ARTICULATED SHAFT

Abstract

An articulated shaft includes a hollow shaft and a joint formed by a first outer ring element and a first inner ring element in the interior of the first outer ring element which joint is configured to transmit a torque from the hollow shaft to an axle connected to the inner ring element. The outer ring element is formed one-piece with the hollow shaft and/or the inner ring element is formed one-piece with the axle.

Claims

1. An articulated shaft comprising: a hollow shaft; and a joint comprising a first outer ring element and a first inner ring element in an interior of the first outer ring element, wherein the joint is configured to transmit a torque from the hollow shaft to an axle connected to the inner ring element, and wherein the outer ring element is formed one-piece with the hollow shaft and/or the inner ring element is formed one-piece with the axle.

2. The articulated shaft according to claim 1, wherein the joint is a tripod joint or a constant velocity joint.

3. The articulated shaft according to claim 1, wherein the outer ring element forms a raceway of an outer ring, or wherein the outer ring element forms an outer ring carrier that radially supports an outer ring forming the raceway, wherein the outer ring element at least partially receives a cylindrical outer surface of the outer ring.

4. The articulated shaft according to claim 1, wherein a wall thickness of the hollow shaft is reinforced in the region of the outer ring element.

5. The articulated shaft according to claim 4, wherein the outer ring element or the inner ring element includes a reinforcing element that reinforces the wall thickness of the hollow shaft.

6. The articulated shaft according to claim 5, wherein the reinforcing element forms a raceway of an outer ring.

7. The articulated shaft according to claim 1, wherein the outer ring element or the inner ring element is formed by reshaping, in particular cold or hot forming, casting, pressing, wrapping, or laying.

8. The articulated shaft according to claim 1, wherein the hollow shaft, the outer ring element, and/or the inner ring element is manufactured from metal.

9. The articulated shaft according to claim 1, wherein the hollow shaft, the outer ring element, and/or the inner ring element is manufactured from steel or titanium or a steel alloy, or fiber-reinforced plastic or fiber-reinforced carbon.

10. The articulated shaft according to claim 1, wherein the diameter and the wall thickness of the hollow shaft and of the outer ring element formed one-piece with the hollow shaft is optimized with respect to the weight and the torque to be transmitted.

11. A hollow shaft including an outer ring element formed one-piece therewith and configured to receive an inner shaft to form the articulated shaft according to claim 1.

12. An axle including an inner ring element formed one-piece therewith configured to be received in the hollow shaft of claim 11.

13. A wheel hub module including a wheel hub bearing unit and an articulated shaft according to claim 1, wherein the wheel hub bearing unit is connected to the articulated shaft.

14. The articulated shaft according to claim 1, wherein the outer ring element is formed one-piece with the hollow shaft and the inner ring element is formed one-piece with the axle.

15. An articulated shaft comprising: a unitary hollow shaft having an end portion configured as an outer ring element; and an axle having an inner ring element at one end, wherein the inner ring element is mounted in the outer ring element to form a joint configured to transmit a torque from the hollow shaft to the axle.

16. The articulated shaft according to claim 15, wherein the inner ring element is formed one-piece with the axle.

17. The articulated shaft according to claim 16, wherein the joint is a tripod joint or a constant velocity joint.

18. The articulated shaft according to claim 15, wherein the joint is a tripod joint or a constant velocity joint.

19. The articulated shaft according to claim 18, wherein a diameter of the end portion of the unitary hollow shaft is greater than a diameter of a central portion of the unitary hollow shaft.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0029] FIG. 1 shows an articulated shaft including a hollow shaft and two joints.

[0030] FIG. 2 shows an inner ring of the articulated shaft of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0031] In the following, identical or functionally equivalent elements are designated by the same reference numbers.

[0032] FIG. 1 shows an articulated shaft 1. The articulated shaft 1 includes a hollow shaft 2 and a joint 4. In the embodiment shown here, such a joint 4 is disposed on both ends of the hollow shaft 2. Alternatively, a joint 4 can be disposed on one of the two ends of the hollow shaft 2.

