Clamped Hollow Torque Shaft for Coaxial Steering Alignment
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
In steering apparatuses for large automobiles, the long distance between the steering shaft and the steering gear unit leads to issues with shaft alignment and coaxiality, resulting in whirling and abnormal noises due to thermal deformation and manufacturing challenges with torque transmission shafts.
Innovation Solution
A torque transmission shaft design featuring a hollow shaft with a yoke portion and a separate clamp, where the clamp is externally fitted around the shaft to reduce diameter and ensure proper alignment, with features like slits, stress relieving portions, and non-circular engagement to prevent relative rotation and improve coaxiality.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If the torque transmission shaft is welded to the yoke to fix alignment, then stability is improved, but thermal deformation occurs reducing coaxiality
Solution Approach 1:
The clamp portion acts as an intermediary component between the shaft body and the yoke. Instead of directly welding the shaft to the yoke, the clamp portion is welded to the yoke and then clamps the shaft body, mediating the connection and isolating the shaft body from thermal deformation while still achieving stable alignment fixation.
2Weight of moving object
If the shaft is made hollow to reduce weight, then weight is reduced, but structural strength may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The torque transmission shaft uses a composite structure combining a hollow shaft body for weight reduction with a solid clamp portion for strength. This composite design allows the hollow section to reduce overall weight while the clamp portion provides the necessary structural strength and enables the connection to the yoke without compromising the shaft's load-bearing capacity.
Data Source
AI summary
The torque transmission shaft includes: a shaft that is integrally formed and that has a yoke provided at one end portion in the axial direction and a female serration provided on the inner peripheral surface at the other end in the axial direction; and a clamp that is separate from the shaft and that is capable of reducing the diameter of the other end portion of the shaft in the axial direction; wherein the shaft and the clamp are fixed together.