JP2676680B2 - Automotive propeller shaft - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to at least one cardan joint consisting of two joint forks and one joint cross portion connecting the two forks, and a tubular joint connected to one joint fork. And a propeller shaft end portion, the propeller shaft end portion being coupled to the one joint fork and exceeding a predetermined supporting force, the joint fork is directed toward an inner portion of the propeller shaft. It relates to a propeller shaft for driving the rear axle of a motor vehicle of the type coupled to a means for making it movable.

[0002]

2. Description of the Prior Art It is known to use synchronous rotary joints for joining both parts of a shaft in a propeller shaft whose areas are divided at appropriate points (not yet published German patent). No. 422420
1.0 specification). This patent specification proposes to prevent bending of the propeller shaft during a collision. Also, the drawbacks of synchronous rotary joints are high cost and relatively large weight.

[0003]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the invention to prevent a propeller shaft from entering the passenger compartment in the event of a collision in a segmented propeller shaft, both parts of which are connected to each other via a cardan joint. for,
To ensure that the bending of both parts of the propeller shaft is eliminated.

[0004]

Means for Solving the Problems In the means of the present invention taken to solve the above-mentioned problems, the movable means has a U-shape punched along the axial direction at the end of the propeller shaft. A joint fork and two protrusions formed on the joint fork for accommodating a joint cross, the U-shaped portion enclosing the joint fork and the protrusion together from the outside. Is to be connected to the U-shaped portion by deforming the U-shaped portion along the outer shape of the joint fork and the protruding portion.

[0005]

According to the present invention, at the time of a collision or a collision in which a vehicle in front is pushed, the entire cardan joint including both joint forks having joint joints is pushed into the pipe of the propeller shaft. Also, in this case, the bendability of the cardan joint is eliminated and the predetermined amount of energy is extinguished.

Since the entire cardan joint is prevented from its freedom of movement with respect to bending, bending of the segmented propeller shaft is reliably eliminated. Further, it is possible to eliminate a predetermined amount of energy based on the configuration of the joint portion between the propeller shaft and the cardan joint or the associated joint fork.

According to one embodiment of the propeller shaft according to the invention, at least one shear pin is additionally used for connecting the coupling fork and the end of the propeller shaft. From this, it is possible to preset the disengagement force of the joint fork in the pipe of the propeller shaft with a specific value by means of a shear strength suitable for the shear pin.

According to another embodiment of the propeller shaft according to the present invention, the joint fork includes:
The surface surrounded by the U-shaped part together with its protrusion is bounded by a circle in radial cross section. This allows the joint fork to be pushed into the shaft tube by force and thereby dissipate a relatively large amount of energy.

Furthermore, according to another embodiment, the inner diameter of the propeller shaft end located in the region connected to the joint fork is larger than the circle bounding the surface of the joint fork with the projection. Large size. For this reason, the energy to be extinguished is limited to the amount of energy generated in the U-shaped portion during the pushing of the joint fork. Such an arrangement is advantageous for some applications, for example, in the case of a car crash, which changes in response to the shock curve.

[0010]

The present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the illustrated embodiments. FIG. 1 shows a cross section of a cardan joint 12 for a joint arrangement according to the invention for joining two propeller shaft ends 1. One cylindrical propeller shaft end 1 comprises a U-shaped part 2 stamped into a U-shape along the axis at the end facing the joint.

As shown in FIG. 1, the joint fork 7 has a protrusion 1 along the axial direction at the propeller shaft end 1.
0, the surface of which is at least partially surrounded by a U-shaped portion located radially outward (FIGS. 1 and 2).

It is clear that a radially inward force acts on the U-shaped part 2, as indicated by the arrow in FIG.

In the joint for connecting the two propeller shaft ends 1 shown in FIG. 3, the inner diameter of the arranged shaft part 1 is the circle of the projection 10 arranged on the joint fork 7. It is set smaller than the inner diameter of the circumference. Such an arrangement limits the protrusion 10 of the coupling fork 7 from being pushed into its corresponding shaft part 1 in the event of a collision due to rollover, in which case a defined amount of energy is rubbed out. be able to.

In the configuration shown in FIG. 3, the U-shaped portion 2
However, the two tip portions extending in the axial direction parallel to each other are provided with two flanged portions 4 that are bent inward toward each other on both sides of the respective tip portions that are parallel to each other, and at the same time. The state where the joint fork 7 is gripped inward in the radial direction is shown. With such a configuration, high torque transmissibility between the U-shaped portion 2 and the joint fork 7 can be obtained.

