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 is disposed at one end of the drive shaft. The anti-icing protective cover includes a cover body and a mounting part. The cover body covers the drive shaft housing, and the mounting part holds the anti-icing protective cover to the drive shaft housing. The cover body is movable relative to the drive shaft housing. The drive shaft assembly provided by this invention has an anti-icing protective cover that is movable relative to the drive shaft housing on the drive shaft housing, and achieves a good anti-icing effect through mechanical movement and physical de-icing.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the automotive field, and in particular to a drive shaft assembly and an automobile. Background Technology

[0002] When driving in snowy weather or on snow-covered roads, snow accumulates at the connection between the drive shaft and steering knuckle. As the temperature changes, the snow turns into ice. This ice adheres to the connection between the drive shaft and steering knuckle, preventing torque output between them and causing damage to drive shaft components. Furthermore, ice breakage can damage the drive shaft dust cover and chassis rubber parts. Existing drive shaft dust covers only provide waterproofing and cannot solve the problems caused by ice accumulation at the drive shaft and steering knuckle connection.

[0003] Therefore, there is a need to provide an improved drive shaft assembly to solve the above problems. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to provide a drive shaft assembly and automobile with better anti-icing effect.

[0005] 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 is disposed at one end of the drive shaft; the anti-icing protective cover comprises a cover body and a mounting part, the cover body covers the drive shaft housing, the mounting part fixes the anti-icing protective cover on the drive shaft housing, and the cover body is movable relative to the drive shaft housing.

[0006] Furthermore, the anti-icing protective cover is a split structure, which includes a protective cover sub-component and a protective cover mother-component that are fitted together with a clearance; the protective cover sub-component and the protective cover mother-component can move relative to each other; the protective cover sub-component and the protective cover mother-component are respectively provided with a sub-component limiting part and a mother-component limiting part that are fitted together with a clearance.

[0007] Furthermore, the sub-component limiting portion includes a plurality of protrusions; the mother component limiting portion includes a plurality of recesses that cooperate with the protrusions; the protrusion includes a strip-shaped portion and an enlarged portion located at the end of the strip-shaped portion; the recess includes an outlet for the strip-shaped portion to pass through and a circular opening communicating with the outlet, the strip-shaped portion and the enlarged portion being located within the circular opening.

[0008] Furthermore, the protective cover sub-component has protruding thin edges on both sides, and the protective cover mother component has slots on both sides to receive the thin edges; the protrusion is disposed on the thin edge, and the recess is disposed in the slot.

[0009] 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.

[0010] Furthermore, the mounting portion of the anti-icing protective cover includes several claws; the drive shaft housing includes a body and slots that cooperate 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; the drive shaft housing and the anti-icing protective cover are engaged and fixed by the claws and the slots.

[0011] Furthermore, the anti-icing protective cover and the main body have a small opening at the end away from the drive shaft and a large opening at the end adjacent to the drive shaft; the plurality of slots and the plurality of claws are evenly arranged at the small opening and the large opening.

[0012] 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.

[0013] Furthermore, the cover is made of a soft material component, and sheet metal hardware is provided at both ends of the cover to connect with the cover. The claws are provided on the sheet metal hardware. A gap is formed between the cover and the drive shaft housing, and the cover can deform relative to the drive shaft housing.

[0014] The present invention provides an automobile including the drive shaft assembly described above.

[0015] Compared with the prior art, the drive shaft assembly provided by the present invention installs an anti-icing protective cover on the drive shaft housing. The cover can move relative to the drive shaft housing, thereby expanding the cover through mechanical movement. Due to the centrifugal force generated by the rotation of the drive shaft, the anti-icing protective cover expands and moves outward. As the rotation speed changes, different centrifugal forces are generated, and the protective cover continuously performs dynamic expansion and contraction movements, causing snow or ice to break off from the surface and prevent accumulation, thereby preventing the surface of the drive shaft assembly from being troubled by snow or ice accumulation.

