Patents Assigned to HITACHI AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS KYUSHU, LTD.
  • Patent number: 10767705
    Abstract: In a power transmission shaft including a rear-side shaft having a male spline joint portion formed on the outer periphery of a front end of the rear-side shaft and a tubular front-side shaft having a female spline joint portion formed on the inner periphery of a rear end of the tubular front-side shaft, a seal ring is housed in a seal housing groove configured at the rear end of the tubular front-side shaft. The seal ring is interposed between an outer peripheral seal surface of the rear-side shaft and an inner peripheral surface of the seal housing groove with a compressive deformation. Additionally, the seal ring is sandwiched and retained between the inside wall surface of the seal housing groove and the inside end face of a disk-shaped retainer part of a retainer press-fitted to the rear end of the tubular front-side shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2020
    Assignee: HITACHI AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS KYUSHU, LTD.
    Inventors: Yasushi Akita, Hiromichi Komai
  • Patent number: 10378591
    Abstract: A propeller shaft includes a shaft part, a first yoke, a connecting portion, a first yoke portion, a first concave portion, and a second yoke having a flange and a second yoke portion. The flange has a bolt insertion hole into which a securing member is inserted, and is connected to a second shaft part of a vehicle side by the securing member. The second yoke portion is provided at the flange, and has a shape that extends in a direction of a rotation axis of the shaft part. A cruciform shaft couples the first yoke portion with the second yoke portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2019
    Assignee: Hitachi Automotive Systems Kyushu, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kenichiro Ishikura, Hidekazu Aoki, Hiromichi Komai
  • Publication number: 20190170194
    Abstract: A power transmission shaft has a shaft member having, on an outer peripheral surface thereof, a male spline; a cylindrical member having, on an inner peripheral surface thereof, a female spline; and a seal member provided in a pressed state between an outer peripheral seal surface formed on the outer peripheral surface of the shaft member and an inner peripheral seal surface formed on the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical member. The cylindrical member is spline-engaged with the shaft member by one end side of the shaft member being inserted into the cylindrical member from an other end side of the cylindrical member. Axial direction shock is absorbed by sliding of the splines. The outer peripheral seal surface is positioned at the other end side with respect to the male spline, and the inner peripheral seal surface is positioned at the other side with respect to the female spline.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 5, 2019
    Publication date: June 6, 2019
    Applicant: HITACHI AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS KYUSHU, LTD.
    Inventors: Yasushi AKITA, Hiromichi KOMAI, Masashi KUBO
  • Patent number: 10240641
    Abstract: A power transmission shaft has a shaft member having, on an outer peripheral surface thereof, a male spline; a cylindrical member having, on an inner peripheral surface thereof, a female spline; and a seal member provided in a pressed state between an outer peripheral seal surface formed on the outer peripheral surface of the shaft member and an inner peripheral seal surface formed on the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical member. The cylindrical member is spline-engaged with the shaft member by one end side of the shaft member being inserted into the cylindrical member from an other end side of the cylindrical member. Axial direction shock is absorbed by sliding of the splines. The outer peripheral seal surface is positioned at the other end side with respect to the male spline, and the inner peripheral seal surface is positioned at the other side with respect to the female spline.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2019
    Assignee: HITACHI AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS KYUSHU, LTD.
