Transmission shaft assembly

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of automobile manufacturing, in particular to a transmission shaft assembly. Wherein one end of the spline shaft fork is connected to the universal joint, the other end of the spline shaft fork is arranged at one end of the spline sleeve in a penetrating mode, the spline shaft fork is connected with the spline sleeve in a sliding mode, the other end of the spline sleeve is connected to the rear-end universal joint assembly, the dustproof cover is arranged on the outer wall of the spline sleeve in a sleeving mode, and the dustproof cover is connected with the spline shaft fork. The inner dustproof seal, the gasket and the outer decontamination seal are arranged between the dustproof cover and the spline sleeve at intervals, the inner dustproof seal is close to the front-end universal joint assembly, the outer decontamination seal is close to the rear-end universal joint assembly, and the gasket is arranged between the inner dustproof seal and the outer decontamination seal. Compared with the prior art, the transmission shaft assembly is provided with the inner dustproof seal, the gasket and the outer dirt removal seal to form a double-layer sealing structure, so that the linearity of a sediment invasion path can be reduced, the sealing redundancy is enhanced, external sediment is prevented from invading the spline, and the spline pair is prevented from being abraded and even ablated.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of automobile manufacturing, and in particular to a transmission shaft assembly. Background Art

[0002] The drive shaft on a commercial vehicle for traction, cargo loading or dumping is generally composed of a universal joint, a shaft tube and a sliding spline. It is mainly located between the transmission and the drive axle. It is mainly used to transmit the torque output by the engine and transmission to the drive axle during the driving process of the vehicle. At the same time, it is necessary to compensate for the change in the length of the transmission system caused by the up and down bouncing of the drive axle due to uneven road conditions under high-speed rotation. Therefore, it is generally necessary to set up a sliding spline assembly composed of a combination of internal and external involute spline parts to meet the real-time change in the length of the drive shaft assembly during the driving process of the vehicle.

[0003] The sliding spline pair of the commercial vehicle drive shaft assembly is mainly composed of a spline shaft fork component (with external splines), a spline sleeve component (with internal splines), a dust cover and a dust seal from the inside to the outside. Since the involute spline needs to withstand large torque while meeting the sliding conditions of real-time tension or compression, lithium-based grease is required at the spline position to achieve wear reduction. At the same time, the sealing effect of the dust seal needs to be ensured to prevent internal and external air circulation or intrusion of mud and sand.

[0004] However, in the current mass-produced products in the industry, the sealing structure of the above-mentioned transmission shaft sliding spline pair generally adopts a dust seal pressed on the end of the dust cover, which generally includes one or two lips. The lips are interference fit with the outer circumferential surface of the spline sleeve to seal against external air. In addition, the lips are directed outward, and when the transmission shaft assembly is compressed, the mud and sand impurities attached to the spline sleeve are pushed away to avoid bringing impurities into the interior during the cycle from compression to stretching. When the dust seal lip is worn, external mud and air can easily invade the interior with the telescopic movement of the sliding spline pair, causing grease contamination or drying, accelerating the wear of the spline pair and even ablation.

[0005] Therefore, a transmission shaft assembly is urgently needed to solve the above technical problems. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The purpose of the present invention is to provide a transmission shaft assembly that can prevent external mud and sand from invading the interior of the spline, thereby preventing the spline pair from being worn or even ablated.

[0007] To achieve this object, the present invention adopts the following technical solutions:

[0008] A transmission shaft assembly, comprising a front universal joint assembly, a transmission shaft tube and a rear universal joint assembly, wherein the front universal joint assembly and the rear universal joint assembly are respectively connected to the two ends of the transmission shaft tube, the front universal joint assembly comprises a dust cover, an inner dust seal, a gasket, an outer decontamination seal, a spline shaft fork, a spline sleeve and a universal joint, one end of the spline shaft fork is connected to the universal joint, the other end of the spline shaft fork is passed through one end of the spline sleeve, and the spline shaft fork is connected to the spline sleeve. The sleeve is slidably connected, the other end of the spline sleeve is connected to the rear end universal joint assembly, the dust cover is sleeved on the outer wall of the spline sleeve, and the dust cover sleeve is connected to the spline shaft fork, the inner dust seal, the gasket and the outer decontamination seal are spaced between the dust cover and the spline sleeve, and the inner dust seal is close to the front end universal joint assembly, the outer decontamination seal is close to the rear end universal joint assembly, and the gasket is arranged between the inner dust seal and the outer decontamination seal.

