JP2523671Y2 - Universal joint - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an improvement of a universal joint used for a transmission of an automobile and the like.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art For example, a shaft of a propeller shaft used between a transmission and a final reduction gear in a transmission of an automobile is rotated while allowing a vertical movement of a propeller shaft, as is well known. A universal joint is provided to transmit the power. The joint is formed by combining a pair of forked yoke members provided at ends of both shafts to be connected at right angles to each other, and inserting and fixing a cross-shaped spider via a bearing in a connection hole formed in the yoke member. Is often used. However, as shown in FIG. 5, a conventional spider 1 generally has a shaft 1 that intersects at right angles.
The length of the forked arms 2a, 2a of the yoke member 2
The length of each of the connecting holes 3a and 3b, which are formed by aligning the center of the spider 1 with each other, is set to reach each end of the connecting holes 3a and 3b. Even if the spider 1 is inserted while falling down, the diameters of the connection holes 2a and 2b, the intervals between the holes 2a and 2b, and the like must be made as large as necessary to incorporate the spider 1, resulting in transmission torque and strength. There is a disadvantage that the size becomes larger than the size.

In order to improve this, for example, Japanese Utility Model Application
There is a universal joint as disclosed in JP-A-163536 or JP-A-55-59817.
The former has a pair of bifurcated sockets (note: yoke members) each having a pin insertion hole formed in the corresponding piece with a substantially central portion fixed to the shaft, and pin insertion holes located in the corresponding four surfaces located in the bifurcated socket. And a pin that is inserted into the pin insertion hole of the forked socket to connect the forked socket to the forked socket. In the latter, the tip of a bifurcated arm of a yoke member supporting the cross shaft is divided and attached with bolts.

[0004]

However, in the above-mentioned Japanese Utility Model Publication, the former has a complicated structure, requires a lot of time for assembling, and is insecure in terms of strength, and the latter requires a large torque. There is a problem that strength is uneasy because the tip of the arm is divided. The present invention solves the above-described problems of the conventional universal joint, and provides a universal joint that is compact, easy to assemble with a spider, and that can eliminate the end face clearance (end float amount) between the spider and the bearing. It was devised for the purpose.

[0005]

According to the present invention, there is provided a universal joint for connecting a pair of yoke members by a cross-shaped spider, wherein a shaft portion of the spider is separated from a central portion thereof.
A knurling process is applied to the shaft base end, a circular hole is formed at the outer end of the spider center at which the knurled shaft base end is press-fitted, and a bearing having a zero end float amount is provided at the separated shaft end. The bearing is press-fitted into the connection hole of the yoke member while the knurled base end of the shaft portion is press-fitted into the circular hole at the center of the spider and joined.

[0006]

[Work] In the universal joint of the present invention having the above-described structure, first, the shaft portions 14 of the split-type cross-shaped spider 10,.
A bearing 18 is fitted to the distal end 14b of the shaft so that the needle 19 contacts the peripheral surface of the distal end 14b. Set to zero. Next, with one of the yoke members 11 having the connection holes 11b arranged in the vertical direction, the axis of the short arm 15 that faces the central portion 13 of the spider 10 in the vertical direction is on the axis of the connection hole 11b. In this state, the sub-assembled shaft portions 14 with the bearings 18 are pressed from above and below the connection hole 11b, and the knurling of the shaft portion 1 is performed.
7 into a circular hole (press-fit hole) 1 in the central portion 13.
Press into 5b. Similarly, the axis of the connection hole 12b is connected to the spider 10 in a state where the connection holes 12b formed on the other yoke member 12 in the arm portion 11a are arranged in a horizontal direction.
Of the sub-assembly from the left and right sides of the connection hole 12b, and press-fit the sub-assembled shafts 14 with bearings 18 from the left and right sides of the connecting hole 12b. The base end 14 a of the shaft portion 14, which has been subjected to the knurling 17, is pressed into the circular hole 15 b of the central portion 13.

[0007]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS In FIGS. 1 to 3, reference numeral 10 denotes a split type cross-shaped spider according to the present invention, reference numerals 11 and 12 denote yoke members, and connection holes 11b and 12b formed in fork arms 11a and 12a.
The cruciform spider 10 is connected via a bearing 18 to be described later. The split type cross-shaped spider 10 includes:
It is divided into a central part 13 and a shaft part 14. The central part 1
A short arm 15 is formed on the periphery of the shaft 3 so as to be perpendicular to each other, and a press-fit hole 15a into which a base end 14a described below of the shaft 14 is press-fitted and a grease supply hole 15b are formed in each of the short arms. The shaft portion 14 is subjected to a knurling process 17 around the flange 16 with the base portion 14a below the base portion 14a, and the shaft portion tip 14b above the flange 16 is precision machined to fit a bearing 18. ing. In addition, 14c is a grease supply hole. The bearing 18 is provided at the shaft end 14.
The needle 19 in contact with the periphery of b is supported in a retainer 20, and the retainer 20 is press-fitted into a connection hole 11a (12a) of the yoke member 11 (12) as described later. The retainer 20 has a concave groove 20a formed at the top, and after the press-fitting, a pressing plate 21 is inserted into the groove 20a and fixed to the yoke member 11 (12) with a bolt 22 to prevent rotation and slippage. In FIG. 4, reference numeral 23 denotes an application example of the central portion, in which the short arm 15 of the central portion 13 is removed, and press-fit holes 23a are formed in four places around the central portion.

