MACHINING BALL TRACKS AND GUIDE WEBS OF A JOINT INNER PART

Abstract

Machining ball tracks and guiding webs of an inner part for a constant velocity joint in a clamping arrangement includes mechanical machining of at least one first ball track in a first rotational position; rotating the articulated inner part into a second rotational position for machining at least one further ball track; wherein at least one guiding web is mechanically machined during the rotating of the inner joint part from the first rotational position into the second rotational position. A corresponding device is used for machining ball tracks and guiding webs of an inner joint part.

Claims

1-18. (canceled)

19. A method for machining ball tracks and guiding webs of an inner joint part for a constant velocity joint in one clamping, comprising: mechanically machining at least a first ball track in a first rotational position; and rotating the inner joint part into a second rotational position for machining at least a further ball track; wherein at least one guiding web is mechanically machined during the rotation of the inner joint part from the first rotational position to the second rotational position; and wherein the guiding webs are machined by a web machining tool with a machining contour which rotates around an axis of rotation that extends radially to a longitudinal axis of the inner joint part.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the second rotational position corresponds to the ball track to be machined next, or next but one, in the circumferential direction.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the rotation from the first rotational position to the second rotational position is continuous.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein the web machining tool remains in a machining position required for machining of the guiding webs during the mechanical machining of the ball tracks.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the web machining tool is advanced radially from a starting position into the machining position during machining of the first ball track and remains in this machining position during the mechanical machining of the further ball tracks.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein the web machining tool is retracted radially from the machining position into the starting position after mechanically machining the last web.

25. The method of claim 22, wherein the web machining tool is positioned relative to the inner joint part in the machining position such that the machining contour is contact free relative to the inner joint part during the mechanical machining of the ball tracks.

26. The method of claim 19, wherein a milling or a grinding method is used for mechanically machining of the first ball track, and wherein a milling or a grinding method is used for the mechanical machining of the at least one guiding web.

27. The method of claim 19, wherein the at least one guiding web is mechanically machined offset by at least 90 in the circumferential direction relative to the first ball track which was previously machined.

28. A device for machining ball tracks and guiding webs of an inner joint part for a constant velocity joint in one clamping, comprising: a clamping unit for clamping an inner joint part with a longitudinal axis coaxially to a clamping axis A; a setting unit for gradually rotating the inner joint part about the clamping axis from one rotational position to the next; a rotationally drivable track machining tool for mechanically machining the ball tracks in respective rotational positions of the inner joint part; and a rotationally drivable web machining tool for mechanically machining the guiding webs; wherein the track machining tool is arranged in the circumferential direction relative to the web machining tool such that the guiding webs of the inner joint part are respectively machined upon rotation from one rotational position of the inner joint part to a next rotational position; and wherein the web machining tool is rotationally drivable about an axis of rotation that is radial relative to the longitudinal axis of the inner joint part, and wherein the web machining tool has a machining contour which is configured to mechanically machine at least one web face when the inner joint part is rotated from one rotational position to the next rotational position.

29. The device according to claim 28, wherein the machining contour has a functional portion for mechanically machining the webs, wherein the functional portion defines a ring upon rotation about the axis of rotation.

30. The device according to claim 28, wherein, viewed in cross-section through the inner joint part, a tangent to a guiding web in the region of engagement with the machining contour extends at an angle to the axis of rotation.

31. The device according to claim 28, wherein the machining contour has a plurality of circumferentially distributed tool cutting edges.

32. The device according to claim 28, wherein the machining contour has a grinding face that is part of a grinding body.

33. The device according to claim 28, wherein the machining contour is formed such that it is contact-free relative to the inner joint part in respective rotational positions of the inner joint part in which the ball tracks are machined.

34. The device according to claim 28, wherein the web machining tool is a finger tool whose axis of rotation extends substantially radially to the longitudinal axis of the inner joint part.

35. The device according to claim 28, wherein the web machining tool is a disc tool whose axis of rotation crosses the longitudinal axis of the inner joint part at a distance.

