JP2003028189A - Flexible coupling - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To lower a spring constant in relation to the wrench input and the input of an axial directional relative displacement, and to improve durability in a flexible coupling 4 provided with the structure that a driving side bobbin 10A and a driven side bobbin 19B are connected to each other through loop-like connecting belts 20 and 30. SOLUTION: An outside flange part 153 for pressing a second connecting belt 30 in both axial directional sides of the driving side bobbin 10A and the driven side bobbin 10B is formed to be extended in a direction opposite to the second connecting belt 30 pulling direction, and both sides 153b thereof are extended like a tangent in parallel with the second connecting belt 30 pulling direction. A non-constraint part for allowing a repeated tilting displacement of the second connecting belt 30 is prolonged between the driving side bobbin 10A and the driven side bobbin 10B by the wrench input or the input of the axial directional relative displacement to improve a degree of freedom.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention elastically connects the shaft ends of a drive-side rotating shaft and a driven-side rotating shaft to transmit rotational torque and absorb axial vibration and bending between both shafts. More particularly, the present invention relates to a flexible coupling having a structure in which a bobbin attached to the drive side rotary shaft side and a bobbin attached to the driven side rotary shaft side are connected via a loop-shaped connecting band.

FIG. 7 is a sectional view showing a typical prior art of a flexible coupling 100 of this type by cutting along a plane orthogonal to its axis, and FIG. 8 is a VIII-O in FIG.
-VIII sectional view, FIG. 9 is a partial perspective view showing an inner bobbin and a connecting band. That is, in the flexible coupling 100 shown in FIG. 7 and FIG. 8, a plurality of and the same number of driving side connectors 101 and driven side connectors 102 are alternately arranged in the circumferential direction, and the driving side connectors 101 adjacent to each other in the circumferential direction. First and second connections made of a polyester wire or the like having appropriate tensile elasticity in which a driven-side spool 102 and a driven-side connector 102 are respectively wound around the driving-side spool 103 and the driven-side spool 104 and are wound in a loop shape. The bobbins 103, 104 and the connecting bands 105, 1 are connected by the bands 105, 106.
06 is embedded and integrated in an annular elastic body 107 made of rubber or the like.

The drive side and driven side bobbins 103, 104 are
As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the sleeve 10 respectively.
8 and a pair of collars 109 that are press-fitted and fixed to the outer peripheral surface thereof at a predetermined axial distance. Color 109,1
Reference numeral 09 is press-molded into a substantially U-shaped cross section having annular flanges 109a on both sides in the axial direction.

The first connecting belt 105 is formed by collars 109, 109 on the outer peripheral surface of the sleeve 108 of the driving side bobbin 103.
And a portion between the collars 109, 109 on the outer peripheral surface of the sleeve 109 of the driven side bobbin 104, and the second connecting band 106 adjacent in the circumferential direction thereof is
The collars 109 and 109 of the driving side bobbin 103 and the collars 109 and 109 of the driven side bobbin 104 are respectively wound around. That is, the drive-side connectors 101 and the driven-side connectors 102 that are alternately arranged at equal intervals in the circumferential direction.
Is a bundle of the first connecting belt 105 and a bundle of the second connecting belt 10
6, 106 are alternately connected in the circumferential direction.

This flexible coupling 100 is
The drive-side connector 101 on the inner circumference of the drive-side bobbin 103 is attached to the yoke at the shaft end of the drive-side rotary shaft via bolts and nuts (not shown) arranged at equal intervals in the circumferential direction, while the driven-side bobbin The driven side connector 102 on the inner periphery of 104 is attached to the yoke at the shaft end of the driven side rotation shaft via bolts and nuts (not shown) arranged at equal intervals in the circumferential direction. By this, the rotational torque of the drive side rotary shaft is transmitted to the driven side rotary shaft, and at the same time, the first and second connecting belts 1
Depending on the deformation characteristics of 05 and 106 and the annular elastic body 107,
It allows rotation transmission in a connected state (twisted state) where the directions of the drive-side rotating shaft and driven-side rotating shaft are different, and allows relative displacement of both rotating shafts in the axial direction, as well as transmission vibration between both rotating shafts. It absorbs.

