold;

injecting molten elastomeric material into said mold to form a body;

partially encapsulating the trunnion post within said body;

rotatably coupling the bearing assembly to the trunnion post; and

coupling the bearing assembly to the yoke.

16. The method of claim 15 further including determining a range of frequencies to be isolated and selecting a durometer of the elastomeric material to isolate said range of frequencies.

17. The method of claim 15 further including determining a noise, vibration and harshness characteristic to be isolated and selecting a durometer of the elastomeric material to isolate said characteristic.

18. The method of claim 15 further including defining a physical shape of said body to dampen a desired range of frequencies.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the step of defining the physical shape includes molding an aperture extending through said body.

20. The method of claim 15 further including injecting said molten elastomeric material within an aperture formed in said trunnion post.

21-24. -24. (Cancelled).

25. A torsionally-compliant universal joint assembly comprising:

a yoke;

a bearing assembly; and

a cruciform having a compliant body and a trunnion post coupled to said body, said bearing assembly rotatable interconnecting said trunnion post and said yoke, wherein said trunnion post is partially encapsulated within said body and fixed thereto.

26. The universal joint of claim 25 wherein said trunnion post includes an aperture at least partially filled with an elastomeric material used to form said compliant body.

27. A torsionally-compliant universal joint comprising:

a yoke;

a cruciform;

a bearing rotatably interconnecting said cruciform and said yoke, wherein said cruciform includes;

a body molded from an elastomeric material;

a first pair of coaxially aligned trunnion posts partially encapsulated by said body; and

a second pair of coaxially aligned trunnion posts partially encapsulated by said body, said second pair of trunnion posts being orthogonally oriented relative to said first pair of trunnion posts, each of said trunnion posts including an aperture in receipt of a portion of said elastomeric material to retain said trunnion posts within said body.

28. The torsionally-compliant universal joint of claim 27 wherein said body includes a substantially cylindrically shaped outer surface having a plurality of substantially planar surfaces interrupting said cylindrical surface.

29. The torsionally-compliant universal joint of claim 28 wherein a portion of each of said trunnion posts extends outwardly from said body at one of said substantially planar surfaces.

30. The torsionally-compliant universal joint of claim 29 wherein said body includes an aperture extending therethrough, said body aperture extending along an axis orthogonally positioned relative to each of said first and second pair of coaxially aligned trunnion posts.

31. The torsionally-compliant universal joint of claim 30 wherein said apertures of said trunnion posts transversely extend through said trunnion posts.

32. The torsionally-compliant universal joint of claim 27 wherein said elastomeric material is rubber.

33. The torsionally-compliant universal joint of claim 27 wherein said elastomeric material exhibits a predetermined hardness to vibrationally dampen a desired frequency range.

34. A torsionally-compliant universal joint comprising:

a yoke having a bore;

a bearing cup mounted within said bore;

a bearing positioned within said bearing cup to rotatably couple said yoke to a cruciform, said cruciform including an elastomeric body and four trunnion posts coupled to said elastomeric body, each of said trunnion posts having a longitudinal axis substantially extending within a single plane, each of said longitudinal axes being positioned substantially perpendicular to an adjacent trunnion post axis, a first portion of each of said trunnions being encapsulated by said elastomeric body and a second portion of one of said trunnions being positioned within said bearing cup, wherein said body is formed from a material operable to isolate predetermined frequencies and reduce the transmission of vibration.

35. The torsionally-compliant universal joint of claim 34 wherein at least one of said trunnion posts includes an aperture in receipt of molten injection moldable elastomeric material.

36. The torsionally-compliant universal joint of claim 35 wherein said aperture includes a bore extending through said first portion of said trunnion post.

37. The torsionally-compliant universal joint of claim 36 wherein said elastomeric material is selected from a group of materials having different hardness, said materials of different hardness being operable to isolate different ranges of frequencies.