FIG. 4 shows a longitudinal section of the arrangement of FIG.

FIG. 5 shows a construction in which the U-shaped part 2 of the propeller shaft end 1 is additionally connected by means of two shear pins 6, which shear pins are connected to the U-shaped part 2 as well as to the joint fork. It also engages with the protruding portion 10 of 7. This provides a joint fork 7 and a U-shaped part 2 when a collision force corresponding to the shear stress of the shear pin is produced.
The connection with and is disengaged and a condition occurs in which the joint fork 7 is pushed into the shaft part 1.

In the configuration shown in FIG. 6, an additional planned break 11 of the shear pin 6 is provided at the rear end of the projection 10 of the coupling fork 7.

FIG. 7 shows a joint of both propeller shaft ends, which is designed as a cardan joint according to the state of the art, in which the propeller shaft end 1 is welded to a joint fork 7. Are joined by. A second joint fork 9 is connected to the mating second shaft part 1 via a joint cross 3 forming a central bearing. In such a commonly used solution, there is a great risk that the propeller shaft will be bent or cut at the part of the cardan joint and will, for example, penetrate into the passenger compartment during a head-on collision.

[0019]

The advantage of the arrangement according to the invention is that during a head-on collision or a rear-end collision of the motor vehicle, the entire cardan joint consisting of both joint forks with joint crosses is pushed into the pipe of the propeller shaft without being bent. Since a certain amount of energy is lost, the risk of invading the passenger compartment of the vehicle and injuring passengers there is avoided.
Moreover, the foreseeable prescribed behavior of the cardan shaft, which occurs in the event of a shock, provides safety, albeit negative for the vehicle as a whole.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a U-shaped portion of a propeller shaft.

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of a U-shaped portion having a fitting fork fitted therein.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing a propeller shaft having a propeller shaft tube having an inner diameter smaller than the circumference of a U-shaped portion.

4 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the configuration of FIG.

FIG. 5 is a plan view of a propeller shaft coupled to a coupling fork via two shear pins.

6 is a vertical sectional view of the propeller shaft of FIG.

FIG. 7 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a joint portion of a propeller shaft according to a conventional technique.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Propeller shaft end part 2 U-shaped part 3 Joint cross part 4 Collar part 4 Fork hole 6 Fork hole 6 Shear pin 7 One joint fork 8 Weld joint 9 Other joint fork 10 Projection part 11 Expected break point 12 Cardan joint

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ───Continued from the front page (56) Bibliography Shou 60-139926 (JP, U) Suguru Kohei 5-8335 (JP, Y2)

Claims (5)

(57) [Claims] 1. At least one cardan joint (12) consisting of two joint forks (7, 9) and one joint cross (3) connecting both, and one joint fork (7). ) Connected to a cylindrical propeller shaft end (1), the propeller shaft end (1) being connected to the one joint fork (7) and having a predetermined supporting force. In a propeller shaft for the rear drive of a motor vehicle of the type in which the coupling fork (7) is coupled to a means for allowing it to move inwardly of the propeller shaft. At the end (1) of the propeller shaft, a U-shaped portion (2) punched along the axial direction and a joint fork (7) formed to accommodate the joint cross portion (3). Single protrusion (10) The U-shaped portion (2) surrounds the joint fork (7) and its projection (10) from the outside, and the joint fork (7) surrounds the U-shaped portion (2). A propeller shaft for an automobile, characterized in that the propeller shaft is connected to the U-shaped portion (2) by deforming along the outer shape of the fork and the protruding portion. 2. At least one shearing pin (6) is additionally used for joining the coupling fork (7) and the propeller shaft end (1). Item 1. The propeller shaft according to Item 1. 3. The surface of the coupling fork (7) surrounded by the U-shaped part (2) together with its protrusion (10) is bounded by a circle in radial cross section. The propeller shaft according to claim 1, which is characterized in that. 4. The inner diameter of the propeller shaft end (1), which lies in the area connected to the joint fork (7), of the circle bounding the surface of the joint fork with the projection (10). The propeller shaft according to claim 3, wherein the propeller shaft is formed to have a diameter smaller than that of the propeller shaft. 5. The inner diameter of the propeller shaft end (1) in the area connected to the joint fork (7) bounds the surface of the joint fork (7) with the projection (10). The propeller shaft according to claim 3, wherein the propeller shaft has a size larger than the circle.