Automotive drivetrain having deflection compensation
OwnerCharles Rankininventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A deflection compensation system for automobile drivetrain components is provided, wherein a shaft is able to continue in driving relationship to another shaft or coupler in driven relationship when their respective axes of rotation are misaligned. At least one of the shaft and the coupler is preferably supported independently of the other and provided with crown involute splines, whereby one of the shaft and coupler when out of relative alignment, continues to drive the other without the necessity of adding additional moving parts to the drivetrain component.
Claims10
In an automobile having a drivetrain, the drivetrain including an engine, at least one shaft operatively coupled to the engine and having a first axis of rotation, and a member having a second axis of rotation rotatably coupled with said shaft, the improvement comprising:
- a plurality of splines on said shaft, said splines having a first end, a second end and a center portion longitudinally intermediate said first and said second end;
- a plurality of splines on said member intercalated with the splines on said shaft in driven relationship, said splines on said member having one end and another end and a middle portion longitudinally intermediate said one end and the another end, whereby said splines on said shaft are external splines and said splines on said member are internal splines, and
- wherein at least said external splines or said internal splines are cut with a crowned involute configuration.
In an automotive drivetrain, the improvement comprising:
- a rotatable crankshaft;
- a clutch hub drivable by said crankshaft;
- a pilot stub projecting from one end of said hub into a pocket in said crankshaft;
- and
- a gearbox input shaft separate from said pilot stub and projecting from an opposite end of said hub,
- said hub being drivingly coupled with said gearbox input shaft for rotating the input shaft when the hub is rotated by said crankshaft.
In an automotive drivetrain as claimed in claim 9, said hub and said input shaft being drivingly coupled to one another using crown involute splines whereby to permit limited tilting of the input shaft relative to the pilot stub.
In an automotive drivetrain as claimed in claim 10, said crown involute splines comprising internal splines on said input shaft, said hub having straight internal splines intercalated with the external splines on the input shaft.
In an automotive drivetrain as claimed in claim 11, said input shaft having a domed end surface in abutting engagement with one end of said pilot stub.
In an automotive drivetrain as claimed in claim 12, said one end of the hub having an annular bearing that rotatably receives said pilot stub.
In an automotive drivetrain as claimed in claim 9, said one end of the hub having an annular bearing that rotatably receives said pilot stub.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.