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US 2021/0372485 A1Published application
Method of carburizing driveline components
AssigneeAircraft Gear Corporation
InventorSean M. Carlini
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A universal joint or other vehicle driveline assembly includes an inner race, an outer race, and bearings positioned between the races. In some embodiments, the components of the universal joint that are in contact with the bearings are selectively processed to be harder than the other non-contact surfaces of the component.
Claims30
A method for manufacturing a universal joint having a plurality of rolling bearings, comprising:
- fabricating at least one component of a universal joint selected from the group consisting of an outer race, an inner race, a cruciform-shaped member, a bearing cap adapted and configured to provide a bearing pathway with a cruciform-shaped member, or a bearing cage;
- through-hardening the component to a first hardness;
- masking at least a portion of the surfaces of the component that are not bearing contact surfaces;
- and
- surface hardening the bearing contact surfaces of the component to a second hardness that is higher than the first hardness.
2 more elements
A universal joint comprising:
- an outer race;
- an inner race moveable within said outer race;
- a plurality of rotatable bearings;
- and
- a cage moveably positioned between the inner race and the outer race, said cage including a plurality of through windows, each window retaining therein a rotatable bearing between said outer race and said inner race, each said window having a window surface area adapted and configured for contact with one of said rotatable bearings, said cage having a non-contact surface area that excludes the plurality of window surface areas;
- wherein at least a portion of each window surface area has a surface hardness greater than the surface hardness of the non-contact surface area.
3 more elements
A universal joint, comprising:
- a first yoke;
- a second yoke;
- a cruciform-shaped member having first and second legs, the first leg having a first pair of inner bearing races each on opposite ends of the first leg, and the second leg having a second pair of inner bearing races each on opposite ends of the second leg;
- a first pair of bearing caps each including an outer bearing race, each of said first pair of bearing caps being adapted and configured to attach to said first yoke, each of said first pair of bearing capes having an outer race, and each outer race of said first pair of bearing caps being adapted and configured to form a first bearing pathway with a corresponding one of said first pair of inner bearing races;
- a second pair of bearing caps each including an outer bearing race, each of said second pair of bearing caps being adapted and configured to attach to said second yoke, each of said second pair of bearing capes having an outer race, and each outer race of said second pair of bearing caps being adapted and configured to form a second bearing pathway with a corresponding one of said second pair of inner bearing races;
- wherein said cruciform-shaped member is hardened to a member hardness, and the first pair of inner races are hardened to a first inner race hardness that is harder than the member hardness, and the first pair of bearing caps are hardened to a first cap hardness, and the outer races of said first pair of bearing caps are hardened to a first outer race hardness that is harder than the first cap hardness.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.