Universal joint
By setting joint keys and holding parts at the ends of the drive shaft and the driven shaft, the universal joint is connected by the rotation of the joint arm, which solves the problems of complex structure and difficulty in assembly, and achieves the effect of stably transmitting rotation torque and reducing production costs in harsh environments.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- CN202390000392.4
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Utility models(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Priority Date
- 2022-06-03
- Filing Date
- 2023-04-07
- Publication Date
- 2025-07-11
- Estimated Expiration
- 2033-04-07
AI Technical Summary
The existing universal joints have complex structures and require multiple mechanical components to connect, making it difficult to stably transmit rotational torque in harsh environments, and are difficult to assemble.
By providing a joint key portion and a joint holding portion at the ends of the drive shaft and the driven shaft, coupling is achieved using the rotation of the joint arm to reduce additional components and manufactured using a simple injection molding process.
It realizes stable transmission of rotation torque in harsh environments, reduces the number of components, simplifies the assembly process, reduces production costs, and is suitable for small mechanical products.
Smart Images
Figure CN223089825U_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] The present disclosure relates to a universal joint that is used as a shaft coupling in various mechanical devices for power transmission so as to effectively transmit power to a driven shaft even when a driving shaft and a driven shaft are not parallel and aligned. Background Art
[0002] There are various shaft coupling methods for transmitting rotational torque from a driving source to a driven member. Among these shaft coupling methods, the universal joint method is used when the rotational axes of a driving shaft and a driven shaft are not aligned with each other.
[0003] A universal joint is a shaft coupling used when the central axes of two shafts intersect at an angle of approximately 30 degrees or less, and generally has a structure in which two shafts are connected to a pin located between the two shafts.
[0004] However, such a shaft coupling (e.g., a universal joint) in the related art requires a large number of mechanical elements to connect the shafts, resulting in a complex structure and difficult assembly.
[0005] For example, a universal joint in the related art requires additional fastening elements, such as a joint cover, a sleeve, and a clamping ring, etc., to prevent the pin from separating, and also requires bearings to ensure smooth rotation.
[0006] In addition, the pin used to connect the driving shaft and the driven shaft may be worn or damaged during torque transmission.
[0007] In the related art, shaft couplings (e.g., universal joints) are used in applications such as material transfer pumps, power transmission units in automobiles, and drive units of various mechanical products across different fields and environments. In addition, such shaft couplings have various sizes.
[0008] Specifically, considering the function of a shaft coupling (e.g., a universal joint), i.e., the function of transmitting rotational torque from a driving source to a driven member, shaft couplings are generally used in harsh environments characterized by continuous vibration, friction, and in some cases, high temperature and high pressure.
[0009] Therefore, what is essentially needed is a simple and easy-to-manufacture structure that can effectively transmit rotational torque from a driving source to a driven member in various harsh environments.
[0010] For example, a shaft coupling used in a material transfer pump needs to include a heat-resistant member to transfer high-temperature substances and needs to have sufficient durability to withstand the high pressure required to push viscous substances.
[0011] In addition, a shaft coupling used in precision mechanical products needs to have a sufficiently small size to be assembled into the precision mechanical products, while achieving the function of transmitting rotational torque from a driving source to a driven member.
[0012] However, as mentioned above, shaft couplings in the related art (such as universal joints) require various components to connect shafts to each other. Therefore, the shaft couplings in the related art may not work properly under harsh environmental conditions, or due to the machining challenges caused by the structural complexity, the shaft couplings in the related art may be difficult to be manufactured into the required size. In addition, the assembly of the shaft couplings in the related art is usually difficult.
[0013] Therefore, an ongoing challenge in the technical field of the present disclosure is to develop a simple and easy-to-manufacture shaft coupling structure that can be assembled using the fewest fastening components and the simplest method, while being able to effectively transmit rotational torque from a driving source to a driven member in various harsh environments. Summary of the Utility Model
[0014] Technical Problem
[0015] The present disclosure solves the above problems by providing a universal joint that can maintain the angular difference and firm connection between a driving shaft and a driven shaft without additional components only by using coupling components provided at corresponding ends of the driving shaft and the driven shaft, so as to achieve complete power transmission.
