JPH0968233A - Constant velocity joint and its assembly - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a constant velocity joint easy in the assembly of a hollow shaft to a spline hole of an inner race and the assembly of a sealed plug in the hollow shaft. SOLUTION: A constant velocity joint is provided with an elastomer sealed plug 14 having a storage hole whose sectional shape of a part to be fitted to the inner side of a hollow part of a spline end part 12a of a hollow shaft 12 in the axial direction is straight, and a stopper insert 13 made of shape memory alloy consisting of an insert part 13a to be inserted into the seal plug storage hole and a coming-off preventing head part 13Q. The insert part 13a consists of a plurality of leg parts whose shape is stored as the shape in which at least a center part is swollen outwardly in the radial direction, while the shape of the coming-off preventing head part 13b is stored as the plate shape capable of being abutted on the end face of an inner race. Assembly is achieved after giving deformation to facilitate the assembly to the shape storage part, and the shape is restored after assembly.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an outer cup connected to one shaft, an inner race assembly to be mounted in the outer cup, and a spline end portion assembled in a spline hole of the inner race. The present invention relates to a constant velocity joint having the other shaft to be attached and a method for assembling the constant velocity joint.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A conventional constant velocity joint, for example, in a Barfield type constant velocity joint as shown in FIG.
An outer race 2 connected to one shaft 1 is fitted with an assembly of a cage 4 holding a ball 3 and an inner race 5, and a spline hole of the inner race 5 is fitted into a spline end portion of the other solid shaft 6. Was fitted and fixed.

Further, as a conventional example in which the shaft to be inserted into the spline hole of the inner race is a hollow shaft instead of the solid shaft, there is one described in JP-A-5-65678. In order to close the hollow inside of the shaft 7, a rubber sealing plug 8 having a shape as shown in FIG. 2 was press-fitted into a recess 9 formed on the inner surface of the hollow shaft.

[0004]

However, in any case, the connection between the spline hole of the conventional inner race and the spline end portion of the shaft is, as shown in FIG. 1, a peripheral portion near the tip end portion of the spline end portion. This is done by the spring ring 10 fitted in the direction groove 9. Due to the presence of this spring ring, it was difficult to assemble the spline end portion to the spline hole of the inner race.

Further, in the case of the hollow shaft, it was difficult to press fit the rubber sealing plug into the hollow inner surface.

Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to insert a shaft with spline ends into a spline hole of an inner race and, in the case of a hollow shaft, to insert a sealing plug into a hollow inner surface of a constant velocity joint and its assembly. There is a way to get it.

[0007]

In order to achieve this object, the constant velocity joint of the present invention is configured such that the shaft assembled to the inner race is a hollow shaft and is mounted in the internal space of the spline end of the hollow shaft in the axial direction. A stopper plug made of a shape memory alloy consisting of an elastomeric plug having a straight central hole with a cross-sectional shape, and a retaining head having an insert part inserted in the central hole of the plug in the central region. The insert portion is composed of a plurality of legs whose shape is memorized as a shape in which at least a central portion bulges outward in the radial direction, and the retaining head portion is capable of abutting against the end surface of the inner race. It is characterized in that the shape of the plate is stored in memory.

The method for assembling the constant velocity joint of the present invention is as follows.
An insert having a plate-shaped retaining head portion capable of abutting against the end surface of the inner race, and a plurality of legs protruding in the axial direction from the central region of the retaining head portion and having at least the center thereof bulging outward in the radial direction. The large diameter portion of the retaining head of the stopper insert made of a shape memory alloy consisting of the portion and the portion is bent outward in the axial direction to be deformed to have a diameter smaller than the diameter of the small diameter portion of the spline end of the hollow shaft, and In the deformed state in which the bulge outward in the radial direction of the insert part is eliminated and straightly extended, the deformed insert part is inserted into the accommodating hole of the elastomer sealing plug having the accommodating hole having a shape corresponding to the deformed straight shape, Attach the blocking plug with the stopper attached to the opening of the spline end of the hollow shaft,
Insert the spline end of the hollow shaft equipped with the sealing plug into the spline hole of the inner race, and then restore the deformed retaining head and insert of the retaining stopper to the original shape to make it hollow. It is characterized by comprising fixing the shaft to the inner race.

[0009]

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a caulking portion protruding inward in the radial direction is provided at the tip of the spline end of the hollow shaft, and a reduced diameter is provided at the outer end of the sealing plug. And a rim member made of a shape memory alloy, which has a shape memory so as to have an L-shaped cross section with a radial protrusion amount larger than the minimum diameter of the crimped portion, is attached around the reduced diameter portion, and the sealing is performed. Before the plug mounting step, the radially protruding portion of the rim member is bent inward in the axial direction and deformed so that the diameter of the large diameter portion formed by the rim member becomes smaller than the minimum diameter portion of the caulking portion. Good.