    Inventors: Yasushi Akita, Hiromichi Komai, Masashi Kubo
  • Patent number: 9850959
    Abstract: A propeller shaft has a first yoke having a fixing portion, a pair of first bifurcated yoke portions extending from one end portion of the fixing portion in an axial direction, and a first bearing hole formed at each first yoke portion and securing therein a first bearing that holds a cruciform shaft; a second yoke coupled to the first yoke through the cruciform shaft and secured to a predetermined member, and having a mounting flange, and a bolt insertion hole which is formed at the mounting flange and into which a bolt to secure the second yoke to the predetermined member is inserted; and a securing member securing the mounting flange of the second yoke to the predetermined member through the bolt by a fastening tool. Each first yoke portion is provided with a first concave portion that slides thereon an outer circumferential surface of the fastening tool.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2017
    Assignee: Hitachi Automotive Systems Kyushu, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kenichiro Ishikura, Hidekazu Aoki, Hiromichi Komai
  • Patent number: 9605716
    Abstract: A propeller shaft has a first yoke having a fixing portion, a pair of first bifurcated yoke portions extending from one end portion of the fixing portion in an axial direction, and a first bearing hole formed at each first yoke portion and securing therein a first bearing that holds a cruciform shaft; a second yoke coupled to the first yoke through the cruciform shaft and secured to a predetermined member, and having a mounting flange, and a bolt insertion hole which is formed at the mounting flange and into which a bolt to secure the second yoke to the predetermined member is inserted; and a securing member securing the mounting flange of the second yoke to the predetermined member through the bolt by a fastening tool. Each first yoke portion is provided with a first concave portion that slides thereon an outer circumferential surface of the fastening tool.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2017
    Assignee: Hitachi Automotive Systems Kyushu, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kenichiro Ishikura, Hidekazu Aoki, Hiromichi Komai
  • Publication number: 20160273592
    Abstract: In a power transmission shaft including a rear-side shaft having a male spline joint portion formed on the outer periphery of a front end of the rear-side shaft and a tubular front-side shaft having a female spline joint portion formed on the inner periphery of a rear end of the tubular front-side shaft, a seal ring is housed in a seal housing groove configured at the rear end of the tubular front-side shaft. The seal ring is interposed between an outer peripheral seal surface of the rear-side shaft and an inner peripheral surface of the seal housing groove with a compressive deformation. Additionally, the seal ring is sandwiched and retained between the inside wall surface of the seal housing groove and the inside end face of a disk-shaped retainer part of a retainer press-fitted to the rear end of the tubular front-side shaft.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 4, 2016
    Publication date: September 22, 2016
    Applicant: HITACHI AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS KYUSHU, LTD.
    Inventors: Yasushi AKITA, Hiromichi KOMAI
  • Patent number: 9364918
    Abstract: An aluminum alloy propeller shaft including a tube made of an aluminum alloy, and a pair of yoke members made of an aluminum alloy, the yoke members including cylindrical base portions friction-welded to opposite end portions of the tube, each of the yoke members including a tip end portion having a pair of bearing retaining holes aligned with each other in a radial direction of the base portion. Variation in length between a central axis of the bearing retaining holes in one of the yoke members and a central axis of the bearing retaining holes in the other yoke member with respect to a reference length is set within a range of from +2.0 mm to ?2.0 mm. A friction welding process of producing an aluminum alloy propeller shaft, including a friction step, a position displacement detection step, a rotation stop step and an upset step.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2016
    Assignee: Hitachi Automotive Systems Kyushu, Ltd.
    Inventors: Keigo Yoshida, Kazuya Matsumoto
  • Patent number: 9334904
    Abstract: A propeller shaft has a first yoke having a fixing portion, a pair of first bifurcated yoke portions extending from one end portion of the fixing portion in an axial direction, and a first bearing hole formed at each first yoke portion and securing therein a first bearing that holds a cruciform shaft; a second yoke coupled to the first yoke through the cruciform shaft and secured to a predetermined member, and having a mounting flange, and a bolt insertion hole which is formed at the mounting flange and into which a bolt to secure the second yoke to the predetermined member is inserted; and a securing member securing the mounting flange of the second yoke to the predetermined member through the bolt by a fastening tool. Each first yoke portion is provided with a first concave portion that slides thereon an outer circumferential surface of the fastening tool.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2016
    Assignee: Hitachi Automotive Systems Kyushu, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kenichiro Ishikura, Hidekazu Aoki, Hiromichi Komai
  • Publication number: 20160084317
    Abstract: A power transmission shaft has a shaft member having, on an outer peripheral surface thereof, a male spline; a cylindrical member having, on an inner peripheral surface thereof, a female spline; and a seal member provided in a pressed state between an outer peripheral seal surface formed on the outer peripheral surface of the shaft member and an inner peripheral seal surface formed on the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical member. The cylindrical member is spline-engaged with the shaft member by one end side of the shaft member being inserted into the cylindrical member from an other end side of the cylindrical member. Axial direction shock is absorbed by sliding of the splines. The outer peripheral seal surface is positioned at the other end side with respect to the male spline, and the inner peripheral seal surface is positioned at the other side with respect to the female spline.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 14, 2015
    Publication date: March 24, 2016
    Applicant: HITACHI AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS KYUSHU, LTD.