Description

SUMMARY OF THE DRAWINGS

[0028] Examples are explained below on the basis of the drawing figures, which show:

[0029] FIG. 1 illustrates an arrangement for carrying out a method for machining ball tracks and guiding webs of an inner joint part for a constant velocity joint in a perspective view in a first embodiment;

[0030] FIG. 2 illustrates an inner joint part of a constant velocity joint in perspective view;

[0031] FIG. 3 illustrates the arrangement shown in FIG. 1 when machining a ball track in the course of carrying out the method in a longitudinal section;

[0032] FIG. 4 illustrates the arrangement according to section line IV-IV from FIG. 3;

[0033] FIG. 5 illustrates the arrangement according to intersection line V-V from FIG. 4;

[0034] FIG. 6 illustrates the arrangement shown in FIG. 1 when machining an outer surface of the inner joint part in the course of carrying out the method in a radial view onto the longitudinal axis of the inner joint part;

[0035] FIG. 7 illustrates the arrangement of FIG. 6 in a longitudinal section;

[0036] FIG. 8 illustrates the arrangement according to section line VIII-VIII from FIG. 6;

[0037] FIG. 9 illustrates the arrangement according to section line IX-IX from FIG. 8;

[0038] FIG. 10 illustrates the arrangement according to cut line X-X from FIG. 8;

[0039] FIG. 11 illustrates the arrangement according to section line XI-XI from FIG. 10;

[0040] FIG. 12 illustrates the arrangement according to section line XII-XII from FIG. 8; and

[0041] FIG. 13 illustrates an arrangement for carrying out a method for machining ball tracks and guiding webs of an inner joint part for a constant velocity joint in a perspective view in a second embodiment.

DESCRIPTION

[0042] FIGS. 1 through 12 are described together below. A machining of ball tracks and guiding webs of an inner joint part 11 for a constant velocity joint is shown. Machining of the inner joint part 11 is carried out by means of a device and/or a process as disclosed herein. Constant velocity joints are a form of rotary joints which serve to transmit torque between an inner joint part and an outer joint part which are angularly movable relative to each other. In particular, a constant velocity joint comprises an inner joint part with inner ball tracks, a joint outer part with outer ball tracks, a plurality of balls each guided in a track pair of an inner and an outer ball track, and a ball cage with circumferentially distributed cage windows in which the balls are held in a common plane. Constant velocity joints can therefore also be referred to as constant velocity ball joints or constant velocity rotary ball joints.

[0043] An exemplary inner joint part 11 for a constant velocity joint is shown in FIG. 2. The inner joint parts 11 of constant velocity joints are often referred to as ball hubs or inner races. The longitudinal axis of the inner joint part 11 is designated A and serves in the following as a reference for the arrangement and movements of the tools used. Several circumferentially distributed ball tracks 12, which have a substantially constant cross-section in the longitudinal direction, can be seen at the inner joint part 11. The ball tracks can be designed in particular as substantially semi-circular tracks, or they can have a cross-sectional contour for a two-point contact with an associated ball, for example an elliptical or Gothic cross-sectional contour. Torque-transmitting balls (not shown) of the constant velocity joint can be guided in the ball tracks 12 so as to be longitudinally movable. The ball tracks 12 are separated from each other by several webs distributed over the circumference with outer web faces 13, which are partial faces of an imaginary part-spherical guiding face of the inner joint part 11. By means of the guiding face, which can also be referred to as outer face, the inner joint part 11 is guided so as to be articulatable relative to the ball cage, respectively its inner surface (not shown). Usually, the guiding face of the inner joint part 11 mentioned above is a disc section of a sphere. However, the guiding face can also be interrupted by central overturns or flattenings so that it forms an imaginary guiding face including two axially spaced spherical slices with a non-conducting intermediate area between them. At the guiding webs 13, respectively at the boundary edges of the ball tracks 12, edge breaks 14, 15 can be seen. Coaxial to the longitudinal axis A, the inner joint part 11 has a through opening 16 with an inner shaft toothing 17, which is provided for inserting a driving shaft journal.

