TWI774530B - Universal joint and method for assembling the same - Google Patents

Abstract

A universal joint and a method for assembling the same are provided, including: a seat, a connecting member and an assembling mechanism. The seat includes a receiving groove extending in an axial direction and at least one through hole communicated with the receiving groove. The connecting member includes a ball head swingably and rotatably received within the receiving groove. The assembling mechanism includes at least one engaging member and a sleeve body sleeved to the seat. The at least one engaging member is received within the at least one through hole and interfered with the ball head in the axial direction, and the sleeve body covers the at least one through hole. The seat has a first hardness, and the sleeve body has a second hardness being smaller than the first hardness. An outer circumferential wall of the seat is partially embedded within an inner circumferential wall of the sleeve body.

Description

Universal joint and its assembly method

The present invention relates to joints, in particular to a universal joint and its assembling method.

In the locking operation, if the position to be locked is located in a narrow place, a steerable universal joint is often used to facilitate the operation. The conventional universal joint includes a female seat with a cavity and a connector with a ball head. The ball head is inserted into the cavity and locked with each other by a latching structure such as a pin, a plurality of steel balls or a fastener. connected, and the clamping structure is prevented from falling off by structures such as a taper shrinkage hole or a clamping concave arranged on the female base.

However, the above-mentioned structural arrangement makes the conventional universal joint have problems such as complicated processing method, high cost and poor assembly stability, etc., and it is easy to be collided during operation and cannot move smoothly. In addition, if an identification structure or a reinforcing structure is to be arranged on the female seat or the connector, it is also unfavorable for processing due to the high hardness of the material.

Therefore, it is necessary to provide a novel and progressive universal joint and its assembling method to solve the above problems.

The main purpose of the present invention is to provide a universal joint and an assembly method thereof, which has a simple structure and good assembly stability.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a universal joint, comprising: a base, a connecting piece and a connecting mechanism. The seat body includes an accommodating groove extending along an axial direction and at least one through hole communicating with the accommodating groove. The connecting piece includes a ball head rotatably accommodated in the accommodating groove. The assembling mechanism includes at least one latching member and a sleeve body set on the base. The at least one latching member is accommodated in the at least through hole and interferes with the ball head in the axial direction. The body shields the at least through hole. The seat body has a first hardness, the sleeve body has a second hardness smaller than the first hardness, and a portion of the outer peripheral wall of the seat body is radially embedded in the inner peripheral wall of the sleeve body.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a method for assembling a universal joint, which includes the following steps: providing a base and a connector, wherein the base includes an accommodating groove and at least one through hole communicating with the accommodating groove, The connecting piece includes a ball head; the outer peripheral surface of the base body is rolled to form a plurality of convex parts; the ball head is inserted into the accommodating groove; interfering with each other; and a sleeve is sleeved on the outer periphery of the base body and shields the at least through hole, so that the plurality of convex parts are radially embedded in the inner peripheral wall of the sleeve body.

The following examples only illustrate possible implementations of the present invention, but are not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present invention, and are described together first.

Please refer to FIGS. 1 to 5 , which show a preferred embodiment of the present invention. The universal joint 1 of the present invention includes a base 10 , a connecting member 20 and a connecting mechanism 30 .

The base body 10 includes an accommodating groove 11 extending along an axial direction A and at least one through hole 12 communicating with the accommodating groove 11 ; The ball head 21; the assembly mechanism 30 includes at least one latch 31 and a sleeve 32 set on the base 10, the at least one latch 31 is accommodated in the at least through hole 12 and in the axial direction The upper part A interferes with the ball head 21, the sleeve body 32 covers the at least through hole 12; the seat body 10 has a first hardness, the sleeve body 32 has a second hardness smaller than the first hardness, the seat The outer peripheral wall of the body 10 is radially embedded in the inner peripheral wall of the sleeve body 32 , whereby the inner peripheral wall of the sleeve body 32 can be squeezed and deformed correspondingly to the outer peripheral wall of the base body 10 . The structure is simple and the assembly stability is good.