[0016] Technical Solution
[0017] To solve the problems described above, the universal joint of the present disclosure may include: a driven shaft including a first shaft portion and a joint key portion provided at one end of the first shaft portion, the joint key portion including a joint body and a joint arm extending from the joint body; and a driving shaft including a second shaft portion and a joint holding portion provided at one end of the second shaft portion corresponding to the joint key portion, the joint holding portion including: a body receiving portion into which the joint body of the driven shaft can be inserted; an arm slot into which the joint arm of the driven shaft can be inserted; and a shaft slot into which the first shaft portion of the driven shaft can be inserted, wherein the driven shaft and the driving shaft can be coupled to each other by inserting the joint arm of the joint key portion into the arm slot of the joint holding portion and then rotating the joint arm of the joint key portion.
[0018] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the driven shaft and the driving shaft can be coupled to each other by rotating the joint arm of the joint key portion inserted into the arm slot of the joint holding portion around an axis perpendicular to the axial direction of the second shaft portion.
[0019] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the joint body may extend from the end of the first shaft portion and have an end in the form of a curved surface.
[0020] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the joint arm may have a columnar shape extending in an axial direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the first shaft portion, and in a cross-section of the joint arm taken in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction along which the joint arm extends, a first width may be greater than a second width, where the second width is the width of the cross-section in a direction perpendicular to the direction along which the joint arm is inserted into the arm slot, and the first width is the width of the cross-section in a direction perpendicular to the direction along which the joint arm is inserted into the arm slot after the joint arm inserted into the arm slot is rotated.
[0021] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the joint arm may have a columnar shape extending in an axial direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the first shaft portion, and a cross-section of the joint arm taken in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction along which the joint arm extends may have a rectangular shape, the width of the rectangular shape in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the first shaft portion being greater than the width in the axial direction of the first shaft portion, and at least one side of the rectangular shape being rounded.
[0022] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the joint arm may include at least two joint arms provided on the joint body.
[0023] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the arm slot may include a joint arm locking portion that prevents the joint arm from separating from the arm slot after the joint arm inserted into the arm slot is rotated, and the slot width of the joint arm locking portion may satisfy the following inequality I:
[0024] The second width of the joint arm ≤ the slot width of the joint arm locking portion < the first width of the joint arm.
[0025] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the arm slot may include a joint arm rotating portion that extends from the joint arm locking portion in a direction toward the second shaft portion to allow the joint arm to rotate in the joint arm rotating portion, and the joint arm rotating portion may include a predetermined section having a slot width greater than or equal to the first width of the joint arm.
[0026] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the slot depth of the joint arm rotating portion may be greater than or equal to the first width of the joint arm.
[0027] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the arm slot includes at least two arm slots.
[0028] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the shaft slot includes at least two shaft slots.
[0029] Beneficial effects
[0030] Due to the configuration and connection relationship described above, the present disclosure has the following advantages: The drive shaft and the driven shaft are firmly connected to each other through a very simple structure while maintaining the angular difference between the drive shaft and the driven shaft. And since no additional connecting members are required, even when the universal joint of the present disclosure is used in a power system in a driving environment affected by frequent external vibrations, it is almost impossible for the drive shaft and the driven shaft to separate from each other.
[0031] In addition, the universal joint of the present disclosure only includes components that are resistant to harsh environments (such as high temperatures), and thus, compared with the universal joints of the related art, the universal joint of the present disclosure has the advantage of fewer environmental restrictions.
[0032] In addition, the universal joint of the present disclosure can be easily attached and detached via a simple assembly method, and thus maintenance and repair are easy.
[0033] In addition, since fewer connecting members are required compared with the related art, the universal joint of the present disclosure can be easily processed, and the universal joint of the present disclosure has high cost competitiveness due to reduced production costs. In addition, the universal joint of the present disclosure can be manufactured only through an injection molding process, and thus the universal joint of the present disclosure can be applied to small items that are difficult to produce in the related art. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0034] Figure 1 is a perspective view showing a universal joint according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0035] Figure 2 is a view sequentially showing a connection method of a universal joint according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0036] Figure 3 is a view showing a driven shaft of a universal joint according to an embodiment of the present disclosure when observed in the direction of axis III.