[0006]

By the way, in response to a prying input, the drive side bobbin 103 and the driven side bobbin 104 which are circumferentially adjacent to each other are arranged on the axis O as shown by an arrow F in FIG. The relative reciprocating motion in the direction of the arc centering on the point is repeated for each rotation. In addition, when the vibrations of both rotary shafts are input in the axial direction, the driving-side bobbin 103 and the driven-side bobbin 104 that are adjacent to each other in the circumferential direction are axially reciprocally displaced from each other. Therefore, the first and second connecting bands 105, 106 are repeatedly displaced between the drive side and driven side bobbins 103, 104 so as to be inclined forward and backward with respect to the cross section shown in FIG. 7.
Then, the first and second connecting bands 105, 106 come into contact with the drive side and driven side bobbins 103, 104, or the fiber bundles that form the first and second connecting bands 105, 106 when wound. Color 109 so that there is no variation
Since the collar portion 109a is provided by the first and second connecting bands 10 by the twisting input and the axial vibration input.
The repeated tilt displacements of Nos. 5 and 106 are allowed only in a region that is not constrained by the collar portion 109a, that is, in an unconstrained portion indicated by reference symbol L in FIG.

In the conventional flexible coupling 100, the collar portions 109a of the drive-side and driven-side spools 103, 104 are circular, that is, the collar portion 109a.
Is uniformly projected over the entire circumference, the length of the non-restraint portion L of the first and second connecting bands 105 and 106 is short. Therefore, the degree of freedom of the repeated tilt displacement of the first and second connecting bands 105 and 106 due to the twisting input and the axial vibration input is small, and therefore the strain per unit length acting on the unconstrained portion L (hereinafter, simply the strain is applied). Was increasing, and the spring constant had risen.

In particular, in the case of prying input, the drive side bobbin 10
3 and the first connecting belt 105 wound around the intermediate portion of the driven side bobbin 104 in the axial direction, the second connecting belts 106, 106 located on both sides in the axial direction have larger strains, so the second connecting belt 106. , 106, there is a possibility that durability may be deteriorated.

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and its technical problem is a flexible structure having a structure in which a driving-side bobbin and a driven-side bobbin are connected via a loop-shaped connecting band. In the coupling, while reducing the spring constant in the twist input and the axial vibration input,
It is to improve the durability.

[0010]

As a means for effectively solving the above-mentioned technical problems, a flexible coupling according to the invention of claim 1 has a plurality of drive side bobbins arranged alternately in the circumferential direction and The driven-side bobbin, the first and second connecting bands that are wound around the driving-side bobbin and the driven-side bobbin that are adjacent to each other in the circumferential direction and are wound in a loop shape and arranged alternately in the circumferential direction, and the driving side. A bobbin, a driven-side bobbin, and an annular elastic body that is formed by embedding the first and second connection bands and is continuous in the circumferential direction, wherein the drive-side bobbin and the driven-side bobbin have outer flanges on both axial sides, It is formed in a shape extending toward the side opposite to the pulling direction of the second connecting band held by the outer flange portion.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the flexible coupling according to the first aspect, the outer collar portion is formed within a range of a half or less of the drive side spool or the driven side spool.

[0012]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Preferred embodiments of the flexible coupling according to the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which a drive-side rotating shaft 1 and a driven-side rotating shaft 2 in a propeller shaft of an automobile or the like are connected via a flexible coupling 4 according to the present invention, taken along a plane passing through an axis. , Fig. 2
2 is a cross-sectional view showing the flexible coupling 4 of the present invention cut along a plane orthogonal to its axis O, and FIG.
3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line III-O-III in FIG.
In the following description, the “circumferential direction” is the direction of the circumference centered on the axis O of the flexible coupling 4.

First, in FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 is a driving side rotating shaft, 2 is a driven side rotating shaft, and 3 is a centering bush for holding the centering of the driving side rotating shaft 1 and the driven side rotating shaft 2. . The drive-side rotary shaft 1 and the driven-side rotary shaft 2 are connected to each other at opposite shaft ends via a flexible coupling 4 according to the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 2, the flexible coupling 4 has three cylindrical driving side bobbins 10A arranged at 120 ° intervals in the circumferential direction, and the driving side bobbins 10A,
Each of the intermediate positions between 10A, that is, three driven cylindrical bobbins 10B arranged in a phase different from the driving bobbin 10A by 60 ° and arranged at 120 ° intervals in the circumferential direction. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the drive side bobbin 10A and the driven side bobbin 10B are arranged such that their respective axes are parallel to the axis O of the flexible coupling 4.