[0033] The joint 4 includes an outer ring element 6 and an inner ring element 5 that is arrangeable in the interior of the outer ring element 6. The joint 4 is configured to transmit a torque from the hollow shaft 2 to an axle 8 connected to the inner ring element 5. In order to optimize the articulated shaft 1 with respect to weight, the outer ring element 6 is configured one-piece with the hollow shaft 2. Alternatively or additionally the inner ring element 5 can be configured one-piece with the axle 8 connected to it.

[0034] The joint 4 can be, for example, a tripod joint or a constant velocity joint. The outer ring element 6 can directly form a raceway of an outer ring, or form an outer ring carrier that radially supports an outer ring forming the raceway. Viewed from radially from the outside, in each case the outer ring element 6 and the hollow shaft 2 is configured as a one-piece element.

[0035] In order to ensure a proper functioning of the joint 4, the hollow shaft can be reinforced in the region of the outer ring element 6. This reinforcement can be effected by a corresponding processing of the material of the hollow shaft 2. For example, the material of the hollow shaft 2 can be compressed, crimped, or folded. Alternatively the reinforcing can be effected by a separate reinforcing element. The reinforcing element can be pushed into the hollow shaft 2 as a reinforcing ring or pushed-on onto the hollow shaft 2.

[0036] The diameter and the wall thickness of the hollow shaft 2, and of the outer ring element 6 formed one-piece with the hollow shaft 2, can be optimized with respect to the weight in a manner depending on the torque to be transmitted. Depending on the application, the diameter and the wall thickness can therefore be adapted to achieve the optimal weight for a certain torque to be transmitted. In this way the weight can be minimized and the torque to be transmitted can be maximized.

[0037] The articulated shaft 1 described here can be used as a drive shaft in a truck, for example, including a tripod joint. Alternatively the articulated shaft 1 can be used on a wheel hub in a motor vehicle, in particular an electric vehicle, to connect the wheel hub to the differential. If the articulated shaft 1 is connected to a wheel hub, the articulated shaft 1 is to be adapted such that all shaft diameters, i.e., also the outer ring element 6 formed one-piece with the hollow shaft 2, are smaller than the diameter of the outer ring of the wheel hub bearing unit. In this way it can be ensured that the articulated shaft 1 can be installed in the motor vehicle through the hole of the axle joint.

[0038] Due to the articulated shaft disclosed here it is possible to provide an articulated shaft for various application purposes, wherein manufacturing can be simplified and the manufacturing costs and the weight of the articulated shaft can be reduced.

[0039] Representative, non-limiting examples of the present invention were described above in detail with reference to the attached drawings. This detailed description is merely intended to teach a person of skill in the art further details for practicing preferred aspects of the present teachings and is not intended to limit the scope of the invention. Furthermore, each of the additional features and teachings disclosed above may be utilized separately or in conjunction with other features and teachings to provide improved articulated shafts.

[0040] Moreover, combinations of features and steps disclosed in the above detailed description may not be necessary to practice the invention in the broadest sense, and are instead taught merely to particularly describe representative examples of the invention. Furthermore, various features of the above-described representative examples, as well as the various independent and dependent claims below, may be combined in ways that are not specifically and explicitly enumerated in order to provide additional useful embodiments of the present teachings.

[0041] All features disclosed in the description and/or the claims are intended to be disclosed separately and independently from each other for the purpose of original written disclosure, as well as for the purpose of restricting the claimed subject matter, independent of the compositions of the features in the embodiments and/or the claims. In addition, all value ranges or indications of groups of entities are intended to disclose every possible intermediate value or intermediate entity for the purpose of original written disclosure, as well as for the purpose of restricting the claimed subject matter.

REFERENCE NUMBER LIST

[0042] 1 Articulated shaft [0043] 2 Hollow shaft [0044] 4 Joint [0045] 6 Outer ring element [0046] 8 Axle