[0037] Figure 4 is a view showing a driven shaft of a universal joint according to an embodiment of the present disclosure when observed in the direction of axis II.
[0038] Figure 5 is a view showing a driven shaft of a universal joint according to an embodiment of the present disclosure when observed in the direction of axis I.
[0039] Figure 6 is a view showing a drive shaft of a universal joint according to an embodiment of the present disclosure when observed in the direction of axis II.
[0040] Figure 7is a view of the drive shaft of a universal joint according to an embodiment of the present disclosure as viewed in the direction of axis III.
[0041] Figure 8 is a view of the drive shaft of a universal joint according to an embodiment of the present disclosure as viewed in the direction of axis I.
[0042] Figure 9 is a view of a universal joint according to an embodiment of the present disclosure as viewed in the direction of axis II, showing how the driven shaft connected to the drive shaft rotates.
[0043] Figure 10 is a view of a universal joint according to an embodiment of the present disclosure as viewed in the direction of axis III, showing how the driven shaft connected to the drive shaft rotates. Detailed Description
[0044] This specification aims to clearly define the scope of the present disclosure, explain the principles of the present disclosure, and disclose embodiments so that those of ordinary skill in the art can implement the present disclosure. The disclosed embodiments can be implemented in various forms.
[0045] In various embodiments of the present disclosure, expressions such as "comprising" or "may comprise" can be used to indicate the presence of the disclosed functions, operations, or elements, and do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other functions, operations, or elements. Further, in various embodiments of the present disclosure, terms such as "comprising" or "including" can be used to indicate the presence of the stated features, fixed numbers, steps, processes, elements, components, or combinations thereof, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, fixed numbers, steps, processes, elements, components, or combinations thereof.
[0046] It should be understood that when an element is referred to as being "connected" or "coupled" to another element, the element can be directly connected or directly coupled to the other element, or any other element can be disposed between the two elements. In contrast, it should be understood that when an element is referred to as being "directly connected" or "directly coupled" to another element, no other element is present between the two elements.
[0047] Although terms such as "first" and "second" are used herein to describe various elements, these elements should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one element from other elements.
[0048] Terms such as "drive shaft" and "driven shaft" used in this document clearly denote one of the two shafts that form a joint coupling and participate in power transmission. It should not be construed that the drive shaft must necessarily refer to the shaft with a power source connected to one end, nor should it be construed that the driven shaft must necessarily refer to the shaft with no power source connected to either end. Therefore, as described below, a joint holding portion can be provided at one end of the drive shaft, and a joint key portion can be provided at one end of the driven shaft.
[0049] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.
[0050] The present disclosure relates to a universal joint that can fully transmit power in various mechanical devices where power transmission occurs, such as pumps and automobiles, even when the drive shaft 200 and the driven shaft 100 are not aligned in parallel.
[0051] Specifically, the present disclosure relates to a universal joint that can maintain the angular difference and firm connection between the drive shaft 200 and the driven shaft 100 without additional connecting members by using only the coupling members provided at the ends of the drive shaft 200 and the corresponding coupling members provided at the ends of the driven shaft 100, so as to achieve complete power transmission.
[0052] For this purpose, refer to Figure 1 , according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the universal joint includes: a driven shaft 100, including a first shaft portion 110 and a joint key portion 120 provided at one end of the first shaft portion 110; and a drive shaft 200, including a joint holding portion 220 corresponding to the joint key portion 120 and provided at one end of the second shaft portion 210.
[0053] In this case, the joint key portion 120 of the driven shaft 100 may include: a joint body 121; and a joint arm 122 extending from the joint body 121. In addition, the joint holding portion 220 of the drive shaft 200 may include: a body receiving portion 221 into which the joint body 121 of the driven shaft 100 can be inserted; an arm slot 222 into which the joint arm 122 of the driven shaft 100 can be inserted; and a shaft slot 223 into which the first shaft portion 110 of the driven shaft 100 can be inserted.