Each drive side bobbin 10A and each driven side bobbin 10
On the inner circumference of B, a connector 1 made of a cylindrical metal
1A and 11B are press-fitted. As shown in FIG. 1, the drive-side connector 11A press-fitted into the drive-side bobbin 10A.
Are attached to the yoke 1a at the shaft end of the drive-side rotary shaft 1 at intervals of 120 ° in the circumferential direction by the bolts 12A inserted through them and the nuts 13A screwed to the bolts 12A, and are press-fitted into the driven-side bobbin 10B. The driven-side connector 11B is attached to the yoke 2a at the shaft end of the driven-side rotary shaft 2 at 120 ° intervals in the circumferential direction by the bolts 12B inserted through the bolts 12B and the nuts 13B screwed to the bolts 12B.

The driving side bobbin 10A and the driven side bobbin 10B which are adjacent to each other in the circumferential direction are alternately connected via the first and second connecting bands 20 and 30. And each of these bobbins 10
The A and 10B and the connecting bands 20 and 30 are embedded in an annular elastic body 40 formed of an elastomer material such as rubber. That is, the annular elastic body 40 is used for each bobbin 10
It is formed by setting A and 10B in a state of being connected through the connecting bands 20 and 30 in a mold, filling the mold with an elastomer material for molding, and vulcanizing.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the drive side bobbin winding 10A and the driven side bobbin winding 10B taken along a plane passing through the axis thereof, FIG. 5 is a view in the direction V in FIG. 4, and FIG. Driving-side bobbin 10A and driven-side bobbin 1 by connecting bands 20 and 30
It is a perspective view showing a connected state of 0B. 4 to 6
As shown in FIG. 3, the drive side bobbin 10A and the driven side bobbin 10
B is the same and includes a cylindrical sleeve 14 and a pair of annular collars 15 and 15 which are press-fitted in the outer circumference of the sleeve 14 in the vicinity of both axial ends thereof.

The sleeve 14 is manufactured by cutting out from a steel pipe. Further, the collars 15 and 15 are manufactured by press-forming a steel plate, and each of the collars 15 and 15 has an inner cylindrical portion 1.
51, a circular inner flange portion 152 that extends uniformly around the entire circumference from the end portion that faces the inner side in the axial direction, and the circumference from the end portion that faces the outer side in the axial direction of the inner peripheral tubular portion 151. The outer flange portion 153 extends to the outer peripheral side in a part of the direction.

Of the outer peripheral surface of the sleeve 14, the collar 1
The portion between the inner flange portions 152, 152 of the parts 5, 5 is the winding portion 15 a of the first connecting band 20. Further, between the inner flange portion 152 and the outer flange portion 153 of each collar 15, in other words, the outer periphery of the inner peripheral tubular portion 151 is the winding portion 15b of the second connecting band 30.

The first connecting bands 20 and the second connecting bands 30 are alternately arranged in the circumferential direction. Specifically, the first connection belt 20
Are arranged one by one at three positions in the circumferential direction at a phase interval of 120 °, and the winding portion 15a in the driven side bobbin 10B,
The driven-side bobbin 10B and the winding portion 15a of the drive-side bobbin 10A adjacent to each other in the circumferential direction are wound around in a loop shape. The second connecting belt 30 is composed of the first connecting belts 20 and 6.
Two bundles of two bundles are arranged at three positions in the circumferential direction on phases different from each other by 0 °. The winding portion 15b of the driving side bobbin 10A is formed by the collar 15, and the driven side bobbin 10A is circumferentially adjacent to the driving side bobbin 10A. It is wound in a loop over the winding portion 15b of the collar 15 in 10B. That is, each drive side bobbin 10A and each driven side bobbin 10
B are arranged alternately in the circumferential direction at a phase interval of 60 ° with each other, and one bundle of the first connecting belts 20 and two bundles of the second connecting belts 30,
And 30 alternately connected in the circumferential direction.

The first and second connecting bands 20 and 30 are made of a polymer material having a required tensile elasticity, such as polyester, nylon, or Kevlar (trademark).
It is wound in multiple layers. And the first connection belt 20
And the sum of the cross-sectional areas (the number of turns of the wire) of the second connecting bands 30 and 30 on both sides in the axial direction thereof are substantially equal to each other.

