ROLLING ELEMENT INTERMEDIATE SHAFT ASSEMBLY
In one aspect, a rolling element intermediate shaft assembly is provided. The assembly includes a solid shaft having a first end and a second end and a tubular shaft configured to receive the shaft first end. The tubular shaft includes an inner wall with an axially extending groove formed therein, and the axially extending groove includes an inner surface. The assembly further includes a wear plate having a bottom surface and defining an axially extending channel, the wear plate being received in the tubular shaft axially extending groove, and at least one ball bearing disposed within the wear plate channel between the wear plate and the solid shaft.
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This patent application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/825,884 filed May 21, 2013, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
FIELD OF THE INVENTIONThe present disclosure generally relates to shaft couplings and, more specifically, to intermediate shaft assemblies for vehicles.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONIntermediate shafts (I-shafts) are designed to be a component of torque transfer from a steering column to a steering gear. They may also allow axial movement while maintaining this ability to transfer torque. Some known I-shafts control the torsional rate and axial sliding force through clearance control and friction, and these I-shafts are commonly referred to as friction slider I-shafts.
Some know friction slider I-shafts are composed of a metal solid shaft with a plastic based coating sliding inside of a metal tube. Many of these friction sliders must maintain extremely tight tolerances. As a result, because cross-sections of these components vary by application, the plastic based coating that is placed over the metal solid shaft must be customized to fit the specific tube it will be positioned in. As such, this process is difficult to use and maintain on a mass production scale. Accordingly, it is desirable to provide an I-shaft with variable tolerances such that it may be used with various sized I-shaft components.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONIn one aspect, an elastic wear plate for a rolling element intermediate shaft assembly having a tubular shaft with an axially extending groove formed in an inner surface of the tubular shaft is provided. The wear plate includes a body having a first end and a second end. The body defines an axially extending channel configured to receive a plurality of ball bearings, and the body is configured to be oriented within the axially extending groove of the tubular shaft.
In another aspect, a rolling element intermediate shaft assembly is provided. The assembly includes a solid shaft having a first end and a second end and a tubular shaft configured to receive the shaft first end. The tubular shaft includes an inner wall with an axially extending groove formed therein, and the axially extending groove includes an inner surface. The assembly further includes a wear plate having a bottom surface and defining an axially extending channel, the wear plate being received in the tubular shaft axially extending groove, and at least one ball bearing disposed within the wear plate channel between the wear plate and the solid shaft.
In yet another aspect, a method of assembling a rolling element intermediate shaft assembly is provided. The method includes providing a solid shaft having a first end and a second end, providing a tubular shaft having an inner wall with an axially extending groove formed therein, the axially extending groove having an inner surface, and providing a wear plate having a bottom surface and defining an axially extending channel. The method further includes orienting the wear plate in the tubular shaft axially extending groove, inserting the solid shaft into the tubular shaft, and inserting at least one ball bearing within the wear plate channel between the wear plate and the solid shaft.
These and other advantages and features will become more apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the drawings.
The subject matter which is regarded as the invention is particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed in the claims at the conclusion of the specification. The foregoing and other features, and advantages of the invention are apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:
Referring now to the Figures, where the invention will be described with reference to specific embodiments, without limiting same,
With reference to
Solid shaft second end 30 is inserted into tubular shaft open end 50 and oriented such that grooves 34 are substantially aligned with wear plates channels 46. As illustrated in
In the exemplary assembly, ball bearings 22 are subsequently inserted into the spaces or tracks formed between grooves 34 and channels 46. During insertion of ball bearings 22, wear plates 24 may flex to take up any tolerance of assembly 10 due to the offset orientation of wear plate bottom surfaces 58 and tubular shaft groove inner surfaces 60, as described above. Cap 20 is inserted over solid shaft 14 and is coupled to tubular shaft open end 50 (see
Described herein are systems and methods for a rolling element I-shaft assembly that includes a tubular shaft, a solid shaft, wear plates, and ball bearings. Grooves are formed in the solid shaft outer surface and the tubular shaft inner surface. The wear plates include channels and are oriented within the tubular shaft grooves proximate the solid shaft grooves to define tracks therebetween to receive the ball bearings. This allows translational motion between the shafts as the ball bearings travel axially down the tracks. The wear plates also allow for variations along the solid shaft and tubular shaft by providing a flexible interface between the described components due to an offset angle between the wear plates and the tubular shaft. Accordingly, a robust I-shaft assembly is provided that facilitates translational motion, does not require high tolerances, and maintains high torsional strength, durability, and stiffness.
While the invention has been described in detail in connection with only a limited number of embodiments, it should be readily understood that the invention is not limited to such disclosed embodiments. Rather, the invention can be modified to incorporate any number of variations, alterations, substitutions or equivalent arrangements not heretofore described, but which are commensurate with the spirit and scope of the invention. Additionally, while various embodiments of the invention have been described, it is to be understood that aspects of the invention may include only some of the described embodiments. Accordingly, the invention is not to be seen as limited by the foregoing description.
