Torque transmission shaft having universal joint yoke and method of manufacturing the same
AssigneeNsk Ltd.
InventorYoshifumi KUROKAWA
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A rod-shaped element having an outer diameter, which is the same as an outer diameter of a completed rod part, has one axial end portion and the other axial end portion to which a base end portion of a bifurcated yoke is fixed. The one axial end portion is subject to plastic working for diametrically deforming an outer periphery of the one axial end portion. Thereby, the outer periphery of the one axial end portion is formed with a male spline part having a groove bottom diameter smaller than an outer diameter of a rod part and having a tooth tip diameter larger than the outer diameter of the rod part.
Claims8
A torque transmission shaft having a universal joint yoke, the torque transmission shaft comprising:
- a rod part which has a round rod shape and includes a male spline part provided on an outer periphery of one axial end portion thereof;
- and
- a yoke which is fixed to another axial end portion of the rod part and includes a pair of arm parts configured to pivotally support end portions of a cross shaft configuring a cross shaft type universal joint,
- wherein a groove bottom diameter of the male spline part is smaller than an outer diameter of a part of the rod part axially distant from the male spline part.
A method of manufacturing a torque transmission shaft having a universal joint yoke, the torque transmission shaft including:
- a rod part which has a round rod shape and includes a male spline part provided on an outer periphery of one axial end portion thereof;
- and a yoke which is fixed to another axial end portion of the rod part and includes a pair of arm parts configured to pivotally support end portions of a cross shaft configuring a cross shaft type universal joint, the method comprising:
- providing a rod-shaped element to which the yoke is fixed at another axial end portion thereof, an outer diameter of an axial half part of the rod-shaped element being the same as an outer diameter of the finished rod part at a side of the other axial end portion thereof;
- and
- performing plastic working for deforming an outer periphery of one axial end portion of the rod-shaped element, on the outer periphery of the one axial end portion, thereby forming the male spline part on the outer periphery of the one axial end portion of the rod-shaped element such that the male spline part has a groove bottom diameter smaller than an outer diameter of the rod part at the side of the other axial end portion thereof and has a tooth tip diameter larger than the outer diameter of the rod part at the side of the other axial end portion thereof.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.