[0009] As a preferred technical solution of the above-mentioned transmission shaft assembly, the dust cover includes a mounting portion and an extension portion, the two ends of the mounting portion are respectively connected to the extension portion and the spline shaft fork, the diameter of the extension portion is larger than the diameter of the mounting portion, and the inner dust seal, the gasket and the external decontamination seal are spaced apart between the extension portion and the spline sleeve.

[0010] As a preferred technical solution of the above-mentioned transmission shaft assembly, one end of the extension portion close to the rear end universal joint assembly is provided with a flange protruding inwardly, and the flange abuts against the external decontamination seal.

[0011] As a preferred technical solution of the above-mentioned drive shaft assembly, the inner dust seal includes a frame, an inner lip and an outer lip, the inner lip and the outer lip are spaced apart on the inner wall of the frame, and the inner lip and the outer lip are both interference fit with the outer wall of the spline sleeve, the frame is provided with a first mounting surface and a first positioning surface, the first mounting surface is interference fit with the inner wall of the extension part, the first positioning surface is located at one end of the frame close to the gasket, and the first positioning surface is against the gasket.

[0012] As a preferred technical solution of the above-mentioned transmission shaft assembly, the inner lip and the outer lip are both made of nitrile rubber or fluororubber.

[0013] As an optimal technical solution for the above-mentioned drive shaft assembly, the gasket includes a second mounting surface, an inner positioning surface, an outer positioning surface and a grease storage surface. The second mounting surface is interference fit with the inner wall of the extension part, the inner positioning surface is offset against the first positioning surface, and the outer positioning surface is offset against the external decontamination seal, so that the skeleton, the outer wall of the spline sleeve and the grease storage surface are jointly arranged to form a grease storage cavity, and the grease storage cavity is used to store grease.

[0014] As a preferred technical solution of the above-mentioned transmission shaft assembly, the gasket is dish-shaped.

[0015] As a preferred technical solution of the above-mentioned drive shaft assembly, the external decontamination seal includes a third mounting surface, a second positioning surface, a decontamination seal lip and an inner circle mating surface, the third mounting surface is interference fit with the inner wall of the extension part, the second positioning surface is abutted against the external positioning surface, the inner circle mating surface is interference fit with the outer wall of the spline sleeve, the decontamination seal lip is protruded from the inner circle mating surface along the axial direction close to the rear end universal joint assembly, and the decontamination seal lip is interference fit with the outer wall of the spline sleeve.

[0016] As a preferred technical solution of the above-mentioned transmission shaft assembly, the external decontamination seal is made of polyurethane.

[0017] As a preferred technical solution of the above-mentioned transmission shaft assembly, the inner dust seal, the gasket and the outer decontamination seal are integrally formed.

[0018] Beneficial effects of the present invention:

