Drive shaft assembly and automobile

Abstract

This application relates to a drive shaft assembly and an automobile. The drive shaft assembly includes a drive shaft, a drive shaft housing, and an anti-icing protective cover. The drive shaft housing covers the outer side of one end of the drive shaft, and the anti-icing protective cover is installed outside the drive shaft housing. By adding an anti-icing protective cover outside the drive shaft housing, an anti-icing function can be added to the drive shaft. The protective cover outside the drive shaft housing forms a double-layer protection for the drive shaft, which can enhance the protection effect of the drive shaft.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the automotive field, and in particular to drive shaft assemblies and automobiles. Background Technology

[0002] When driving in snowy weather or on roads with snow accumulation, snow will accumulate at the connection between the drive shaft and the steering knuckle. As the temperature changes, the snow will turn into ice. The ice will adhere to the connection between the drive shaft and the steering knuckle, preventing the torque between the drive shaft and the steering knuckle from being output, causing damage to the drive shaft components. At the same time, the ice will also break off and damage the drive shaft dust cover and chassis rubber parts.

[0003] The existing dust cover for the drive shaft only has a waterproof function and cannot solve the above-mentioned problem caused by ice accumulation at the connection between the drive shaft and the steering knuckle.

[0004] Therefore, a new type of drive shaft assembly is needed to solve the above problems. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to provide a drive shaft assembly and an automobile with an anti-icing protective cover.

[0006] The present invention adopts the following technical solution: a drive shaft assembly, comprising: a drive shaft, a drive shaft housing, and an anti-icing protective cover; the drive shaft housing covers the outer side of one end of the drive shaft; the anti-icing protective cover is disposed outside the drive shaft housing.

[0007] Furthermore, the anti-icing protective cover includes a cover body, and the outer surface of the cover body includes an anti-icing material.

[0008] Furthermore, the cover includes a substrate and an anti-icing coating disposed outside the substrate, wherein the anti-icing coating is a low interface toughness coating.

[0009] Furthermore, a plasticizer is added to the anti-icing coating; the anti-icing coating is processed by a high-temperature curing process; and the substrate of the anti-icing protective cover is formed by a stamping process.

[0010] Furthermore, the cover of the anti-icing protective cover is made of superhydrophobic material.

[0011] Furthermore, the anti-icing protective cover and the drive shaft housing are contoured structures, with the anti-icing protective cover positioned close to the drive shaft housing; the drive shaft housing is also provided with dust covers and protective sleeves located at both ends of the anti-icing protective cover, and the anti-icing protective cover, the dust covers, and the protective sleeves together cover the drive shaft housing.

[0012] Furthermore, the drive shaft housing and the anti-icing protective cover are fixed by snap-fit; the anti-icing protective cover includes several claws, and the drive shaft housing includes a body and a slot that engages with the several claws; the claws are located on the inner side of the anti-icing protective cover, and the slots are located on the outer side of the drive shaft housing.

[0013] Furthermore, the ends of the cover and the main body that are away from the drive shaft are both small-mouthed ends, and the ends that are adjacent to the drive shaft are both large-mouthed ends; the plurality of claws and the plurality of slots are evenly arranged at the small-mouthed ends and the large-mouthed ends.

[0014] Furthermore, the drive shaft assembly also includes a clamp; the clamp secures the sleeve to one end of the drive shaft housing near the drive shaft; the dust cover is press-fitted to one end of the drive shaft housing away from the drive shaft.

[0015] The present invention provides an automobile including the drive shaft assembly described above.

[0016] Compared with the prior art, the drive shaft assembly provided by the present invention adds anti-icing function to the dustproof function of the drive shaft housing by installing an anti-icing protective cover on the drive shaft housing; the drive shaft housing and the anti-icing protective cover form a double-layer protective structure, which can provide stronger protection for the drive shaft.

[0017] It should be understood that the above general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only, and are not intended to limit this specification. Attached Figure Description

[0018] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and form part of this specification, illustrate embodiments consistent with this specification and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of this specification.

[0019] Figure 1 This is a perspective view of the drive shaft assembly of the present invention.

