US 8,506,198 B2Granted

Self aligning coupling for mixing system

AssigneeHyClone Laboratories, Inc.

InventorsDerik R. West, Nephi D. Jones

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Abstract

A shaft coupling assembly includes a hub bounding an opening. The interior surface of the hub includes an annular coupling surface and a receiving surface, the receiving surface sloping away from opening. An alignment rib projects from the receiving surface into the opening. An elongated shaft includes a driver that is configured to be received within the opening of the hub. The driver has an exterior surface that includes an annular engaging surface, a guide surface, and a guide rib radially, outwardly projecting from the guide surface. The guide rib is configured such that when the driver is being inserted within the opening with the guide rib being aligned with the alignment rib, the guide rib contacts the alignment rib so that the guide rib must be offset from the alignment rib before the driver can be fully received within the opening.

Claims30

Dependent claims

A shaft coupling assembly comprising:

a structural member having an interior surface bounding an opening that has an inlet, the interior surface comprising:
a coupling surface encircling a portion of the opening;
one or more receiving surfaces disposed between the coupling surface and the inlet of the opening, the one or more receiving surfaces each sloping away from the opening;
and
one or more alignment ribs, each radially, inwardly projecting from one of the one or more receiving surfaces into the opening;
and
an elongated shaft having a central longitudinal axis that extends between a proximal end and an opposing distal end, the shaft comprising a driver configured to be received within the opening of the structural member, the driver having an exterior surface along the length thereof, the exterior surface comprising:
an engaging surface encircling the longitudinal axis of the shaft;
and
first and second guide ribs disposed distal of the engaging surface, the first and second guide ribs each extending distally to a distal-most point, the first and second guide ribs bounding a recessed notch therebetween, the first and second guide ribs being configured such that when the driver is being inserted distally into the opening with the first and second guide ribs being aligned with the one or more alignment ribs, the first guide rib contacts a first one of the one or more alignment ribs so that the first guide rib must be offset from the first alignment rib before the driver can be fully received within the opening, wherein each guide rib has opposing side edges that taper inward distally to intersect at the distal-most point in a substantially V-shaped configuration and wherein one of the side edges of the first guide rib intersects one of the side edges of the second guide rib so that the notch is V-shaped.

7 more elements

A shaft coupling assembly comprising:

a structural member having an interior surface bounding an opening and an inlet to the opening, the interior surface of the structural member comprising:
a coupling surface that encircles the opening, the coupling surface having a substantially polygonal transverse cross section that comprises a plurality of spaced apart coupling corner surfaces and a coupling side surface extending between each adjacent pair of coupling corner surfaces, an inside corner being formed at the intersection between each coupling corner surface and each coupling side surface;
a frustoconical receiving surface that encircles the opening and is disposed between the coupling surface and the inlet of the opening;
and
a plurality of spaced apart alignment ribs projecting along a face of the frustoconical receiving surface into the opening such that the frustoconical surface extends between adjacent alignment ribs, each of the alignment ribs being longitudinally aligned with one of the coupling side surfaces and no alignment ribs being longitudinally aligned with one of the coupling corner surfaces;
and
an elongated shaft having a central longitudinal axis that extends between a proximal end and an opposing distal end, the shaft comprising a driver that is configured to be received within the opening of the structural member, the driver having an exterior surface along the length thereof, the exterior surface of the driver comprising:
an engaging surface encircling the longitudinal axis of the shaft and having a substantially polygonal transverse cross section, the engaging surface being configured to be received within the portion of the opening bounded by the coupling surface so that when the shaft is rotated the engaging surface engages the coupling surface to facilitate rotation of the structural member;
a guide surface disposed distal of the engaging surface, the guide surface terminating at a rounded nose;
and
a plurality of spaced apart guide ribs radially outwardly projecting from the guide surface.

8 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 12/697,771Filed 1 Feb 2010
Published: US 2011/0188928 A14 Aug 2011
Granted: 13 Aug 2013
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification12 codes

B23P 11/00
Connecting or disconnecting metal parts or objects by metal-working techniques not otherwise
F16B 7/00
Connections of rods or tubes
F16D 2001/102
Quick-acting couplings in which the parts are connected by simply bringing them together axially: the torque is transmitted via polygon shaped…
Y10T 29/49826
Method of mechanical manufacture: assembling or joining