[0019] The present invention provides a drive shaft assembly. The drive shaft assembly includes a front universal joint assembly, a drive shaft tube, and a rear universal joint assembly. The front universal joint assembly and the rear universal joint assembly are respectively connected to the two ends of the drive shaft tube. The front universal joint assembly includes a dust cover, an inner dust seal, a gasket, an outer dirt removal seal, a spline shaft yoke, a spline sleeve, and a universal joint. One end of the spline shaft yoke is connected to the universal joint, the other end of the spline shaft yoke is inserted through one end of the spline sleeve, and the spline shaft yoke and the spline sleeve are slidably connected. The other end of the spline sleeve is connected to the rear universal joint assembly. The dust cover is sleeved on the outer wall of the spline sleeve and is connected to the spline shaft yoke. The inner dust seal, the gasket, and the outer dirt removal seal are spaced apart between the dust cover and the spline sleeve, with the inner dust seal close to the front universal joint assembly and the outer dirt removal seal close to the rear universal joint assembly. The gasket is arranged between the inner dust seal and the outer dirt removal seal. Compared with the existing technology, this drive shaft assembly forms a double-layer sealing structure by setting an internal dust seal, a gasket and an external decontamination seal, which can reduce the linearity of the mud and sand intrusion path, enhance the sealing redundancy, prevent external mud and sand from invading the interior of the spline, and avoid wear and even ablation of the spline pair. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for use in describing the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on the contents of the embodiments of the present invention and these drawings without any creative work.

[0021] Figure 1 is a schematic structural diagram of a transmission shaft assembly provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0022] Figure 2 This is an exploded view of the structure of the transmission shaft assembly provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of a partial structure of a transmission shaft assembly provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 4 Schematic diagram of the structure of the dust cover provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 5 Schematic diagram of the structure of the external decontamination seal provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 6 Schematic diagram of the structure of the inner dust seal provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 7 It is a structural schematic diagram of the gasket provided in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0028] In the picture:

[0029] 1. Dust cover; 11. Mounting portion; 12. Extension portion; 13. Flanging;

[0030] 2. Inner dust seal; 21. First mounting surface; 22. First positioning surface; 23. Inner lip; 24. Outer lip;

[0031] 3. Gasket; 31. Second mounting surface; 32. Inner positioning surface; 33. Outer positioning surface; 34. Grease storage surface;

[0032] 4. External decontamination seal; 41. Third mounting surface; 42. Second positioning surface; 43. Decontamination seal lip; 44. Inner circle mating surface;

[0033] 5. Spline shaft fork; 6. Spline sleeve;

[0034] 100. Front universal joint assembly; 200. Drive shaft tube; 300. Rear universal joint assembly. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0035] The present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and examples. It will be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are intended only to illustrate the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention. It should also be noted that, for ease of description, the accompanying drawings only illustrate portions relevant to the present invention, not all structures.

[0036] In the description of the present invention, unless otherwise expressly specified or limited, the terms "connected," "connected," and "fixed" should be understood in a broad sense. For example, they may refer to fixed connections, detachable connections, or integration; mechanical connections or electrical connections; direct connections or indirect connections through an intermediate medium; and internal communication between two components or interaction between two components. Those skilled in the art will understand the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention in specific circumstances.

[0037] In the present invention, unless otherwise expressly specified or limited, a first feature being "above" or "below" a second feature may include the first and second features being in direct contact, or may include the first and second features being in contact not directly but through another feature between them. Furthermore, a first feature being "above," "above," and "above" a second feature may include the first feature being directly above or obliquely above the second feature, or may simply mean that the first feature is higher in level than the second feature. A first feature being "below," "below," and "below" a second feature may include the first feature being directly below or obliquely below the second feature, or may simply mean that the first feature is lower in level than the second feature.

[0038] In the description of this embodiment, terms such as "upper," "lower," "left," and "right" are used to refer to positions or locations based on those shown in the accompanying drawings. These terms are intended solely to facilitate description and simplify operation, and are not intended to indicate or imply that the devices or components referred to must have, be constructed, or operate in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on the present invention. Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used solely for descriptive purposes and have no special meaning.

[0039] like Figures 1 to 3 As shown, the present invention provides a drive shaft assembly. The drive shaft assembly includes a front universal joint assembly 100, a drive shaft tube 200, and a rear universal joint assembly 300. The front universal joint assembly 100 and the rear universal joint assembly 300 are respectively connected to the ends of the drive shaft tube 200. The front universal joint assembly 100 includes a dust cover 1, an inner dust seal 2, a gasket 3, an outer decontamination seal 4, a spline shaft fork 5, a spline sleeve 6, and a universal joint.