[0020] Figure 2 This is a cross-sectional view of the drive shaft assembly of the present invention.

[0021] Figure 3 This is a cross-sectional view of the anti-icing protective cover of the present invention.

[0022] Figure 4 This is a perspective view of the anti-icing protective cover of the present invention.

[0023] Figure 5 This is a side view of the anti-icing protective cover of the present invention installed on the drive shaft housing.

[0024] Figure 6 This is a cross-sectional view of the anti-icing protective cover of the present invention installed on the drive shaft housing.

[0025] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached drawings: 10, drive shaft; 20, drive shaft housing; 21, body; 22, groove; 23, first part; 24, second part; 25, third part; 30, anti-icing protective cover; 31, anti-icing coating; 32, cover body; 321, cylindrical part; 322, frustum part; 33, chuck; 331, small-mouth chuck; 332, large-mouth chuck; 40, dust cover; 50, protective sleeve; 60, clamp. Detailed Implementation

[0026] Exemplary embodiments will now be described in detail, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. When the following description relates to the drawings, unless otherwise indicated, the same numerals in different drawings denote the same or similar elements. The embodiments described in the following exemplary embodiments do not represent all embodiments consistent with this specification. Rather, they are merely examples of apparatuses and methods consistent with some aspects of this specification as detailed in the appended claims.

[0027] The terminology used in this invention is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the disclosure. Unless otherwise defined, the technical or scientific terms used in this specification should be understood in their ordinary sense by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention pertains. The terms “first,” “second,” and similar terms used in this specification and claims do not indicate any order, quantity, or importance, but are merely used to distinguish different components. Similarly, “a” or “one,” and similar terms do not indicate a quantity limitation, but rather indicate the presence of one. “A plurality” or “several” indicates two or more. Unless otherwise indicated, “front,” “rear,” “lower,” and / or “upper,” and similar terms are for ease of description only and are not limited to a location or spatial orientation. The terms “comprising,” “including,” and similar terms mean that the element or object preceding “comprising,” encompasses the element or object listed following “comprising,” and its equivalents, but do not exclude other elements or objects. The terms “connected,” “linked,” and similar terms are not limited to physical or mechanical connections and can include electrical connections, whether direct or indirect.

[0028] The terminology used in this specification is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of this disclosure. The singular forms “a,” “the,” and “the” as used in this specification and the appended claims are also intended to include the plural forms unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It should also be understood that the term “and / or” as used herein refers to and includes any and all possible combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

[0029] The embodiments described in this specification will now be described in detail.

[0030] Please refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the present invention provides a drive shaft assembly, including: a drive shaft 10, a drive shaft housing 20, and an anti-icing protective cover 30. The drive shaft housing 20 covers the outer side of one end of the drive shaft 10, serving as a protective component for the drive shaft 10 to protect it from dust and other influences, thereby ensuring the stability of the drive shaft 10 during operation.

[0031] An anti-icing protective cover 30 is installed over the drive shaft housing 20, forming a double-layer protective structure together with the drive shaft housing 20, which can protect both the drive shaft housing 20 and the drive shaft 10. Moreover, the anti-icing protective cover 30 has an anti-icing function, which can prevent ice from accumulating on the drive shaft housing 20 and damaging the drive shaft assembly when driving in snowy areas or snowy weather.

[0032] Please refer to Figure 3 As shown, the outer surface of the anti-icing protective cover 30 of this application includes an anti-icing material, thereby achieving the function of preventing icing. The anti-icing protective cover 30 can be formed with an anti-icing coating on the outer surface of the substrate of the anti-icing protective cover 30 using an anti-icing material; or the anti-icing protective cover 30 can be made using an anti-icing material, so that the anti-icing protective cover 30 itself has the function of preventing icing.

[0033] The anti-icing protective cover 30 includes a cover body 32 and several claws 33. The cover body 32 includes a substrate and an anti-icing coating 31 disposed on the substrate. The anti-icing coating 31 can be made of common coating materials, such as waterproof coatings or anti-corrosion coatings.