[0054] Next, by inserting the joint arm 122 of the joint key portion 120 into the arm slot 222 of the joint holding portion 220, and then rotating the joint arm 122 of the joint key portion 120, the driven shaft 100 and the drive shaft 200 can be coupled to each other.
[0055] For example, refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2, the driven shaft 100 and the drive shaft 200 can be coupled to each other by inserting the joint arm 122 of the joint key portion 120 into the arm slot 222 of the joint holding portion 220 at a predetermined angle, and then rotating the joint arm 122 inserted into the arm slot 222 about an axis ([ Figure 1 shown as axis I in) perpendicular to the axis of the second shaft portion 210 ([ Figure 1 axis II in).
[0056] As described above, the advantage of the universal joint according to the embodiments of the present disclosure is that the driven shaft 100 and the drive shaft 200 can be coupled to each other in a very simple manner by inserting the joint arm 122 into the arm slot 222 and rotating the joint arm 122.
[0057] Hereinafter, based on the coupling method described above, each element of the present disclosure will be described in detail.
[0058] Reference will be made to Figure 1 and Figures 3 to 5 to describe the driven shaft 100 in detail.
[0059] Referring to Figure 1 , the driven shaft 100 may include a first shaft portion 110 and a joint key portion 120 extending from one end of the first shaft portion 110, and the driven shaft 100 functions as a key when being coupled to the drive shaft 200 by a joint coupling method.
[0060] First, the first shaft portion 110 is a shaft generally used in a mechanical device for power transmission, and the specific shape (such as thickness and length) of the first shaft portion 110 is not limited. It should be understood that the shape of the first shaft portion 110 should be determined according to the environment or conditions in which the universal joint of the present disclosure is used.
[0061] Next, referring to Figure 1 and Figure 3 , the joint key portion 120 may include a joint body 121 and a joint arm 122.
[0062] In this case, the joint body 121 may serve as the main body of the joint key portion 120, which extends from one end of the first shaft portion 110, and the joint body has a surface in the form of a curved surface at one end.
[0063] Specifically, the surface in the form of a curved surface at the end of the joint body 121 is provided to facilitate responding to the angle difference or angle change between the driven shaft 100 and the drive shaft 200 after the joint body 121 is inserted into the body receiving portion 221 of the joint holding portion 220. For example, the end of the joint body 121 may have a surface in the form of a hemispherical curved surface.
[0064] In addition, the joint arm 122 extends from the joint body 121 to function as a key in the joint key portion 120.
[0065] Specifically, as described below, due to the shape of the joint arm 122, the joint arm 122 can enter or leave the arm slot 222 of the joint holding portion 220 only when the driven shaft 100 and the drive shaft 200 are maintained in a state where the joint arm 122 is inserted into the arm slot 222 at an angle.
[0066] However, when the joint arm 122 inserted into the arm slot 222 is rotated about an axis ( Figure 1 axis I in Figure 1 perpendicular to the axis of the second shaft portion 210), the angle between the driven shaft 100 and the drive shaft 200 changes with respect to the insertion angle, and the entry and exit of the joint arm 122 are restricted by the joint arm locking portion 222(a) (described later) of the arm slot 222, so that the joint arm 122 can function as a key connecting the driven shaft 100 and the drive shaft 200 to each other.
[0067] In addition, the joint arm 122 may have a columnar shape extending in a direction of an axis ( Figure 1 axis II in Figure 1 perpendicular to the axis of the first shaft portion 110).
[0068] In addition, referring to Figure 1 and Figure 4 , the cross-section of the joint arm 122 taken in a direction perpendicular to the axis along which the joint arm 122 extends ( Figure 1 axis II shown in Figure 1 ) (parallel to Figure 1 plane I-III in Figure 1 ) may have: a second width L2, which is the width in a direction perpendicular to the direction ( Figure 1 axis I of the drive shaft 200 in Figure 1 ) along which the joint arm 122 is inserted into the arm slot 222; and a first width L1, which are collectively the widths in a direction perpendicular to the direction along which the joint arm 122 inserted into the arm slot 222 is rotated about an axis ( axis II in
[0069] perpendicular to the axis of the second shaft portion 210), where the first width L1 may be greater than the second width L2.
