Hitachi Automotive Systems, Ltd.

Hitachi Automotive Systems Kyushu, Ltd.

Kenichi Sugiyama

Yasutomo Mabe

Hiromichi Komai

Takahiro Kuroha

Yasushi Akita

Toshiyuki Masuda

Xiaojin Zhu

Daiki Tsutsumi

A power transmission shaft is interposed between a first shaft section and a second shaft section. The power transmission shaft comprises: a cylindrical section rotated integrally with a shaft section and formed cylindrically; a through hole disposed in the cylindrical section and penetrated radially with respect to a rotational axial line, each of a pair of vehicle side rotational shaft sections having an engagement groove disposed on an outer peripheral side of the pair of vehicle side rotational shaft sections and extended in a direction around the rotational axial line and the engagement groove being exposed from the through hole; and a retaining ring (circlip) disposed to enclose at least a portion of the outer peripheral side of the cylindrical section, a portion of the retaining ring being inserted into the through hole from the outer peripheral side of the cylindrical section and being engaged with the engagement groove.

Power transmission shaft

A power transmission shaft comprises a shaft unit interposed between first and second shafts; an engaged portion provided on one end of the second shaft and having an annular stepped part provided between a smaller diameter portion and a larger diameter portion; and an engaging portion provided on one end of the shaft unit and joinable with the engaged portion to rotate together about a common rotation axis, wherein the engaging portion comprises a cylindrical base portion that rotates together with the shaft unit, an elastically shrinkable cylindrical portion that is provided on one axial end of the cylindrical base portion to project toward the engaged portion and catching pawls that are provided by the elastically shrinkable cylindrical portion and latchingly engageable with the annular stepped part when the engaged portion and the engaging portion are coaxially arranged and joined with each other.

A propeller shaft includes a shaft section connected between an input shaft and an output shaft via respective constant velocity joints, wherein the input shaft is connected to a drive source of a vehicle, and the output shaft is connected to driving wheels. The constant velocity joint includes a circlip-restricting surface to engage with a circlip provided in an outer peripheral surface of the input or output shaft, for restricting movement of the first or second shaft in an axial direction. The circlip-restricting surface is implemented by a first inclined surface and a second inclined surface, wherein the second inclined surface is closer to a rotational axis of the shaft section, and wherein the first inclined surface has an acute angle with respect to the axial direction, and the second inclined surface has a smaller angle with respect to the axial direction.

Propeller shaft

The first constant-velocity joint has an inner ring member, an outer ring member housing the inner ring member, and balls, which are installed in raceway grooves formed at prescribed intervals in a circumferential direction in the outer ring member and which extend along an axial direction, for transmitting rotational torque between the inner ring member and the outer ring member. Furthermore, the constant-velocity joint is formed so that one of the inner ring member and the outer ring member connects to an attaching member installed to a vehicle side with a spline, and so that the other of them connects to a power transmission shaft. In outside wall of the outer ring member, an engagement groove is formed so as to engage with an engagement member applied to connection or release thereof in a range avoiding positions corresponding to the raceway grooves in an axial direction or a circumferential direction.

Propeller shaft and constant-velocity joint used in said propeller shaft

A propeller shaft is proposed which comprises an outer cylindrical member formed with a sleeve portion that has a splined cylindrical inner wall with which a splined cylindrical outer wall of a shaft is engaged; an inner cylindrical member installed in the outer cylindrical member; a torque transmitting unit through which a torque is transmitted from the outer cylindrical member to the inner cylindrical member; and a connecting mechanism that, upon engagement of the splined cylindrical outer wall with the splined cylindrical inner wall, effects an axial and relative positioning between the shaft and the outer cylindrical member while establishing a detachable connection therebetween.

Propeller shaft and constant velocity universal joint used therein

A propeller shaft is proposed which comprises an inner cylindrical member that has a center through bore into which a shaft is inserted; an outer cylindrical member disposed around the inner cylindrical member; a torque transmitting unit operatively disposed between the inner and outer cylindrical members; a sleeve member coaxially connected to the center through bore of the inner cylindrical member; a boot unit arranged to hermetically close one open side of an interior of the outer cylindrical member; and a positioning mechanism that effects a relative axial positioning between the shaft and the inner cylindrical member when a splined cylindrical outer wall of the shaft is inserted through the sleeve member into a given position of a splined cylindrical inner wall of the center through bore of the inner cylindrical member.

Growing community of inventors

Atsugi, Japan

Kenichi Sugiyama