JP4422565B2 - Propeller shaft for automobile - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an automobile propeller shaft.

As a propeller shaft for an automobile, as described in Patent Document 1, in a propeller shaft having a female member and a male member that are spline-fitted to each other, at least the female member is constituted by a hollow pipe, and a yoke of the female member is formed. In some cases, the diameter of the shaft portion on the side is made larger than the diameter of the large-diameter portion of the spline portion to create a step portion between the spline portion and the shaft portion. According to this propeller shaft, since the female member is formed of a hollow pipe and a step portion is formed between the spline portion and the shaft portion, the step portion is deformed or deformed when a strong impact is applied in the front-rear direction of the propeller shaft. It can break and absorb impact.
JP-A-8-226454

  In the automotive propeller shaft of Patent Document 1, the thickness of the step portion between the spline portion and the shaft portion of the female member is set to a constant ratio with respect to the thickness of the shaft portion in order to determine the impact load absorption characteristics. It is necessary to make it thinner and complicated.

  An object of the present invention is to make it possible to easily set impact load absorption characteristics in an automobile propeller shaft.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, a plurality of split shafts are connected by a constant velocity joint, an outer of the constant velocity joint is provided in a hollow pipe constituting one split shaft, and an inner of the constant velocity joint is provided in the other split shaft. In a propeller shaft for an automobile, an annular body into which an inner part of a constant velocity joint that moves in the event of a collision of the automobile is abutted and pushed is inserted into the hollow pipe. A straight portion that is sometimes positioned, and a throttle portion that reduces the diameter from the straight portion toward the side into which the annular body is pushed, and the inner pushes the annular body into the straight portion under the action of impact load at the time of collision, inner is configured to push the restrictor to the ring member under further action of the impact load, a dynamic damper wherein the ring body to absorb an impact load, dynamic Dan Has a weight, the weight is that so as to be interpolated held in the hollow pipe via the elastic body.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the present invention, the ring body is inserted into a hollow pipe via an elastic body, and an impact load is absorbed by a sliding resistance force of the elastic body. .

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the second aspect of the present invention, an elastic body is provided at a plurality of positions in the axial direction of the ring body.

  The invention of claim 4 is the invention according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the ring body is bonded and inserted into a hollow pipe, and an impact load is absorbed by an adhesive peeling force.

  The invention of claim 5 is the invention according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the ring body seals one end of the connection space of the constant velocity joint by sealing the hollow pipe.

(Claim 1)
(a) The annular body is pushed into the constricted portion of the hollow pipe and pressed from the radial direction, and the impact load applied in the axial direction of the annular body is dispersed and absorbed also in the radial direction. Adjusting the frictional sliding resistance force (including the initial adhesive peel force) when the annular body enters the throttle part of the hollow pipe by setting the amount of diameter reduction provided in the throttle part of the hollow pipe into which the annular body is pushed, The impact load absorption characteristics of the shaft can be set easily.

(Claims 2 and 3)
(b) By changing the material, shape, number, etc. of the elastic body provided on the outer periphery of the ring body, the elastic friction sliding resistance force of the elastic body can be adjusted, and the impact load absorption characteristics of the propeller shaft can be set easily. .

(Claim 4)
(c) By changing the material of the adhesive provided on the outer periphery of the ring body, the adhesive peeling force can be adjusted, and the impact load absorption characteristics of the propeller shaft can be easily set.

(Claim 5)
(d) Since the ring also serves as a seal member that seals one end of the connection space of the constant velocity joint by sealing the hollow pipe, the oil and grease lubrication performance of the constant velocity joint without using a dedicated seal member such as a seal cap Can be easily maintained.

(Claim 1 )
(e) As the impact load absorbing member described in (a) above, a dynamic damper that reduces vibration of the propeller shaft and reduces vehicle body vibration and noise can also be used. The dynamic damper can be disposed in the vicinity of the constant velocity joint (bent portion) in the propeller shaft, and has a high vibration reducing effect on the propeller shaft.

1 is an overall view showing a propeller shaft for an automobile according to Reference Example 1, FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of a main part of FIG. 1, FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing an initial collision state, and FIG. 5 is an overall view showing a propeller shaft for an automobile according to the first embodiment, FIG. 6 is an enlarged view of a main part of FIG. 5, FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing an initial collision state, and FIG.

