JPH0571553A - Constant speed universal joint - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To transmit revolution at a constant speed even in case of low revolution speed by connecting the third supporting member with an input shaft and an output shaft through each spring, so that the crossing angle of the axis center of the input shaft for a standard axis line and the crossing angle of the axis center of the output shaft become equal each other. CONSTITUTION:The third supporting member 5 is connected so as to be relatively turnable around the second axis line 9 for the first and second supporting members 3 and 4, and the third supporting member 5 is connected with an input shaft 1 and an output shaft 2 through springs 13 and 14 so that the crossing angle of the axis center of the input shaft 1 for a standard axis line 15 and the crossing angle of the axis center of the output shaft 2 are made equal. Accordingly, revolution can be transmitted at an equal speed from the input shaft 1 to the output shaft 2, and the constant speed universal joint is used at a place having a restricted space. Further, a large torque can be transmitted, and revolution can be transmitted at an equal speed from the input shaft to the output shaft even in case of the low speed revolution.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a constant velocity universal joint capable of transmitting a large torque at a low speed.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As a universal joint for connecting an input shaft and an output shaft, a cardan joint for connecting a yoke attached to an end portion of an input / output shaft through a cross fitting is generally used. However, in the cardan joint, rotation cannot be transmitted at a constant speed unless the axes of the input shaft and the output shaft match. Therefore, when transmitting rotation at a constant speed using a cardan joint, as shown in FIG. 3, the input shaft 101 and the output shaft 104 are connected via a pair of cardan joints 103 and 105 and the intermediate shaft 102. ing. In this case, in order for the input shaft 101 and the output shaft 104 to have a constant speed, there are three conditions, that is, the cross fitting 10 of one of the cardan joints 103.
The relative rotation axis 102a of the intermediate shaft 102 with respect to 3a and the relative rotation axis 102b of the intermediate shaft 102 with respect to the cross fitting 105a of the other cardan joint 105 are parallel, and the input / output shafts 101, 104 and the intermediate shaft 102 are on the same plane. That is, it is necessary that the intersection angle α of the input shaft 101 and the intersection angle β of the output shaft 104 with respect to the intermediate shaft 102 be equal.

Further, as a constant velocity universal joint, there is a joint such as a bend disk type or a bar field type which connects an input / output shaft via a sphere.

Further, there is a constant velocity universal joint disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. 48-9657. This is the first frame and the second frame
And a guide member. The input shaft and the first top are connected so as to be rotatable relative to each other about a first axis orthogonal to the axis of the input shaft, and the first top and the second top are relatively rotatable about the second axis. The second shaft and the output shaft are connected so as to be relatively rotatable about a third axis orthogonal to the axis of the output shaft, and each axis passes through the intersection of the input and output axes. Is orthogonal to a plane including the first axis and the third axis. Thus, in the above-described structure in which the pair of cardan joints and the intermediate shaft connect the input and output shafts, the structure is the same as when the length of the intermediate shaft is 0, and the first and second constant velocity conditions are satisfied. It is supposed to be satisfied. Further, the guide member is formed into a ring shape having a peripheral groove on the inner circumference, and the first top is connected to the guide member so as to be rotatable along the peripheral groove and relatively rotatable about the second axis. And
By attaching a weight to the first top, the inertia moments of the universal joints generated around the axes of the input shaft and the output shaft are balanced. As a result, the third constant velocity condition in the structure in which the input / output shaft is connected by the pair of cardan joints and the intermediate shaft is satisfied.

[0005]

As shown in FIG. 3, an input shaft 102 and an output shaft 104 have a pair of cardan joints 103,
The structure that connects 105 and the intermediate shaft 102 cannot be adopted when the space of the connecting portion is limited.

A constant velocity universal joint that connects the input and output shafts via a sphere makes point contact at the connecting portion and cannot transmit a large torque.

In the constant velocity universal joint disclosed in the above publication,
Since the moment of inertia cannot be balanced unless the rotation speed becomes large to some extent, it was unsuitable for transmitting rotation at a low speed.

An object of the present invention is to provide a constant velocity universal joint which can solve the above-mentioned problems of the prior art.