Here, the outer collar portion 15 of the collar 15
3 will be described in detail, the outer flange 153 is
As shown in FIGS. 2 and 6, the second connecting belt 30 wound around the collars 15 and 15 extends in the opposite direction to the pulling direction. Then, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the end portion 153a facing the opposite side to the pulling direction of the second connecting band 30.
Is formed in an arc shape having the same diameter as the outer diameter of the inner flange portion 152, and the both side portions 153b are circles having the same diameter as or slightly larger than the outer peripheral surface of the inner peripheral tubular portion 151 of the collar 15. It extends tangentially from the circumference in parallel with the pulling direction of the second connecting band 30.

The annular elastic body 40 is made of an elastomeric material such as rubber, and each driving side bobbin 10A and each driven side bobbin 10B.
First and second connecting bands 20, 3 extending around and between
It is formed so as to wrap around 0, and a hole portion 41 as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 is formed at an intermediate position between each drive side bobbin 10A and each driven side bobbin 10B. This hole portion 41 is for preventing the annular elastic body 40 between them from being cracked by compression due to the relative displacement of the driving side bobbin 10A and the driven side bobbin 10B due to the twisting input to the flexible coupling 4. Is.

Flexible coupling 4 according to the invention
Is connected between the drive-side rotary shaft 1 and the driven-side rotary shaft 2 as shown in FIG.
The rotational torque of the drive side rotation is transmitted to the driven side rotating shaft 2 via the first and second connecting bands 20 and 30, and the driving side rotation is performed by the deformation characteristics of the first and second connecting bands 20 and 30 and the annular elastic body 40. Rotation transmission in a twisted state in which the directions of the shaft center of the shaft 1 and the driven-side rotation shaft 2 are different, and relative displacement in the axial direction of both the rotation shafts 1 and 2 are allowed, and transmission between the rotation shafts 1 and 2 is allowed. It absorbs vibration.

By the way, for the twist input indicated by the arrow F ₁ in FIG. 1, the drive side bobbins 10 which are adjacent to each other in the circumferential direction are provided.
A and the driven-side bobbin 10B repeat a relative reciprocating motion in an arc direction centered on a point on the axis for each rotation, as indicated by an arrow F ₂ in the figure. Further, in the axial reciprocal displacement of both the rotary shafts 1 and 2, the drive-side bobbin 10A and the driven-side bobbin 10B that are adjacent to each other in the circumferential direction are also reciprocally displaced in the axial direction. Therefore, between the bobbin windings 10A and 10B, the first and second connecting bands 20 and 30 are repeatedly displaced so as to be inclined forward and backward with respect to the cross section shown in FIG.

According to the present invention, as shown in FIG. 3, the outer collar portions 153 of the collars 15 and 15 of the drive side bobbin 10A and the driven side bobbin 10B are respectively connected to the second connecting band 3.
0 extends in the direction opposite to the pulling direction, and its both side portions 153
b is from the circumference of the same diameter as the outer peripheral surface of the inner cylindrical portion 151 of the collar 15 or slightly larger than that to the second connecting band 3
Since it extends in a tangential direction parallel to the pulling direction of 0, even if the arrangement interval between the drive-side bobbin 10A and the driven-side bobbin 10B is the same as the conventional one, the restraint portion of the second connecting band 30 by the outer collar portion 153 is provided. The length is smaller than before, and the length of the non-restraint portion becomes long. That is, the portions 31 (see FIGS. 2 and 6) located on both sides in the direction orthogonal to the pulling direction of the second connecting band 30 as viewed from the axial center of the respective bobbins 10A and 10B have been restraining portions in the past. In the present invention, it is not restricted, and accordingly,
The non-restraint portion L in which the repeated inclination displacement of the second connecting belt 30 is permitted due to the twist input or the axial relative displacement input is long.

Therefore, the first and second connecting bands 20 and 30 are input by a twisting input or an axial relative displacement input.
Between the drive side bobbin 10A and the driven side bobbin 10B.
The degree of freedom when repeatedly subjected to repeated displacement so as to incline forward and backward with respect to the cross section shown in Fig.
The spring constant with respect to the relative displacement in the twisting direction and the axial direction is reduced.

Further, in the prying input, the second connecting belts 30, which are located on both sides in the axial direction of the first connecting belt 20 wound around the axially intermediate portions of the drive side spool 10A and the driven side spool 10B, Although the strain increases at 30, the strain is reduced due to the length of the non-restraint portion L, so that the durability can be improved.

