Tolerance ring with wave structures having disconnected ends

• US 9,074,637 B2
• Filed: 06/17/2014
• Issued: 07/07/2015
• 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
• Primary Examiner(s): MILLER, BRIAN E
• Application Number:
  US14/306,488
• Publication Number:
  US 20150000098A1
• Time in Patent Office: 385 Days
• Field of Search: 360/265.4, 360/265.5, 360/265.6, 403/365, 403/371, 403/372
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 5/4813 Mounting or aligning of arm assemblies, e.g. actuator arm supported by bearings, multiple arm assemblies, arm stacks or multiple heads on single arm G11B5/484 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 Assembling or joining
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 403/7051 Wedging or camming

Abstract

A tolerance ring with a generally cylindrical body having a sidewall, wherein the sidewall includes an undeformed portion and a plurality of wave structures protruding from the undeformed portion. The wave structures each having a feature disconnected from the adjacent sidewall.

Claims

1. A tolerance ring comprising:

a generally cylindrical body having 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 from the undeformed portion,

wherein each wave structure has a first axial end and a second axial end, wherein the first and second axial end of the wave structures are disconnected from the undeformed portion, wherein each wave structure has a first and a second longitudinal side, each longitudinal side having a total length, L_WS, and a disconnected length, L_D, defined by a disconnected length between the first and second longitudinal sides and the undeformed portion as measured from the respective axial end of the wave structure, and wherein L_D is less than 0.2 L_WS.

2. The tolerance ring of claim 1, wherein a radius of curvature, R_WS, of at least one of the wave structures as measured at the first axial end, is less than a radius of curvature, R_B, of the body.

3. The tolerance ring of claim 2, wherein R_WS is no greater than 0.8 R_B.

4. 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.

5. The tolerance ring of claim 1, wherein the first and second longitudinal sides of at least one of the wave structure is at least partially disconnected from the undeformed portion along a length, L_D1, measured from the first axial end of the wave structure along L_WS, and wherein the first and second longitudinal sides of the at least one of the wave structures is at least partially disconnected from the undeformed portion along a length, L_D2, measured from the second axial end of the wave structure along L_WS.

6. The tolerance ring of claim 5, wherein L_D1 is no less than 0.01 L_WS.

7. The tolerance ring of claim 5, wherein L_D2 is no less than 0.01 L_WS.

8. The tolerance ring of claim 5, wherein L_D1 is equal to L_D2.

9. The tolerance ring of claim 1, wherein each wave structure comprises an arcuate wave body.

10. The tolerance ring of claim 1, wherein each wave structure comprises an outer apex with an apex radius, R_E, measured perpendicularly from a central axis of the ring to the outer surface of the apex, and a base radius, R_B, measured perpendicularly from the central axis of the ring to the outer surface of the undeformed portion, wherein R_E is no less than 1.01 R_B and wherein R_E is no greater than 1.90 R_B.

11. The tolerance ring of claim 1, wherein a gap created by the disconnect between at least one of the wave structures and the undeformed portion extends continuously from the first longitudinal side of the at least one wave structure to the second longitudinal side of the at least one wave structure.

12. The tolerance ring of claim 1, wherein each wave structure comprises a first and second end face and wherein each end face comprises a tapered surface, the tapered surface having an angle, A_S, defined by the angle between the undeformed portion and the surface of the tapered face, wherein A_S is no less than 20 degrees.

13. The tolerance ring of claim 1, wherein each wave structure has a first end face at the first axial end of the wave structure and a second end face at the second axial end of the wave structure, and wherein the entirety of the first and second end faces are disconnected from the undeformed portion.

14. The tolerance ring of claim 1, wherein the sidewall of the ring has a total axial length, L_R, measured from the first axial end of the sidewall to the second axial end of the sidewall, and wherein L_WS is no greater than L_R.

15. The tolerance ring of claim 1, wherein the ring has an axial length, L_R, and L_WS is no greater than 0.95 L_R.

16. The tolerance ring of claim 1, wherein each wave structure comprises a number of smaller wave structures, N_SWS, and wherein N_SWS is no less than 2 and no greater than 6.

17. An assembly comprising:

an inner component;

an outer component; and

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

a generally cylindrical body having 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 from the undeformed portion,

wherein each wave structure has a first axial end and a second axial end, wherein the first and second axial ends of the wave structures are disconnected from the undeformed portion, wherein each wave structure has a first and a second longitudinal side, each longitudinal side having a total length, L_WS, and a disconnected length, L_D, defined by a disconnected length between the first and second longitudinal sides and the undeformed portion as measured from the axial end of the wave structure, and wherein L_D is less than 0.2 L_WS.

18. The assembly of claim 17, wherein a gap created by the disconnect between at least one of the wave structures and the undeformed portion extends continuously from the first longitudinal side of the at least one wave structure to the second longitudinal side of the at least one wave structure.

19. The assembly of claim 17, wherein a radius of curvature, R_WS, of at least one of the wave structures as measured at the first axial end, is less than a radius of curvature, R_B, of the body.

20. A method of positioning a shaft relative to a bore, the method comprising:

providing a tolerance ring including;

a generally cylindrical body having 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 from the undeformed portion,

wherein each wave structure has a first axial end and a second axial end, wherein the first and second axial ends of the wave structures are disconnected from the undeformed portion, wherein each wave structure has a first and a second longitudinal side, each longitudinal side having a total length, L_WS, and a disconnected length, L_D, defined by a disconnected length between the first and second longitudinal sides and the undeformed portion as measured from the axial end of the wave structure, and wherein L_D is less than 0.2 L_WS;

locating a shaft to be positioned within a bore;

positioning the tolerance ring radially external to the shaft; and

engaging the bore with the tolerance ring, causing the end sections of the tolerance ring to deform radially inward and compress into the shaft.