[0040] Specifically, one end of the spline yoke 5 is connected to the universal joint, the other end of the spline yoke 5 is passed through one end of the spline sleeve 6, and the spline yoke 5 is slidingly connected to the spline sleeve 6, and the other end of the spline sleeve 6 is connected to the rear end universal joint assembly 300, the dust cover 1 is sleeved on the outer wall of the spline sleeve 6, and the dust cover 1 is connected to the spline yoke 5, the inner dust seal 2, the gasket 3 and the outer dirt removal seal 4 are arranged at intervals between the dust cover 1 and the spline sleeve 6, and the inner dust seal 2 is close to the front end universal joint assembly 100, the outer dirt removal seal 4 is close to the rear end universal joint assembly 300, and the gasket 3 is arranged between the inner dust seal 2 and the outer dirt removal seal 4. Compared with the existing technology, the drive shaft assembly forms a double-layer sealing structure by arranging an inner dust seal 2, a gasket 3 and an outer dirt removal seal 4, which can reduce the linearity of the mud and sand intrusion path, enhance the sealing redundancy, prevent external mud and sand from invading the interior of the spline, and avoid wear and even ablation of the spline pair.

[0041] Alternatively, as Figure 4 As shown, the dust cover 1 includes a mounting portion 11 and an extension portion 12. The ends of the mounting portion 11 are respectively connected to the extension portion 12 and the spline shaft yoke 5. The diameter of the extension portion 12 is larger than that of the mounting portion 11. The inner dust seal 2, the gasket 3, and the outer decontamination seal 4 are spaced apart between the extension portion 12 and the spline sleeve 6. Furthermore, the end of the extension portion 12 near the rear end universal joint assembly 300 is provided with an inwardly protruding flange 13, which abuts against the outer decontamination seal 4. Specifically, the diameter of the extension portion 12 is larger than the diameter of the mounting portion 11, so that a stepped surface is formed between the mounting portion 11 and the extension portion 12. The inner dust seal 2 abuts against the stepped surface, and the two ends of the gasket 3 abut against the inner dust seal 2 and the outer dirt removal seal 4 respectively. The outer dirt removal seal 4 abuts against the flange 13, which enables the inner dust seal 2, gasket 3 and outer dirt removal seal 4 to be pressed into the extension portion 12, thereby improving the stability of the inner dust seal 2, gasket 3 and outer dirt removal seal 4.

[0042] Alternatively, as Figure 5 As shown, the external decontamination seal 4 includes a third mounting surface 41, a second positioning surface 42, a decontamination seal lip 43, and an inner circumferential mating surface 44. The third mounting surface 41 has an interference fit with the inner wall of the extension portion 12, the second positioning surface 42 abuts against the outer positioning surface 33, and the inner circumferential mating surface 44 has an interference fit with the outer wall of the splined sleeve 6. The decontamination seal lip 43 protrudes from the inner circumferential mating surface 44 in an axial direction toward the rear end universal joint assembly 300 and has an interference fit with the outer wall of the splined sleeve 6. Furthermore, the external decontamination seal 4 is made of polyurethane. Specifically, the external decontamination seal 4 is made of polyurethane material and is arranged at the outer end of the dust cover 1. The decontamination seal lip 43 faces outward, and the high strength and high wear resistance of the material are used to remove mud and sand impurities attached to the outer wall of the spline sleeve 6; all the inner holes on the inner side of the decontamination seal lip 43 are matched with the spline sleeve 6 with a large interference fit, and the low friction coefficient characteristics of the material are used to improve the sealing effect while ensuring that the sliding resistance is not significantly increased.