According to this embodiment, the sealing plug can be easily inserted into the internal space from the crimped portion at the tip of the spline end, and the retaining head portion and the insert of the retaining stopper after the sealing plug is inserted. The sealing plug is restored by restoring the parts and the rim member to their original shape.
The hollow shaft is securely fixed without coming out of the spline end portion, and the hollow shaft is reliably prevented from coming out of the inner race.

[0011]

The preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 3 shows a state in which a hollow shaft 12 is fixed to an inner race 11 of a constant velocity joint by a shape memory alloy stopper insert 13 according to the present invention and a closing plug 14.

The stopper insert 13 includes an insert portion 13a to be inserted into the central hole of the sealing plug, and a retaining head portion 13b having the insert portion 13a in the central region.
A member made of a shape memory alloy configured by

Insert portion 13a of stopper insert
Is composed of a plurality of legs, and these legs are memorized in a shape such that at least a central portion in the axial direction has a shape bulging outward in the radial direction. On the other hand, the accommodating hole 14a of the sealing plug 14 that receives this insert portion 13a
Is a hole having a diameter slightly smaller than the minimum diameter of the insert portion 13a.

The retaining head portion 13b of the stopper insert 13 has a spline end portion 12a of the hollow shaft 12.
The shape is memorized as a plate shape having a large-diameter portion having a diameter larger than the diameter of the large-diameter portion and capable of colliding with the end surface of the spline end portion 12a and the end surface of the inner race 11.

Spline end 12a of hollow shaft 12
A caulking portion 12b protruding inward in the radial direction is provided at the tip portion of the. Blocking plug 1 to be inserted into the spline end 12a
4 is provided with a reduced diameter portion 14b at the outer end thereof, and the reduced diameter portion 14b has a shape memory alloy rim member 15 having an L-shaped cross section.
Are separated from each other in the circumferential direction and embedded. This rim member 15
Can also have a continuous annular shape.

The amount of protrusion of the rim member 15 from the reduced diameter portion 14b outward in the radial direction is such that the diameter of an imaginary circle formed by the rim member 15 is larger than the minimum diameter of the crimp portion 12b.

The procedure for assembling as shown in FIG. 3 is shown in FIG. First, as shown in FIG. 4 (a), with respect to the stopper insert 13, eliminate the radial outward bulge of each leg of the insert portion 13 a of the stopper insert 13 whose shape is stored as shown in FIG. 3. In a straight shape, bend the retaining head portion 13b outward in the axial direction, and deform so that the large diameter portion is smaller than the diameter of the small diameter portion of the spline end portion of the hollow shaft, The insert portion 13a is used as the accommodation hole 14 for the closing plug 14.
Insert into a. Since the insert portion 13a is straightly deformed, this insertion is extremely easy.

Further, the reduced diameter portion 14b of the sealing plug 14
The radially outward protruding portion of the rim member 15 provided on the fold member is bent so as to be directed outward in the axial direction, and the diameter of the large diameter portion of the virtual circle formed by these rim members 15 is the tip of the spline end portion 12a of the hollow shaft. It is deformed so as to be smaller than the minimum diameter of the crimped portion 12b.

The stopper insert 1 thus deformed
4 is inserted inward from the tip of the spline end 12a of the hollow shaft in the direction of the arrow shown in FIG. 4 (a), and assembled as shown in FIG. 4 (b).

Next, as shown in FIG. 4 (c) by the arrow, the hollow shaft 12 fitted with the sealing plug shown in FIG. 4 (b) is attached to the tapered end side of the spline hole 11a of the inner race 11. Then, as shown in FIG. 4D, the retaining head 13b of the stopper insert 13 is projected from the end surface on the opposite side of the inner race 11.

After that, the shape memory alloy member deformed with the passage of time undergoes shape regression as shown in FIG.

By this shape regression, the insert portion 13a of the stopper insert 13 bulges outward in the radial direction and presses the sealing plug 14 from the center outward in the radial direction,
The outer surface of the closure plug 14 is crimped to the inner surface of the spline end 12a of the hollow shaft. Further, the rim member returns to the L-shape and collides with the inner surface of the caulking portion 12 inside the caulking portion 12b to prevent the spline end portion of the hollow plug of the sealing plug 14 from coming off from the hollow inner surface. Further, the retaining head portion 13b of the stopper insert 13 returns to a plate shape and the large diameter portion abuts against the end surface of the inner race 11 to prevent the hollow shaft 12 from coming off.

