Axially adjustable driveshaft assembly
AssigneeDana Automotive Systems Group, LLC
InventorsEric M. Fischer, Johnny N. Smith
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An axially adjustable driveshaft assembly in a drive train system is described. Two hollow driveshaft sections, where one has a valve through an aperture in it and each has an end fitting, engage each other to form an axially adjustable driveshaft assembly that has a sealed internal chamber within. When a pressurized air or vacuum source is connected to the valve, air fills the chamber or air is removed from the chamber, which correspondingly increases or decreases a drive train system length. This results in facilitating the installation of the driveshaft assembly between a transmission and an axle assembly in a drive train system.
Claims16
An axially adjustable driveshaft assembly in a drive train system comprising:
- a first driveshaft section being hollow therethrough and having either a female or a male splined end, and a first driveshaft section end fitting;
- a second driveshaft section engaged with the first driveshaft section for relative axial movement, being hollow therethrough, and having the other of the female or male splined end and a second driveshaft section end fitting;
- a valve disposed in an aperture formed through one of the driveshaft sections wherein the driveshaft section having the female splined end being about the driveshaft section having the male splined end section to define a sealed internal chamber therein, and the valve in fluid communication with the sealed internal chamber such that the valve prevents ambient air from passing into or out of the sealed internal chamber;
- and
- a pressurized air or vacuum source to selectively pressurize or evacuate the sealed internal chamber to allow the relative axial movement between the first and second driveshaft sections so as to facilitate installation of an axially adjustable driveshaft assembly to a drive train system.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.