SECURING ELEMENT FOR AXIALLY SECURING A SHAFT

Abstract

A securing element for axially securing a shaft or a component on a shaft includes at least two sector elements that can be joined to each other to form an essentially closed ring form with a central through opening for the shaft. The sector elements have latching structures or snap-fit structures, by which they can be connected to each other. The latching structures include a groove-like indentation with a first snap-fit hook formed in a first one of the sector elements and a spring arm with a second snap-fit hook arranged on a second one of the sector elements and engaging in the indentation in the first sector element.

Claims

1. A securing element for axially securing a shaft or a component on a shaft, comprising two sector elements in the form of semicircular disks, each having a semicircular outer edge as well as an inner, straight disk edge forming a substantially semicircular notch, and which can be joined to each other to form an essentially closed ring form with a central through opening for the shaft, wherein the sector elements each have latching structures or snap-fit structures, by means of which they can be connected to each other, wherein the latching structures comprise a groove-like indentation with a first snap-fit hook formed in a first one of the sector elements and a spring arm with a second snap-fit hook arranged on a second one of the sector elements and engaging in the indentation in the first sector element, wherein the latching structures of each sector element are each arranged at its inner, straight disk edge, and wherein the latching structures of each sector element are each arranged at a radial distance from its semicircular outer edge and from its semicircular notch.

2. The securing element according to claim 1, wherein the sector elements have a partial annular shape.

3. The securing element according to claim 2, wherein the sector elements are divided along a dividing plane in which the longitudinal axis of a shaft lies when arranged as intended on the shaft.

4. The securing element according to claim 3, wherein the groove-like indentation and the spring arm extend orthogonally to the dividing plane.

5. The securing element according to claim 1, wherein the second one of the sector elements has a respective spring arm on one side of the through opening resulting in the joined state and the first one of the sector elements has a respective groove-like indentation on one side of the through opening resulting in the joined state.

6. The securing element according to claim 1, wherein the snap-fit hooks of each spring arm are arranged on the side of the respective spring arm facing away from the through opening, or wherein the snap-fit hooks of each spring arm are arranged on the side of the respective spring arm facing the through opening.

7. The securing element according to claim 1, wherein the second snap-fit hooks and the first snap-fit hooks have interlocking surfaces which are inclined with respect to the dividing plane in such a way that they enable the sector elements to be latched in an undetachable manner.

8. The securing element according to claim 1, wherein the sector elements are connected to each other by predetermined breaking points.

9. The securing element according to claim 1, wherein a tool attachment portion is formed on at least one sector element in order to disengage the first and second latching structures.

10. The securing element according to claim 1, wherein the semicircular notch of each sector element divides its inner, straight disk edge into two straight edge sections, and a respective latching structure is arranged centrally on each straight edge section of the sector elements.

11. The securing element according to claim 1, wherein the semicircular notch of each sector element divides its inner, straight disk edge into two straight edge sections, and a respective latching structure is arranged in a respective radially outer half of the straight edge sections.

12. A method for producing the securing element according to claim 1, wherein the securing element is produced by laser cutting or water jet cutting.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES

[0038] Further features and advantages of the invention result from the following exemplary and non-restrictive description of the Figures. These are only schematic in nature and only serve to understand the invention. These show:

[0039] FIG. 1a shows a top view of a securing element in an inseparable variant according to the invention before its use;

[0040] FIG. 1b shows a top view of a securing element in another inseparable variant according to the invention before its use;

[0041] FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of the securing element of FIG. 1a after separation into its individual parts (sector elements) in the scope of preparation for use;

[0042] FIG. 3 shows the separated individual parts (sector elements) of the securing element of FIGS. 1 and 2;

[0043] FIG. 4 shows a detailed representation of exemplary latching structures of the securing element of the invention; and

[0044] FIG. 5 shows schematic representations (longitudinal section and cross-section) of a securing element arranged on a shaft according to a further embodiment of the invention in a releasable variant.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0045] The embodiment example of a securing element 1 shown in FIG. 1a comprises a first sector element 2 and a second sector element 3. Both sector elements 2, 3 are essentially ring-segment shaped so that in the joined state (as shown in FIG. 1a) they enclose a central through opening 4. FIG. 1a shows that the securing element 1 in the joined state has a closed circular shape with the central through opening 4 in its center. The securing element 1 is divided along a dividing plane 6 passing through its center 5.