    Inventors: Yasushi AKITA, Hiromichi Komai, Masashi Kubo
  • Publication number: 20160017929
    Abstract: Provided is a low-cost propeller shaft adaptable to multiple variations of input/output shafts. An input shaft 3 and a first constant-velocity joint 4a are connected through a first adapter member 6a. The first adapter member is equipped with: a male spline 42 formed on an outer peripheral surface of a small-diameter shaft section 39 and engaged with a female spline 20 of an inner-race member 11 in the first constant-velocity joint 4a; and a female spline 46 formed on an inner peripheral surface of a large-diameter shaft section 41 and engaged with a male spline 35 of the input shaft 3. As a result, by producing only this first adapter member 6a, it is possible to adapt to an input shaft 3 of a type in which the outer diameter, the length in the axial direction, or the shape of the male spline 35 differs from an existing type.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 26, 2014
    Publication date: January 21, 2016
    Applicant: HITACHI AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS KYUSHU, LTD.
    Inventors: Kenichi SUGIYAMA, Yasutomo MABE, Hiromichi KOMAI
  • Patent number: 9005039
    Abstract: An aluminum alloy propeller shaft including a tube made of an aluminum alloy, and a pair of yoke members made of an aluminum alloy, the yoke members including cylindrical base portions friction-welded to opposite end portions of the tube, each of the yoke members including a tip end portion having a pair of bearing retaining holes aligned with each other in a radial direction of the base portion. Variation in length between a central axis of the bearing retaining holes in one of the yoke members and a central axis of the bearing retaining holes in the other yoke member with respect to a reference length is set within a range of from +2.0 mm to ?2.0 mm. A friction welding process of producing an aluminum alloy propeller shaft, including a friction step, a position displacement detection step, a rotation stop step and an upset step.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2015
    Assignee: Hitachi Automotive Systems Kyushu, Ltd.
    Inventors: Keigo Yoshida, Kazuya Matsumoto
  • Publication number: 20140357383
    Abstract: A propeller shaft has a first yoke having a fixing portion, a pair of first bifurcated yoke portions extending from one end portion of the fixing portion in an axial direction, and a first bearing hole formed at each first yoke portion and securing therein a first bearing that holds a cruciform shaft; a second yoke coupled to the first yoke through the cruciform shaft and secured to a predetermined member, and having a mounting flange, and a bolt insertion hole which is formed at the mounting flange and into which a bolt to secure the second yoke to the predetermined member is inserted; and a securing member securing the mounting flange of the second yoke to the predetermined member through the bolt by a fastening tool. Each first yoke portion is provided with a first concave portion that slides thereon an outer circumferential surface of the fastening tool.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 27, 2014
    Publication date: December 4, 2014
    Applicant: Hitachi Automotive Systems Kyushu, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kenichiro ISHIKURA, Hidekazu AOKI, Hiromichi KOMAI
  • Patent number: 8864590
    Abstract: A propeller shaft is proposed which comprises an outer cylindrical member formed with a sleeve portion that has a splined cylindrical inner wall with which a splined cylindrical outer wall of a shaft is engaged; an inner cylindrical member installed in the outer cylindrical member; a torque transmitting unit through which a torque is transmitted from the outer cylindrical member to the inner cylindrical member; and a connecting mechanism that, upon engagement of the splined cylindrical outer wall with the splined cylindrical inner wall, effects an axial and relative positioning between the shaft and the outer cylindrical member while establishing a detachable connection therebetween.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2014
    Assignee: Hitachi Automotive Systems Kyushu, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kenichi Sugiyama, Takahiro Kuroha, Yasutomo Mabe