[0024]

According to the present invention, since the hollow shaft is attached to the spline hole of the inner race, the weight of the entire constant velocity joint can be reduced, and the shape memory alloy member attached to the elastomer sealing plug is modified. In this state, it is extremely easy to assemble the sealing plug inside the hollow shaft and the inner race of the hollow shaft into the spline hole, and reliably prevent the sealing plug and the hollow shaft from coming off due to shape regression. be able to.

Further, according to the present invention, it is possible to prevent the grease from flowing out into the inner space of the hollow shaft and fix the inner race at the same time. Further, according to the present invention, it is possible to obtain an effect that the machining of the annular groove for the spring ring at the spline end portion of the shaft and the machining of the sealing plug accommodating recess at the inner surface of the spline end portion of the hollow shaft are unnecessary.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a side view showing a partial cross section of a conventional constant velocity joint.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory view showing a conventional plug for a hollow shaft.

FIG. 3 (a) is a partial cross-sectional side view showing an assembly state of an inner race and a hollow shaft of a constant velocity joint according to the present invention, and FIG. 3 (b) is a front view of a stopper insert.

4 (a), (b), (c) and (d) are explanatory views showing each step of the method for assembling a constant velocity joint according to the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 11 Inner race 12 Hollow shaft 12a Spline end 12b Caulking section 13 Stopper insert 13a Insert section 13b Lockout head section 14 Blocking plug 14a Receiving hole 14b Reduced diameter section 15 Rim member

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. An outer cup connected to one shaft, an inner race assembly to be mounted in the outer cup, and the other shaft having a spline end portion to be assembled in a spline hole of the inner race. In a constant velocity joint, the shaft to be assembled to the inner race is a hollow shaft, and an elastomer sealing plug having an accommodating hole with a straight axial cross-section to be mounted in the internal space of the spline end of the hollow shaft, A stopper insert made of a shape memory alloy, which comprises a retaining head portion provided in a central region of an insert portion to be inserted into the accommodation hole of the sealing plug, and the insert portion has at least a central portion radially outward. It is composed of a plurality of legs that are memorized as a bulged shape, and Parts are constant velocity joint, characterized in that said by shape memory as abutment can plate shape on the end face of the inner race. 2. The hollow shaft is provided with a caulking portion projecting inward in the radial direction at a tip portion of a spline end portion thereof, and a reducing diameter portion is provided at an outer end portion of the sealing plug, and a periphery of the reducing diameter portion is provided. The constant velocity joint according to claim 1, wherein a rim member made of a shape memory alloy, which has a shape memory so as to have an L-shaped cross-section with a protruding amount in a radial direction larger than a minimum diameter of the crimped portion, is attached. 3. A method for assembling a constant velocity joint, comprising: inserting an inner race assembly into an outer cup connected to one shaft, and then assembling the other shaft having a spline end in a spline hole of the inner race. The shaft to be assembled to the inner race is a hollow shaft, and a plate-like retaining head portion that can collide with the end surface of the inner race, and an axially protruding portion from the central region of the retaining head portion, at least the center of which is the radial direction. Stopper of a shape memory alloy stopper insert consisting of an insert part having a plurality of outwardly bulged legs. The large diameter part of the head part is bent outward in the axial direction and the small diameter part of the spline end of the hollow shaft is bent. It is deformed to a diameter smaller than the diameter of the insert, and the bulge outward in the radial direction of the insert part is eliminated. In the deformed state extended to the rate, the deforming insert portion is inserted into the accommodating hole of the elastomeric sealing plug having the accommodating hole having a shape corresponding to the deformed straight shape, and the sealing plug with the retaining stopper assembled is attached. The hollow shaft is attached to the opening of the spline end, and the spline end of the hollow shaft with the sealing plug is inserted into the spline hole of the inner race. A method for assembling a constant velocity joint, characterized in that the hollow shaft is fixed to the inner race by returning the parts and the insert parts to their original shapes. 4. The hollow shaft is provided with a caulking portion projecting inward in the radial direction at a tip portion of a spline end portion thereof, and a reducing diameter portion is provided at an outer end portion of the sealing plug, and a periphery of the reducing diameter portion is provided. Attaching a rim member made of a shape memory alloy that has a shape memory so as to have an L-shaped cross section with a radial protrusion amount larger than the minimum diameter of the crimped portion, and before the sealing plug mounting step, The constant velocity according to claim 3, further comprising a step of bending a portion protruding in the radial direction inward in the axial direction and deforming the large diameter portion formed by the rim member so that the diameter of the large diameter portion becomes smaller than the minimum diameter portion of the caulking portion. How to assemble joints.