( Reference Example 1) (FIGS. 1 to 4)
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the propeller shaft 10 for an automobile is composed of two shaft members divided into a rear divided shaft 11 and a front divided shaft 12, and the divided shafts 11, 12 are connected to a constant velocity joint (slide joint). Double joint) 20 is connected. The rear end portion of the rear split shaft 11 is connected to a connection yoke 15 connected to a differential gear via a universal joint 14, and the front end portion of the front side split shaft 12 is connected to the engine side via a universal joint 16. It is connected with a connecting yoke 17 connected to the output shaft of the transmission. A shaft stub 22 described later of the constant velocity joint 20 is supported by the center bracket 19 via a center bearing 18 and a rubber-like elastic member 18A.

  In the propeller shaft 10, a cylindrical outer 21 of the constant velocity joint 20 is connected to one end of a hollow pipe 12 </ b> A constituting one split shaft 12 by friction welding. A shaft stub 22 of the constant velocity joint 20 is connected to one end of the other split shaft 11, and a shaft-like inner 23 is provided at the tip of the shaft stub 22. The roller 24 loaded in the tripod 23 </ b> B provided in the inner 23 is configured to be fitted into a groove 21 </ b> A provided in the outer 21.

  The constant velocity joint 20 seals the connection space (grease filling chamber) 30 between the outer 21 and the inner 23 by using a boot adapter 31 made of a metal thin plate and a boot 32 made of a rubber-like elastic body, and the rolling slide of the roller 24 is performed. Grease for improving the mobility and wear resistance is enclosed in the connection space 30. That is, the base 31A of the boot adapter 31 is tightly inserted and fixed around the sealing member 33 such as an O-ring provided on the outer periphery of the outer 21, and one end of the boot 32 is fixed to the tip of the boot adapter 31. The fitting portion 32A, which is the other end portion of the boot 32, is tightly fitted to the portion 31B and is closely fitted to the outer circumferential fitting portion 23A of the inner 23, and is fixed by the boot band 34. Yes.

  However, in the propeller shaft 10, the ring body 40 into which the shaft end of the inner 23 of the constant velocity joint 20 that moves at the time of a collision of the automobile collides and is pushed is inserted into the hollow pipe 12 </ b> A and the outer 21 of the split shaft 12. .

  At this time, the propeller shaft 10 includes a throttle portion 12B that reduces the inner diameter of the hollow pipe 12A toward the side into which the ring body 40 is pushed. In the hollow pipe 12A of the present embodiment, the portion where the annular body 40 is located in the normal use state of the propeller shaft 10 is a straight portion, and the throttle portion 12B is provided on the side of the straight portion. However, the hollow pipe 12 </ b> A may include the throttle portion 12 </ b> B from the portion where the ring body 40 is located in the normal use state of the propeller shaft 10.

  The ring body 40 is a bottomed cylindrical body having an opening at one end, and elastic bodies 41 and 42 made of belt-shaped rubber rings are attached to two axial positions on the outer periphery on the opening side, and the rubber ring is attached to the outer periphery on the bottom 40A side. An elastic body 43 is attached. The ring body 40 is press-fitted into the hollow pipe 12A and the outer 21 such that the elastic bodies 41 and 42 are sandwiched between the inner periphery of the hollow pipe 12A and the elastic body 43 is sandwiched between the inner periphery of the outer 21. Being held. The elastic bodies 41 and 42 may be sandwiched and bonded to the inner periphery of the hollow pipe 12A. Further, the ring body 40 may be housed in only one of the hollow pipe 12A and the outer 21 and press-fitted and held.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the ring body 40 is held at a position through the fixed distance a between the bottom portion 40 </ b> A of the ring body 40 and the shaft end of the inner 23 in the normal use state of the propeller shaft 10.

The shock load absorbing operation of the propeller shaft 10 is as follows.
(1) When an impact load is applied along the axial direction of the propeller shaft 10 at the time of a car collision, the split shaft 11 moves relative to the split shaft 12 in the contracting direction, and the shaft end of the inner 23 rotates as shown in FIG. It comes into contact with the bottom 40A of the body 40.

  (2) After the passage of the above (1), the inner 23 pushes the ring body 40 into the straight portion of the hollow pipe 12A under the action of an impact load. The impact load pushes the ring body 40 into the straight portion of the hollow pipe 12A together with the elastic bodies 41 and 42, and the sliding resistance force and adhesive peeling force of the elastic bodies 41 and 42 against the hollow pipe 12A absorb and relax the impact load. .