  • Patent number: 8864591
    Abstract: A propeller shaft is proposed which comprises an inner cylindrical member that has a center through bore into which a shaft is inserted; an outer cylindrical member disposed around the inner cylindrical member; a torque transmitting unit operatively disposed between the inner and outer cylindrical members; a sleeve member coaxially connected to the center through bore of the inner cylindrical member; a boot unit arranged to hermetically close one open side of an interior of the outer cylindrical member; and a positioning mechanism that effects a relative axial positioning between the shaft and the inner cylindrical member when a splined cylindrical outer wall of the shaft is inserted through the sleeve member into a given position of a splined cylindrical inner wall of the center through bore of the inner cylindrical member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2014
    Assignee: Hitachi Automotive Systems Kyushu, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kenichi Sugiyama, Takahiro Kuroha, Hiromichi Komai, Yasutomo Mabe, Yasushi Akita
  • Publication number: 20140018178
    Abstract: An aluminum alloy propeller shaft including a tube made of an aluminum alloy, and a pair of yoke members made of an aluminum alloy, the yoke members including cylindrical base portions friction-welded to opposite end portions of the tube, each of the yoke members including a tip end portion having a pair of bearing retaining holes aligned with each other in a radial direction of the base portion. Variation in length between a central axis of the bearing retaining holes in one of the yoke members and a central axis of the bearing retaining holes in the other yoke member with respect to a reference length is set within a range of from +2.0 mm to ?2.0 mm. A friction welding process of producing an aluminum alloy propeller shaft, including a friction step, a position displacement detection step, a rotation stop step and an upset step.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 11, 2013
    Publication date: January 16, 2014
    Applicant: Hitachi Automotive Systems Kyushu, Ltd.
    Inventors: Keigo YOSHIDA, Kazuya MATSUMOTO
  • Publication number: 20130252746
    Abstract: A propeller shaft is proposed which comprises an outer cylindrical member formed with a sleeve portion that has a splined cylindrical inner wall with which a splined cylindrical outer wall of a shaft is engaged; an inner cylindrical member installed in the outer cylindrical member; a torque transmitting unit through which a torque is transmitted from the outer cylindrical member to the inner cylindrical member; and a connecting mechanism that, upon engagement of the splined cylindrical outer wall with the splined cylindrical inner wall, effects an axial and relative positioning between the shaft and the outer cylindrical member while establishing a detachable connection therebetween.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 12, 2013
    Publication date: September 26, 2013
    Applicant: HITACHI AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS KYUSHU, LTD.
    Inventors: Kenichi SUGIYAMA, Takahiro KUROHA, Yasutomo MABE
  • Publication number: 20130252748
    Abstract: A propeller shaft is proposed which comprises an inner cylindrical member that has a center through bore into which a shaft is inserted; an outer cylindrical member disposed around the inner cylindrical member; a torque transmitting unit operatively disposed between the inner and outer cylindrical members; a sleeve member coaxially connected to the center through bore of the inner cylindrical member; a boot unit arranged to hermetically close one open side of an interior of the outer cylindrical member; and a positioning mechanism that effects a relative axial positioning between the shaft and the inner cylindrical member when a splined cylindrical outer wall of the shaft is inserted through the sleeve member into a given position of a splined cylindrical inner wall of the center through bore of the inner cylindrical member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 13, 2013
    Publication date: September 26, 2013
    Applicant: Hitachi Automotive Systems Kyushu, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kenichi SUGIYAMA, Takahiro KUROHA, Hiromichi KOMAI, Yasutomo MABE, Yasushi AKITA