[0069] However, the joint arm 122 is not limited thereto. It can be interpreted that the scope of the present disclosure includes the following situation: the cross-section of the joint arm 122 taken in a direction perpendicular to the axis of the protruding columnar shape of the joint arm 122 can have any shape other than a shape (such as a circular shape) having a constant width when passing through the arm slot 222, as long as the cross-section of the joint arm 122 has such a shape that the shape extends in one direction such that the width of the cross-section of the joint arm 122 passing through the arm slot 222 can vary according to the rotation of the joint arm 122.
[0070] For example, referring to Figure 1 and Figure 4 , the cross-section of the joint arm 122 taken in a direction perpendicular to the axis along which the joint arm 122 protrudes (the axis II in Figure 1 ) (parallel to the plane I-III in Figure 4 ) can have a rectangular shape, and the width of the rectangular shape in the direction of axis III is greater than the width in the direction of axis I. Alternatively, the cross-section of the joint arm 122 can have an elliptical shape, and the major axis of the elliptical shape is in the direction of axis III of the driven shaft 200 or 100.
[0071] In this case, as expected in the embodiments of the present disclosure, at least one protruding surface of the joint arm 122 can be rounded to cope with the angular difference or angular change between the driven shaft 100 and the driving shaft 200.
[0072] Referring to Figure 1 and Figure 5 , at least two joint arms 122 can be provided on the joint body 121. In this case, preferably, the at least two joint arms 122 can be symmetrically arranged on the joint body 121 around the axis of the driven shaft 100 (the axis I in Figure 1 ).
[0073] Next, the driving shaft 200 will be described in detail with reference to Figure 1 and Figures 6 to 8 .
[0074] Referring to Figure 1 , the driving shaft 200 can include a second shaft portion 210 and a joint holding portion 220 provided at one end of the second shaft portion 210 and corresponding to the joint key portion 120 of the driven shaft 100.
[0075] First, the driving shaft 200 is the same as the driven shaft 100 described above, and is a shaft generally used in mechanical devices for power transmission, and the specific shape (such as thickness and length) of the driving shaft 200 is not limited. It should be understood that according to the embodiments, the shape of the driving shaft 200 should be determined according to the environment or conditions of using the universal joint of the present disclosure.
[0076] Next, referring to Figure 1 , the joint holding portion 220 may include a body receiving portion 221, an arm slot 222, and a shaft slot 223.
[0077] Here, the body receiving portion 221 provides a space for inserting the joint body 121 of the joint key portion 120 of the driven shaft 100, and the body receiving portion is recessed from the end of the joint holding portion 220 in the direction of the second shaft portion 210 by a predetermined depth.
[0078] Referring to Figure 8 , the body receiving portion 221 may be divided into a body receiving portion bottom surface 221(a) and a body receiving portion side surface 221(b), and the body receiving portion bottom surface 221(a) may be provided as a curved surface corresponding to the curved surface of the end of the joint body 121.
[0079] For example, the body receiving portion bottom surface 221(a) may be provided as a hemispherical curved surface recessed in the direction of the second shaft portion 210.
[0080] In addition, the body receiving portion side surface 221(b) may be rounded, and the curved surface of the joint body 121 is recessed outwardly of the joint holding portion 220.
[0081] Next, referring to Figure 1 and Figure 6 , as described above, the arm slot 222 may be formed such that by inserting the joint arm 122 of the driven shaft 100 into the arm slot 222 and then rotating the joint arm 122 about an axis ( Figure 1 axis I in Figure 1 ) perpendicular to the axis of the second shaft portion 210 (axis II in
[0082] ), the driven shaft 100 and the drive shaft 200 can be coupled to each other. Specifically, the arm slot 222 may communicate with the outside of the joint holding portion 220 in the direction from the body receiving portion 221 to the outer surface of the joint holding portion 220, and may also be recessed in the direction from the end of the joint holding portion 220 toward the second shaft portion 210.
[0083] In addition, the arm slot 222 may include a joint arm locking portion 222(a) and a joint arm rotating portion 222(b).
