JPH11241730A - Coupling yoke in double cardan joint - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To inexpensively manufacture a coupling yoke simple in molding and having high strength by projecting arm parts from a semi-cylindrical part to both the sides in a shaft direction, providing two half ring members having holes at the tip parts of the arm parts and welding the half ring members each other. SOLUTION: A coupling yoke 1 is provided with two plane symmetrical half ring members 10. The half ring member 10 is constituted of a semi- cylindrical shaped semi-cylindrical part 10a and a substantially semi-circular arm part 10b extending from the center part of this semi-cylindrical part 10a to both sides of a shaft direction. The arm part 10b is provided with a pin hole 10c into/through which each cross pin is inserted/passed. At both the ends of the semi-cylindrical part 10a, bevels 10e are provided, the bevels 10e of the two semi-cylindrical parts 10a are allowed to abut each other and the two half ring members 10 are integrally joined by welding 12. As a result, the coupling yoke 1 is easily molded and is inexpensive and strong.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a double cardan joint coupling yoke used for, for example, a steering wheel joint of an automobile.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there has been an integrated type coupling yoke of a double cardan joint. This integrated coupling yoke is made from a single rectangular steel plate,
A blank material in a form in which the coupling yoke is developed is punched out with a press, and this one blank material is bent into a shape of a coupling yoke by a press, and both ends of the bent blank material are engaged with each other. .

[0003]

However, in the above-mentioned conventional integrated coupling yoke, a blank is bent by a press to form a central portion of the blank into a complete cylindrical shape, and both ends are mutually joined. Because it is engaged,
There is a problem that molding is complicated and the number of steps of press molding is increased. In addition, there is a problem that the number of dies used for the press molding is increased. In addition, since both ends are fixed by engagement, there is also a problem that strength is low.

An object of the present invention is to provide a coupling yoke for a double cardan joint which can be easily formed at a low cost and is robust.

[0005]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, a coupling yoke for a double cardan joint according to the first aspect of the present invention includes an arm protruding from a semi-cylindrical portion on both axial sides and an arm protruding therefrom. Two semi-ring members having holes at the distal ends of the two semi-ring members, and the semi-cylindrical portions of the two semi-ring members are joined to each other by welding so that the arm portions and the holes face each other. Features.

As described above, the coupling yoke of the double cardan joint includes two half ring members,
Both ends of the semi-cylindrical portion of the two half-ring members are joined to each other by welding. Therefore, in this coupling yoke, a semi-cylindrical half-ring member can be individually formed from a single steel plate, so that the formation is simplified, unlike the case where one complete cylindrical ring portion is formed. Accordingly, the number of molding steps of the coupling yoke is reduced, and the number of molds for molding is also reduced, so that the coupling yoke can be manufactured at low cost. Further, the coupling yoke has high strength because both ends of the half ring member are joined by welding.

[0007]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the illustrated embodiments.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a coupling yoke of a double cardan joint according to an embodiment of the present invention. The coupling yoke 1 includes two half-ring members 10, 10 symmetrical with respect to a plane. This half ring member 10
Is a semi-cylindrical semi-cylindrical portion 10a, and the semi-cylindrical portion 10a
And semi-circular arms 10b extending from both sides in the axial direction from the central portion of the arm. In addition, these arm parts 1
0b and 10b are provided with pin holes 10c and 10c, respectively, through which cross pins are inserted. The semi-cylindrical part 10a, 1
0a are provided at both ends with grooves 10e, 10e.
The ends provided with 0e and 10e are in contact with each other. Then, the welding 12 is piled up on the grooves 10e, 10e, and the two half ring members 10, 10 are integrally joined. Thus, since this coupling yoke integrates the half ring members 10, 10 by welding 12, 12,
It is sturdy.

The coupling yoke 1 is manufactured, for example, as described below. A blank sheet 1 shown in FIG.
00 is formed. The blank material 100 has a vertically elongated rectangular portion 100a, and extends from the center of the rectangular portion 100a to both sides following the rectangular portion 100a.
b (see FIG. 1), substantially semicircular portions 100b, 100b,
Grooves 10e, 10e are formed. Further, a large radius R is provided at a corner where the rectangular portion 100a and the substantially semicircular portions 100b, 100b intersect to avoid stress concentration.

Next, a half-ring original member 50 shown in FIG. 3 is formed from the blank material 100 using a mold and a press. The half-ring original member 50 is used for the blank material 10.
0 is formed into a semi-cylindrical portion 10a by bending the rectangular portion 100a, and the substantially semi-circular portions 100b, 100b provided with the pin holes 10c (see FIG. 1) are flat without any processing. Maintained to be substantially semicircular portions 50b, 50b. Next, the two half-ring original members 50, 50 thus produced are opposed to each other. Grooves 10e at both ends in the circumferential direction of one semi-cylindrical portion 10a and grooves 10e at both ends in the circumferential direction of the other semi-cylindrical portion 10a.
e, 10e, and the groove 10e,
Welding 12 (see FIG. 1) is put on 10e, and the half ring original members 50, 50 are integrated. Then, each substantially semicircular portion 50b of the integrated half ring original members 50, 50 has
A pin hole 10c for a cross pin shown in FIG. 1 is formed. Thus, the coupling yoke 1 shown in FIG. 1 is completed.

As described above, the coupling yoke 1 of the double cardan joint forms the same two semi-cylindrical half-ring original members 50, 50, and then forms these half-ring original members 50, 50. Are welded to each other. In this way, the two half-ring original members are butt-welded and welded, so forming is simpler than in the case of forming a single cylindrical shape as in the past and connecting both ends by engagement. Thus, the number of molding steps can be reduced, and the number of molding dies can be reduced. Therefore, the manufacturing cost of the coupling yoke 1 can be reduced. Also,
Strength also increases.

In the above embodiment, both ring members 1
Although the grooves 10e and 10e are provided in 0a and 10a, the grooves may be provided only in one ring member 10a. Further, a groove may not be provided.

In the above embodiment, the pin holes 10c, 10c
c, 10c, 10c are both half-ring original members 50, 50
Is provided after welding, but when a blank is formed by punching a steel plate, a hole having a coarse precision may be formed, and the hole may be finished after welding.

[0014]

As is apparent from the above description, the coupling yoke of the double cardan joint according to the first aspect of the present invention has arms protruding from both sides in the axial direction of the semi-cylindrical portion, and the tip ends of these arms. Since two half ring members each having a hole in the portion are provided, and the two half ring members are joined to each other by welding so that the arm portion and the hole are opposed to each other, a conventional complete cylindrical shape is used. As compared with a member in which both ends of the member are engaged and connected, there is an advantage that the molding is simple, inexpensive and robust.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a coupling yoke of a double cardan joint according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of a blank material of the coupling yoke of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the coupling yoke of FIG. 1 at a manufacturing stage.

[Explanation of symbols]

10: half ring member, 10a: semi-cylindrical part, 10b ...
Arm part, 10c ... pin hole.

Claims (1)

[Claims] An arm protruding from the semi-cylindrical portion on both sides in the axial direction, two semi-ring members having holes at the distal ends of the arms, and two semi-cylindrical portions of the two semi-ring members. Are coupled to each other by welding so that the arm portion and the hole face each other.