The universal joint having the above structure is assembled as follows. That is, first, the tip 14b of the four shaft portions 14,... Of the split type cross-shaped spider 10
A bearing 18 having a seal 24 at an open end is fitted so that the needle 19 is in contact with the peripheral surface of the distal end 14b.
At this time, the inner surface (ceiling surface or bottom surface) of the retainer 20
And the gap between the shaft end 14b and the end face of the shaft end 14b is set to zero. Next, as shown in FIG.
In the state in which the connection holes 11b opened in a are arranged in the vertical direction, the central portion 13 of the spider 10 is disposed such that the axis of the short arm 15 facing in the vertical direction is on the axis of the connection hole 11b. In this state, as shown in FIG. 3, the sub-assembly (S
shaft assembly 14 with a bearing 18 that has been assembled
, And the base end 14 a of the shaft portion 14, which has been subjected to the knurling 17, is pressed into the press-fit hole 15 a of the central portion 13. Similarly, the axis of the connection hole 12b is aligned with the center portion 1 of the spider 10 in a state where the connection holes 12b formed in the other yoke member 12 in the arms 11a are arranged in a horizontal direction.
3 are aligned with the axes of the short arms 15 facing each other in the horizontal direction, and in this state, the sub-assembled shaft portions 14 with the bearings 18 from right and left of the connection hole 12b.
And the base end 14 a of the shaft portion 14, which has been subjected to the knurling 17, is pressed into the press-fit hole 15 a of the central portion 13.
The press-fitting is performed until the bottom surface of the concave groove 20a formed in the retainer 20 is flush with the end surface of the arm portion 11a or 12a of the yoke member 11 or 12. The holding plate 21 is inserted into the concave groove 20a of the retainer 20 press-fitted in this manner, and the end of the holding plate 21 is attached to the arms 11 of the yokes 11 and 12 by small bolts 22.
a, 12a.

[0009]

The universal joint according to the present invention is a universal joint for connecting a pair of yoke members with a cross-shaped spider, in which a shaft portion of the spider is separated from a central portion, and a knurling process is performed on a base end of the shaft portion. At the outer end of the center of the spider, a circular hole into which the knurled shaft base end is press-fitted is formed, and the bearing is fitted to the separated shaft portion tip with the end float amount being zero with the bearing fitted to the yoke member. Since the knurled base end of the shaft portion is press-fitted into the circular hole at the center of the spider and joined together while being pressed into the connection hole, the following effects are obtained. That is, (1) by separating at least two adjacent shaft portions of the spider from the central portion, a spider having a shaft diameter required for the universal joint can be easily assembled even if the two-face width of the yoke is reduced. As a result, the setting range of the transmission capacity and size of the universal joint can be widened, and the applicable range of the universal joint can be expanded. (2) The bearing can be pre-assembled on the shaft of the spider as a sub-assembly, so that the end float amount can be reduced to zero. (3) Since the shaft portion and the central portion are joined by a knurled shaft portion base end and a circular hole into which the base end is press-fitted, when configured as a universal joint, the state of the end float amount is zero. While keeping sure,
A universal joint superior in strength to a conventional assembly type can be obtained. (4) Since the spider is separated into the shaft and the center, it is not necessary to manufacture the spider by forging.The shaft can be manufactured from a round bar, and the center can be manufactured from a block material. .

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a partial longitudinal front view of the universal joint of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the universal joint of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an assembled state of the universal joint of the present invention to a yoke.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a modified example of the central portion of the universal joint of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is an assembled state diagram of a spider to a yoke in a conventional universal joint 10; split cross-shaped spiders 11 and 12; yoke members 11a and 12a; arms 11b and 12b; connecting holes 13; Coaxial portion 14a; Shaft base end 14b; Shaft tip 15; Central short arm 15a; Press-fit hole (circular hole) 17; Knurling 18; Bearing 19; Needle 20; Retainer 21;

Claims (1)

(57) [Scope of request for utility model registration] In a universal joint for connecting a pair of yoke members with a cross-shaped spider, a shaft portion of the spider is separated from a center portion, a knurling process is performed on a shaft base end, and an outer end of the spider center portion is provided. A hole is formed in the knurled shaft portion at which the base end is press-fitted, and the bearing is press-fitted into the connection hole of the yoke member while the bearing is fitted at the end of the separated shaft portion with no end float amount. A knurled base end of the shaft portion is press-fitted into a circular hole in a central portion of the spider and joined.