  (3) After the passage of the above (2), the inner 23 pushes the ring body 40 into the throttle portion 12B of the hollow pipe 12A as shown in FIG. 4 under the further action of the impact load. As for the impact load, the ring body 40 is pushed together with the elastic bodies 41 and 42 into the throttle portion 12B of the hollow pipe 12A, and the drawing resistance force, the sliding resistance force and the adhesive peeling force of the elastic bodies 41 and 42 against the throttle portion 12B of the hollow pipe 12A. Absorbs and reduces impact load.

  The ring body 40 seals the hollow pipe 12 </ b> A and the outer 21 by the bottom portion 40 </ b> A and the elastic body 43, and seals one end of the connection space 30 of the constant velocity joint 20.

  In addition, the propeller shaft 10 is provided with a dynamic damper 50 at an intermediate portion in the axial direction of the hollow pipe 12 </ b> A constituting the split shaft 12. The dynamic damper 50 is press-fitted into the hollow pipe 12A and is fixedly disposed, reduces vibration of the propeller shaft 10, and reduces vehicle body vibration and noise.

According to this reference example , the following operational effects are obtained.
(a) The ring body 40 is pushed into the constricted portion 12B of the hollow pipe 12A and pressed from the radial direction, and the impact load applied in the axial direction of the ring body 40 is also dispersed and absorbed in the radial direction. Friction sliding resistance force when the ring body 40 sinks into the narrowed portion 12B of the hollow pipe 12A (such as initial adhesive peeling force) by appropriately setting the diameter reduction amount provided in the narrowed portion 12B of the hollow pipe 12A into which the ring body 40 is pushed. The impact load absorption characteristics of the propeller shaft 10 can be easily set.

  (b) By changing the material, shape, number, and the like of the elastic bodies 41, 42 provided on the outer periphery of the ring body 40, the elastic friction sliding resistance force of the elastic bodies 41, 42 is adjusted, and the impact of the propeller shaft 10 Load absorption characteristics can be set and adjusted easily.

  (c) By changing the material, strength, and the like of the adhesive provided on the outer periphery of the ring body 40, the adhesive peeling force can be adjusted, and the initial sliding characteristic in the impact load absorption characteristic of the propeller shaft 10 can be easily set.

  (d) Since the annular body 40 also serves as a seal member that seals the hollow pipe 12A and seals one end of the connection space 30 of the constant velocity joint 20, a constant velocity joint can be used without using a dedicated seal member such as a seal cap. The oil / fat lubrication performance of 20 can be easily maintained.

  The ring body 40 may be directly inserted into the hollow pipe 12A without using an elastic body. At this time, the ring body 40 may be inserted and held in the hollow pipe 12A by press-fitting, by bonding, or by a combination of press-fitting and bonding.

Example 1 (FIGS. 5 to 8)
As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the propeller shaft 10 for an automobile is composed of two shaft members divided into a rear divided shaft 11 and a front divided shaft 12, and the divided shafts 11 and 12 are connected to a constant velocity joint (slide joint). Double joint) 20 is connected. The rear end portion of the rear split shaft 11 is connected to a connection yoke 15 connected to a differential gear via a universal joint 14, and the front end portion of the front side split shaft 12 is connected to the engine side via a universal joint 16. It is connected with a connecting yoke 17 connected to the output shaft of the transmission. A shaft stub 22 described later of the constant velocity joint 20 is supported by the center bracket 19 via a center bearing 18 and a rubber-like elastic member 18A.

  In the propeller shaft 10, a cylindrical outer 21 of the constant velocity joint 20 is connected to one end of a hollow pipe 12 </ b> A constituting one split shaft 12 by friction welding. A shaft stub 22 of the constant velocity joint 20 is connected to one end of the other split shaft 11, and a shaft-like inner 23 is provided at the tip of the shaft stub 22. The roller 24 loaded in the tripod 23 </ b> B provided in the inner 23 is configured to be fitted into a groove 21 </ b> A provided in the outer 21.