[0044] The device comprises a first rotating tool 21 for rotatingly machining the ball tracks 12 and a second rotating tool 31 for rotatingly machining the guiding webs 13. The rotation axis of the track machining tool 21 is designated R21 and the rotation axis of the web machining tool 31 is designated R31. The device further comprises a clamping unit 41 in which the inner joint part 11 is received. A dashed dotted arc-shaped arrow P11 indicates a rotational setting possibility of the inner joint part 11 about the longitudinal axis A relative to the tools 21, 31. This movement possibility, which can be effected by means of a respective setting unit (not shown), is however only an option. Alternatively, the tools 21, 31 can also be designed so that they can be rotatingly adjustable about the longitudinal axis A relative to the inner joint part 11.

[0045] The ball tracks 12 and the web faces 13 of the inner joint part 11 are machined in one clamping operation. The web machining tool 21 is arranged in the circumferential direction relative to the web machining tool 31 in such a way that the guiding webs 13 of the inner joint part 11 are each mechanically processed when turning from one rotational position of the inner joint part to the next. Turning takes place step by step around the longitudinal axis A from one rotational position to the next by means of the setting unit. The rotational positions are defined by the pitch angles, which in turn result from the number of ball tracks or pairs of ball tracks to be machined. For example, an inner joint part 11 with six ball tracks 12 regularly arranged in radial planes around the circumference has six rotational positions for machining a corresponding ball track 12. The pitch angle is correspondingly 60. Correspondingly, an inner joint part with eight ball tracks distributed regularly around the circumference has a pitch angle of 45, so that this results in eight rotational positions for machining the ball tracks. Turning from one rotational position for machining a first ball track 12 to the next rotational position for machining the next ball track, and so on, is also called indexing.

[0046] In the present embodiment according to FIGS. 1 to 12, the track machining tool 21 is a finger tool. The finger tool 21 is aligned according to the ball track 12 to be produced and moved relative thereto. For machining ball tracks 12 lying in radial planes E12, the finger tool 21 is aligned so that its axis of rotation R21 intersects the longitudinal axis A of the inner joint part 11 at an angle. For other shapes of ball tracks, the alignment and travel of the finger tool 21 are adjusted accordingly. For example, the finger tool 21 for so-called twin ball joints, in which respective two adjacent ball tracks 12 run in parallel planes, is moved with its axis of rotation R21 in a plane parallel to a longitudinal center plane of the inner joint part 11. This can be done with a set angle of the rotation axis R21 of the finger tool 21 relative to the longitudinal axis A of the inner joint part 11. Specifically, a milling tool 21 is presently used, which has a milling head 22 with individual cutting edges 23, respectively cutting segments distributed over the circumference. The outer contour and/or alignment of the milling head 22 is matched to the cross-sectional contour of the ball tracks 12 to be produced. For a round track contour, for example, a milling head 22 with a spherical machining contour can be used, which is moved with its rotation axis R21 perpendicular to the longitudinal axis A of the inner joint part A. To create a non-circular track cross-section for a two-point contact with a ball, the finger tool 21 can be angled as shown in FIG. 5.

[0047] The web machining tool 31 is clearly offset in the circumferential direction relative to the track machining tool 21, wherein a circumferential offset of at least 90 is advantageous so that the tools have sufficient space for the respective machining. The rotation axis R31 of the web machining tool 31 extends radially to the longitudinal axis A of the inner joint part 11, i.e. the rotation axis R31 intersects the longitudinal axis A perpendicularly. It can be seen in particular in FIGS. 1 and 7 that the web machining tool 31 has an inner conical machining contour 32 which is formed to mechanically machine at least one web face 13 when revolving the inner joint part 11 from one rotational position to the next.

[0048] FIGS. 3 to 5 show the arrangement according to FIG. 1 in a first process step during the machining of a ball track 12. Herein, FIG. 3 shows a longitudinal section in a sectional plane that is spanned by the longitudinal axis A of the inner joint part 11, respectively the clamping device 41, and the rotational axis R31 of the web machining tool 31. The movement of the web machining tool 31 relative to the inner joint part 11 is such that the tool 21 with its rotation axis R21 is moved along the ball track 12 to be machined. This is in the present case in the radial plane E21 running radially to the longitudinal axis A, as can be seen in FIGS. 4 and 5 in particular.

