Gkn Automotive Gmbh

Gkn Automotive Components, Inc.

Werner Krude

Daniel W Hazebrook

A constant velocity universal joint for transmitting driving torque between rotative members, such universal joint including a hub fixed to one of the rotative members and an outer joint member attached to the hub, an inner joint member attached to another one of the rotative members and a ball containing cage positioned between the outer joint member and the inner joint member. The balls are engaged in ball races positioned in the outer joint member and in the inner joint member. The ball races are sloped so as to provide maximum material at the location of highest stress, the major ball races being of the undercut free design.

Constant velocity universal joint having high stress resistance

A continuously variable transmission system having a fixed variable diameter pulley connected by a drive belt to at least one other pulley. A tensioner pulley maintains the tension on the drive belt within predetermined limits as the effective diameter of the variable diameter pulley changes. The effective diameter of the variable diameter pulley is determined by a balance between a resilient force biasing a plurality of belt engaging members in a predetermined direction and a radial force acting on the plurality of belt engaging members in the opposite direction. In a first embodiment, the resilient force biases the plurality of belt engaging members outwardly and the radial forces are generated by displacing the tensioner pulley to increase the tension on the drive belt. In an alternate embodiment, the plurality of belt engaging members are biased inwardly by a resilient force and are displaced outwardly by centrifugal forces.

Continuously variable transmission system having a variable diameter

An independent wheel suspension system having a differential with an output axis therethrough, the differential being coupled to a transverse support tube pivotable about a transverse axis therethrough and by an inboard constant velocity universal joint to a wheel assembly, the wheel assembly being coupled by an arm to a torsion rod carried by the transverse support tube and pivotable about a swing axis through the inboard constant velocity universal joint, whereby the differential is adapted to pivot relative to each of the output, the transverse and the swing axes.

Independent wheel suspension system using thrust bearing constant

A continuously variable transmission having a variable diameter pulley assembly. The variable diameter pulley assembly has an array of belt engaging elements arranged in a circular pattern having a diameter variable as a function of the relative rotational orientation of supporting inner disk members and outer disk members. A hub connected to the outer disk members has a plurality of helical slots concentric with the axis of rotation. A concentric disk drive member has a plurality of helical slots which rotate in the opposite direction of the helical slots in the hub. Each helical slot in the disk drive member crosses one of the helical slots in the hub to form a plurality of through apertures. An actuator pin disposed in each through aperture locks the disk member to the hub for rotation. An axially displaceable pin cage displaces the actuator pins along the axis of rotation. The axial displacement of the actuator pins in the crossing helical slots rotates the disk drive member and the inner disk members relative to the hub and the outer disk members radially displacing the belt engaging members. An alternate embodiment has crossing helical grooves in place of the crossing helical slots and a ball received in the intersection of the crossing helical grooves.

Continuously variable transmission system having variable diameter

A variable diameter pulley having a plurality of belt support members arranged in a circular pattern between a pair of side members. Each side member consists of a pair of adjacent disk members rotatable relative to each other. The disk members have crossing guideways which control the radial position of the belt support members as a function of the rotational orientation between them. Extendible elements are disposed between adjacent belt support members to provide the variable diameter pulley with a generally cylindrical belt engagement surface.

Variable diameter pulley having extendible elements

An independent wheel suspension system having a pair of wheel assemblies, a transverse support member rotatably connected between side frame members of the vehicle frame to pivot about a transverse pivot axis, a differential attached to the transverse support member, a prop shaft coupling the differential and the vehicle engine with universal joints, one of the joints being of the constant velocity plunging type, and a trailing arm pivotably connecting each wheel assembly to the transverse support member, the trailing arm having a wheel end coupled to the wheel assembly and a pair of spaced-apart support sections defining a swing axis therebetween pivotably coupled to the transverse support member so that the swing axis is substantially perpendicular to the wheel axis of the wheel assembly and substantially parallel to the prop shaft axis of the prop shaft, whereby relative motion is allowed about the swing axis between the differential and the wheel assembly while also permitting relative motion about the transverse pivot axis between the vehicle frame and both the differential and the wheel assemblies, while also permitting relative movement between each of the foregoing elements and the driving surface about a drive axis established by a drive shaft coupling the wheel assembly to the differential.

Independent wheel suspension system having a differential pivotable

An independent wheel suspension system having an angle of at least five degrees between a wheel axis and a drive axis, the drive axis being established by a drive shaft coupling an outboard constant velocity joint within a wheel assembly with an inboard constant velocity universal joint within a differential housing, the independent wheel suspension system also has a swing arm coupling the wheel assembly to the vehicle frame and an angle of less than thirty degrees between the wheel axis and a swing axis, the swing axis being established through the center of the inboard constant velocity universal joint and a single pivot member coupling the swing arm to a transverse frame member of a vehicle frame.

An independent wheel suspension system having at least two indispensable suspension members, the first of which includes two couplings one of which is a constant velocity universal joint connected by a drive shaft to the other coupling, the balls of the constant velocity universal joint carrying driving torque and the inner and outer members of the constant velocity universal joint carrying thrust loads generated externally of the constant velocity universal joint, both indispensable suspension members swinging about the articulation axis of the constant velocity universal joint about a swing axis therethrough and a pivot supporting the second indispensable suspension member from the vehicle frame.

An independent wheel suspension system having a pair of spaced-apart wheel assemblies, a stabilizer rod having end portions rotatably supported by respective side frame members of the vehicle frame about a transverse pivot axis, a pair of trailing arms having one end coupled to a respective wheel assembly and another end fixed to the stabilizer rod wherby the stabilizer rod cooperates with the trailing arms to restrain relative motion of one wheel assembly relative to the other about the transverse pivot axis, a non-metallic stabilizer tube resiliently supported by the stabilizer rod intermediate the trailing arms, a differential attached by a mounting plate to the stabilizer tube to allow relative movement between the differential and the frame about the transverse pivot axis, and a prop shaft coupling the differential and the engine with only one universal joint, that joint being of the constant velocity plunging type, whereby the movement of the differential relative to the frame about the transverse pivot axis accommodates articulation between the prop shaft and the engine and whereby the stabilizer tube increases bending stiffness along the transverse pivot axis while also dampening vibrations and noise from the wheel assemblies, differentials, frame and engine.

Independent wheel suspension using thrust bearing constant velocity

An independent wheel suspension system having a transverse support member attached between the side frame members of a vehicle frame, a semi-trailing arm having a wheel end coupled to the wheel assembly and a pair of spaced-apart support sections pivotably coupled to the transverse support member, a differential rotatably coupled to the transverse support member to allow relative movement therebetween about a transverse pivot axis, and a prop shaft coupling the differential and engine with only one universal joint, that joint being of the constant velocity plunging type, whereby the differential is allowed to pivot about the transverse pivot axis to accommodate articulation between the prop shaft and the engine.

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Grosse Pointe Park, MI, United States of America

Werner Krude