  The constant velocity joint 20 seals the connection space (grease filling chamber) 30 between the outer 21 and the inner 23 by using a boot adapter 31 made of a metal thin plate and a boot 32 made of a rubber-like elastic body, and the rolling slide of the roller 24 is performed. Grease for improving the mobility and wear resistance is enclosed in the connection space 30. That is, the base 31A of the boot adapter 31 is tightly inserted and fixed around the sealing member 33 such as an O-ring provided on the outer periphery of the outer 21, and one end of the boot 32 is fixed to the tip of the boot adapter 31. The fitting portion 32A which is the other end portion of the boot 32 is tightly fitted to the outer circumferential fitting portion 23A of the inner 23 and is fixedly attached by the boot band 34. .

  However, the propeller shaft 10 has the dynamic damper 50 inserted in the hollow pipe 12 </ b> A of the split shaft 12. The dynamic damper 50 reduces the vibration of the propeller shaft 10, reduces vehicle body vibration and noise, and impacts the shaft end of the inner joint 23 of the constant velocity joint 20 that moves relative to each other at the time of a car collision collide and are pushed. Also functions as a load absorbing member.

  At this time, the propeller shaft 10 includes a throttle portion 12B that reduces the inner diameter of the hollow pipe 12A toward the side into which the dynamic damper 50 is pushed. In the hollow pipe 12A of the present embodiment, a portion where the dynamic damper 50 is located in a normal use state of the propeller shaft 10 is a straight portion, and a throttle portion 12B is provided on the side of the straight portion. However, the hollow pipe 12A may include the throttle portion 12B from the portion where the dynamic damper 50 is located in the normal use state of the propeller shaft 10.

  The dynamic damper 50 is press-fitted into the predetermined position in the axial direction in the hollow pipe 12 </ b> A of the split shaft 12 and is fixedly disposed. The dynamic damper 50 includes an outer pipe 51, a weight 52, and an elastic body 53. Between the outer pipe 51 made of a metal pipe such as a thin steel pipe and a weight 52 made of a solid metal bar such as a steel bar, rubber or the like is formed. The elastic body 53 is loaded and integrated. In the dynamic damper 50, an elastic body 61 made of a belt-like rubber ring is attached to the outer periphery of the outer pipe 51. The dynamic damper 50 holds the elastic body 61 between the inner periphery of the hollow pipe 12A and is pressed into the hollow pipe 12A to be held. The elastic body 61 may be sandwiched and bonded to the inner periphery of the hollow pipe 12A.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the dynamic damper 50 is held at a position where the weight 52 of the dynamic damper 50 is between the shaft end of the inner 23 and a predetermined distance a in a normal use state of the propeller shaft 10. In the hollow pipe 12 </ b> A, the weight 52 of the dynamic damper 50 is arranged coaxially with the inner 23, and the weight 52 has a larger diameter than the inner 23.

The shock load absorbing operation of the propeller shaft 10 is as follows.
(1) When an impact load is applied along the axial direction of the propeller shaft 10 during a car collision, the split shaft 11 moves in the contraction direction with respect to the split shaft 12, and the shaft end of the inner 23 is a dynamic damper as shown in FIG. 50 hits 52 weights.

  (2) After the above (1), the inner 23 pushes the dynamic damper 50 into the straight portion of the hollow pipe 12A under the action of impact load. The impact load pushes the dynamic damper 50 into the straight portion of the hollow pipe 12A together with the elastic body 61, and the sliding resistance force and adhesive peeling force of the elastic body 61 against the hollow pipe 12A absorb and relax the impact load.

  (3) After the passage of the above (2), the inner 23 pushes the dynamic damper 50 into the throttle portion 12B of the hollow pipe 12A as shown in FIG. As for the impact load, the dynamic damper 50 is pushed together with the elastic body 61 into the throttle portion 12B of the hollow pipe 12A, and the drawing resistance force, sliding resistance force and adhesive peeling force of the elastic body 61 against the throttle portion 12B of the hollow pipe 12A absorb the impact load. It will ease.

  The dynamic damper 50 seals the hollow pipe 12 </ b> A and the outer 21, and seals one end of the connection space 30 of the constant velocity joint 20. However, the dynamic damper 50 may be one in which the weight 52 is a hollow metal rod (the outer diameter of the weight 52 is larger than the inner 23 and the hollow hole diameter of the weight 52 is smaller than the inner 23).

