JP2010101467A - Shaft coupling device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a shaft coupling device capable of changing a spring constant in the rotating direction, preventing the lowering of spring constants in the axial direction and a direction vertical to the shaft. <P>SOLUTION: In this shaft coupling device 10, a cushion member 30 is interposed between an inner member 20 and an outer member 11 coaxially arranged to each other, and power storage condition is generated by compressing the cushion member 30 to be deformed. The cushion member 30 is formed with recessed parts 34 in a contact surface with the outer member 11. The recessed part 34 is formed into a semi-spherical hole shape, and a plurality of the recessed parts 34 are evenly arranged on the whole of the contact surface of the cushion member 30 with the outer member 11. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a shaft coupling device, and more particularly, to a shaft coupling device in which a cushion member is interposed between an inner member and an outer member, for example, in a V-shaped torque rod of a rear-wheel biaxial automobile such as a truck or bus. It relates to what is effective when used.

In a rear-wheel biaxial automobile, a V-shaped torque rod (hereinafter referred to as a V-rod) is used to position two axles with a degree of freedom in a three-dimensional direction with respect to a frame (for example, Patent Document 1).
That is, as shown in FIG. 1, the V rod 1 formed in a V shape has a base end portion on the axle 2 and a pair of tip ends on the frame 3 between the inner member and the outer member. They are respectively connected by a shaft coupling device 10 in which a cushion member is interposed.

JP 2002-188619A

In such a shaft coupling device, the spring constant in a certain direction is changed by changing the hardness of the cushion material or changing the shape of the inner member and / or the outer member.
However, when the hardness of the cushion material is changed or the shape of the inner member and / or the outer member is changed, there is a problem in that the spring constant decreases in a direction different from the desired direction.

  The objective of this invention is providing the shaft coupling apparatus which can change the spring constant of a rotation direction, preventing the fall of the spring constant of an axial direction and an axis orthogonal direction.

Typical means for solving the above-described problems are as follows.
(1) A cushion member is interposed between an inner member and an outer member arranged concentrically with each other, and an accumulated state is created by compressing and deforming the cushion member. A shaft coupling device, wherein a concave portion is formed on a contact surface with the outer member.
(2) The shaft coupling device according to (1), wherein the concave portion is formed in a hemispherical hole shape, and a plurality of the concave portions are disposed on a contact surface of the cushion member with the outer member. .
(3) The concave portion is formed in a long groove extending in the circumferential direction of the cushion member, and a plurality of strips are arranged on a contact surface of the cushion member with the outer member. ) Shaft coupling device.

  According to this shaft coupling device, it is possible to change the spring constant in the rotational direction while preventing a decrease in the spring constant in the axial direction and the direction perpendicular to the axis.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  In the present embodiment, the shaft coupling device according to the present invention is configured to connect the base end portion of the V rod 1 shown in FIG. 1 to the axle 2, and the tertiary of the V rod 1 with respect to the axle 2. The degree of freedom in the original direction is secured.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the shaft coupling device 10 used at the base end portion of the V rod 1 has an outer member 11 formed by the base end portion of the V rod 1 itself, and the pivot shaft itself. The inner member 20 is configured, a cushion member 30 interposed between the outer member 11 and the inner member 20, and a stopper ring 40 for maintaining the compressive deformation of the cushion member 30. .

In the present embodiment, the V rod 1 is formed using an iron-based material, and the outer member 11 constituting the base end portion of the V rod 1 is also formed of an iron-based material. A substantially cylindrical hollow portion 12 is formed in the outer member 11, and a stopper portion 13 having a small inner diameter is formed at one end portion of the inner peripheral surface of the hollow portion 12.
An annular groove 14 is cut at a certain depth at the other end of the inner peripheral surface of the hollow portion 12, and the annular groove 14 is formed so that a stopper ring 40 can be fitted and held. The cross-sectional shape of the annular groove 14 is such that the side surface on the stopper portion 13 side forms an orthogonal surface portion 15 that is orthogonal to the center line of the hollow portion 12, and the opposite surface side surface forms an inclined surface portion 16 that is inclined with respect to the orthogonal surface. The groove bottom has a wedge shape that forms a semicircular curved curved surface portion 17, and the inclined surface portion 16 is inclined so that the opening side of the groove is widened.

The inner member 20 is formed using an iron-based material, and a convex spherical shaft portion 21 is integrally projected at a substantially central portion of the inner member 20. The outer diameter of the convex spherical shaft portion 21 is set to be smaller than the inner diameter of the hollow portion 12 of the outer member 11.
A pair of connecting portions 22 and 22 are formed in both ends of the inner member 20 in a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape, and both the connecting portions 22 and 22 are set so as to protrude from the hollow portion 12 of the outer member 11 to both sides thereof. Has been. A fixing hole 23 is formed in the connecting portion 22 so as to be orthogonal to the longitudinal direction, and the inner member 20 is connected to the bracket of the axle 2 by inserting a bolt into the fixing hole 23.