[0049] The resulting feed movement of the finger tool 21, shown schematically with an arrow P21, takes place in a plane E21 spanned by the longitudinal axis A and the rotational axis R21. The finger tool 21 is moved such that when the finger tool 21 is moved along the ball track 12, the rotary axis R21 at each point of the track curve is arranged with a defined set angle relative to an imaginary tangent to the respective point of the track curve. The direction of movement of the tool 21 along the ball track 12 can lead towards the clamping device 41 or away from the clamping device. In this example, the ball tracks 12 are circular arc shaped in a longitudinal section. It is to be understood, however, that any other ball track shape can also be produced.

[0050] The track machining tool 21 travels from a first axial end of the inner joint part 11 through the ball track 12 to be produced to the opposite second axial end 18 and beyond this, wherein it is out of engagement with the produced ball track 12 at the end of the travel path. This position is shown in FIG. 1, for example.

[0051] The web machining tool 31 is preferably moved to its machining position during the machining of the first ball track 12 of the inner joint part 11. For this, the web machining tool 31 with its rotation axis R31 is moved radially in the direction towards the longitudinal axis A of the inner joint part, respectively towards the clamping axis Z, up to the working position in which the web machining tool 31 is approached to the inner joint part 11. In this case, the rotation axis R31 of the web machining tool 31 runs radially to the longitudinal axis A of the inner joint part 11. It is understood, however, that the web machining tool 31 can also be moved before or after track machining.

[0052] In order to change to the machining of a further ball track 12.sub.2 after having completed machining of a first ball track 12.sub.1, the inner joint part 11 is rotated around the clamping axis Z by a pitch angle of the ball tracks 12, i.e. by 60 for the present inner joint part. This process is also known as indexing.

[0053] During indexing from one rotational position to the next, the webs of the inner joint part 11 are machined using the web machining tool 31. An intermediate position during such an indexing movement is shown in FIGS. 6 to 12. Two guiding webs 13.sub.1, 13.sub.2 can be seen, which extend into a cavity 34 of the web machining tool 31 and are machined accordingly by the machining contour 32 of the rotating web machining tool 31. As can be seen in particular in FIG. 7, on an inner circumferential face of the web machining tool 31 several cutting edges are arranged distributed over the circumference, whose cutting edges 33 together form the machining contour 32. The cutting edges 33 are presently straight and run at an acute angle to the tool rotation axis R31. In this case, imaginary extensions of the cutting edges 33 intersect in a point on the rotation axis R31. When tool 31 is rotated, the cutting edges 33 form an inner conical machining contour that engages the outer faces 13 of the webs for mechanical machining. As shown in particular in FIG. 8, during indexing from a first rotational position to the second rotational position, a first guiding web 13.sub.1 runs along the machining face 32 of the rotating web machining tool 31 into the cavity of the tool 31, while a second guiding web 13.sub.2 adjacent thereto is turned out of the cavity. During the first indexing movement, the two guiding webs 13.sub.1, 13.sub.2 come into contact with the machining face 32 of the rotating web machining tool 31, so that their outer faces 13.sub.1, 13.sub.2 are machined accordingly. For each subsequent indexing movement, substantially only the guiding web 13.sub.1 turning into the web machining tool 31 is machined by the machining face 32, while the guiding web 13.sub.2 turning out of tool 31 has already been machined in the course of the previous indexing movement and has the desired contour.

[0054] At the end of an indexing movement, a respective web is in the central position, i.e. the web is centered on the rotation axis R31 of the web machining tool 31. This position in turn corresponds to the machining position of a ball track 12 shown in FIGS. 3 to 5. This means that at the end of the first indexing movement, the second rotational position is reached in which the second ball track 12.sub.2 adjacent to the first ball track 12.sub.1 can be machined using the track machining tool 21. For this, the track machining tool 21 is moved along the second ball track 12.sub.2, as previously along the first ball track 12.sub.1.