[0084] Specifically, the joint arm locking portion 222(a) may prevent the joint arm 122 from separating from the arm slot 222 after the joint arm 122 is inserted into the arm slot 222 and rotated. The joint arm locking portion 222(a) may be located at a predetermined depth from the end of the joint holding portion 220.
[0085] Next, the joint arm rotating portion 222(b) can extend from the joint arm locking portion 222(a) toward the second shaft portion 210 and includes a predetermined space to allow the joint arm 122 to rotate within the arm slot 222 about an axis ( Figure 1 axis II in
[0086] perpendicular to the axis of the second shaft portion 210). Figure 6 In this case, the slot width W1 of the joint arm locking portion 222(a) can satisfy the following inequality I: (In inequality I, the slot width refers to the distance between the walls forming the slot, and for example,
[0087] [Inequality 1]
[0088] The second width L2 of the joint arm ≤ W1 < the first width L1 of the joint arm
[0089] Specifically, the slot width W1 of the joint arm locking portion 222(a) is greater than the second width L2 of the joint arm 122, and thus, the joint arm 122 can pass through the joint arm locking portion 222(a).
[0090] However, when the width of the joint arm 122 in a direction perpendicular to the insertion direction of the joint arm 122 (e.g., Figure 1 the direction of axis I in Figure 1 becomes the first width L1 in a direction (e.g.,
[0091] the direction of axis III of the drive shaft 200 in
[0092] due to the rotation of the joint arm 122), the joint arm 122 can no longer pass through the joint arm locking portion 222(a). Figure 2 Figure 4 Figure 6 Therefore, due to the joint arm locking portion 222(a), the joint arm 122 can be inserted into the arm slot 222 at a predetermined angle, and then, after rotation, the joint arm 122 can be prevented from leaving the arm slot 222 in the initial insertion direction of the joint arm 122.
[0093] After that, when the axes of the driven shaft 100 and the drive shaft 200 are aligned with each other as the joint arm 122 rotates within the joint arm rotating portion 222(b) of the arm slot 222, the first width L1 of the joint arm 122 must not pass through the slot width W1 of the joint arm locking portion 222(a), thereby ensuring a firm connection between the driven shaft 100 and the drive shaft 200.
[0094] Next, the slot depth (H) of the joint arm rotating portion 222(b) extending from the joint arm locking portion 222(a) toward the second shaft portion 210 can be greater than or equal to the first width L1 of the joint arm 122.
[0095] This can be understood as the condition for allowing the joint arm 122 to rotate within the joint arm rotating portion 222(b) about an axis perpendicular to the axis of the second shaft portion 210 ( Figure 1 axis II in
[0096] Next, referring to Figure 1 、 Figure 6 and Figure 10 the joint arm rotating portion 222(b) can include a section where the slot width of the joint arm rotating portion 222(b) is greater than or equal to the first width L1 of the joint arm 122.
[0097] This structure allows the driven shaft 100 to rotate by a predetermined angle on the plane I-II of the drive shaft 200, as shown in Figure 10 and can be set in various forms considering the required rotation angle (this structure should be understood to include the case where the driven shaft 100 can only rotate on the plane I-III of the drive shaft 200 but is fixed relative to the plane I-II of the drive shaft 200 to prevent the driven shaft 100 from rotating on the plane I-II of the drive shaft 200).
[0098] For example, referring to Figure 6 the joint arm rotating portion 222(b) may not have a complete circular shape, but may have a predetermined straight section where the slot width W2 is greater than or equal to the first width L1 of the joint arm 122. However, the joint arm rotating portion 222(b) is not limited to this and can be set in various shapes, such as a curved surface shape, as long as the joint arm rotating portion 222(b) has a section where the slot width is greater than or equal to the first width L1 of the joint arm 122.
[0099] Next, referring to Figure 9 while meeting the requirements of the slot width and slot depth, the joint arm rotating portion 222(b) can be rounded to ensure smooth rotation of the joint arm 122 inserted into the joint arm rotating portion 222(b).
