A coupling assembly having a first member drivingly connected to a second member via one or more third members. A first shaft is drivingly connected to the first member and a second shaft is drivingly connected to the second member. The second member includes a flange portion having one or more seating portions on a first end portion of the flange. Additionally, the flange has one or more flange portion attachment apertures extending from the seating portions to a second end portion of the flange. An increased diameter portion of the second shaft has one or more increased diameter portion apertures extending from a first end portion to a second end portion. The flange portion apertures and the increased diameter portion apertures have a center-line with an angle from an axial center-line of the assembly. Additionally, the seating portions have an angle relative to a radial center-line of the assembly.

An axle system (150) for a vehicle comprises: —a differential unit (10) including a first housing (24) and a second housing (20) which rotationally receives at least part of said first housing; —at least one drive shaft (11) having one end configured to be connected to a wheel of the vehicle and one end connected to the differential unit (10) and rotationally received in the first housing (24), the drive shaft (11) including at least one joint (110) connecting two portions (114a, 114d) of the drive shaft (11) to transmit rotary motion between said portions; —a first bearing (30) secured around the drive shaft (11), placed between the drive shaft and the first housing (24), having an outer diameter (D30) smaller than the radial dimension (D) of the joint (110); —a second bearing (40) placed between the first housing (24) and the second housing (20); —at least one tightening member (50) to axially lock the first bearing outer ring (32) relative to the first housing (24). The tightening member comprises at least one manoeuvring portion (51) which is arranged in an offset relation relative to the joint (110), when looking axially towards the differential unit (10), so that the tightening member manoeuvring portion (51) is visible and accessible, at least during a tightening phase of an axle system mounting process.

The drive shaft (1) comprises end universal joints (5, 7) with accident-preventing end protections (19). Each accident-preventing end protection comprises a lubricant reservoir, delimited radially inwardly by a sleeve (63) of an inner fork (23) of the respective universal joint (5; 7) and radially outwardly by a rigid annular structure of the accident-preventing end protection.

A cardan shaft slip distance change detection system for determining the amount of length change of the cardan shaft, including a moveable element and a stationary element associated with a telescopic approach to compensate for the change of distance caused by the vehicle's axle movements. At least two conductive elements are configured as one of them connected to a fixed point, another to the moveable element. A power element is provided to supply power to at least one of the conductive elements. A detection unit measures the electrical value change provided by the electrical interaction between the conductive elements and correlating it with the distance between the conductive elements.

In a steering system, a first universal joint includes a first yoke coupled to an intermediate shaft. A second universal joint includes a fourth yoke paired with a third yoke coupled to the intermediate shaf and a shaft attachment portion joined to the fourth yoke and in which a bolt insertion hole allowing a pinion shaft to be clamped is formed. When an angle between the intermediate shaf and a steering shaft is set to θ1, an around-axis angle of the first yoke in a rotating direction is set to ω1, and an angle between the intermediate shaft and the pinion shaft is set to θ2, a junction angle between the fourth yoke and the shaft attachment portion in the rotating direction is adjusted to set an around-axis angle of the bolt insertion hole in the rotating direction to a preset angle ω2.

A yoke assembly for receiving a shaft, the yoke assembly including a main section including a pair of planar surfaces and a shoulder portion; and a subsidiary section with a pair of planar surfaces extending between a proximal wall and a distal wall. The subsidiary section is configured and arranged to be seated and securely attached to the first main section such that the proximal wall of the subsidiary section opposes the shoulder portion of the main section, and the pair of planar surfaces of the main section oppose the pair of planar surfaces of the subsidiary section. The main section and the subsidiary section are configured and arranged to be joined together to form a receiving aperture therebetween.

A guide member 48 includes a cylindrical portion 52 fitted to a front end of a pinion shaft 19 and extending on the side of an opposite yoke and a slit engagement plate 54 extending on the side of the pinion shaft 19 from a portion, on the side of the pinion shaft 19, of the cylindrical portion 52 and engaging with a slit 42 of a yoke 22, the cylindrical portion 52 being inserted first in a clamp portion 36 of the yoke 22 upon the yoke 22 being fitted to the pinion shaft 19, the yoke 22 being rotatably guided by the cylindrical portion 52.

A steering assembly includes a pinion shaft. The steering assembly also includes a clamp yoke defining a central opening for axially receiving the pinion shaft and defining a counter bore for receiving a fastener that couples the pinion shaft to the yoke. The steering assembly further includes a blocking assembly fixed to the clamp yoke. The blocking assembly includes a resilient member having a first leg, a second leg and a connecting end. The blocking assembly also includes a blocking member coupled to the first leg and the second leg of the resilient member, the blocking member rotatable between a blocking position and a non-blocking position, the blocking position blocking the counter bore in an initial position and rotatable upon contact with the pinion shaft to be clear of the counter bore in the non-blocking position.

A progressive cavity pump includes a sealed drive between the rotor and universal joint. The universal joint includes a socket configured to receive a drive shaft of the rotor. A cover, such as a locking nut, is disposed over the connection between the rotor and universal joint. Seals are retained in place by the locking nut to prevent abrasive materials from entering into the interface between the rotor and the universal joint.

A low surface-roughness part is formed at a first tapered part, as a result, the roughness of an opening-edge of a groove part of an internal spline part that opens at the first tapered part is reduced, and surface pressure applied by the opening edge to a tooth of an external spline part can be reduced. As a result, the opening edge of the groove part of the internal spline part can be kept from digging into the tooth, and variation, between products, in the insertion load of a second shaft part can be suppressed.