In the present invention, the drive side bobbin 10A
The outer brim portion 153 of the driven side bobbin 10B is not particularly limited to the illustrated shape as long as it has a shape extending in the direction opposite to the pulling direction of the second connecting band 30, but in particular, the outer brim portion 1
By forming 53 within the range of a half circumference or less of the drive-side bobbin 10A or the driven-side bobbin 10B, the non-restraint portion L of the second connecting band 30 is significantly increased, and the above-described effect can be reliably realized.

[0030]

According to the flexible coupling of the first aspect of the present invention, the outer collar portion that holds the second connecting band on both sides in the axial direction of the driving-side bobbin and the driven-side bobbin is arranged in the pulling direction of the second connecting band. By forming the shape extending to the opposite side, the unconstrained portion where the repeated inclination displacement of the second connecting band due to the torsion input or the axial displacement input is allowed becomes long, and as a result, the spring constant in the axial direction or the torsion direction is increased. It is reduced, and the absorption effect against vibration or bending in the axial direction or the twisting direction is improved. Moreover, since the length of the non-restraint portion is increased, the strain acting on the second connecting band is reduced, so that the durability can be improved.

According to the flexible coupling of the second aspect of the present invention, the outer collar portion is formed within a range not more than half the circumference of the driving-side bobbin or the driven-side bobbin. Since the number is increased, the effect of the invention of claim 1 can be surely realized.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which a drive-side rotary shaft 1 and a driven-side rotary shaft 2 of an automobile propeller shaft or the like are connected via a flexible coupling 4 according to the present invention, taken along a plane passing through an axis. Is.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing a preferred embodiment of a flexible coupling 4 according to the present invention, taken along a plane orthogonal to the axis O thereof.

3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line III-O-III in FIG.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the drive-side bobbin winder 10 or the driven-side bobbin winder 10B in the flexible coupling 4 of the present invention, taken along a plane passing through the axis thereof.

5 is a view in the direction V in FIG.

FIG. 6 is a partial perspective view of the drive side spool 10 and the driven side spool 10B and the first and second connecting bands 30 and 40 in the flexible coupling 4 of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing a typical conventional technique of a flexible coupling 100, taken along a plane orthogonal to its axis.

8 is a sectional view taken along line VIII-O-VIII in FIG.

FIG. 9 is a partial perspective view showing the bobbins 103, 104 and the connecting bands 105, 106 in the prior art.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 Drive side rotating shaft 1a, 2a yoke 2 Driven rotary shaft 3 Centering bush 4 Flexible coupling 10A drive side bobbin 10B Driven spool 11A drive side connector 11B Driven connector 12A, 12B bolt 13A, 13B nuts 14 Sleeve 15 colors 151 Inner peripheral tubular portion 152 Inner collar 153 Outer collar 20 First connection belt 30 Second connection belt 40 annular elastic body 41 hole L Unrestrained part

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[Procedure amendment]

[Submission date] August 7, 2001 (2001.8.7)

[Procedure Amendment 1]

[Document name to be corrected] Drawing

[Correction target item name] All drawings

[Correction method] Change

[Correction content]

[Figure 4]

[Figure 5]

[Figure 1]

[Fig. 2]

[Figure 3]

[Figure 6]

[Figure 8]

[Figure 7]

[Figure 9]

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A plurality of driving-side bobbins (10A) and driven-side bobbins (10B) arranged alternately in the circumferential direction, and the driving-side bobbins (10A) and driven-side bobbins (1) that are circumferentially adjacent to each other.
0B), and the first and second connecting bands (20, 30) wound in a loop shape and alternately arranged in the circumferential direction, the drive side bobbin (10A), the driven side bobbin (10B) and An annular elastic body (40) which is formed by embedding the first and second connecting bands (20, 30) and is continuous in the circumferential direction, and the shaft in the drive side spool (10A) and the driven side spool (10B). The outer flanges (153) on both sides in the direction are the outer flanges (15).
3) A flexible coupling characterized in that it is formed in a shape extending in a direction opposite to the pulling direction of the second connecting band (30) held by 3). 2. The outer collar (153) has a drive side bobbin (1).
0A) or the driven side bobbin (10B) is formed within a half circumference or less of the flexible bobbin (10B).