Claims
1. A wear plate for a rolling element intermediate shaft assembly having a tubular shaft with an axially extending groove formed in an inner surface of the tubular shaft, the wear plate comprising:
- an elastically deformable body having a first end and a second end, the body defining an axially extending channel configured to receive a plurality of ball bearings, the body configured to be oriented within the axially extending groove of the tubular shaft.
2. The wear plate of claim 1, further comprising a pair of arms extending from the body first end, the arms configured to hook onto the tubular shaft.
3. The wear plate of claim 2, further comprising a tab extending from the body second end, the tab configured to retain the plurality of ball bearings in the axially extending channel.
4. The wear plate of claim 1, wherein the body comprises a pair of bottom surfaces oriented to define an offset angle between the bottom surfaces and the tubular shaft axially extending groove.
5. The wear plate of claim 5, wherein bottom surfaces are oriented to define an offset angle that is transverse to the axially extending groove of about between 0° and 10°.
6. A rolling element intermediate shaft assembly comprising:
- a solid shaft having a first end and a second end;
- a tubular shaft configured to receive the shaft first end, the tubular shaft having an inner wall with an axially extending groove formed therein, the axially extending groove having an inner surface;
- a wear plate having a bottom surface and defining an axially extending channel, the wear plate received in the tubular shaft axially extending groove; and
- at least one ball bearing disposed within the wear plate channel between the wear plate and the solid shaft.
7. The assembly of claim 6, further comprising:
- a second axially extending groove formed in the tubular shaft inner wall; and
- a second wear plate received in the tubular shaft second axially extending groove, wherein at least one ball bearing is disposed within the second wear plate channel between the second wear plate and the solid shaft.
8. The assembly of claim 7, wherein the axially extending groove and the second axially extending groove are oriented approximately 180° apart from each other.
9. The assembly of claim 8, wherein the wear plate and the second wear plate are oriented approximately 180° apart from each other.
10. The assembly of claim 6, wherein an offset angle is defined between the wear plate bottom surface and the tubular shaft groove inner surface.
11. The assembly of claim 10, wherein the offset angle that is transverse to the axially extending groove of about between 0° and 10°.
12. The assembly of claim 6, wherein the solid shaft includes an outer surface having an axially extending groove formed therein, wherein the at least one ball bearing is disposed within the wear plate channel and the solid shaft axially extending groove.
13. The assembly of 12, wherein the solid shaft includes a second axially extending groove formed therein.
14. The assembly of claim 13, wherein the solid shaft axially extending groove and the solid shaft second axially extending groove are oriented approximately 180° apart from each other.
15. The assembly of claim 6, further comprising a retainer cap coupled to the tubular shaft to facilitate retention of the at least one ball bearing within the tubular shaft.
16. The assembly of claim 6, further comprising a yoke coupled to the solid shaft second end, wherein the tubular shaft further includes a yoke end.
17. A method of assembling a rolling element intermediate shaft assembly, the method comprising:
- providing a solid shaft having a first end and a second end;
- providing a tubular shaft having an inner wall with an axially extending groove formed therein, the axially extending groove having an inner surface;
- providing a wear plate having a bottom surface and defining an axially extending channel;
- orienting the wear plate in the tubular shaft axially extending groove;
- inserting the solid shaft into the tubular shaft;
- inserting at least one ball bearing within the wear plate channel between the wear plate and the solid shaft.
18. The method of claim 17, further comprising providing the wear plate with an angled bottom surface such that the angled bottom surface defines an offset angle between the wear plate bottom surface and the tubular shaft groove inner surface, wherein the offset angle is transverse to the axially extending groove by about between 0° and 10°.
19. The method of claim 17, further comprising:
- providing the tubular shaft with a second axially extending groove;
- providing a second wear plate;
- orienting the second wear plate in the second axially extending groove; and
- inserting at least one ball bearing within the second wear plate channel between the second wear plate and the solid shaft.
20. The method of claim 17, wherein the step of providing the solid shaft comprises providing a solid shaft having a first end, a second end, and an outer surface having an axially extending groove formed therein,
- and wherein the step of inserting at least one ball bearing comprises inserting at least one ball bearing within the wear plate channel and the solid shaft axially extending groove.
Type: Application
Filed: May 21, 2014
Publication Date: Nov 27, 2014
Applicant: Steering Solutions IP Holding Corporation (Saginaw, MI)
Inventors: Troy A. Daenzer (Reese, MI), Daniel C. Simon (Freeland, MI), Brian J. Magnus (Frankenmuth, MI), Patrik M. Ryne (Midland, MI)
Application Number: 14/283,974
International Classification: F16C 3/035 (20060101);