# US 7,744,473 B2 · Production series of adapter devices and an adapter device > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 7,744,473 B2 - Document ID: US7744473B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 12/118,579 - Filed: 2008-05-09 - Published: 2009-01-22 - Granted: 2010-06-29 - Earliest claimed: 2000-09-13 - Assignees: Sew-Eurodrive GmbH & Co. KG - Inventors: Heinrich Zimmermann; Roland Denefleh; Günter Oberländer - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US7744473B2 ## CPC - F16D 7/04: of the ratchet type (similar gearings based on repeated accumulation and delivery of inertia-energy F16H33/08; {overload clutches of the ratchet type F16D43/202}) - F16D 3/68: the elements being made of rubber or similar material - F16D 7/025: {with flat clutching surfaces, e.g. discs} - F16D 7/06: with intermediate balls or rollers - F16D: COUPLINGS FOR TRANSMITTING ROTATION; CLUTCHES; BRAKES ## Abstract An adapter device and a production series of adapter devices for connecting an input shaft, e.g., a motor shaft of a motor, e.g., an electric motor, to a device to be driven, e.g., to a pinion of a gear unit, including an adapter shaft for the rotatably-fixed connection to the device to be driven, an intermediate piece engaged with the adapter shaft, and a sub-component that is engaged with the intermediate piece and is detachably connectible with form-locking to an input shaft, particularly a motor shaft. The sub-component includes a bore hole for accommodating the input shaft in the sub-component, and the sub-component has at least three claws for forming the coupling. The adapter shaft, at its second end, thus at the end facing the intermediate piece, has at least three claws for forming a coupling. The intermediate piece is provided between the claws of the sub-component and the claws of the adapter shaft. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An adapter device configured to connect an input shaft to a device to be driven, comprising: an adapter shaft configured to rotatably-fixedly connect to the device to be driven; an intermediate piece engaged with the adapter shaft; and a sub-component engaged with the intermediate piece detachably, form-lockingly connectible to the input shaft, the sub-component including a bore hole configured to accommodate the input shaft in the sub-component and including at least three claws configured to form a coupling; wherein the adapter shaft includes at least three claws arranged at an end facing the intermediate piece and configured to form the coupling, wherein the intermediate piece is arranged between the claws of the sub-component and the claws of the adapter shaft, wherein in a coupled state of the adapter shaft and the sub-component, the input shaft passes through the a bore hole in the intermediate piece, past the claws of the adapter shaft, and into a lumen defined by the adapter shaft, and wherein the intermediate piece extends continuously around an entire circumference of the input shaft. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The adapter device according to claim 1, wherein the adapter shaft and the claws thereof are formed from one piece, and wherein the sub-component and the claws thereof are formed from one piece. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The adapter device according to claim 1, wherein the adapter shaft and the claws thereof are formed from one piece, and wherein the sub-component includes a driver part, the driver part and the claws of the sub-component formed from one piece. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The adapter device according to claim 1, wherein the claws of the sub-component and the claws of the adapter shaft are configured to form a play-encumbered form-locking connection after a failure of the intermediate piece. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The adapter device according to claim 4, wherein the claws of the sub-component and the claws of the adapter shaft are configured to form a play-encumbered form-locking connection after a failure of the intermediate piece due to one of chemically and mechanically caused breakdown. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The adapter device according to claim 1, wherein the sub-component is configured to form different variants of a production series, the form-locking connection of the sub-component to the input shaft including one of: a coupling part engaged with the intermediate piece and detachably, form-lockingly connectible to the input shaft; and an overload coupling engaged with the intermediate piece and detachably, form-lockingly connectible to the input shaft. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The adapter device according to claim 6, wherein the form-locking connection of the sub-component to the input shaft includes a feather key connection. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The adapter device according to claim 1, wherein the intermediate piece includes a base member and at least six radial sections arranged in a shape of a star. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The adapter device according to claim 8, wherein the radial sections are arranged in a radial direction from the base member. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The adapter device according to claim 8, wherein the bore hole in the intermediate niece is formed in the base member of the intermediate piece and has a diameter greater than a diameter of the input shaft. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) The adapter device according to claim 8, wherein the radial sections of the intermediate piece are arranged between the claws of the adapter shaft and the claws of the coupling part. ### Claim 12 (depends on 8) The adapter device according to claim 8, wherein the radial sections are convex in a radial direction. ### Claim 13 (depends on 8) The adapter device according to claim 8, wherein each radial section has a thickness profile in a radial direction and one of the claws and flanks of the claws are at least one of curved and formed radially in a circumferential direction so that, under normal load, the radial sections subject the base member of the intermediate piece to pressure in the radial direction. ### Claim 14 (depends on 8) The adapter device according to claim 8, wherein the radial sections include spacers in an axial direction to the adapter shaft and to the coupling part. ### Claim 15 (depends on 8) The adapter device according to claim 8, wherein a compressive load per unit area is determined in a middle of the radial sections and at least one of a number of radial sections is taken into account and the radial sections are approximated by a shape of a rectangular parallelepiped for the determination. ### Claim 16 (depends on 8) The adapter device according to claim 8, wherein a number of the radial sections loaded is between three and four, and a total number of radial sections is one of six and eight. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The adapter device according to claim 1, wherein the intermediate piece is formed of a more flexible material than a material of the claws. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) The adapter device according to claim 1, wherein the adapter shaft includes a feather keyway at an end area facing away from the intermediate piece and configured to connect to a pinion of a gear unit. ### Claim 19 (depends on 1) The adapter device according to claim 1, wherein the input shaft includes a motor shaft of a motor. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The adapter device according to claim 19, wherein the motor includes an electric motor. ### Claim 21 (depends on 1) The adapter device according to claim 1, wherein the device to be driven includes a pinion of a gear unit. ### Claim 22 An adapter device configured to connect an input shaft to a device to be driven, comprising: an adapter shaft configured to rotatably-fixedly connect to the device to be driven; an intermediate piece engaged with the adapter shaft; and a sub-component engaged with the intermediate piece detachably, form-lockingly connectible to the input shaft, the sub-component including a bore hole configured to accommodate the input shaft in the sub-component and including at least three claws configured to form a coupling; wherein the adapter shaft includes at least three claws arranged at an end facing the intermediate piece and configured to form the coupling, wherein the intermediate piece is arranged between the claws of the sub-component and the claws of the adapter shaft, wherein in a coupled state of the adapter shaft and the sub-component, the input shaft passes through a bore hole in the intermediate piece and into a lumen defined by the adapter shaft, wherein the sub-component includes a bore hole configured to accommodate the input shaft and is connectible to the input shaft by a feather key connection, and wherein the intermediate piece extends continuously around an entire circumference of the input shaft. ### Claim 23 (depends on 1) The adapter device according to claim 1, wherein the adapter shaft includes a bore hole having a diameter that is greater than a diameter of the input shaft and an end of the input shaft on an adapter-shaft side is at least one of (a) insertable into the adapter shaft and (b) extendable into the adapter shaft without engaging the adapter shaft. ### Claim 24 An adapter for joining a motor shaft of a motor to a device to be driven, comprising: an adapter shaft including a first end connectible to a pinion in a rotatably fixed manner and a second end including at least three claws configured to form a coupling, the adapter shaft including a bore having a diameter greater than a diameter of the motor shaft, an end of the motor shaft on a side of the adapter shaft insertable into the adapter shaft; an intermediate part including a base and at least six radial pieces arranged as a star, each radial piece positioned in a radial direction starting from the base, the base including a bore having a diameter greater than the diameter of the motor shaft; and a coupling part including at least three claws, a bore arranged to receive the motor shaft and connectible to the motor shaft by a feather-key connection, the radial pieces of the intermediate part arranged between the claws of the adapter shaft and the claws of the coupling part; wherein in a coupled state of the adapter shaft and the coupling part, the motor shaft passes through a bore hole in the intermediate niece and into a lumen defined by the adapter shaft, wherein the radial pieces include spacers in an axial direction toward the adapter shaft and toward the coupling part, wherein each radial piece includes a thickness profile in the radial direction and one of (a) the claws and (b) edges of the claws are at least one of (a) curved and (b) formed in a circumferential direction so that, at a nominal loading, the radial pieces apply a compressive load to the base of the intermediate part in the radial direction, wherein the intermediate part is made of a softer material than a material of the claws; wherein the radial pieces are convex in the radial direction, and wherein the intermediate piece extends continuously around an entire circumference of the input shaft. ### Claim 25 (depends on 24) The adapter device according to claim 24, wherein the motor is configured as an electric motor. ### Claim 26 (depends on 24) The adapter device according to claim 24, wherein the device to be driven includes a pinion of a gear unit.