According to the present embodiment, the following operational effects can be obtained.
(a) The dynamic damper 50 is pushed into the constricted portion 12B of the hollow pipe 12A and pressed from the radial direction, and the impact load applied in the axial direction of the dynamic damper 50 is also dispersed and absorbed in the radial direction. The frictional sliding resistance force (when the initial adhesive peel force is also applied) when the dynamic damper 50 sinks into the throttle portion 12B of the hollow pipe 12A, for example, by appropriately setting the diameter reduction provided in the throttle portion 12B of the hollow pipe 12A into which the dynamic damper 50 is pushed. The impact load absorption characteristics of the propeller shaft 10 can be easily set.

  (b) By changing the material, shape, number, etc. of the elastic body 61 provided on the outer periphery of the dynamic damper 50, the elastic friction sliding resistance force of the elastic body 61 is adjusted, and the impact load absorption characteristics of the propeller shaft 10 are adjusted. Easy to set.

  (c) By changing the material adhesive force of the adhesive provided on the outer periphery of the dynamic damper 50, the adhesive peeling force can be adjusted, and the impact load absorption characteristics of the propeller shaft 10 can be easily set.

  (d) Since the dynamic damper 50 also functions as a sealing function for sealing the hollow pipe 12A and sealing one end of the connection space 30 of the constant velocity joint 20, a constant velocity joint can be used without using a dedicated sealing member such as a seal cap. The oil / fat lubrication performance of 20 can be easily maintained.

  (e) As the impact load absorbing member of (a) described above, a dynamic damper that reduces vibration of the propeller shaft 10 and reduces vehicle body vibration and noise can be used. The dynamic damper can be disposed in the vicinity of the constant velocity joint 20 (bent portion) in the propeller shaft 10 and exerts a high vibration reducing action on the propeller shaft 10.

  The dynamic damper 50 may be directly inserted into the hollow pipe 12A without using an elastic body. At this time, the dynamic damper 50 may be inserted and held in the hollow pipe 12A by press-fitting, by bonding, or by a combination of press-fitting and bonding. Further, the inner elastic body 53 and the outer elastic body 61 may be integrally formed without using the outer pipe 51 to form a simple vibration damping member, or the weight 52 may be integrally formed with an elastic body.

  The embodiment of the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the drawings. However, the specific configuration of the present invention is not limited to this embodiment, and even if there is a design change or the like without departing from the gist of the present invention. It is included in the present invention.

FIG. 1 is an overall view showing a propeller shaft for an automobile of Reference Example 1. FIG. FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of a main part of FIG. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing an initial collision state. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing the final state of the collision. FIG. 5 is an overall view showing the propeller shaft for an automobile according to the first embodiment. 6 is an enlarged view of a main part of FIG. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing an initial collision state. FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view showing the final state of the collision.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Propeller shaft 11, 12 Split shaft 12A Hollow pipe 12B Restriction part 20 Constant velocity joint 21 Outer 23 Inner 30 Connection space 40 Ring
61 Elastic body 50 Dynamic damper 52 Weight 53 Elastic body

Claims (5)

In a propeller shaft for an automobile in which a plurality of split shafts are connected by a constant velocity joint, an outer of the constant velocity joint is provided in a hollow pipe constituting one split shaft, and an inner of the constant velocity joint is provided in the other split shaft.
An inner ring of a constant velocity joint that moves at the time of a car collision collides and is pushed into the hollow pipe,
The inner diameter of the hollow pipe includes a straight portion where the ring body is normally positioned, and a throttle portion that reduces the diameter from the straight portion toward the side into which the ring body is pushed,
The inner is pushed into the straight part under the action of the impact load at the time of collision, and the inner is pushed into the throttle part under the further action of the impact load ,
The annulus is a dynamic damper that absorbs impact load;
A dynamic damper has a weight, and the weight is inserted and held in a hollow pipe through an elastic body .   The propeller shaft for an automobile according to claim 1, wherein the ring body is inserted into a hollow pipe via an elastic body and absorbs an impact load by a sliding resistance force of the elastic body.   The propeller shaft for an automobile according to claim 2, wherein an elastic body is provided at a plurality of positions in the axial direction of the ring body.   The propeller shaft for an automobile according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the ring body is bonded and inserted into a hollow pipe and absorbs an impact load by an adhesive peeling force.   The propeller shaft for automobiles according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the ring body seals one end of a connection space of a constant velocity joint by sealing a hollow pipe.

Images