[0016] 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

[0017] 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.

[0018] Figure 1 This is a perspective view of the drive shaft assembly of the present invention.

[0019] Figure 2 This is a cross-sectional view of the drive shaft assembly of the present invention.

[0020] Figure 3 This is a perspective view of the anti-icing protective cover of the present invention.

[0021] Figure 4 This is a perspective view of the anti-icing protective cover of the present invention from another angle.

[0022] Figure 5 This is a perspective view of the protective cover component of the present invention.

[0023] Figure 6 This is a perspective view of the protective cover mother component of the present invention.

[0024] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the anti-icing protective cover of the present invention installed on the drive shaft housing.

[0025] Figure 8 for Figure 7 A magnified view of the circled area.

[0026] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached drawings: 10, drive shaft; 20, drive shaft housing; 21, body; 22, slot; 23, first part; 24, second part; 25, third part; 30, anti-icing protective cover; 31, cover body; 311, cylindrical part; 312, frustum part; 32, protective cover sub-component; 321, sub-component limiting part; 322, protrusion; 3221, strip-shaped part; 3222, enlarged part; 323, thin edge; 33, protective cover mother component; 331, mother component limiting part; 332, recessed part; 3321, outlet; 3322, circular opening; 333, slot; 34, claw; 341, small-mouth claw; 342, large-mouth claw; 35, sheet metal hardware; 40, dust cover; 50, protective sleeve; 60, clamp. Detailed Implementation

[0027] 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.

[0028] 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.

[0029] 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.

[0030] The embodiments described in this specification will now be described in detail.

[0031] 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 is disposed at one end of the drive shaft 10 and serves as a protective component for the drive shaft 10, protecting the drive shaft 10 from dust and other influences, thereby ensuring the stability of the drive shaft 10 during operation.

[0032] The anti-icing protective cover 30 includes a cover body 31 and a mounting part. The cover body 31 covers the drive shaft housing 20, and the mounting part secures the anti-icing protective cover 30 to the drive shaft housing 20. The anti-icing protective cover 30 and the drive shaft housing 20 together form a double-layer protective structure, which can protect both the drive shaft housing 20 and the drive shaft 10 simultaneously. 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.

[0033] The cover 31 can move relative to the drive shaft housing 20, allowing it to move within a certain range under the action of external forces, thus enabling it to move relative to the drive shaft housing 20. Furthermore, the cover 31 can be made of a soft material, such as TPE.

[0034] Please refer to Figures 3 to 6 As shown, the anti-icing protective cover 30 has a split structure, including a protective cover sub-component 32 and a protective cover mother-component 33 that are fitted together with a clearance. The protective cover sub-component 32 and the protective cover mother-component 33 can move relative to each other. The protective cover sub-component 32 and the protective cover mother-component 33 are respectively provided with a sub-component limiting part 321 and a mother-component limiting part 331 that are fitted together with a clearance. Because the sub-component limiting part 321 and the mother-component limiting part 331 are fitted together with a clearance, they can have a certain relative displacement after connection, so that the cover 31 can expand or contract, causing snow or ice to break off from the cover 31 and preventing accumulation, thus having the function of preventing icing.

[0035] Please refer to Figure 7 As shown, the sub-component limiting part 321 and the mother component limiting part 331 are disposed inside the cover 31 after a clearance fit, and the cover 31 serves to protect the sub-component limiting part 321 and the mother component limiting part 331. At this time, the sub-component limiting part 321 and the mother component limiting part 331 cannot be directly observed from the cover 31, therefore... Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram showing the structure after the cover 31 above the sub-component limiting part 321 and the mother component limiting part 331 is hidden. The sub-component limiting part 321 includes several protrusions 322. The mother component limiting part 331 includes several recesses 332 that mate with the protrusions 322.

