Method of making composite shafts
AssigneeXerox Corporation
InventorTimothy R. Jaskowiak
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A shaft assembly comprising an elongated member having at least a portion which is hollow, tubular, shell like having an inside surface defining a shaft core and an outside surface defining a shaft functional surface, the shaft core being filled with a hardened, moldable material, and the shaft functional surface having at least one functional feature thereon, which is of hardened, moldable material integrally molded with the hardened, moldable material in the shaft core. In a preferred embodiment the shaft assembly is rotatable and has at least one molding aperture gate extending through the shaft from the inside surface to the outside surface which is filled with hardened, moldable material which connects the hardened material in the shaft core and functional feature.
Claims21
A process for making a shaft assembly having at least one functional feature on an outside surface of said shaft comprising, providing an elongated member having at least a portion which is hollow and tubular having an inside surface defining a shaft core and an outside surface defining a shaft functional surface, placing said hollow and tubular portion in a mold which has a cavity for said at least one functional feature on the outside surface of said portion, filling said mold with a thermoplastic resin, flowing said resin through said shaft core, and cavity permitting said resin to harden to form said functional feature and removing the shaft assembly with said functional feature from said mold, wherein said hollow, tubular portion is selected with a coefficient of thermal expansion and said resin is selected with a shrink rate to provide intimate contact between said resin and said hollow, tubular portion.
A process for making a rotatable shaft assembly for transmitting torsional torque having at least one functional feature on an outside surface of said shaft, the process comprising the steps of:
- providing an elongated member having at least a portion which is hollow and tubular having an inside surface defining a shaft core and an outside surface defining a shaft functional surface;
- placing the hollow and tubular portion in a mold which has a cavity for the at least one functional feature on the outside surface of said portion;
- filling the mold with a hardenable, moldable material, flowing the moldable material through the shaft core and cavity;
- permitting the moldable material to harden to form the functional feature;
- and
- removing the shaft assembly with the functional feature from the mold.
A process for making a shaft assembly having at least one functional feature on an outside surface of said shaft, the process comprising the steps of:
- providing an elongated member having at least a portion which is hollow and tubular having an inside surface defining a shaft core and an outside surface defining a shaft functional surface;
- placing the hollow and tubular portion in a mold which has a cavity for the at least one functional feature on the outside surface of said portion;
- filling the mold with a hardenable, moldable material, flowing the moldable material through the shaft core and cavity;
- permitting the moldable material to harden to form the functional feature;
- and
- removing the shaft assembly with the functional feature from the mold wherein the hollow, tubular portion is selected with a coefficient of thermal expansion and the moldable material is selected with a shrink rate to provide intimate contact between the moldable material and the hollow, tubular portion.
A process for making a rotatable shaft assembly for transmitting torsional torque having at least one functional feature on an outside surface of said shaft, the process comprising the steps of:
- providing at least one elongated member having at least a portion which is hollow and tubular having an inside surface defining a shaft core;
- placing the hollow and tubular portion in a mold which has a cavity adapted to form at least one functional feature;
- filling the mold with a hardenable, moldable material;
- flowing the moldable material through the shaft core and cavity;
- permitting the moldable material to harden to form the functional feature;
- and
- removing the shaft assembly with the functional feature from the mold, wherein the hollow, tubular portion is selected with a coefficient of thermal expansion and the moldable material is selected with a shrink rate to provide intimate contact between the moldable material and the hollow, tubular portion.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.