The cushion member 30 is vulcanized and molded using an elastic body such as rubber or resin, and is provided on the convex spherical shaft portion 21 of the inner member 20 so as to surround it, and is fixed by means such as baking or adhesion. Has been.
As shown in FIG. 3, the cushion member 30 has a central portion 31 formed in a substantially cylindrical shape and both end portions 32 formed in a substantially trapezoidal cone shape. The central portion 31 has a natural diameter. In the state, the outer member 11 is formed to have a slightly smaller diameter than the inner diameter of the hollow portion 12.
A pair of side plates 33, 33 are respectively arranged on the outer surfaces of both end portions 32, 32 of the cushion member 30 and fixed by means such as baking or adhesion, and the side plate 33 has a substantially trapezoidal cone shape. It is formed in the cylindrical shape corresponding to.
In the central portion (between the pair of side plates 33, 33) that is a contact surface with the outer member 11 on the outer peripheral surface of the cushion member 30, a plurality of concave portions 34 are uniformly disposed throughout and are laid down. . The recesses 34 are formed in a hemispherical hole shape, and are formed so that the sizes of the plurality of recesses 34 are equal to each other.

The stopper ring 40 is made of an iron-based material having elasticity such as steel and is formed into a circular ring shape (C ring shape) with a part cut away, and its width and outer diameter are the annular grooves 14 of the outer member 11. The inner diameter is set so that the end face can abut a part of the end face of the side plate 33 so that the inner face can be held by being inserted into the end plate.
The cross-sectional shape of the stopper ring 40 is a wedge shape in which one end surface forms an orthogonal surface portion 41 perpendicular to the center line, and the other end surface forms an inclined surface portion 42 inclined with respect to the orthogonal surface. Is inclined so that the inner peripheral side becomes wider.

  The effect | action of the shaft coupling apparatus 10 which concerns on the above structure is demonstrated.

  When the shaft coupling device 10 is assembled, the composite body of the inner member 20 and the cushion member 30 shown in FIG. 3 is inserted from the opening on the side where the annular groove 14 is cut in the hollow portion 12 of the outer member 11. Is done. The side plate 33 fixed to the inserted cushion member 30 on the front side of the insertion comes into contact with the stopper portion 13 formed at the end of the hollow portion 12.

Subsequently, the stopper ring 40 is reduced in diameter and pushed into the opening of the outer member 11, and its end surface comes into contact with the end surface of the side plate 33 on the annular groove 14 side of the inner member 20.
Next, when the stopper ring 40 is pushed toward the stopper portion 13 in a direction parallel to the center line of the inner member 20 by a cylinder device (not shown) or the like, the position of the opposite side plate 33 is restricted by the stopper portion 13. Therefore, the cushion member 30 is compressed and deformed. When the cushion member 30 is slightly bulged and deformed in the radial direction during the compression deformation, the cushion member 30 is pressed against the inner peripheral surface of the hollow portion 12 of the outer member 11, so that the cushion member 30 is accompanied by the compression deformation in the direction parallel to the center line. Accumulate energy effectively.
At this time, since the plurality of concave portions 34 are uniformly laid down on the entire outer peripheral surface of the cushion member 30, it is possible to reduce initial distortion in the operation of pushing the cushion member 30 into the outer member 11.

When the stopper ring 40 is aligned with the annular groove 14, the stopper ring 40 is fitted into the annular groove 14 by expanding its diameter by its own elastic force.
At this time, since the cross-sectional shapes of the stopper ring 40 and the annular groove 14 are formed in a wedge shape, the stopper ring 40 is in a state of being received in the annular groove 14, so that the stopper ring 40 is automatically and reliably fitted into the annular groove 14. To do. Further, even when the stopper ring 40 is not completely fitted into the annular groove 14, the stopper ring 40 is not easily pulled out of the annular groove 14 due to the springback effect and the wedge effect of the stopper ring 40.

  When the stopper ring 40 is thus fitted and fixed in the annular groove 14, the cushion member 30 is supported by the stopper portion 13 and the stopper ring 40 so that the restoring force is maintained, the compression deformation is maintained, and the accumulated force is stored. Will remain.

In the shaft coupling device 10 assembled and configured as described above, the convex spherical shaft portion 21 formed on the inner member 20 is floatingly supported by the cushion member 30 that is compressed and held by the outer member 11. Therefore, the inner member 20 is in a state where it can swing in all three-dimensional directions with respect to the outer member 11.
In addition, since the cushion member 30 is compressed and deformed and accumulated, it is possible to avoid stretching and deforming beyond its elastic limit in the propagation of impact between the outer member 11 and the inner member 20. And effectively exerts its shock absorbing action. Furthermore, since the degree of fatigue when subjected to repeated impacts is suppressed, durability is also improved.

