Motor Vehicle Drive Shaft and Method for Producing It

Abstract

A motor vehicle drive shaft has a receptacle tube component with a receptacle internal diameter and a push-fit component with a push-fit external diameter. The push-fit external diameter is smaller than or equal to the receptacle internal diameter. The receptacle tube component and the push-fit component can be rotated about a common drive shaft rotational axis and extend along the latter in a longitudinal direction. The receptacle tube component and the push-fit component are connected to one another for the transmission of torque. A connecting component is provided, wherein the connecting component is connected in a torque-conducting manner to the receptacle tube component by way of a receptacle connection. The connecting component is connected to the push-fit component by way of a push-fit connection. At least one of the two connections is configured as a combined frictionally locking and positively locking shaft/hub connection.

Claims

1.-11. (canceled)

12. A motor vehicle drive shaft, comprising: a receptacle-tube component with a receptacle internal diameter; a push-fit component with a push-fit external diameter; and a connection component, wherein the push-fit external diameter is smaller than or equal to the receptacle internal diameter, the receptacle-tube component and the push-fit component are rotatable about a common drive shaft rotation axis and extend along the common drive shaft rotation axis in a longitudinal direction, the connection component, by way of a receptacle connection, is connected in a torque-conducting manner to the receptacle-tube component, the connection component, by way of a push-fit connection, is connected to the push-fit component; and at least one of the push-fit and receptacle connection is configured as a combined friction-fitting/form-fitting shaft-to-hub connection, and the receptacle-tube component and the push-fit component are connected to one another for transmitting torque.

13. The motor vehicle drive shaft according to claim 12, wherein the friction-fitting/form-fitting shaft-to-hub connection is configured as a knurled press-fit connection.

14. The motor vehicle drive shaft according to claim 12, wherein the connection component has a knurling and, in a region of the knurling, has a connection receptacle hardness on a surface of the connection component; the receptacle-tube component has a receptacle connection region which is adapted for configuring the friction-fitting/form-fitting shaft-to-hub connection to the connection component; the receptacle-tube component in the receptacle connection region has a receptacle hardness on a surface of the receptacle-tube component; and the connection hardness is greater than the receptacle hardness.

15. The motor vehicle drive shaft according to claim 14, further comprising: a support ring arranged radially outside on the receptacle-tube component, wherein the support ring in the longitudinal direction at least in portions covers the friction-fitting/form-fitting shaft-to-hub connection.

16. The motor vehicle drive shaft according to claim 15, wherein the receptacle-tube component in the receptacle connection region has a receptacle external diameter which is smaller than the receptacle internal diameter.

17. The motor vehicle drive shaft according to claim 14, wherein the receptacle-tube component in the receptacle connection region has a receptacle external diameter which is smaller than the receptacle internal diameter.

18. The motor vehicle drive shaft according to claim 12, wherein the push-fit component has a knurling, the push-fit component in a region of the knurling has a push-fit hardness on a surface of the push-fit component; the connection component has a connection region which is adapted for configuring the friction-fitting/form-fitting shaft-to-hub connection to the push-fit component; the connection component in the connection region has a connection push-fit hardness on a surface of the connection component; and the push-fit hardness is greater than the connection hardness.

19. The motor vehicle shaft according to claim 12, wherein the receptacle connection or the push-fit connection is configured as a materially integral connection.

20. A method for producing a motor vehicle drive shaft according to one of the preceding claims, the method comprising the following steps: providing a push-fit component, a receptacle-tube component, and a connection component, wherein an external diameter of the push-fit component is smaller than or equal to an internal diameter of the receptacle component; providing at least one of said components with a knurling; press-fitting the component provided with the knurling into one of the other two components so as to configure a friction-fitting/form-fitting shaft-to-hub connection; connecting the remaining component to the two components connected by way of the friction-fitting/form-fitting shaft-to-hub connection, wherein the receptacle-tube component and the push-fit component are rotatable about a common drive shaft rotation axis and extend along the common drive shaft rotation axis in a longitudinal direction, and the receptacle-tube component and the push-fit component are connected to one another for transmitting torque

21. The method according to claim 20, wherein the knurling is applied to the push-fit component, and the push-fit component is press-fitted into the connection component so as to configure the friction-fitting/form-fitting shaft-to-hub connection, and the receptacle-tube component is connected in a materially integral manner to the connection component.

22. The method according to claim 20, wherein the knurling is applied to the connection component, and the connection component is press-fitted into receptacle-tube component so as to configure the friction-fitting/form-fitting shaft-to-hub connection, and the push-fit component is connected in a materially integral manner to the connection component.

23. The method according to claim 22, further comprising: a support ring applied to the receptacle-tube component prior to the connection component being press-fitted into the receptacle-tube component.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0029] FIG. 1a shows a first variant of the push-fit component in a frontal view.

[0030] FIG. 1b shows the first variant of the push-fit component in a sectional view.

[0031] FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of a first variant of the connection component.

[0032] FIG. 3 shows a longitudinal view of a first variant of the motor vehicle drive shaft.