The base 10 and the connecting member 20 are respectively used for connecting a driving tool (such as but not limited to a wrench, a screwdriver, etc.) and a fastener (such as but not limited to a sleeve, a screw, etc.). In this embodiment, one end of the base body 10 is provided with the accommodating groove 11 , and the other end is provided with a connecting portion 13 , and the connecting portion 13 can be assembled with the head of a driving tool; the connecting member 20 It is a sleeve, one end of the sleeve is provided with the ball head 21, and the other end is provided with a polygonal socket hole 22 for being sleeved on the polygonal head of a workpiece; the length of the sleeve can be selected according to the requirements. To meet different usage requirements, as shown in the second preferred embodiment shown in FIG. 6 , the connector 20a is a sleeve with a shorter length. The seat body 10 is provided with two radially opposite through holes 12 , the ball head 21 is provided with a through groove 211 that expands toward two radial sides, and the at least one latching member 31 is a plug, and the plug penetrates the The two through holes 12 and the through slot 211 have a simple structure and are easy to assemble. In other embodiments, one end of the connecting member 20b can also be provided with a polygonal head, as shown in FIG. 7 ; the base 10a can also be a sleeve, and the connecting member 20c can also be a connecting rod, as shown in FIG. 8 . As shown, the operating distance can be extended; the at least one latching member can also include a plurality of latching protrusions or other structures that can be latched on the outer periphery of the ball head.

The difference between an outer diameter of the seat body 10 and an inner diameter of the sleeve body 32 is 0.01 mm to 1.00 mm (preferably 0.05 mm to 0.15 mm), whereby the seat body 10 and the sleeve The bodies 32 can be effectively radially embedded with each other without slipping off easily. Preferably, the outer peripheral wall of the base body 10 is provided with a plurality of circumferentially spaced convex portions 14 , and a concave portion 15 is defined between adjacent two of the plurality of convex portions 14 , and between each of the concave portions 15 and the sleeve body 32 . With a gap G, proper deformation space can be reserved to facilitate assembly. The depth of the protrusions 14 radially embedded in the sleeve body 32 is not greater than 1/2 of the thickness of the sleeve body 32 , so that the outer peripheral surface of the sleeve body 32 is prevented from being squeezed and deformed, and the appearance is good. In this embodiment, each of the protruding parts 14 is a ridge extending along the axial direction A, and the contact area with the inner peripheral surface of the base body 10 is small, which can provide a large compressive force during assembly, and the sleeve The chips generated by the extrusion of the body 32 can also be directly removed; the radial width of each of the gaps G is preferably less than 2/3 of the maximum radial depth of each of the concave portions 15 relative to one of the convex portions 14, so that the The sleeve body 32 cannot be rotated relative to the base body 10 and has good stability. Preferably, a stopper 16 is radially protruded from one side of the plurality of protrusions 14 on the base body 10 , and an end surface of the sleeve body 32 is axially abutted against the stopper 16 , which can be assembled during assembly. Provides a limit effect. In other embodiments, the base body and the sleeve body can also be completely pressed against each other without a gap; each of the convex parts can also be a convex rib with a flat cut surface, an arc surface or a tapered convex surface. It should be noted that the plurality of convex portions 14 are relatively higher than the concave portions 15 and can be embedded in the sleeve body 32. Based on the surface of the base body 10 before the plurality of convex portions 14 are formed, each convex portion The radial height of the portion 14 may be higher, lower or equal to the surface height.

At least one embossed portion 321 is provided on the outer peripheral portion of the sleeve body 32, which has an anti-slip effect and good aesthetics. The density of the base body 10 is greater than that of the sleeve body 32 , so that the base body 10 has good structural strength and is not easily worn by force. In this embodiment, the base body 10 is made of steel, which has good structural strength; the sleeve body 32 is made of aluminum alloy, which is light in weight, good in corrosion resistance and easy to process. Preferably, the inner peripheral wall of the sleeve body 32 is provided with a guide portion 322 adjacent to a port of the sleeve body 32 . Guiding, alignment. When assembling, the guide part 322 can be pressed against one end of the base body 10 first, and then force is applied from the side of the sleeve body 32 that is different from the guide part 322 to sleeve the sleeve body 32 on the base 10 . The outer periphery of the base body 10 has a simple structure, is easy to manufacture and assemble, and has a low processing cost. Of course, the base body and the sleeve body can also be made of other materials.

