Hitachi Automotive Systems, Ltd.

Hitachi Automotive Systems Kyushu, Ltd.

Keigo Yoshida

Kazuya Matsumoto

Tadaharu Yokota

Hiromichi Komai

Norihiro Saita

Yoshimichi Takano

Satoshi Doi

Shinichi Kondo

Hideaki Aoki

An aluminum alloy propeller shaft including a tube made of an aluminum alloy, and a pair of yoke members made of an aluminum alloy, the yoke members including cylindrical base portions friction-welded to opposite end portions of the tube, each of the yoke members including a tip end portion having a pair of bearing retaining holes aligned with each other in a radial direction of the base portion. Variation in length between a central axis of the bearing retaining holes in one of the yoke members and a central axis of the bearing retaining holes in the other yoke member with respect to a reference length is set within a range of from +2.0 mm to &#x2212;2.0 mm. A friction welding process of producing an aluminum alloy propeller shaft, including a friction step, a position displacement detection step, a rotation stop step and an upset step.

Aluminum alloy propeller shaft and friction welding process thereof

In a universal joint, a cross shaft member includes four shaft parts forming a cross-shape. Each of four bearing cups corresponding respectively to the shaft parts has a hollow-cylindrical shape having a bottom and is rotatably mounted to the corresponding shaft part through a roller disposed between an inner peripheral surface of the each bearing cup and an outer peripheral surface of the corresponding shaft part. Each bearing cup includes an inner bottom surface in sliding contact with a distal end surface of the corresponding shaft part, wherein the sliding contact is in an annular region encompassing a central axis of the corresponding shaft part. The distal end surface of each shaft part is formed with an annular groove encompassing the central axis of the first shaft part for storing oil.

Universal joint and propeller shaft

A solenoid valve includes a solenoid coil, a yoke of magnetic material, an armature of magnetic material to move in an axial direction of the solenoid coil when the solenoid coil is energized, a plunger to be moved with the armature, a valve seat member including a seat portion formed with a valve hole to be closed and opened by a forward end portion of the plunger, and a coil spring which is disposed between a spring receiving portion of the plunger and the valve seat member, around the plunger. The plunger includes a pressure receiving portion (such as a flat portion) which extends in a radial direction of the plunger at a position between the forward end portion and the spring receiving portion of the plunger, and which faces to the seat portion.

Normally-open solenoid valve including plunger formed with pressure receiving portion

Growing community of inventors

Atsugi, Japan

Keigo Yoshida