# US 2018/0066712 A1 · Elastic shaft coupling

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- Number: US 2018/0066712 A1
- Document ID: US20180066712A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 15/695,761
- Filed: 2017-09-05
- Published: 2018-03-08
- Earliest claimed: 2016-09-05
- Assignees: SMC Corporation
- Applicants: Smc Corporation
- Inventors: Toru Nakayama; Ryuichi Masui; Yutaka Yoshida
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20180066712A1

## CPC

- F16D 3/08: Couplings for intersecting shafts, provided with intermediate bars bent in an angle corresponding with the angle of intersection
- F16D 1/0847: {with radial clamping due to a radial screw}
- F16D 1/0864: {due to tangential loading of the hub, e.g. a split hub}
- F16D 1/0876: {with axial keys and no other radial clamping}
- F16D 3/68: the elements being made of rubber or similar material
- F16D 3/74: the intermediate member or members being made of rubber or other {rubber-like} flexible material
- F16D: COUPLINGS FOR TRANSMITTING ROTATION; CLUTCHES; BRAKES

## Abstract

An elastic body of an elastic shaft coupling includes a connection portion disposed around a center axis of the elastic shaft coupling, and a plurality of rotation transmission portion of substantially columnar shapes provided for the connection portion along the circumferential direction of the elastic shaft coupling, and extending from the connection portion along the center axis. Outer circumferential portions of the rotation transmission portions are in surface contact with a first hub main body portion and first protrusion portions of a first hub, and a second hub main body portion and second protrusion portions of a second hub.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An elastic shaft coupling comprising:
a pair of metal hubs formed in a substantially same shape and assembled to each other in a state where phases are shifted at a predetermined angle in a circumferential direction; and
an elastic body interposed between the pair of hubs,
wherein the elastic body includes:
a connection portion disposed around a center axis of the elastic shaft coupling; and
a plurality of rotation transmission portions provided for the connection portion along the circumferential direction, and each extending in a substantially bar shape from the connection portion along the center axis, and
the pair of hubs each include:
a hub main body portion configured to engage with a rotation shaft; and
a plurality of protrusion portions extending from the hub main body portion along the center axis between the rotation transmission portions, and configured to come into contact with an outer circumferential portion of each of the rotation transmission portions.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The elastic shaft coupling according to claim 1, wherein each of the rotation transmission portions is an elastic member in a substantially columnar shape, and
a contact portion of each of the protrusion portions which comes into contact with each of the rotation transmission portions is formed in an arc shape in order to minimize an influence of a thickness of the connection portion on an entire length of the elastic shaft coupling.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The elastic shaft coupling according to claim 2, wherein part of each of the hub main body portions is formed in an arc shape and is in contact with the outer circumferential portion of each of the rotation transmission portions.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The elastic shaft coupling according to claim 1, wherein the connection portion is a thin member in a ring shape configured to connect each of the rotation transmission portions in order to minimize an influence of a thickness of the connection portion on an entire length of the elastic shaft coupling.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The elastic shaft coupling according to claim 1, wherein the protrusion portions of one of the hubs, the rotation transmission portions, the protrusion portions of another of the hubs, and the rotation transmission portions, are alternately disposed in order along the circumferential direction.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The elastic shaft coupling according to claim 1, wherein the elastic body is made of rubber or resin.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The elastic shaft coupling according to claim 1, wherein a through-hole portion or a bottomed-hole portion is formed in the hub main body portion,
a distal end portion of the rotation shaft is inserted in the through-hole portion or the bottomed-hole portion, and
the distal end portion of the rotation shaft is fixed