  In the present embodiment, since the plurality of recesses 34 are submerged in the outer peripheral surface of the cushion member 30, the area of the contact surface between the cushion member 30 and the outer member 11 is reduced, and the cushion member 30 and the outer member are reduced. Since the adhesive resistance (adhesive force) on the contact surface with the surface 11 is reduced, the spring constant in the rotational direction is reduced as compared with the case where the concave portion is not provided on the outer peripheral surface of the cushion member (conventional example). Moreover, the spring constants of the cushion member 30 in the axial direction and in the direction perpendicular to the axis need not be reduced.

  According to the embodiment, the following effects can be obtained.

(1) By immersing a plurality of recesses on the outer peripheral surface of the cushion member, only the spring constant in the rotational direction can be reduced as compared with the case where the recesses are not provided on the outer peripheral surface of the cushion member. Only the spring constant in the rotational direction of the shaft coupling device can be changed without reducing the spring constant in the axial direction and the direction perpendicular to the axis of the cushion member.

(2) By immersing a plurality of recesses on the outer peripheral surface of the cushion member, only the spring constant in the rotational direction of the shaft coupling device is changed without reducing the spring constant in the axial direction and the direction perpendicular to the axis of the cushion member. Therefore, it is possible to easily cope with a change in the specification of the spring constant in the three-dimensional direction of the shaft coupling device.

(3) Since a plurality of recesses are recessed on the outer peripheral surface of the cushion member, initial distortion in the operation of pushing the cushion member into the outer member can be reduced, so that the cushion member is assembled to the outer member. In addition to improving the performance, the quality and reliability of the shaft coupling device can be improved.

(4) Since the stress concentration can be prevented by forming the concave portion in a hemispherical hole shape, it is possible to prevent a decrease in the durability performance of the cushion member.

  Needless to say, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention.

For example, the concave portion is not limited to a hemispherical hole shape, but may be formed in a long groove 35 extending in the circumferential direction of the cushion member 30, such as a wavy groove shown in FIG. 4.
In this long groove 35 as well, it is desirable to prevent stress concentration by forming the bottom part in a semicircular cross section or by providing an R chamfered part.
The long groove 35 is not limited to the wave-shaped groove, but may be formed in an annular groove or the like.

  Further, the recess is not limited to be formed in a hemispherical hole shape, but may be formed in a cylindrical hole shape, a conical hole shape, a prismatic hole shape, a pyramidal hole shape, or the like.

  In the above-described embodiment, the case where the present invention is applied to the proximal end portion of the V rod has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and can be applied to both distal ends of the V rod and linear torque rods. The present invention can be applied not only to rear-wheel biaxial vehicles but also to rear-wheel uniaxial vehicles, and can be applied to shaft coupling devices in general used for other purposes.

It is a perspective view which shows the V rod in which the shaft coupling apparatus which is one embodiment of this invention was used. It is a plane sectional view showing the shaft coupling device which is one embodiment of the present invention. It is a perspective view which shows the composite_body | complex of an inner member and a cushion member. It is a perspective view which shows the composite of the inner member and cushion member of the shaft coupling apparatus which are other embodiment of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... V rod (V form torque rod), 2 ... Axle, 3 ... Frame,
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Shaft coupling apparatus, 11 ... Outer member, 12 ... Hollow part, 13 ... Stopper part, 14 ... Wedge-shaped annular groove, 15 ... Orthogonal surface part, 16 ... Inclined surface part, 17 ... Saddle curved surface part,
20 ... Inner member, 21 ... Convex spherical shaft part, 22 ... Connection part, 23 ... Fixing hole,
30 ... Cushion member, 31 ... Center part, 32 ... End part, 33 ... Side plate, 34 ... Recess, 35 ... Long groove (recess),
40 ... stopper ring, 41 ... orthogonal surface part, 42 ... inclined surface part.

Claims (3)

  A cushion member is interposed between an inner member and an outer member that are concentrically arranged with each other, and an accumulated state is created by compressing and deforming the cushion member, and the outer member of the cushion material The shaft coupling device is characterized in that a concave portion is formed on the contact surface.   2. The shaft coupling device according to claim 1, wherein the concave portion is formed in a hemispherical hole shape, and a plurality of the concave portions are arranged on the entire contact surface of the cushion member with the outer member.   The said recessed part is formed in the elongate groove | channel extended in the circumferential direction of the said cushion member, and several stripes are arranged in the contact surface with the said outer member of the said cushion member. Shaft coupling device.

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