[0034] In one embodiment, the anti-icing coating 31 is a low-interfacial-toughness coating. By adding a plasticizer to a general coating material, such as a waterproof or anti-corrosion coating, the general coating can acquire the characteristic of low interfacial toughness, thereby reducing the adhesion between ice and the coating and giving the coating an anti-icing effect. Furthermore, compared to general coatings, this method can also reduce the coating thickness. The coating thickness is typically 25-100 micrometers, thinner than general coatings; this method is simple, convenient, and easy to implement.

[0035] The anti-icing coating 31 can also be processed by a high-temperature curing process to improve the adhesion of the anti-icing coating 31, so that the anti-icing coating 31 can be more firmly attached to the anti-icing protective cover 30. The substrate of the anti-icing protective cover 30 is formed by a stamping process.

[0036] In another embodiment, the cover of the anti-icing protective cover 30 can be made entirely of superhydrophobic material, which also enables the anti-icing protective cover 30 to have the same anti-icing function.

[0037] The anti-icing protective cover 30 and the drive shaft housing 20 have a contour-following structure, with the anti-icing protective cover 30 positioned close to the drive shaft housing 20. The drive shaft housing 20 and the anti-icing protective cover 30 have the same shape; in the illustrated embodiment, they adopt a cylindrical and frustum-shaped structure.

[0038] Please refer to Figure 5 and Figure 6 As shown, the drive shaft housing 20 includes a first part 23 near the drive shaft 10 and a second part 24 away from the drive shaft 10. One end of the second part 24 is connected to the first part 23, and the other end of the second part 24 is provided with a third part 25. The first part 23 is cylindrical, and the second part 24 is frustoconical.

[0039] Please refer to Figure 3 As shown, the cover 32 of the anti-icing protective cover 30 includes a cylindrical part 321 of the first part 23 and a frustum part 322 of the second part 24.

[0040] The advantage of the anti-icing protective cover 30 conforming to the drive shaft housing 20 is that the anti-icing protective cover 30 can fit snugly against the drive shaft housing 20 after being installed, which saves space and makes the overall vehicle space layout easy to achieve.

[0041] Please refer to Figure 2 , Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, the drive shaft housing 20 and the anti-icing protective cover 30 are connected by a snap-fit ​​structure. Specifically, the drive shaft housing 20 includes a body 21 and a slot 22 that engages with a plurality of claws 33. The claws 33 are located on the inner side of the anti-icing protective cover 30, and the slots 22 are located on the outer side of the drive shaft housing 20. The drive shaft housing 20 and the anti-icing protective cover 30 are snapped together by the claws 33 and the slots 22, thereby fixing the anti-icing protective cover 30 to the outside of the drive shaft housing 20.

[0042] Please refer to Figure 2 , Figure 5 and Figure 6 As shown, the ends of the cover 32 and the main body 21 furthest from the drive shaft 10 are both small-mouthed, while the ends adjacent to the drive shaft 10 are both large-mouthed. A plurality of claws 33 and a plurality of slots 22 are evenly distributed at the small-mouthed and large-mouthed ends. In this embodiment, there are six claws 33, including three small-mouthed claws 331 disposed at the small-mouthed end of the anti-icing protective cover 30 and three large-mouthed claws 332 disposed at the large-mouthed end of the anti-icing protective cover 30. The number of slots 22 corresponds to the number of claws 33, also six, including three small-mouthed slots disposed at the small-mouthed end of the drive shaft housing 20 and three large-mouthed slots disposed at the large-mouthed end of the drive shaft housing 20.

[0043] The small-mouth claw 331 and the large-mouth claw 332 are spaced 120° apart and are evenly distributed around the circumference of the small and large mouths of the anti-icing protective cover 30. The slot 22 is correspondingly arranged with the claw 33, which can ensure the stability of the engagement between the drive shaft housing 20 and the anti-icing protective cover 30 as much as possible.

[0044] The drive shaft housing 20 is further provided with dust covers 40 and sheaths 50 located at both ends of the anti-icing protective cover 30. The anti-icing protective cover 30, dust covers 40, and sheaths 50 together cover the drive shaft housing 20. The drive shaft assembly also includes a clamp 60, which fixes the sheath 50 to the end of the drive shaft housing 20 near the drive shaft 10. The dust cover 40 is press-fitted to the end of the drive shaft housing 20 away from the drive shaft 10. The anti-icing protective cover 30, together with the dust cover 40 and sheath 50, form an outer protective cover for the drive shaft housing 20.