[0009]

A feature of the present invention is a constant velocity universal joint for connecting an input shaft and an output shaft, the first supporting member, the second supporting member, and the third supporting member. And the input shaft and the first support member are coupled to each other so as to be rotatable relative to each other about a first axis orthogonal to the axis of the input shaft, and the first support member and the second support member rotate about the second axis relative to each other. The second support member and the output shaft are rotatably connected to each other about a third axis orthogonal to the axis of the output shaft, and each axis passes through the intersection of the input and output shafts. Axis is first
It is orthogonal to a plane including the axis and the third axis, and the third supporting member is connected to the first supporting member and the second supporting member so as to be rotatable relative to the first supporting member and the second supporting member around an axis passing through the intersection of the input and output axes, Set the axis of the input / output shaft as the reference axis when the axes of the input / output shafts match, and make sure that the angle of intersection of the axis of the input shaft and the angle of intersection of the axis of the output shaft with this reference axis are equal. ,
The third support member is connected to the input shaft and the output shaft via springs.

[0010]

According to the structure of the present invention, the input shaft and the first supporting member are connected to each other so as to be rotatable relative to each other about the first axis, and the first supporting member and the second supporting member are relatively rotatable about the second axis. The second support member and the output shaft are relatively rotatably connected to each other about the third axis. As a result, in the structure shown in FIG. 3 in which the input shaft and the output shaft are connected to the intermediate shaft via a pair of cardan joints, the structure is the same as when the length of the intermediate shaft is 0. Of the three conditions that the shaft and the output shaft are at the same speed, the two conditions that the relative rotation axis of the intermediate shaft to the cross fitting of each cardan joint is parallel and the input shaft and the output shaft are on the same plane Will be satisfied.

Further, the third support member includes the first support member and the second support member.
It is connected to the support member so as to be rotatable relative to the axis passing through the intersection of the input / output axis, and the axis of the input / output axis when the axes of the input / output axes match is used as the reference axis. The third member is connected to the input shaft and the output shaft via springs so that the crossing angle of the shaft center and the crossing angle of the output shaft are equal. This satisfies the condition that the crossing angles of the input and output axes with respect to the intermediate axis are equal in the structure shown in FIG.

[0012]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

The constant velocity universal joint shown in FIG. 1 is used, for example, when transmitting the rotation of the input shaft 1 interlocked with the steering wheel of the vehicle to the output shaft 2 interlocked with the power steering device. A support member 3, a second support member 4,
The third support member 5 is provided.

The first support member 3 has a cross shape and is connected to the input shaft 1 via a yoke 6 integrated with an end portion of the input shaft 1 so as to be relatively rotatable about a first axis 8. The first axis 8 passes through the intersection 7 between the input shaft 1 and the output shaft 2 and is orthogonal to the axis of the input shaft 1.

The second support member 4 has a ring shape and is connected to the output shaft 2 so as to be rotatable relative to the output shaft 2 about a third axis 11 via a yoke 10 which is integrated with an end portion of the output shaft 2.
The third axis 11 passes through the intersection 7 of the input shaft 1 and the output shaft 2 and is orthogonal to the axis of the output shaft 2.

The third support member 5 has a pair of outer arms 5a, a pair of inner arms 5b arranged inside both outer arms 5a, and a connecting body 5c for connecting the arms 5a, 5b. A first member is provided between the pair of inner arms 5b.
The support member 3 is disposed, and the tip of each inner arm 5b and the first
The support member 3 is connected to the support member 3 so as to be relatively rotatable around a second axis 9 passing through the intersection 7 of the input and output shafts. Further, each outer arm 5a is arranged inside the second support member 4, and the tip of each outer arm 5a and the second support member are connected so as to be relatively rotatable about the second axis 9.

The second axis 9 is the first axis 8 and the third axis 1.
It is assumed to be orthogonal to the plane including 1 and 1.

An arm 5d is provided on the connecting body 5c of the third support member 5, and an arm 6a is provided on the yoke 6 of the input shaft 1.
Is provided, and both arms 5a and 6a are connected by a spring 13. The arm 5d of the third support member 5 and the yoke 10 of the output shaft 2 are connected by a spring 14.

The third support member 5 by the springs 13 and 14
And the input / output shafts 1 and 2 are connected to each other when the input / output shafts 1 and 2 in the state where the input shaft 1 and the output shaft 2 are aligned with each other have the reference axis 15 as the reference axis. The crossing angle of the axis of the input shaft 1 with respect to 15 and the crossing angle of the axis of the output shaft 2 are made equal.