[0100] Next, referring toFigure 1 and Figure 8 At least two arm slots 222 may be provided in the joint holding portion 220. Preferably, the at least two arm slots 222 may be provided symmetrically about the axis of the second shaft portion 210 with respect to the joint arm 122.
[0101] Next, reference will be made to Figure 1 、 Figure 7 、 Figure 8 and Figure 9 to describe the shaft slot 223.
[0102] When the joint arm 122 is inserted into the arm slot 222, the driven shaft 100 and the drive shaft 200 are not parallel to each other, and therefore, it is necessary to insert the driven shaft 100 into the joint holding portion 220 at a predetermined angle in order to insert the joint arm 122 into the arm slot 222. For this reason, the shaft slot 223 is provided.
[0103] Therefore, the shaft slot 223 is provided on one side of the joint holding portion 220 in accordance with the protruding direction relationship between the first shaft portion 110 and the joint arm 122.
[0104] For example, referring to Figure 1 and Figure 8 , the joint arm 122 protrudes from the joint body 121 in a direction perpendicular to the first shaft portion 110, and therefore, the shaft slot 223 may be provided at a position perpendicular to the arm slot 222 with respect to the axis of the second shaft portion 210. The shaft slot 223 may be defined by the body receiving portion 221 and communicate with the outside of the joint holding portion 220.
[0105] Next, referring to Figure 7 , the shaft slot 223 may be divided into an upper shaft slot 223(a) and a lower shaft slot 223(b), and the lower limit of the width of the upper shaft slot 223(a) may be the diameter of the first shaft portion 110.
[0106] In addition, the lower shaft slot 223(b) may be provided with a predetermined curvature matching the outer surface of the first shaft portion 110.
[0107] Next, referring to Figure 1 、 Figure 8 and Figure 9 , preferably, at least two shaft slots 223 may be provided in the joint holding portion 220 such that the driven shaft 100 can rotate sufficiently on the plane I-III of the drive shaft 200.
[0108] Hereinafter, reference will be made to Figure 1 、 Figure 2 、 Figure 9 and Figure 10Outline the assembly method of the universal joint of the present disclosure and describe the operation method of the universal joint.
[0109] Reference Figure 1 and Figure 2 According to an example of the assembly method, with the driven shaft 100 perpendicular to the drive shaft 200, the joint arm 122 of the driven shaft 100 is inserted into the arm slot 222 of the drive shaft 200, and then the driven shaft 100 is rotated about an axis perpendicular to the axis of the second shaft portion 210, thereby coupling the driven shaft 100 and the drive shaft 200 to each other.
[0110] Reference Figure 9 In this assembled state of the universal joint, due to the joint arm rotating portion 222(b) provided in the arm slot 222 to rotate the joint arm 122 and the shaft slot 223 provided in the joint holding portion 220 to partially receive the first shaft portion 110, the drive shaft 200 and the driven shaft 100 can form a predetermined angle on the plane I-III of the drive shaft 200.
[0111] Reference Figure 10 In this assembled state of the universal joint, since the arm slot 222 has a section with a width greater than the first width L1, the drive shaft 200 and the driven shaft 100 can form a predetermined angle on the plane I-II of the drive shaft 200.
[0112] In other words, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, by a simple method of inserting the driven shaft 100 into the drive shaft 200 in a specific direction and then rotating the driven shaft 100, the driven shaft 100 and the drive shaft 200 of the universal joint can be firmly coupled to each other. In addition, the driven shaft 100 and the drive shaft 200 can form a predetermined angle. Therefore, power can be effectively transmitted in a direction not parallel to the drive shaft 200.
[0113] In addition, the function of the universal joint can be achieved only by the coupling members provided at the ends of the driven shaft 100 and the coupling members provided at the ends of the drive shaft 200 (the joint key portion 120 and the joint holding portion 220), and thus, it can be easily expected that even when the universal joint of the present disclosure is used in a power system in a driving environment affected by frequent external vibrations, it is almost impossible for the driven shaft 100 and the drive shaft 200 to be separated from each other in the universal joint of the present disclosure.
[0114] At the same time, the number of components of the universal joint to be manufactured is small, and therefore, the universal joint is easy to process and is competitive in terms of production cost and maintenance cost.