[0045] Dust covers 40 and protective sleeves 50 are provided at both ends of the anti-icing protective cover 30 to ensure that the anti-icing protective cover 30 is tightly fixed to the outside of the drive shaft housing 20 without relative displacement. Furthermore, the dust covers 40 and protective sleeves 50 protect the portions of the drive shaft housing 20 located at both ends and on the outside of the anti-icing protective cover 30. At the same time, the three-piece outer protective cover design is simpler and more convenient to mold compared to a one-piece molding, meeting industrial requirements.

[0046] The present invention also provides an automobile that includes the drive shaft assembly described above.

[0047] Compared with the prior art, the drive shaft assembly provided by the present invention has a better anti-icing effect by installing an anti-icing protective cover 30 on the drive shaft housing 20 and by including an anti-icing material on the outer surface of the cover 32 of the anti-icing protective cover 30, thereby reducing the adhesion between ice and the cover 32. In addition, the drive shaft housing 20 and the anti-icing protective cover 30 can form a double-layer protective structure, which can provide stronger protection for the drive shaft.

[0048] It should be understood that this specification is not limited to the precise structures described above and shown in the accompanying drawings, and various modifications and changes can be made without departing from its scope. The scope of this specification is limited only by the appended claims.

[0049] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of this specification and is not intended to limit this specification. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of this specification should be included within the scope of protection of this specification.

Claims

1. A drive shaft assembly, characterized in that, include: Drive shaft, drive shaft housing and anti-icing protective cover; The drive shaft housing covers the outside of one end of the drive shaft; the anti-icing protective cover is installed on the drive shaft housing and covers the outside of the drive shaft housing, the anti-icing protective cover includes a cover body, and the outer surface of the cover body includes an anti-icing material; The drive shaft housing and the anti-icing protective cover are fixed together by snap-fit; the anti-icing protective cover includes a plurality of claws, and the drive shaft housing includes a body and a slot that engages with the plurality of claws; the claws are located on the inner side of the anti-icing protective cover, and the slots are located on the outer side of the drive shaft housing. The end of the cover and the body away from the drive shaft is a small opening, and the end adjacent to the drive shaft is a large opening; the plurality of claws and the plurality of slots are evenly arranged at the small opening and the large opening. The drive shaft housing is also provided with a dust cover and a protective sleeve located at both ends of the anti-icing protective cover. The anti-icing protective cover, the dust cover and the protective sleeve together cover the drive shaft housing. The dust cover is pressed onto the end of the drive shaft housing away from the drive shaft.

2. The drive shaft assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that, The drive shaft housing includes a first part close to the drive shaft and a second part away from the drive shaft. One end of the second part is connected to the first part, and the other end of the second part is provided with a third part. The first part is cylindrical, and the second part is frustum-shaped. The cover of the anti-icing protective cover includes a cylindrical part that conforms to the first part and a frustum-shaped part that conforms to the second part.

3. The drive shaft assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that, The cover includes a substrate and an anti-icing coating disposed outside the substrate. The anti-icing coating is a low interface toughness coating.

4. The drive shaft assembly according to claim 3, characterized in that, The anti-icing coating contains a plasticizer; the anti-icing coating is processed by a high-temperature curing process; the substrate of the anti-icing protective cover is formed by a stamping process.

5. The drive shaft assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that, The anti-icing protective cover is made of superhydrophobic material.

6. The drive shaft assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that, The anti-icing protective cover and the drive shaft housing are contoured structures, with the anti-icing protective cover positioned close to the drive shaft housing.

7. The drive shaft assembly according to claim 6, characterized in that, The drive shaft assembly also includes a clamp; the clamp secures the sheath to one end of the drive shaft housing near the drive shaft.

8. A car, characterized in that, Includes the drive shaft assembly as described in any one of claims 1-7.

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