Further, the universal joint 1 further includes an elastic member 40 and an abutting member 50 disposed in the accommodating groove 11 , and the elastic member 40 axially abuts against the abutting member 50 and the accommodating groove 11 . Between an inner wall, the abutting member 50 includes a concave surface 51 abutting against the ball head 21 . Thereby, the elastic member 40 can make the connecting member 20 move toward the outside of the accommodating groove 11 , and the abutting member 50 enables the elastic member 40 to push the ball head 21 stably. In this embodiment, the ball head 21 is a round ball head, and the concave surface 51 extends in an arc shape, so that the ball head 21 can swing smoothly and stably; an outer diameter of the abutting member 50 is smaller than the accommodating An inner diameter of the groove 11 is not less than 1/2 of the inner diameter of the accommodating groove 11, so that when the ball head 21 swings, the abutting member 50 can be swayed relative to the axial direction A accordingly. To keep the operation smooth; the abutting member 50 is made of steel, which is not easily deformed and has good wear resistance. In detail, the elastic member 40 is a conical spring, a small diameter end 41 of the conical spring abuts against the abutting member 50 , and a large diameter end 42 of the conical spring abuts against the accommodating groove 11 The abutting member 50 further includes a ring wall 52 extending radially outward from the outer circumference of the concave surface 51, the elastic member 40 is at least partially abutted against the ring wall 52, and is not easily disengaged from each other during actuation, abutting against each other. Good connection stability.

The present invention further provides the aforementioned method for assembling the universal joint 1, which includes the following steps: providing the base body 10 and the connecting piece 20; This can make the surface densified, with good strength and no chips during processing; insert the ball head 21 into the accommodating groove 11 ; pass the at least one latching piece 31 through the at least through hole 12 and connect with the ball head 21 Interfering with each other; and sleeve the sleeve body 32 on the outer periphery of the base body 10 and cover the at least through hole 12, so that the plurality of protrusions 14 are partially radially embedded in the inner peripheral wall of the sleeve body 32, the processing steps are simple and easy to operate .

In the assembling method, the elastic member 40 and the abutting member 50 can be additionally placed in the accommodating groove 11 , and the abutting member 50 can be located between the elastic member 40 and the ball head 21 . In this embodiment, an outer diameter of the assembly portion 13 is smaller than the outer diameter of the portion of the base body 10 where the plurality of convex portions 14 are provided, so that the sleeve body 32 can pass through the latching member 31 . After the above steps, one end of the base body 10 provided with the assembling portion 13 is then sleeved and embedded with the plurality of protruding portions 14 . Referring to FIGS. 8 and 9 , in other embodiments, when one end of the base body 10a away from the accommodating groove 11a or an end of the connecting piece 20a away from the ball head 21a has an outer diameter larger than that inside the sleeve body 32a When the diameter of the sleeve body 32a is different, the sleeve body 32a can also be sleeved on the connecting piece 20a (as shown in FIG. 9 ) before the ball head 21a is inserted into the accommodating groove 11a, and the latching piece 31a can be inserted through the through hole 12a After connecting with the ball head 21a, it is embedded with the convex portion 14a and shields the through hole 12a for easy assembly.

1: Universal joint 10, 10a: Body 11, 11a: accommodating slot 12, 12a: Through hole 13,: Assembly part 14, 14a: convex part 15: Recess 16: Stopper 20, 20a, 20b, 20c: Connectors 21, 21a: Ball head 211: Grooving 22: Set of holes 30: Assembly mechanism 31, 31a: Detent 32, 32a: Body 321: Embossed part 322: Conductor 40: elastic parts 41: Small diameter end 42: Large diameter end 50: Abutment 51: Concave 52: Ring Wall A: Axial G: Gap

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a first preferred embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the first preferred embodiment of the present invention. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the first preferred embodiment of the present invention. 4 is another cross-sectional view of the first preferred embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a partial enlarged view of FIG. 4 . 6 is a perspective view of a second preferred embodiment of the present invention. 7 is a perspective view of a third preferred embodiment of the present invention. 8 is a perspective view of a fourth preferred embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 9 is an assembly schematic diagram of the fourth preferred embodiment of the present invention.

