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US 7,402,108 B2Granted
Flexible shaft coupling
AssigneesKyushu Hasec Co., Ltd., Shoyo Engineering Co., Ltd.
InventorsTetsuya Miyakawa, Hitoshi Terado, Kazuichi Fukuda
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A flexible shaft coupling has first and second hubs, each of which is provided with flanges and connected to a transmission shaft. The flange of the first hub has spring holes extended therethrough. A cover is fixed to the second hub so that the flange of the first hub is held between the cover and the flange of the second hub, and the cylindrical part of the first hub extends through the cover. A plurality of coil spring sets each comprises multiple barrel-shaped coil springs. Each of the coil springs is supported in the spring hole so that the adjoining end faces thereof are in contact and in series with each other.
Claims17
A flexible shaft coupling, comprising:
- a first hub for connection to a transmission shaft, said first hub having a cylindrical part, an outwardly extending flange at one end of said cylindrical part and a plurality of spring holes each extending in the direction of a coupling axis with the transmission shaft, said spring holes extending through said flange and being circumferentially spaced along the periphery thereof;
- a second hub for connection to another transmission shaft, said second hub having a cylindrical part and an outwardly extending flange at one end of said cylindrical part;
- a cover fixed to said flange of said second hub so that said flange of said first hub is accommodated therein, said cylindrical part of said first hub extending into said cover, and said flange of said first hub and each of said flange of said second hub and said cover having a space there between sufficient to accommodate shaft misalignments;
- spring supporting pins extending in the direction of the coupling axis and supported between said flange of said second hub and said cover;
- and
- a plurality of coil spring sets each comprising multiple barrel-shaped coil springs,
- each of said barrel-shaped coil springs having a center diameter which is larger than a diameter of either of its ends,
- each of said barrel-shaped coil springs being located in one of said spring holes and supported in the one of said spring holes by a corresponding one of said spring supporting pins so that said barrel-shaped coil springs in each of said coil spring sets have adjoining end faces in contact with or able to exert a force on one another, and in series with each other,
- a largest-diameter portion of each of said barrel-shaped coil springs being clearance fitted in the one of said spring holes and a smallest-diameter portion of each of said barrel-shaped coil springs being interference fitted over the corresponding one of said spring supporting pins, and
- said barrel-shaped coil springs being compressed between said cover and said flange of said second hub so that when torque is transmitted between said first hub and said second hub via said barrel-shaped coil springs, said barrel-shaped coil springs deform and adjoining coils of said coil springs come into contact with each other, with friction resulting from the contact causing said coil springs to absorb shocks and reduce torsional vibration.
7 more elements
A flexible shaft coupling, comprising:
- a first hub for connection to a transmission shaft, said first hub having a cylindrical part, an outwardly extending flange at one end of said cylindrical part and a plurality of spring holes each extending in the direction of a coupling axis with the transmission shaft, said spring holes extending through said flange and being circumferentially spaced along the periphery thereof;
- a second flange;
- a cover fixed to said second flange so that said flange of said first hub is accommodated therein, said cylindrical part of said first hub extending into said cover, and said flange of said first hub and each of said second flange and said cover having a space there between sufficient to accommodate shaft misalignments;
- spring supporting pins extending in the direction of the coupling axis and supported between said second flange and said cover;
- and
- a plurality of coil spring sets each comprising multiple barrel-shaped coil springs,
- each of said barrel-shaped coil springs having a center diameter which is larger than a diameter of either of its ends,
- each of said coil spring sets being located in one of said spring holes, said barrel-shaped coil springs thereof supported in the one of said spring holes by a corresponding one of said spring supporting pins so that said barrel-shaped coil springs in each of said coil spring sets have adjoining end faces that are in contact with or able to exert a force on one another, and are in series with each other,
- a largest-diameter portion of each of said barrel-shaped coil springs being clearance fitted in the one of said spring holes and a smallest-diameter portion of each of said barrel-shaped coil springs being interference fitted over the corresponding one of said spring supporting pins, and
- said barrel-shaped coil springs being compressed between said cover and said second flange so that when torque is transmitted between said first hub and said second flange via said barrel-shaped coil springs, said barrel-shaped coil springs deform and adjoining coils of said coil springs come into contact with each other, with friction resulting from the contact causing said coil springs to absorb shocks and reduce torsional vibration.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.