[0115] These advantages are very encouraging and groundbreaking because developing a universal joint that can be assembled with the least number of connecting components and the simplest method has been an ongoing challenge in the technical field of the present disclosure.
[0116] The above description of the present disclosure is provided for illustration, and those of ordinary skill in the art should understand that form changes and detail changes can be easily made without departing from the technical concept or essential features of the present disclosure. Therefore, the above embodiments and all aspects thereof are merely examples and not limitations.
[0117] For example, although the present disclosure has been described with reference to the embodiments shown in the drawings, these embodiments are merely examples, and those skilled in the art should understand that various modifications can be made to the embodiments.
[0118] Therefore, the technical scope of the present disclosure is defined by the appended claims, and all changes or modifications derived from the meaning and scope of the claims and their equivalent concepts should be construed as being included within the scope of the present disclosure.
Claims
1. A universal joint, characterized in that, Comprising: A driven shaft including a first shaft portion and a joint key portion provided at one end of the first shaft portion, the joint key portion including a joint body and a joint arm extending from the joint body; And A drive shaft including a second shaft portion and a joint holding portion provided at one end of the second shaft portion corresponding to the joint key portion, the joint holding portion including: a body receiving portion into which the joint body of the driven shaft can be inserted; an arm slot into which the joint arm of the driven shaft can be inserted; and a shaft slot into which the first shaft portion of the driven shaft can be inserted, Wherein, the driven shaft and the drive shaft are coupled to each other by inserting the joint arm of the joint key portion into the arm slot of the joint holding portion and then rotating the joint arm of the joint key portion.
2. The universal joint according to claim 1, characterized in that, The driven shaft and the drive shaft are coupled to each other by rotating the joint arm of the joint key portion inserted into the arm slot of the joint holding portion about an axis perpendicular to the axial direction of the second shaft portion.
3. The universal joint according to claim 1, characterized in that, The joint body extends from the end of the first shaft portion and has an end in the form of a curved surface.
4. The universal joint according to claim 2, characterized in that, The joint arm has a columnar shape extending in an axial direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the first shaft portion, and In a cross-section of the joint arm taken in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction in which the joint arm extends, a first width (L1) is greater than a second width (L2), Wherein, the second width (L2) is the width of the cross-section in a direction perpendicular to the direction in which the joint arm is inserted into the arm slot, and The first width (L1) is the width of the cross-section in a direction perpendicular to the direction in which the joint arm is inserted into the arm slot after the joint arm inserted into the arm slot is rotated.
5. The universal joint according to claim 4, characterized in that, The joint arm has a columnar shape extending in an axial direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the first shaft portion, and A cross-section of the joint arm taken in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction in which the joint arm extends has a rectangular shape, the width of the rectangular shape in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the first shaft portion is greater than the width in the axial direction of the first shaft portion, and at least one side of the rectangular shape is rounded.
6. The universal joint according to claim 1, characterized in that, The joint arm includes at least two of the joint arms provided on the joint body.
7. The universal joint according to claim 4, characterized in that, The arm slot includes a joint arm locking portion that prevents the joint arm from separating from the arm slot after the joint arm inserted into the arm slot is rotated, And the slot width (W1) of the joint arm locking portion satisfies the following inequality: The second width (L2) of the joint arm ≤ the slot width (W1) of the joint arm locking portion < the first width (L1) of the joint arm.
8. The universal joint according to claim 7, characterized in that The arm slot includes a joint arm rotation portion that extends from the joint arm locking portion in a direction toward the second shaft portion to allow the joint arm to rotate within the joint arm rotation portion, and the joint arm rotation portion includes a predetermined section where the slot width is greater than or equal to the first width (L1) of the joint arm.
9. The universal joint according to claim 8, characterized in that, The slot depth (H) of the joint arm rotation portion is greater than or equal to the first width (L1) of the joint arm.
10. The universal joint according to claim 1, characterized in that, The arm slot includes at least two of the arm slots.
11. The universal joint according to claim 1, characterized in that, The shaft slot includes at least two of the shaft slots.