Hitachi Automotive Systems Kyushu, Ltd.

Hitchi, Ltd.

Takahiro Kuroha

Hiromichi Komai

Yasutomo Mabe

Kenichi Sugiyama

Yasushi Akita

Hidekazu Aoki

Takayuki Yokota

Yoshimichi Takano

Masanori Oinuma

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.

A support device of a propeller shaft comprises an annular bracket fixed to a floor member of a vehicle body; an annular elastic member disposed in the annular bracket; an annular supporting structure disposed in the annular elastic member and rotatably supporting a cylindrical given portion of the propeller shaft through a ball bearing unit; and an annular seal member intimately disposed in an annular space defined between the annular supporting structure and the cylindrical given portion of the propeller shaft. One of outer and inner cylindrical surfaces of the annular seal member is in slidable contact with either one of an inner cylindrical surface of the annular supporting structure and an outer cylindrical surface of the cylindrical given portion of the propeller shaft. A rust-proofing member is further provided, which is disposed on either one of the inner cylindrical surface of the annular supporting structure and the outer cylindrical surface of the cylindrical given portion of the propeller shaft, to which the outer or inner cylindrical surface of the annular seal member directly and slidably contacts. The rust-proofing member is made of a rust-resistant material.

Support device for supporting propeller shaft and propeller shaft itself

Growing community of inventors

Atsugi, Japan

Takahiro Kuroha