[0046] The second sector element 3 has two latching structures 7a, 7b each in the form of a spring arm 7a, 7b. The spring arm 7a is arranged on one side of the through opening 4 and the spring arm 7b is arranged on the opposite, other side of the through opening 4. Correspondingly, the first sector element 2 has two latching structures 8a, 8b each in the form of a groove-shaped indentation 8a, 8b. The groove-shaped indentation 8a is arranged on one side of the through opening 4 and the groove-shaped indentation 8b on the opposite, other side of the through opening 4. The spring arms 7a, 7b and the indentations 8a, 8b extend in a direction perpendicular to the dividing plane 6.

[0047] Each spring arm 7a, 7b is provided with a second snap-fit hook 9a, 9b on the side facing away from through opening 4. The snap-fit hooks 9a, 9b face radially outwards, i.e. they are facing away from each other and from the central through opening 4. Each of the groove-shaped indentations 8a, 8b is provided with a first snap-fit hook 10a, 10b on its side facing away from the through opening. The second snap-fit hooks 9a, 9b and the first snap-fit hooks 10a, 10b are designed to fit together so that when the two sector elements 2, 3 are joined together as intended, they hook or snap together and thus hold the sector elements 2, 3 together. As FIG. 4 in particular shows, the second snap-fit hooks 9a, 9b each have a latching surface 11 or contact surface 11, which in the present example of FIGS. 1a, 2 and 3 is aligned at an angle α of 0° to the dividing plane 6, i.e. parallel to the dividing plane 6. Correspondingly, the first snap-fit hooks 10a, 10b each have a latching surface 12 or contact surface 12, which in the present example of FIGS. 1a, 2 and 3 is also aligned at an angle of 0° to the dividing plane 6 to match the latching surfaces 11, i.e. is parallel to the dividing plane 6. FIG. 1b shows a variant in which one latching surface 11 or contact surface 11 of the second snap-fit hooks 9a, 9b is aligned at a negative angle α of about −10° to the dividing plane 6. Correspondingly, the first snap-fit hooks 10a, 10b each have a latching surface 12 or contact surface 12, which is also aligned to match the latching surfaces 11 at an angle of −10° to the dividing plane 6.

[0048] FIG. 4 also shows that the width B of the groove-shaped indentation 8a, 8b is larger than the width b of the respective spring arm 7a, 7b. The widths B and b are dimensioned in such a way that the spring arm 7a, 7b can swing in the groove-shaped indentation 8a, 8b when it is inserted into the groove-shaped indentation 8a, 8b, and can swing in the present example in the direction of through opening 4, so that its snap-fit hooks 9a, 9b can slide over the snap-fit hooks 10a, 10b of the indentation. When the intended end position is reached, in which the two sector elements 2, 3 contact each other at the dividing plane 6 (the gap shown in FIG. 4 is drawn only for better understanding of the Figure and does not exist in practice or exists only with a small gap dimension), the spring arm 7a, 7b snaps back into its original position (as shown in FIG. 4), so that the second latching structures 9a, 9b and the first latching structures 10a, 10b hook together.

[0049] As the embodiment example shows, the contact surface 11 can be formed by forming a nose-like projection 13 at the spring arm 7a, 7b. The contact surface 12 can be formed by forming a groove-like recess 14 in the indentation 8a, 8b.

[0050] FIGS. 1a and 1b each show a top view of the securing element 1 before use. In this state, the two sector elements 2 and 3 are physically connected to each other apart from the latching structures 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, which are in engagement with each other, i.e. via material bridges 15, 16 forming a respective predetermined breaking point 15, 16 at the opposite outer edge regions of the sector elements 2, 3. These are designed in such a way that the two sector elements 2, 3 can be bent relative to each other around a bending line lying in the dividing plane 6, which leads to a failure of the predetermined breaking points 15, 16. The two sector elements 2, 3 are then no longer physically connected to each other and can be completely separated from each other by tilting them (as shown in FIG. 2) further around the bending line lying in the dividing plane until the latching structures 7a, 7b of the second sector element 3 and the latching structures 8a, 8b of the first sector element 2 are released from their mutual engagement.

