GB2386086A

GB2386086A - A mounting cone for mounting protection boots to mechanical joints

Info

Publication number: GB2386086A
Application number: GB0229039A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Patrick Mersch
Original assignee: SARL YAMAJANY
Current assignee: SARL YAMAJANY
Priority date: 2001-12-14
Filing date: 2002-12-13
Publication date: 2003-09-10
Anticipated expiration: 2022-12-13
Also published as: GB0229039D0; GB2386086B; CA2414417A1; CA2414417C; FR2833508A1; DE10258125A1

Abstract

A mounting cone 1 for mounting a protection boot (3, fig 1), in particular a quick-fitting boot, to a mechanical joint, in particular an articulated transmission joint (2, fig 1) of a motor vehicle, often referred to as a cardan joint, wherein the mounting cone has an open, wide end which includes elongate slots 6, 7 which are disposed about the periphery thereof and define a plurality of wall elements 8. The slots are substantially parallel to the axis of the mounting cone and configured to permit the wall elements to close over the bowl (5, fig 1) of the joint so as to facilitate passage of the boot while preventing the mounting cone from separating from the bowl of the joint during the mounting operation, and also spread to allow the mounting cone to be mounted to the bowl of the joint where having a larger diameter than the wide end of the mounting cone.

Description

A MOUNTING CONE FOR MOUNTING PROTECTION BOOTS TO

MECHANICAL JOINIS

The present invention relates to a mounting cone for mounting protection 5 hoax to mechanical joints, in particular articulated joints.

The present invention finds general application in the industrial sector in the manufacture of equipment for repair and serviang workshops for motor vehicles of all types, and in particular is intended to facilitate the installation 10 of quick-fitting protection boots for protecting articulated transmission joints, often referred to as cardan joints.

Protection boots are provided to articulated joints to protect the joints, such as against foreign bodies, impact and other external elements, and also to 15 seal in lubricant which is required for proper functioning of the joints.

Such boots comprise a conical tubular element of a rubber or pliant elastomer. Usually, the boots are moulded in one piece and comprise a concertinaed central section which permits flexion and axial extension, and 20 end sections which each comprise cylindrical attachment zones which include grooves for receiving clamping devices which provide for tight sealing.

In the event of wear or damage, such boots are increasingly frequently being replaced by quick-fitting protection boots which do not require the 25 dismantling of articulated joints. This mounting operation is often carried out with the aid of a hollow cone, the wide, base end of which is placed around the bowl, that is, the part of largest diameter, of the articulated joint, and over which the boot is drawn in such a manner as to spread the boot sufficiently for the wide end thereof to be positioned on the periphery of the 30 bowl of the joint. The mounting cone thus serves to facilitate the extensive stretching to which the boot must be subjected.

Existing mounting cones have a number of disadvantages. Firstly, the mounting cones are such that the mounting of a protection boot requires a

significantly varying effort during the mounting operation. Indeed, it is not unusual for the high force required to draw a protection boot over an existing mounting cone to cause the boot to burst. Secondly, it is often the case that, when the mounting cone is not applied correctly against the bowl of an 5 articulated joint, the mounting cone slips away from the joint when the boot is about to pass around the largest part of the joint. This movement of the mounting cone allows the boot suddenly to retract, requiring the mounting aperahon to be repeated, sometrnes several times.

10 The applicant's earlier FR-A-2786234 discloses a rrraunting cone for mounting a protection boot to an articulated joint. Tlis mounting cone has a generatrix of varying slope which is determined to present as constant a resistance as possible to passage of the boot to be mounted over an articulated joint.

L5 the present invention has been devised as an improvement to the above described mounting cone, in particular with tine aim of improving the fixing of the mounting cone on an articulated joint, and reducing the effort necessary to mount a boot to an articulated joint.

Accordingly, the present invention provides a mounting cone for mounting a protection boot, in particular a quick-fitting boot, to a mechanical joint, in particular an articulated transmission joint of a motor vehicle, wherein the mounting cone has an open, wide end which includes elongate slots which 25 are disposed about the periphery thereof and define a plurality of wall elements therebetween, the slots being substantially parallel to the axis of the mounting cone and configured to permit the wall elements to close over the bowl of the joint so as to facilitate passage of the boot while preventing the mounting cone from separating from the bowl of the joint during the 30 mounting operation, and also spread to allow the mounting cone to be mounted to the bowl of the joint where having a larger diameter than the wide end of the mounting cone.

In one embodiment the generatrix of the mounting cone is rectilinear.