1: Universal joint

10: seat body

13: Assembly Department

20: Connectors

22: Set of holes

30: Assembly mechanism

Claims (8)

A universal joint, comprising: a base, including an accommodating groove extending along an axial direction and at least one through hole communicating with the accommodating groove; The ball head; and a set of connection mechanism, including at least one catch piece and a sleeve body set on the seat body, the at least one catch piece is accommodated in the at least through hole and is in the axial direction with the ball head Interfering and blocking, the sleeve body shields the at least through hole; wherein, the seat body has a first hardness, the sleeve body has a second hardness smaller than the first hardness, and the outer peripheral wall part of the seat body is radially embedded in the The inner peripheral wall of the sleeve body; wherein the outer peripheral wall of the seat body is provided with a plurality of circumferentially spaced convex parts, a concave part is defined between the adjacent two of the plurality of convex parts, and there is a gap between each of the concave parts and the sleeve body . The universal joint as claimed in claim 1, wherein the radially embedded depth of each of the protruding parts into the sleeve body is not greater than 1/2 of the thickness of the sleeve body. The universal joint of claim 1, wherein a difference between an outer diameter of the seat body and an inner diameter of the sleeve body is between 0.01 mm and 1.00 mm. The universal joint according to claim 1, further comprising an elastic member and an abutting member disposed in the accommodating groove, wherein the elastic member axially springs against one of the abutting member and the accommodating groove Between the walls, the abutting piece includes a concave surface abutting against the ball head. The universal joint of claim 4, wherein an outer diameter of the abutting member is smaller than an inner diameter of the accommodating groove. The universal joint of claim 5, wherein the outer diameter of the abutting member is not less than 1/2 of the inner diameter of the accommodating groove; the concave surface extends in an arc shape; the abutting member further comprises a self- The outer circumference of the concave surface extends radially outward, the elastic member at least partially abuts against the ring wall; the abutting member is made of steel The elastic member is a conical spring, a small diameter end of the conical spring abuts against the abutting member, and a large diameter end of the conical spring abuts against the inner wall of the accommodating groove; the seat The outer peripheral wall of the body is provided with a plurality of circumferentially spaced convex portions, a concave portion is defined between adjacent two of the plurality of convex portions, and each concave portion has a gap between the sleeve body; Axially extending ridges; the radially embedded depth of each convex portion into the sleeve body is not greater than 1/2 of the thickness of the sleeve body; the difference between an outer diameter of the seat body and an inner diameter of the sleeve body between 0.05 mm and 0.15 mm; the sleeve body cannot be rotated relative to the base body; the outer peripheral wall of the sleeve body is provided with at least one embossed portion; the inner peripheral wall of the sleeve body is provided with a guide adjacent to a port of the sleeve body the joint; the seat system is made of steel; and the set of systems is made of aluminum alloy. A method for assembling a universal joint, comprising the following steps: providing a base body and a connecting piece, wherein the base body comprises an accommodating groove and at least one through hole communicating with the accommodating groove, and the connecting piece comprises a ball joint; Rolling the outer peripheral surface of the base body to form a plurality of convex parts; inserting the ball head into the accommodating groove; passing at least one latching piece in the at least through hole and interfering with the ball head; A body is placed on the periphery of the base body and covers the at least through hole, so that the plurality of convex parts are radially embedded in the inner peripheral wall of the body body; wherein, when the base body is away from one end of the accommodating groove and the connecting piece is away from the When the outer diameter of one end of the ball head is larger than the inner diameter of the sleeve body, the sleeve body is sleeved on the connecting piece before the ball head is inserted into the accommodating groove. According to the assembling method of the universal joint of claim 7, an elastic member and an abutting member are further placed in the accommodating groove, and the abutting member is located between the elastic member and the ball head.

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