[0036] Please refer to Figure 8 As shown, the protrusion 322 includes a strip-shaped portion 3221 and an enlarged portion 3222 located at the end of the strip-shaped portion 3221. The recess 332 includes an outlet 3321 through which the strip-shaped portion 3221 passes and a circular opening 3322 communicating with the outlet 3321. The strip-shaped portion 3221 and the enlarged portion 3222 are located within the circular opening 3322.

[0037] After installation, the strip-shaped portion 3221 passes through the outlet 3321, and the enlarged portion 3222 is located within the circular opening 3322, thereby snapping the protective cover sub-part 32 and the protective cover mother part 33 together. Simultaneously, the circular opening 3322 is larger than the enlarged portion 3222, providing space for the enlarged portion 3222 to move, thus allowing relative movement between the protective cover sub-part 32 and the protective cover mother part 33 under centrifugal force, while also preventing separation. This structure allows adjustment of the distance between the enlarged portion 3222 and the circular opening 3322 to adjust the maximum expansion of the anti-icing protective cover 30, enabling the anti-icing protective cover 30 to adapt to different sizes of drive shaft housings 20.

[0038] The protective cover sub-component 32 is provided with protruding thin edges 323 on both sides, and the protective cover mother component 33 is provided with slots 333 on both sides to receive the thin edges 323. The protrusions 322 are provided on the thin edges 323, and the recesses 332 are provided in the slots 333. The depth of the slots 333 is greater than the maximum distance that the enlarged part 3222 can move within the circular opening 3322, so that the sub-component limiting part 321 is not exposed to the external environment, ensuring the connection stability between the protective cover sub-component 32 and the protective cover mother component 33.

[0039] After the protective cover sub-component 32 is connected to the protective cover mother component 33, the sub-component limiting part 321 and the mother component limiting part 331 form a three-layered, staggered, "S"-shaped sealing structure when viewed in cross-section. This enhances the stability of the connection between the protective cover sub-component 32 and the protective cover mother component 33. At the same time, the three-layer sealing structure places the sub-component limiting part 321 and the mother component limiting part 331 in the middle layer, which can better protect the sub-component limiting part 321 and the mother component limiting part 331, improve the sealing performance, and extend the service life of the product.

[0040] The anti-icing protective cover 30 and the drive shaft housing 20 are contour-following structures, 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 are cylindrical with a frustum-shaped structure.

[0041] Please refer to Figure 3 and Figure 7 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 located at the end of the first part 23 away from the drive shaft 10, 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. The cover 31 of the anti-icing protective cover 30 includes a cylindrical part 311 that conforms to the first part 23 and a frustoconical part 312 that conforms to the second part 24.

[0042] 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 tightly against the drive shaft housing 20 after being installed, which saves space and makes the overall vehicle space layout easy to achieve.

[0043] Please refer to Figure 2 and Figure 3As shown, the drive shaft housing 20 and the anti-icing protective cover 30 are installed via a snap-fit ​​structure. Specifically, the mounting portion of the anti-icing protective cover 30 includes several claws 34. The drive shaft housing 20 includes a body 21 and slots 22 that engage with the claws 34. The claws 34 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 34 and the slots 22, thus fixing the anti-icing protective cover 30 to the outside of the drive shaft housing 20.

[0044] Both the cover 31 and the main body 21 have small-aperture ends away from the drive shaft 10, and large-aperture ends adjacent to the drive shaft 10. A plurality of claws 34 and a plurality of slots 22 are evenly distributed at the small-aperture and large-aperture ends. In this embodiment, there are six claws 34, including three small-aperture claws 341 located at the small-aperture end of the anti-icing protective cover 30 and three large-aperture claws 342 located at the large-aperture end of the anti-icing protective cover 30. The number of slots 22 corresponds to the number of claws 34, also six, including three small-aperture slots located at the small-aperture end of the drive shaft housing 20 and three large-aperture slots located at the large-aperture end of the drive shaft housing 20.

[0045] The small-mouth claw 341 and the large-mouth claw 342 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 34, 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.