3. ) In another embodiment the generatrix of the mounting cone comprises a curve of variable slope which is configured to present as constant a resistance as possible to passage of the boot and thereby eliminate poi!rrts of 5 resistance.

Preferably, the variation of the radius of the mounting cone is determined as a function of the yield strength curve of the material of tITe boot.

10 Preferably, the generatrix of the mounting cone inc:'udes convex and concave sections. Preferably, the other, narrow end of the mounting cone includes an end piece which provides an annular edge which acts to define a mounting preparation 15 zone for the boot and prevents the boot from slipping off the mounting cone.

A preferred embodiment of the present invention will now be described hereinbelow by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 illustrates a side view of an articulated joint fitted with a protection boot; Figure 2 illustrates a perspective view of a mounting cone in accordance with 25 a preferred embodiment of the present invention, where viewed from the open, wide base end thereof; and Figure 3 illustrates a part-sectional longitudinal view of the mounting cone of Figure 2 where fitted to an articulated joint to provide for the fitting of a 30 protection boot.

The mounting cone 1 is a hollow element which includes an open, wide base end which allows for fitting over an articulated joint 2 to be fitted with a protection boot 3, with the hub end 4 of the joint 2 being located within the

mounting cone 1 and the base end of the mounting cone 1 encircling the bowl 5 of the joint 2.

The mounting cone 1 includes a plurality of elongate slots 6, 7 which are 5 disposed about the periphery of the base end thereof and define a plurality of wall elements 8 therebetween.

lisle slow 6, 7 are parallel to the langituchnat axis of me mounting cone 1 and designed to permit the wall elements 8 at the base end of the mounting cone 10 1 to close over the bowl 5 of the joint 2 so as to facilitate passage of the boot 3 by presenting a slope which assists in sliding the boot 3 in me desired direction onto the joint 2, while preventing the mounting cone 1 from separating from the bowl 5 of the joint 2 during the mourting operation.

15 The wall elements 8 also allow for expansion where the mounting cone 1 is to be mounted on a bowl 5 of an articulated joint 2 which has a diameter greater than the base end of the mounting cone 1.

Tle generatrix of the mounting cone 1 can be rectilinear, but, as in this 20 embodiment, preferably comprises a variable slope which is such as to eliminate points of resistance to passage of the boot 3, the radius varying according to the characteristics of the material of the boot 3. The profile of the generatrix of the mounting cone 1 may be convex, concave or comprise convex and concave sections, in being configured to present as constant a 25 resistance to sliding as possible according to the yield strength curve of the material of the boot 3.

In this embodiment, the other, narrow end of the mounting cone 1 includes a cylindrical end piece 9 which provides an annular edge 10 which acts to 30 define a mounting preparation zone for holding the boot 3 in place and prevents the boot 3 from slipping off the mounting cone 1 during the mounting operation by sliding towards the region of smallest diameter.

It will be understood that the configuration of the various component parts of the mounting cone 1 provides a functional effect which has not so far been obtained by similar devices.

5 Finally, it will be understood that the present invention has been described in id; preferred embodiment and can be modified in many dissent ways without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

Claims

CLAIhIS

I. A mounting cone for mounting a protection boot, in particular a quick fitting boot, to a mechanical joint, in particular an articulated 5 transmission joint of a motor vehicle, wherein the mounting cone has an open, wide end which includes elongate slots which are disposed about the periphery thereof and define a plurality of wall elements therebetween, the slots being substantially parallel to the axes of the mounting cone and configured to permit me wall elements to close 10 over the bowl of the joint so as to facilitate passage of the boot while preventing the mounting cone from separating from the bowl of the joint during the mounting operation, and also spread to allow the mounting cone to be mounted to the bowl of ttre joint where having a larger diameter than the wide end of the mounting cone.
2. The mounting cone of claim 1, wherein the generatrix of the mounting cone is rectilinear.

3. The mounting cone of claim 1, wherein the generatrix of the mounting 20 cone comprises a curve of variable slope which is configured to present as constant a resistance as possible to passage of the boot and thereby eliminate points of resistance.
3. The mounting cone of claim 3, wherein the variation of the radius of 25 the mounting cone is determined as a function of the yield strength curve of the material of the boot.
4. The mounting cone of claim 3 or 4, wherein the generatrix of the mounting cone includes convex and concave sections.
5. The mounting cone of any of claims to 5, wherein the other, narrow end of the mounting cone includes an end piece which provides an annular edge which acts to define a mounting preparation zone for the boot and prevents the boot from slipping off the mounting cone.

^ 7 -.
6. A mounting cone for mounting a protection boot to a mechanical joint substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

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