[0043] Alternatively, as Figure 6 As shown, the inner dust seal 2 includes a frame, an inner lip 23, and an outer lip 24. The inner lip 23 and the outer lip 24 are spaced apart on the inner wall of the frame and both have an interference fit with the outer wall of the splined sleeve 6. The frame is provided with a first mounting surface 21 and a first positioning surface 22. The first mounting surface 21 has an interference fit with the inner wall of the extension 12. The first positioning surface 22 is located at the end of the frame near the gasket 3 and abuts against the gasket 3. Furthermore, the inner lip 23 and the outer lip 24 are both made of nitrile rubber or fluororubber. Specifically, the inner lip 23 and the outer lip 24 are made of nitrile rubber or fluororubber material, and are arranged on the inner wall of the dust cover 1 with the lips facing outward. The media resistance is used to protect the outer polyurethane material external decontamination seal 4 from being corroded by the internal grease. The high resilience is used to form a long-term auxiliary seal on the inner side when the external decontamination seal 4 is worn after long-term use of the drive shaft assembly, thereby blocking the external air and maintaining the internal grease performance. The complementary performance of nitrile rubber or fluororubber and polyurethane materials solves the problem of easy wear and sealing failure of traditional single-material sealing structures under dynamic sliding conditions; the staggered layout of the double-layer seal reduces the linearity of the mud and sand intrusion path and enhances the sealing redundancy.

[0044] Alternatively, as Figure 7 As shown, the gasket 3 includes a second mounting surface 31, an inner positioning surface 32, an outer positioning surface 33, and a grease reservoir surface 34. The second mounting surface 31 has an interference fit with the inner wall of the extension 12, the inner positioning surface 32 abuts against the first positioning surface 22, and the outer positioning surface 33 abuts against the outer decontamination seal 4. The frame, the outer wall of the splined sleeve 6, and the grease reservoir surface 34 collectively enclose a grease reservoir for storing grease. Furthermore, the gasket 3 is dish-shaped. Specifically, the gasket 3 is made of spring steel and is arranged between the outer decontamination seal 4 and the inner dust seal 2. Together with the flange 13 at the outermost end of the dust cover 1, it plays an axial positioning and supporting role for the outer decontamination seal 4 to prevent it from moving due to axial force when the decontamination seal lip 43 pushes and removes mud and impurities during the compression process of the drive shaft assembly; at the same time, this disc-shaped gasket 3 and the inner dust seal 2 form an annular grease storage cavity, which stores long-lasting grease when leaving the factory, and continuously provides grease to the inner lip 23 and the outer lip 24 through the elastic deformation of the gasket 3 during the sliding process to achieve long-term lubrication. It can avoid the failure of internal lubrication due to wear and tear of the dust seal and the occurrence of wear and ablation problems under the conditions that the sliding spline pair needs to frequently extend and slide, the external environment is full of mud and sand, and the assembly is maintenance-free, thereby ensuring the high durability of the sliding spline pair of the drive shaft assembly.

[0045] Optionally, the inner dust seal 2, gasket 3, and outer contamination removal seal 4 are integrally formed. Specifically, the inner dust seal 2, gasket 3, and outer contamination removal seal 4 are integrated components, which can simplify the assembly process. The material properties are utilized to expand the lip thickness of the outer contamination removal seal 4 to the same width as the components, thereby increasing the structural rigidity of the lip. This prevents the lip from being squeezed inward or deformed by the mating spline sleeve 6 during factory assembly or reassembly after user maintenance, thereby reducing assembly difficulty and improving assembly efficiency and reliability.

