Propeller Shaft Boot Assembly Simplifying CV Joint Installation
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing propeller shaft systems with constant velocity universal joints face a complex and time-consuming fitting process due to the cumbersome installation of boots, leading to increased production costs and inefficiencies in vehicle assembly.
Innovation Solution
A propeller shaft design featuring a splined cylindrical inner and outer wall engagement with a sleeve member and positioning mechanism, along with a flexible boot unit and seal ring, allows for easier assembly by eliminating the need for bolts and simplifying the alignment and sealing process, ensuring hermetic closure and protection from foreign matter.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the boot is fixed to the outer cylindrical member and drive shaft through separate metal retainers and bands, then the interior of the universal joint is protected from foreign matter, but the fitting process becomes complicated and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the boot unit, positioning mechanism, and sealing function into an integrated assembly. The boot is pre-mounted on the inner cylindrical member with the positioning protrusion already in place, eliminating the need for separate metal retainers and bands. This merging of components simplifies the fitting process while maintaining the protective sealing function.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention divides the propeller shaft into modular segments: the inner cylindrical member with pre-mounted boot unit, the outer cylindrical member, and the coupling device. This segmentation allows the boot unit to be pre-assembled and tested separately, then easily installed on the drive shaft, reducing overall assembly complexity and time.
2Stability of the object's composition
If the boot is installed in two separate steps at different factories, then the propeller shaft can be protected during transport, but the production cost increases due to time-consuming assembly
Solution Approach 1:
The boot unit is pre-assembled on the inner cylindrical member at the component factory, including the positioning protrusion and sealing elements. This preliminary action ensures the protective function is established early, and the pre-assembled unit remains stable during transport. The simplified single-step installation at the vehicle assembly factory significantly improves productivity.
3Reliability
If a complicated fitting process is used to secure the boot, then the sealing is reliable, but the production time and costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the complex metal retainer and band components from the assembly process. Instead, it uses a simplified boot unit with an elastic portion that naturally seals against the drive shaft, requiring only a simple snap-fit or press-fit installation. This extraction of unnecessary components maintains sealing reliability while dramatically reducing assembly time.
Data Source
AI summary
A propeller shaft is proposed which comprises an inner cylindrical member that has a center through bore into which a shaft is inserted; an outer cylindrical member disposed around the inner cylindrical member; a torque transmitting unit operatively disposed between the inner and outer cylindrical members; a sleeve member coaxially connected to the center through bore of the inner cylindrical member; a boot unit arranged to hermetically close one open side of an interior of the outer cylindrical member; and a positioning mechanism that effects a relative axial positioning between the shaft and the inner cylindrical member when a splined cylindrical outer wall of the shaft is inserted through the sleeve member into a given position of a splined cylindrical inner wall of the center through bore of the inner cylindrical member.