[0033] FIG. 4 shows a perspective view of a second variant of the connection component.

[0034] FIG. 5 shows a sectional view of a second variant of the push-fit tube component.

[0035] FIG. 6 shows a partial sectional view of a second variant of the motor vehicle drive shaft.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0036] A first variant of the push-fit component 1a is illustrated in a frontal view in FIG. 1a. A knurling 4 which is provided for configuring a friction-fitting/form-fitting shaft-to-hub connection is applied to the push-fit component 1a. The same variant of the push-fit component 1a is shown in a longitudinal sectional illustration in FIG. 1b; it can be seen that the knurling 4 is applied to the push-fit component 1a.

[0037] A first variant of the connection component 2a is illustrated in a perspective manner in FIG. 2. The connection component 2a is adapted so as to be press-fitted onto the push-fit component 1a and conjointly with the latter configure the friction-fitting/form-fitting shaft-to-hub connection. On account of this press-fitting, the knurling 4 which represents the form-fitting region is replicated in the cylindrical face 5 of the connection component 2a, the cylindrical face 5 herein forming the further form-fitting region. Prior to the press-fitting of the push-fit component 1a having the knurling 4 into the connection component 2a, the cylindrical face 5 has a smooth surface; the friction-fitting/form-fitting shaft-to-hub connection is thus created only on account of the press-fitting of the connection component 2a.

[0038] A longitudinal sectional illustration of a first variant of the motor vehicle drive shaft having the connection component 2a, the push-fit component 1a, and the receptacle-tube component 3a, each belonging to this variant, is illustrated in FIG. 3. The receptacle-tube component 3a by means of the welded connection 6 is connected in a materially integral manner to the connection component 2a. The illustration in FIG. 3 shows the motor vehicle drive shaft in the torque-transmitting state thereof. The friction-fitting/form-fitting shaft-to-hub connection is cancelled under axial loading in the longitudinal direction 8 in the event of a crash, and the push-fit component 1a slides through the connection component 2a into the receptacle-tube component 3a (crash state). The motor vehicle drive shaft in the torque-transmitting state is mounted so as to be rotatable about the rotation axis 7. The motor vehicle drive shaft extends in the radial direction 9, so as to be orthogonal to the rotation axis 7. It can furthermore be seen that the push-fit connection 15 is configured as a friction-fitting/form-fitting shaft-to-hub connection 10 which is irreversibly cancelled when the motor vehicle drive shaft converts from the torque-transmitting state to the crash state in that the push-fit component 1a by way of the push-fit external diameter 13 is displaced into the receptacle-tube component 3a having the receptacle internal diameter 12. The receptacle connection 14 configured as the welded connection 6 is present between the receptacle-tube component 14 and the connection component 2a.

[0039] A perspective view of a second variant of the connection component 2b is illustrated in FIG. 4. A knurling 4 is applied so as to be radially on the outside on this connection component 2b, this knurling 4 forming the form-fitting region. The connection component 2b is specified so as to be press-fitted into the second variant of the receptacle-tube component illustrated in FIG. 5, so as to configure the friction-fitting/form-fitting shaft-to-hub connection. The cylindrical face 5 which forms the further form-fitting region is disposed in the receptacle tube component 3b. The form-fitting region (knurling 4) is replicated in the further form-fitting region (cylindrical face 5) when the connection component 2b is press-fitted into the receptacle-tube component 3b, and the form-fitting region and the further form-fitting region thus form the friction-fitting/form-fitting shaft-to-hub connection.

[0040] A support ring 11 which counteracts deformation of the receptacle-tube component in a radially outward manner (direction 9) when the connection component 2b is press-fitted into the receptacle-tube component 3b of this variant of the motor vehicle drive shaft is provided. The support ring 11 in the longitudinal direction 8 is disposed in the region of the friction-fitting/form-fitting shaft-to-hub connection. The assembled motor vehicle drive shaft is illustrated in a partial section in FIG. 6. The push-fit component 1b of this variant is connected in a materially integral manner to the connection component. The motor vehicle drive shaft in the torque-transmitting state thereof is rotatable about the rotation axis. In the crash state, the friction-fitting/form-fitting shaft-to-hub connection is cancelled under axial loading in the longitudinal direction 8, and the push-fit component 1b is displaced into the receptacle-tube component.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

[0041] 1a Push-fit component (first variant) [0042] 1b Push-fit component (second variant) [0043] 2a Connection component (first variant) [0044] 2b Connection component (second variant) [0045] 3a Receptacle-tube component (first variant) [0046] 3b Receptacle-tube component (second variant) [0047] 4 Knurling (form-fit region) [0048] 5 Cylindrical face (further form-fit region) [0049] 6 Welded connection [0050] 7 Rotation axis [0051] 8 Longitudinal direction [0052] 9 Radial direction [0053] 10 Friction-fitting/form-fitting shaft-to-hub connection [0054] 11 Support ring [0055] 12 Receptacle internal diameter [0056] 13 Push-fit external diameter [0057] 14 Receptacle connection [0058] 15 Push-fit connection