The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Feb. 24, 2004
Filed:
Sep. 09, 2002
Hans Stervik, Karna, SE;
Volvo Lastvagnar AB, Göteborg, SE;
Abstract
Drive shaft coupling having in-series bellows segments of different flexural resistance. The bellows segment nearest a tube section presents less flexural resistance than the immediate following bellows segment. Each individual bellows segment may be dimensioned in such a way that stress is distributed evenly over all bellows segments so that the component may be optimized; for example, with respect to installation and strength. The variations in flexural resistance between the adjacent bellows segments may be produced by variations in the thickness of material of the bellows segments, variations in the outside diameter of the bellows segments, variations in the inside diameter of the bellows segments, variation of the radial angles of each bellows diaphragm in relation to the longitudinal axis of the coupling member, variation of the distance between adjacently positioned bellows segments, and/or variation of the composition of the material of construction of the bellows segments, including varying a mixture of glass fiber and carbon fiber in an epoxy composite material of construction, as well as the directions of orientation of the constituent fibers.