[0046] Furthermore, the above are only preferred embodiments of the present invention and the technical principles employed. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments described herein, and that various obvious changes, readjustments, and substitutions are possible for those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the present invention. Therefore, although the present invention has been described in detail through the above embodiments, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments and may include many other equivalent embodiments without departing from the scope of the present invention. The scope of the present invention is determined by the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A transmission shaft assembly, comprising a front universal joint assembly (100), a transmission shaft shaft tube (200) and a rear universal joint assembly (300), wherein the front universal joint assembly (100) and the rear universal joint assembly (300) are respectively connected to the two ends of the transmission shaft shaft tube (200), characterized in that: The front end universal joint assembly (100) comprises a dust cover (1), an inner dust seal (2), a gasket (3), an outer decontamination seal (4), a spline shaft fork (5), a spline sleeve (6) and a universal joint, one end of the spline shaft fork (5) is connected to the universal joint, the other end of the spline shaft fork (5) is passed through one end of the spline sleeve (6), and the spline shaft fork (5) is slidably connected to the spline sleeve (6), the other end of the spline sleeve (6) is connected to the rear end universal joint assembly (300), the dust cover (1 ) is sleeved on the outer wall of the spline sleeve (6), and the dust cover (1) is connected to the spline shaft fork (5), the inner dust seal (2), the gasket (3) and the outer decontamination seal (4) are spaced apart between the dust cover (1) and the spline sleeve (6), and the inner dust seal (2) is close to the front end universal joint assembly (100), the outer decontamination seal (4) is close to the rear end universal joint assembly (300), and the gasket (3) is arranged between the inner dust seal (2) and the outer decontamination seal (4).

2. The transmission shaft assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that: The dust cover (1) comprises a mounting portion (11) and an extension portion (12), the two ends of the mounting portion (11) are respectively connected to the extension portion (12) and the spline shaft fork (5), the diameter of the extension portion (12) is larger than the diameter of the mounting portion (11), and the inner dust seal (2), the gasket (3) and the outer decontamination seal (4) are arranged between the extension portion (12) and the spline sleeve (6).

3. The transmission shaft assembly according to claim 2, characterized in that: An end of the extension portion (12) close to the rear end universal joint assembly (300) is provided with a flange (13) protruding inwardly, and the flange (13) abuts against the external decontamination seal (4).

4. The transmission shaft assembly according to claim 2, characterized in that: The inner dust seal (2) includes a frame, an inner lip (23) and an outer lip (24), the inner lip (23) and the outer lip (24) are spaced apart on the inner wall of the frame, and the inner lip (23) and the outer lip (24) are both interference fit with the outer wall of the spline sleeve (6), the frame is provided with a first mounting surface (21) and a first positioning surface (22), the first mounting surface (21) is interference fit with the inner wall of the extension portion (12), the first positioning surface (22) is located at one end of the frame close to the gasket (3), and the first positioning surface (22) is against the gasket (3).

5. The transmission shaft assembly according to claim 4, characterized in that: The inner lip (23) and the outer lip (24) are both made of nitrile rubber or fluororubber.

6. The transmission shaft assembly according to claim 4, characterized in that: The gasket (3) comprises a second mounting surface (31), an inner positioning surface (32), an outer positioning surface (33) and a grease storage surface (34); the second mounting surface (31) is interference-fitted with the inner wall of the expansion portion (12); the inner positioning surface (32) is abutted against the first positioning surface (22); and the outer positioning surface (33) is abutted against the outer decontamination seal (4), so that the skeleton, the outer wall of the spline sleeve (6) and the grease storage surface (34) are jointly arranged to form a grease storage cavity, and the grease storage cavity is used to store grease.

7. The transmission shaft assembly according to claim 6, characterized in that: The gasket (3) is dish-shaped.

8. The transmission shaft assembly according to claim 6, characterized in that: The external decontamination seal (4) comprises a third mounting surface (41), a second positioning surface (42), a decontamination seal lip (43) and an inner circular matching surface (44); the third mounting surface (41) is interference-fitted with the inner wall of the extension portion (12); the second positioning surface (42) is abutted against the external positioning surface (33); the inner circular matching surface (44) is interference-fitted with the outer wall of the spline sleeve (6); the decontamination seal lip (43) is convexly provided on the inner circular matching surface (44) in an axial direction close to the rear end universal joint assembly (300); and the decontamination seal lip (43) is interference-fitted with the outer wall of the spline sleeve (6).

9. The transmission shaft assembly according to claim 8, characterized in that: The external decontamination seal (4) is made of polyurethane.

10. A transmission shaft assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that: The inner dust seal (2), the gasket (3) and the outer decontamination seal (4) are integrally formed.

Images