METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING A HOLLOW SHAFT WITH AT LEAST ONE INTEGRAL FLANGE MADE OF FIBER COMPOSITE

• US 20090308477A1
• Filed: 06/12/2009
• Published: 12/17/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/13/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ellergon Antriebstechnik Gesellschaft MBH
• Original Assignee: Geislinger GmbH (Ellergon Antriebstechnik Gesellschaft MBH)
• Inventors: Sigle, Christof, Geislinger, Cornelius, Geislinger, Matthias
• Granted Patent: US 8,813,335 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 138/109
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 53/585 the cross-section varying along their axis, e.g. tapered, with ribs, or threads, with socket-ends
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 57/00 Shaping of tube ends, e.g. flanging, belling or closing; Apparatus therefor , e.g. collapsible mandrels
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/75 Shafts
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 3/026 Shafts made of fibre reinforced resin
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 1/076 by clamping together two faces perpendicular to the axis of rotation, e.g. with bolted flanges
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 2250/00 Manufacturing; Assembly
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49801 Shaping fiber or fibered material
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53526 Running-length work
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/5353 Assembled on core
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53535 including means to vibrate work

Abstract

For a method for manufacturing a hollow shaft with at least one integral flange made of fiber composite, a plurality of intersecting windings of fiber material are applied onto a core. Moreover, the core has, for each flange, a radial spreader ring with an axial bearing surface. The windings are laid over an outer circumferential portion of the respective spreader ring and fixed. One or several inserts made of fiber material are inserted in the area of the spreader ring between the windings. The fixing of the wound fiber material is released, but is first still held on the spreader ring. Portions of the windings are then pulled off from the outer circumferential portion of the spreader ring and brought to rest on the axial bearing surface of the spreader ring in order to form a partial portion of a flange.

Claims

1. Method for manufacturing a hollow shaft with at least one integral flange made of fiber composite comprising:

depositing a plurality of intersecting windings of fiber material onto a core which represents the inner contour of a shaft portion, the core having for each flange a radial spreader ring with an axial bearing surface for defining the shape of a front wall of the flange;

laying the windings over an outer circumferential portion of the respective spreader ring and fixing the windings;

placing one or several inserts made of fiber material in the area of the spreader ring between the windings; and

after the finishing of the windings, releasing the fixing of the wound fiber material and pulling off portions of the windings from the outer circumferential portion of the spreader ring over an edge by means of a stripper and the portions of the windings are brought to rest on the axial bearing surface of the spreader ring thereby forming a partial portion of a flange.

2. Method according to claim 1, wherein after the finishing of the windings and before the releasing of the fixing of the wound fiber material, a circumferential layer is applied onto portions of the windings on the outer circumferential portion of the spreader ring for compacting and stabilizing the wound fiber material.

3. Method according to claim 1, wherein the stripper is displaced in direction of the bearing surface of the stationary spreader ring and acts on a gusset of the windings which is formed between the spreader ring and the shaft portion of the wound fiber material.

4. Method according to claim 1, wherein a spreader ring is used, the outer diameter of which increases in direction of the shaft portion of the wound fiber material or of the shaft.

5. Method according to claim 1, wherein one or several inserts are used, the total thickness of which increases in direction of a fiber material end on the spreader ring.

6. Method according to claim 1, wherein the thickness of the one or several insert is adapted in such manner that the corresponding flange has a constant wall thickness.

7. Method according to claim 1, wherein one or several inserts in the form of ring disk segments are used.

8. Method according to claim 1, wherein a stitched insert in the form of a ring disk is used.

9. Method according to claim 1, wherein one or several stitched ring disks are used as inserts, which have an outwards increasing material thickness.

10. Method according to claim 1, wherein one or several stitched ring disks are used as inserts, which have a deposit angle (α

) increasing from the inner side to the outer side, the deposit angle (α

) being defined as an angle between the fiber orientation on the ring disk and its radial direction.

11. Method according to claim 1, wherein the length of the hollow shaft is predetermined by a multipart core which has a cylindrical portion for predetermining the inner contour of a shaft portion and a spreader ring displaceable with respect hereto for defining the form of the front wall of a flange.

12. Hollow shaft made of fiber composite comprising one shaft portion and one or two integral flanges at the axial ends of the shaft portion, wherein the shaft portion and at least one of said flanges have continued windings made of fiber material and in the area of at least one of said flanges one or several inserts made of fiber material are embedded between the windings in such a manner that at least one of said flanges has a constant wall thickness.

13. Hollow shaft according to claim 12, wherein each flange has a front side and a rear side opposite this front side and the front side and the rear side lie respectively in a plane which includes an angle of 90 degrees with the longitudinal central axis (A) of the shaft portion.

14. Hollow shaft according to claim 12, wherein the fibers of the windings are stretched in the area of at least one of said flanges.

15. Hollow shaft according to claim 12, wherein the at least one insert has a thickness which increases in radial direction.

16. Hollow shaft according to claim 12, wherein at least one of said flanges has a homogeneous fiber structure in the circumferential direction.

17. Hollow shaft according to claim 12, wherein at least one of said inserts has the form of a ring disk.

18. Apparatus for manufacturing a hollow shaft made of composite material with one shaft portion and one or two integral flanges at the axial ends of the shaft portion, comprising:

a core with a cylindrical portion for predetermining the inner contour of the shaft portion and at least one spreader ring, projecting radially from the cylindrical portion, with an axial bearing surface for predetermining the shape of a front wall of a flange, an outer circumferential portion and a pull-off edge formed between the outer circumferential portion and the bearing surface;

means for applying windings made of fiber material onto the cylindrical portion and an outer circumferential portion of the spreader ring; and

a stripper for encompassing the shaft portion which is displaceable in direction of the axial bearing surface of the spreader ring in order to pull off portions of the windings from the outer circumferential portion of the spreader ring over the edge and put them against the axial bearing surface of the spreader ring.

19. Apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the outer circumferential portion of the spreader ring has an outer diameter which increases in the direction of the pull-off edge.

20. Apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the spreader ring is displaceable with respect to the cylindrical portion for adjusting the length of the core.