Showa Corporation

Kazuhiro Iwano

Kazunobu Haneishi

Teiji Suka

Yoshio Hiraga

Masaru Naoi

Shinya Toita

A boot for a universal joint is constructed by a boot body and a boot adapter. The one end of the boot is fitted on a propeller inner shaft via its one-end fitting portion and the other end of the boot is fitted on the outer race of the universal joint via its other-end fitting portion, thereby substantially covering the universal joint. The foregoing one-end fitting portion has an annular lip portion at its end portion. Passages for flowing air between the inside of the boot and the outside of the boot are formed on the one-end fitting portion and the annular lip portion. The passages are closed by the annular lip portion being expanded in diameter outward by a centrifugal force caused by the high rotation of the propeller inner shaft, thereby preventing splashed water or muddy water from intruding into the boot when air is sucked into the boot.

Boot for universal joint

In a bracket mounting structure is disclosed for mounting a bracket holding a center bearing of a propeller shaft to a vehicle body member by bolts and nuts. The structure contains a bush collar formed in a cylindrical shape having a flange in an upper end, fitted to the bolts and fixed to the vehicle body member by the bolts and the nuts. It also contains a pair of upper and lower rubber bushes fitted to an outer periphery of the bush collar and gripping the bracket there-between, and a washer provided in a lower end of the lower rubber bush among the rubber bushes. An outer peripheral edge of a lower end of the bush collar extends all through an inner peripheral edge of the washer and is expanded outward in diameter.

Bracket mounting structure of propeller shaft

A middle portionof a fitting portionA of a bootfor a universal joint is fastened to a flange-like portionof a member to which the boot is attached and a front end portionto which communicating pathsA toA of the bootare opened is faced to a small diameter periphery portionfollowing one side of the flange-like portionof the member to which the boot is attached.

Mechanism for preventing intrusion of water or the like into boot for universal joint

A structure is disclosed for preventing water or the like from intruding in a boot for a universal joint which includes: a communication passage for communicating inner and outer portions of the boot, the communication passage being provided in an end surface of a fitting portion of the boot sealing a connecting space of the universal joint to a member to be mounted at a time of fitting and attaching one end portion of the boot to the member to be mounted, wherein a protruding shielding portion opposing to the end surface of the fitting portion is provided in a close attached portion of the end surface of the fitting portion of the boot in the member to be mounted.

Structure for preventing water or the like from intruding in boot for universal joint

A boot for a universal joint is constructed by a boot body and a boot adapter. The one end of the boot is fitted on a propeller inner shaft via its one-end fitting portion and the other end of the boot is fitted on the outer race of the universal joint via its other-end fitting portion, thereby substantially covering the universal joint. The foregoing one-end fitting portion has an annular lip portion at its end portion. Passages for flowing air are formed on the one-end fitting portion and its annular lip portion, respectively. The passages communicate with each other through an annular partial passage between both passages. The existence of the annular partial passage increases the flowing resistance of air between the inside and the outside of the boot to reduce the pressure fluctuation in the boot and to improve the effectiveness in preventing splashed water or muddy water from intruding into the boot along with the suction of air.

In a bracket mounting structure is disclosed for mounting a bracket holding a center bearing of a propeller shaft to a vehicle body member by bolts and nuts. The structure contains a bush collar formed in a substantially cylindrical shape having a flange in an upper end, fitted to the bolts and fixed to the vehicle body member by the bolts and the nuts. It also contains a pair of upper and lower rubber bushes fitted to an outer periphery of the bush collar and gripping the bracket there-between, and a washer provided in a lower end of the lower rubber bush among the rubber bushes. Outward protruding projections are provided in an outer peripheral edge of a lower end in the bush collar, and notches through which the projections can pass. Engagement portions with which the projections are engaged due to a relative rotation are provided in an inner periphery of the washer.

In a mounting structure of a boot ( ), a communication passage ( ) communicating a connection space ( ) with an external portion can be formed in a base portion ( A) of a boot adapter ( ) at least at an intermediate stage of being inserted and attached to an outer peripheral portion of a first member (an outer wheel ( A)) from an axial direction, and the connection space ( ) can be sealed by shutting a communication by the communication passage ( ) at least at a final stage of the insertion and attachment.

Boot mounting structure and method of mounting boot

A universal joint (,) is provided with a boot (,) which has one end fitted to the inner element (,) and the other end fitted to the outer element (,) so as to seal between the inner element (,) and the outer element (,). The boot (,) is constituted by a flexible boot main body (,) and an adapter (,). During fitting between the outer element (,) and the adapter (,), an inside of the boot (,) and the open air are communicated with each other via a communication passage formed by a communication groove (,) of the adapter (,), and pressure of air within the boot (,) is kept at the same pressure as that of the open air.

Universal joint

The invention provides a propeller shaft supporting structure where an annular supporting member obtained by connecting an inner ring and an outer ring to each other via an elastic member axially supports a propeller shaft through a center bearing at an inner side of the inner ring. In the propeller shaft supporting structure, a metal stopper piece formed in a simple cylindrical shape with no flange is press-fitted on the propeller shaft to abut on an inner race of the center bearing so as to position and fix the center bearing to an axially predetermined position. A thin annular metal plate is fixed to an inner peripheral portion of an annular rubber flange, and the annular metal plate is fitted on an outer periphery of an end portion of the stopper piece, thereby covering the opening of the inner ring with the flange.

Growing community of inventors

Tochigi, Japan

Kazuhiro Iwano