[0046] In one embodiment, the anti-icing protective cover 30 further includes sheet metal hardware 35 disposed at the small and large opening ends of the cover body 31. A claw 34 is disposed on the sheet metal hardware. After installation, a certain gap exists between the cover body 31 and the drive shaft housing 20, allowing for relative movement. This makes the small and large opening ends of the cover body 31 rigid structures, while the main body of the cover body 31 is a flexible structure. The sheet metal hardware ensures that the installation position of the anti-icing protective cover 30 and the drive shaft housing 20 is not easily deformed, resulting in a stable connection after installation. Simultaneously, the main body of the cover body 31 undergoes elastic deformation, expanding during drive shaft 10 operation to perform mechanical de-icing.

[0047] 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.

[0048] 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.

[0049] The present invention also provides an automobile that includes the drive shaft assembly described above.

[0050] Compared with the prior art, the drive shaft assembly provided by the present invention has an anti-icing protective cover 30 installed on the drive shaft housing 20. The cover 31 can move relative to the drive shaft housing 20. The cover 31 can be made of a soft material, so that the cover 31 can expand through mechanical movement. Due to the centrifugal force generated by the rotation of the drive shaft, the anti-icing protective cover 30 expands and moves outward. As the rotation speed changes, the centrifugal force varies, and the anti-icing protective cover 30 continuously expands and contracts dynamically, causing snow or ice to break off from the surface and preventing accumulation, thus keeping the surface of the drive shaft assembly free from snow or ice accumulation.

[0051] 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.

[0052] 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: A drive shaft, a drive shaft housing, and an anti-icing protective cover; the drive shaft housing is disposed at one end of the drive shaft. The anti-icing protective cover includes a cover body and a mounting part. The cover body covers the outside of the drive shaft housing, and the mounting part fixes the anti-icing protective cover to the drive shaft housing. When the drive shaft rotates, the cover body can move relative to the drive shaft housing. The anti-icing protective cover is a split structure, which includes a protective cover sub-component and a protective cover mother-component that are fitted together with clearance; the protective cover sub-component and the protective cover mother-component can move relative to each other; the protective cover sub-component and the protective cover mother-component are respectively provided with a sub-component limiting part and a mother-component limiting part that are fitted together with clearance.

2. The drive shaft assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that, The sub-component limiting part includes a plurality of protrusions; the mother component limiting part includes a plurality of recesses that cooperate with the protrusions; the protrusions include a strip-shaped part and an enlarged part located at the end of the strip-shaped part; the recesses include an outlet for the strip-shaped part to pass through and a circular opening communicating with the outlet, the strip-shaped part and the enlarged part being located within the circular opening.

3. The drive shaft assembly according to claim 2, characterized in that, The protective cover sub-component has protruding thin edges on both sides, and the protective cover mother component has slots on both sides to receive the thin edges; the protrusion is disposed on the thin edge, and the recess is disposed in the slot.

4. The drive shaft assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that, The anti-icing protective cover is located close to the drive shaft housing; 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, and the anti-icing protective cover, the dust cover and the protective sleeve together cover the drive shaft housing.

5. The drive shaft assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that, The mounting part of the anti-icing protective cover includes several claws; the drive shaft housing includes a body and a slot that mates with the 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 drive shaft housing and the anti-icing protective cover are engaged and fixed by the claws and the slots.

6. The drive shaft assembly according to claim 5, characterized in that, The anti-icing protective cover and the main body have a small opening at the end away from the drive shaft and a large opening at the end adjacent to the drive shaft; the plurality of slots and the plurality of claws are evenly arranged at the small opening and the large opening.

7. The drive shaft assembly according to claim 4, characterized in that, 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.

8. The drive shaft assembly according to claim 5, characterized in that, The cover is made of a soft material component, and sheet metal hardware is provided at both ends of the cover to connect with the cover. The claws are provided on the sheet metal hardware. A gap is formed between the cover and the drive shaft housing, and the cover can deform relative to the drive shaft housing.

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

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