TOLERANCE RING WITH DIVIDED TORQUE SLIP

• US 20150001025A1
• Filed: 06/25/2014
• Published: 01/01/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics Rencol Limited (Compagnie De Saint-Gobain)
• Original Assignee: Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics Rencol Limited (Compagnie De Saint-Gobain)
• Inventors: Slayne, Andrew R., Pickering, Llewelyn
• Granted Patent: US 10,094,426 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 192/56.1
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 1/0835 due to the elasticity of the ring or sleeve
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 7/021 with radially applied torque-limiting friction surfaces F16D7/022 takes precedence

Abstract

A tolerance ring is adapted to be deployed between inner and outer components. The tolerance ring includes a generally cylindrical body. The sidewall can include an undeformed portion. The sidewall can further include a plurality of wave structures. The wave structures can protrude radially from the undeformed portion. Some or all wave structures can protrude inwardly or can protrude outwardly. Furthermore, the tolerance ring when placed in an assembly having an inner component and an outer component can have a first torque break-point T₁ in a first rotational direction. A torque break point for an assembly comprising an inner component, an outer component, and a tolerance ring is the torque at which slippage occurs.

Claims

1. A tolerance ring adapted to be deployed between inner and outer components, comprising:

a generally cylindrical body having a central axis and a sidewall that defines a first axial end and a second axial end,

wherein the sidewall includes;

an undeformed portion; and

a plurality of wave structures protruding radially from the undeformed portion, wherein the tolerance ring is adapted to have a first torque break-point T₁ in a first rotational direction and a second torque break point T₂ in a second rotational direction opposite to the first rotational direction, wherein a ratio of T₁/T₂>

1.

3. The tolerance ring of claim 1, further comprising a gap extending along the entire axial length of the body, wherein the gap establishes a split in the body.

4. The tolerance ring of claim 1, wherein each wave structure has an asymmetric cross-section as viewed in a plane perpendicular to the central axis.

5. The tolerance ring according to claim 4, wherein a radial line bisecting the asymmetric cross-section divides the cross-section into a first arc and a second arc.

6. The tolerance ring according to claim 5, wherein the first arc has an absolute value of a first tangential slope s₁ at a mid-point MP₁ and the second arc has an absolute value of a second tangential slope s₂ at a mid-point MP₂, and |s₁|≠

|s₂|.

7. The tolerance ring according to claim 6, wherein a ratio of |s₂|/|s₁| is greater than 1.

8. The tolerance ring according claim 1, wherein each wave structure protrudes in a first radial direction, the tolerance ring further comprising a plurality of extensions, each extension protruding in a second radial direction opposite to the first radial direction.

9. The tolerance ring according to claim 8, wherein the extensions further includes a terminating edge, the terminating edge disconnected from the side wall.

12. The tolerance ring according to claim 9, wherein each extension extends from a lateral side of a respective wave structure, wherein the extension and the lateral side of respective wave structures are disconnected form the sidewall.

15. The tolerance ring according to claim 1, wherein the ratio of T₁/T₂ is greater than 1.05.

16. The tolerance ring according to claim 1, wherein the tolerance ring comprises carbon steel, stainless steel, spring steel, inconel, monel, incalloy, phynox, or copper-beryllium.

17. The tolerance ring according to claim 1, wherein the tolerance ring has a Vickers hardness HV of at least 50.

18. The tolerance ring according to claim 1, wherein the tolerance ring has a Vickers hardness HV of not greater than 600.

2. An assembly, comprising:

an outer component including a bore;

an inner component disposed within the bore; and

a tolerance ring mounted between the inner component and the outer component,

the tolerance ring comprising;

a generally cylindrical body having a central axis and a sidewall that defines a first axial end and a second axial end,

wherein the sidewall includes;

an undeformed portion; and

a plurality of wave structures protruding radially from the undeformed portion, wherein the tolerance ring is adapted to have a first torque break-point T₁ in a first rotational direction and a second torque break point T₂ in a second rotational direction opposite to the first rotational direction, wherein a ratio of T₁/T₂>

1.

10. The assembly according to claim 2, wherein each wave structure protrudes in a first radial direction, the tolerance ring further comprising a plurality of extensions, each extension protruding in a second radial direction opposite to the first radial direction, wherein the extensions further includes a terminating edge, the terminating edge disconnected from the side wall tolerance ring, wherein the terminating edge is adapted to frictionally engage the inner or the outer component so as to provide an increase of T₁/T₂

11. The assembly according to claim 10, wherein the increase of T₁/T₂ is at least 0.05.

13. The assembly according to claim 10, wherein the inner or outer component further include a structured surface adapted to receive the extensions.

14. The assembly according to claim 13, wherein a cross-section of the structured surface of the inner or the outer component as viewed in a plane perpendicular to the central axis includes V-shaped indentations, U-shaped indentations, L-shaped indentations, J-shaped indentations, or any combination thereof.

19. The assembly according to claim 2, wherein the tolerance ring has a Vickers hardness HV_TR and the inner component has a Vickers hardness HV_IC, wherein HV_TR/HV_IC>

1.

20. A method of dividing torque transmission, the method comprising

providing an assembly, the assembly comprising

an outer component including a bore,

an inner component disposed within the bore, and

a tolerance ring mounted between the inner component and the outer component,

the tolerance ring comprising

a generally cylindrical body having a central axis and a sidewall that defines a first axial end and a second axial end, wherein the sidewall includes an undeformed portion;

and a plurality of wave structures protruding radially from the undeformed portion; and

applying torque about the central axis to the inner or the outer component in a first rotational direction, wherein the torque break point in the first rotational direction T₁ is different from a torque break point T₂ in a second rotational direction opposite to the first rotational direction.