That is, as shown in FIG. 2, the input / output shaft 1,
On a virtual plane including the axis of No. 2 and the reference axis 15, the intersection angle of the input shaft 1 with respect to the reference axis 15 is α, and the intersection angle of the output shaft 2 with respect to the reference axis 15 is β. In this case, the intersection of the input shaft 1 and the output shaft 2 with respect to the reference axis 15 is the intersection 7 of the input / output shafts 1 and 2. In addition, the third support member 5
Rotates relative to the input / output shafts 1 and 2 about the second axis 9 that passes through the intersection 7, so that the third support member 5 and the reference axis 15 can be associated with each other. The third support member 5
A is the intersection of the reference axis 15 and the respective springs 13 and 14, and B is the intersection of the one spring 13 and the axis of the input shaft 1, and the other is the spring 14 and the axis of the output shaft 2. When the intersection point of is defined as C, the intersection points A, B, and C are on the same straight line, the distance between the intersection points A and B is equal to the distance between the intersection points A and C, and the intersection points 7 and B are By making the distance equal to the distance between the intersections 7 and C and the spring constants of the springs 13 and 14 to be equal, it is possible to always set α = β. In reality, the springs 13 and 14 are connected to the reference axis 15 and the input / output shafts 1 and 2, respectively.
Is arranged at a position apart from the axis center of the input / output shafts 1 and 2 and the third input / output shafts 1 and 2 so as to have a relation equivalent to that shown in FIG.
The support member 5 is connected via the springs 13 and 14.

According to the above structure, in the structure shown in FIG. 3 in which the input shaft and the output shaft are connected to the intermediate shaft via a pair of cardan joints, the same structure as that when the length of the intermediate shaft is set to zero. In addition, among the three conditions in which the input shaft and the output shaft are at the same speed, the relative rotation axis of the intermediate shaft to the cross fitting of each cardan joint is parallel, and the input shaft and the output shaft are on the same plane. The two conditions will be met. In addition, the third support member 5 includes the first support member 3 and the second support member 4
Is connected so as to be relatively rotatable about the second axis 9 with respect to
The third support member 5 includes springs 13 and 14 for the input shaft 1 and the output shaft 2, respectively, so that the intersection angle of the input shaft 1 and the output shaft 2 with respect to the reference axis 15 becomes equal. By connecting via the above, the condition that the intersection angle of the input / output shaft with respect to the intermediate shaft is equal in the structure shown in FIG. 3 is satisfied.

Therefore, according to the constant velocity universal joint having the above-mentioned structure, the rotation can be transmitted from the input shaft 1 to the output shaft 2 at a constant velocity without using the intermediate shaft, so that the constant velocity universal joint can be used in a place where the space is limited. It is suitable. In addition, a larger torque can be transmitted as compared with a constant velocity universal joint that transmits rotation via a sphere. Also, the input shaft 1 for the reference axis 15
Since it is not necessary to balance the inertia moments in order to equalize the intersection angle of 1 and the intersection angle of the output shaft 2, rotation can be transmitted at a constant speed from the input shaft to the output shaft even at low speed rotation.

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment. For example, in the above-described embodiment, the third support member is connected to the first support member and the second support member so as to be rotatable relative to the second axis. However, the third support member is rotatable relative to the axis passing through the intersection of the input and output axes. Just connect them.

[0024]

According to the constant velocity universal joint of the present invention, the torque transmitted from the input shaft to the output shaft is large, and the rotation can be transmitted at a constant speed even if the rotation speed is low.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a constant velocity universal joint according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory view of the operation of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is an operation explanatory view of a constant velocity universal joint according to a conventional example.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Input Shaft 2 Output Shaft 3 First Support Member 4 Second Support Member 5 Third Support Member 7 Intersection 8 First Axis 9 Second Axis 11 Third Axis 13, 14 Spring 15 Reference Axis

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A constant velocity universal joint for connecting an input shaft and an output shaft, comprising a first supporting member, a second supporting member and a third supporting member, wherein the input shaft and the first supporting member are input. The first support member and the second support member are connected so as to be relatively rotatable about a first axis line orthogonal to the axis of the shaft, the first support member and the second support member are connected for relative rotation about the second axis line, and the second support member and the output shaft are connected. Are connected so as to be relatively rotatable about a third axis orthogonal to the axis of the output shaft, each axis passing through the intersection of the input and output axes, and the second axis including the first axis and the third axis. And the third support member is connected to the first support member and the second support member so as to be rotatable relative to the first support member and the second support member about an axis passing through the intersection of the input and output shafts, and the axes of the input and output shafts are aligned. In this state, the axis of the input / output axis is the reference axis, and the angle of intersection of the axis of the input axis with this reference axis and the output A constant velocity universal joint characterized in that the third support member is connected to the input shaft and the output shaft via springs so that the intersecting angles of the shaft centers become equal.