MANUFACTURING METHOD AND MANUFACTURING APPARATUS FOR UNIVERSAL JOINT

• US 20200132129A1
• Filed: 10/11/2019
• Published: 04/30/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Jtekt Corporation (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Jtekt Corporation (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: KOYAMA, Takeshi, TANO, Atsushi
• Granted Patent: US 11,022,183 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B21D 39/00 Application of procedures in order to connect objects or parts, e.g. coating with sheet metal otherwise than by plating joining mitred profiles B21D53/745; riveting B21J; uniting components by forging or pressing to form integral members B21K25/00; welding B23K; press-fitting, force-fitting, or shrinking in general B23P11/00, B21D19/00; by adhesives F16B11/00 ; Connections as such F16L, F16B; Tube expanders
• CPC Class Codes: B23P 11/02 by first expanding and then shrinking or vice versa, e.g. by using pressure fluids; by making force fits
• CPC Class Codes: B23P 19/02 for connecting objects by press fit or for detaching same B23P19/10 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B23P 2700/11 Joints, e.g. ball joints, universal joints
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 21/005 the external zone of a bearing with rolling members, e.g. needles, being cup-shaped, with or without a separate thrust-bearing disc or ring, e.g. for universal joints seals F16C33/72, F16D3/38
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 2250/0084 Assembly or disassembly
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 2300/12 Mounting or assembling
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 3/382 constructional details of other than the intermediate member
• 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 3/405 Apparatus for assembling or dismantling
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 3/41 with ball or roller bearings

Abstract

A method of manufacturing a universal joint includes: temporarily assembling a bearing, which supports a shaft portion of a joint spider such that the shaft portion is rotatable, with respect to a through-hole and the shaft portion by press-fitting the bearing to a first position in the through-hole of a yoke; and clinching, after the bearing is temporarily assembled, a portion of the yoke around the through-hole, and pressing the bearing deeper into the through-hole with a clinched portion formed by the clinching to press-fit the bearing to a second position located deeper than the first position in the through-hole.

Claims

1. A method of manufacturing a universal joint, the method comprising:

temporarily assembling a bearing, which supports a shaft portion of a joint spider such that the shaft portion is rotatable, with respect to a through-hole and the shaft portion by press-fitting the bearing to a first position in the through-hole of a yoke; and

clinching, after the bearing is temporarily assembled, a portion of the yoke around the through-hole, and pressing the bearing deeper into the through-hole with a clinched portion formed by the clinching to press-fit the bearing to a second position located deeper than the first position in the through-hole.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein a distance between the first position and the second position is 0.05 mm or more.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the yoke and the bearing are made of different metals.

4. A manufacturing apparatus for a universal joint, the manufacturing apparatus comprising:

a first shaft configured to press-fit a bearing, which supports a shaft portion of a joint spider such that the shaft portion is rotatable, to a first position in a through-hole of a yoke, to temporarily assemble the bearing with respect to the through-hole and the shaft portion; and

a second shaft configured to clinch, after the bearing is temporarily assembled, a portion of the yoke around the through-hole, and press the bearing deeper into the through-hole with a clinched portion formed by the clinching, to press-fit the bearing to a second position located deeper than the first position in the through-hole.

5. The manufacturing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the first shaft and the second shaft are integrated.

6. The manufacturing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the first shaft is built in the second shaft so as to be advanceable and retractable.

7. The manufacturing apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising a switching mechanism configured to:

bring the first shaft into connection with the second shaft while the first shaft press-fits the bearing to the first position; and

release the connection while the bearing is press-fitted to the second position.

8. The manufacturing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein a distance between the first position and the second position is 0.05 mm or more.

9. The manufacturing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the yoke and the bearing are made of different metals.