[0055] According to an advantageous embodiment, the web machining tool 31 remains in the machining position required for the mechanical machining of the guiding webs 13 during the machining of a ball track 12. This means that the web machining tool 31 is only fed once, i.e., at the beginning of the machining of the inner joint part 11, for example before or during the machining of the first ball track 12. Only at the end of the machining of the last web 13.sub.6 is the web machining tool 31 moved away from the inner joint part 11 again, which is done by radial movement of tool 31 away from the longitudinal axis A. Now the finished inner joint part 11 can be removed from the clamping device 41 and the next inner joint part can be clamped for machining.

[0056] In order that the web machining tool 31 has no negative influence on the manufacturing process during the machining of the ball tracks 12, it is contact-free relative to the inner joint part 11 in the machining position of the ball track tool 21. The geometry of the machining face 32 of the web machining tool 31 can be designed in such a way that a web face 13 to be machined, starting from an initial rotational position, first comes into engagement with the machining face at the beginning of indexing and, when the next rotational position is reached, comes out of engagement again from the machining face 32. In this position there is a gap between the machining face 32 of the web tool 31 and the web arranged in the cavity, as can be seen in particular in FIGS. 4 and 5. The web machining tool 31 remains stationary during this rotation from one rotational position to the next, thereby rotating around its own axis.

[0057] The machining of the ball tracks 12.sub.1-12.sub.6 and thus also of the guiding webs 13.sub.1-13.sub.6, is carried out step by step in circumferential direction one after the other. After machining the first ball track 12.sub.1, the inner joint part 11 is turned by the pitch angle of the ball tracks 12 into the second rotational position, which follows the first rotational position in the circumferential direction. The second ball track 12.sub.2 is then machined in this second rotational position. Then the inner joint part 11 is moved by the pitch angle to the next rotational position, where the next ball track 123 is machined. This process is repeated until all ball tracks are machined. In the indexing movements from one rotational position to the next, the machining of the webs 13 takes place.

[0058] FIG. 13 shows a machining of ball tracks 12 and guiding webs 13 of an inner joint part 11 in a modified second embodiment. The present embodiment largely corresponds to the embodiment according to FIGS. 1 to 12, so that reference is made to the above description with regard to the similarities. The same or corresponding details are provided with the same reference signs as in FIGS. 1 to 12.

[0059] The representation of the arrangement is in three-dimensional view analogous to the representation in FIG. 1. Deviating from the embodiment according to FIG. 1, the track machining tool 21 has a disc-shaped profile in the present embodiment according to FIG. 13. The disk tool 21 can be designed as a milling or grinding tool rotating around a rotation axis R21. The rotation axis R21 crosses the longitudinal axis A of the inner joint part at a distance. To process a ball track 12, the track machining tool 21 with its rotation axis R21 is moved equidistantly to the contour of the ball track to be produced. The track machining tool 21 travels through the ball track 12 from a first axial end to the opposite second axial end 18. At the end of the track machining, the track machining tool 21 travels out of the ball track 12 so that it no longer engages with it. The inner joint part 11 can then be rotated by an indexing movement to machine the next ball track 12, wherein during the indexing movement the web faces 13 respectively engaging with the web machining tool 31 are machined.

[0060] The two embodiments enable in an advantageous manner the production of inner joint parts 11 with high manufacturing accuracy in a particularly short machining time. The machining of the guiding webs 13 is, in terms of time, a by-product of the necessary indexing movements. Since the machining of the guiding webs 13 takes place between the machining of two ball tracks 12 in the course of rotation from one rotational position to the next, i.e. with a time delay, the two machining steps do not influence each other. With the method and the device, respectively, all inner joint parts 11 can be machined with a spherical or at least partly spherical outer surface, for which a relative guidance is provided between the outer surface of the inner joint part 11 and the inner surface of the ball cage.

REFERENCE

[0061] 11 inner joint part [0062] 12 ball track [0063] 13 guiding web/web face [0064] 14 edge breaking [0065] 15 edge breaking [0066] 16 through opening [0067] 17 toothing [0068] 18 end [0069] 21 track machining tool [0070] 22 milling head [0071] 23 cutting edges [0072] 31 web machining tool [0073] 32 machining contour [0074] 33 cutting edge [0075] 34 cavity [0076] 41 clamping unit [0077] A longitudinal axis [0078] E plane [0079] P arrow (direction of movement) [0080] R axis of rotation [0081] clamping axis