[0051] In summary, the described embodiment of the securing element 1 shows two disks having a (substantially) semicircular shape (semicircular disks), each having a semicircular outer edge and an inner, straight disk edge connecting the two ends of the semicircular outer edge and forming a semicircular notch. The semicircular notch is oriented (substantially) parallel/centered to the semicircular outer edge or they have the same circle center. In the joined state of the semicircular disks, the outer contour of the securing element 1 is (substantially) determined by the two semicircular outer edges of the semicircular disks, which limit the outward extension of the securing element 1 in the radial direction. In the joined state of the semicircular disks, the inner contour of the securing element 1 is (substantially) determined by the two semicircular notches which limit the extension of the securing element 1 in the radial direction towards the inside. The semicircular notches each divide the inner, straight disk edge of the semicircular disks into two straight edge sections, each connecting one end of the semicircular outer edge to one end of the semicircular notch.

[0052] In the embodiment of FIG. 1a, a respective latching structure is arranged (approximately) in the center of each straight edge section of the semicircular disks. In the embodiment of FIG. 1b, a respective latching structure is arranged in the respective radially outer half of each straight edge section of the semicircular disks. In an embodiment (not shown), a respective latching structure may also be arranged in the respective radially inner half of each straight edge section of the semicircular disks. The latching structures of all the above-mentioned embodiments extend (substantially) perpendicularly to the inner, straight disk edge or the straight edge sections thereof; specifically, the spring arms 7a, 7b project (substantially) perpendicularly from the inner, straight disk edge, and the grooves 8a, 8b, which each have a groove base and two side walls rising from the groove base, are formed in the semicircular disk (substantially) perpendicularly to the inner, straight disk edge. The latching devices 9a, 9b are each located on a side wall of the groove 8a, 8b.

[0053] FIG. 5 shows a separable variant of the securing element 1. This essentially corresponds to the inseparable variants shown in FIGS. 1a and 1b with the exception that the latching or contact surfaces 11 and 12 are aligned here at a positive angle α of about 10° to the dividing plane.

[0054] The completely separated state of both sector elements 2, 3 is shown in FIG. 3. From this state, the sector elements 2, 3 can easily be arranged on a shaft 17 in a groove 18 formed therein. For this purpose, they are placed on the opposite side of the shaft 17 in such a way that their disk plane 19 is essentially orthogonal to the longitudinal axis 20 of the shaft 17 (see sectional view of FIG. 5). Then, the two sector elements 2, 3 are placed/pushed/pressed towards each other and in the direction of the shaft 17 into the groove 18, whereby the spring arms 7a, 7b of the second sector element 3 penetrate into the groove-shaped indentations 8a, 8b of the first sector element 2 under resilient deformation, as already described above, until the contact surfaces 11, 12 latch together and form a form-fitting connection. The thickness D of the securing element 1 essentially corresponds to the width W of the groove 18, so that a position-determined position of the securing element 1 on the shaft 17 is given. FIG. 5 also shows that the two sector elements 2, 3 in their rejoined state form a fully circumferential ring shape matching the shaft 17 and the groove 18 present in it. The contact surface 23 between the groove wall 24 of the groove 18 and the securing element 1, which is marked checkered in FIG. 5, is fully circumferential and closed in the shape of a circular ring, so that an extraordinarily good load absorption and load transfer in the axial direction (in the direction of the longitudinal axis 20 of shaft 17) is ensured.

[0055] Due to the geometry of the latching structures 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b in the variants of FIGS. 1a and 1b, this form-fitting connection cannot be detached without the use of a special tool intended for this purpose, in particular not by forces and torques occurring during the use of the securing element 1, unless a plastic deformation of the material occurs. In order to allow separation of the two sector elements 2, 3 from each other and repeated use of the securing element 1, the embodiment of FIG. 5 (in addition to the positive angle a of the latching surfaces or contact surfaces 11 and 12) has a notch 21, 22 on both sides on the outside of the second sector element 3. A tool designed for this purpose can be attached here, whereby an elastic deformation of the latching structures 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b is caused, which is designed in such a way that the contact surfaces 11, 12 are detached from each other and the two sector elements 2, 3 can be detached from each other.