Hub member and shaft journal assembly and method

• US 7,172,510 B2
• Filed: 04/07/2005
• Issued: 02/06/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/05/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: GKN Automotive GmbH (Melrose Industries Plc)
• Original Assignee: GKN Automotive GmbH (Melrose Industries Plc)
• Inventors: Fuhrmann, Peter, Frielingsdorf, Herbert, Hainz, Volker, Spolmayeur, Jean
• Primary Examiner(s): BINDA, GREGORY JOHN
• Application Number:
  US11/100,869
• Publication Number:
  US 20050176514A1
• Time in Patent Office: 670 Days
• Field of Search: 4033591-3596, 464144-146, 464/182, 464/184, 464/905, 464/906, 384/539, 384/585
• US Class Current: 464/182
• CPC Class Codes: B21K 1/762 Coupling members for conveying mechanical motion, e.g. universal joints
• CPC Class Codes: B23P 11/00 Connecting or disconnecting metal parts or objects by metal-working techniques not otherwise provided for connecting sheet metal or metal tubes, rods or profiles B21D39/00; riveting B21J; soldering, unsoldering, welding B23K; hand tools for connecting wire or strip B25B25/00; connecting metal parts by adhesives F16B11/00
• CPC Class Codes: B23P 15/00 Making specific metal objects by operations not covered by a single other subclass or a group in this subclass
• CPC Class Codes: B23P 2700/11 Joints, e.g. ball joints, universal joints
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 2003/22313 Details of the inner part of the core or means for attachment of the core on the shaft
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 2250/00 Manufacturing; Assembly
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 2300/12 Mounting or assembling
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 3/223 the rolling members being guided in grooves in both coupling parts
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 464/906 Torque transmitted via radially spaced balls
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 403/7035 Specific angle or shape of rib, key, groove, or shoulder

Abstract

A hub member and shaft joint assembly includes an inner joint part of a constant velocity joint and a shaft journal. The hub member has a central through-aperture with inner toothing for receiving the shaft journal, and outer ball tracks. The inner toothing is formed in a predetermined limited length as far as a toothing run-out and is followed by a bore with a reduced diameter. The shaft journal has shaft toothing and, at a distance from the shaft end, a first conical step serving as a top face relative to the toothing run-out and directly contacting same. A larger second conical step is positioned axially spaced from the first step and forms a toothing end of the shaft toothing.

Claims

1. A hub member and shaft journal assembly comprising:

an inner joint part of a constant velocity universal ball joint in the form of a hub member (11) which comprises a central through-aperture (14) with an inner toothing (16) for receiving a shaft journal (12), and ball tracks (15) for receiving torque-transmitting balls on an outer circumference, wherein the inner toothing (16) is formed in a predetermined limited length as far as a toothing run-out (17) inside the through-aperture and is followed by a bore (18) with a reduced diameter; and

a shaft journal (12) having shaft toothing (19) introduced into the inner joint part, the shaft journal (12) having, at a distance from a shaft end, a first conical step (22) which serves as a stop face relative to the toothing run-out (17) of the inner toothing (16) at the inner joint part and directly contacting said toothing run-out (17), and a larger second conical step (21), which is positioned at an axial distance from the first conical step (22) and which forms a toothing end of the shaft toothing (19).

2. A hub member and shaft journal assembly according to claim 1, wherein the inner toothing (16) in the through-aperture (14) is produced by pressing or profile slotting in a non-chip-forming way.

3. A hub member and shaft journal assembly according to claim 2, wherein the ball tracks (15) are calibrated by a non-chip-forming deformation simultaneously with the pressing or profile slotting of the inner toothing (16).

4. A hub member and shaft journal assembly according to claim 1, wherein the shaft toothing (19) is finished by non-chip-forming drawing, from the first step to a toothing run-out (20) of the shaft journal (12).

5. An assembly according to claim 1 comprising a securing ring (13) engaging an annular groove (23) towards the shaft end and an end face of the hub member (11).