Shaft coupling
AssigneesHarmonic Drive Systems Inc., Nabeya Bi-Tech Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorsNorio Shirokoshi, Kei Yamada
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A slotted-type rigid coupling is manufactured so that the internal-diameter dimension of a first shaft hole of a circumferentially divided shaft-fastening part is the same as that of a shaft. The first shaft hole is widened by widening force from a pressing mechanism provided with a fastening bolt, and the shaft is inserted through the first shaft hole up to a shaft insertion hole. The widening force is ceased, the first shaft hole is narrowed by fastening force from the pressing mechanism, and the shaft is securely fastened. When the shaft is securely fastened to the shaft-fastening part by the fastening bolt, eccentricity in the shaft is prevented or minimized.
Claims7
A shaft coupling comprising:
- a tubular coupling main body;
- a first slit that, in a position at a predetermined distance in an axial direction from one first end face of the coupling main body, divides the coupling main body over a predetermined angular range in the axial direction;
- a shaft-fastening part defined by a portion of the coupling main body from the first end face to the first slit;
- a second slit that circumferentially divides the shaft-fastening part;
- a fastening shaft hole that is defined by an inner peripheral surface of the shaft-fastening part and that opens in the first end face;
- and
- a pressing mechanism capable of generating widening force and fastening force to deform the shaft-fastening part in directions whereby first and second circumferential end faces of the shaft-fastening part, which oppose each other across the second slit, are caused to move away from and toward each other;
- wherein the fastening shaft hole has an internal-diameter dimension such that an interference fit or a transition fit can be formed with a shaft to be fastened when the shaft-fastening part is in a pre-deformed state;
- and
- the fastening shaft hole has an internal-diameter dimension such that a gap is formed with the shaft in a widened state in which the pressing mechanism exerts the widening force having a predetermined value.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.