Patent ID: 9605715
Date: 2017-03-28
CPC Classifications: B21J,B21K,B23K,B23P,C21D,F16D,Y02P,Y10S,Y10T

Claim:
1. A method of manufacturing a plurality of outer joint members for a plurality of constant velocity universal joints which vary in joint size and joint type, each of the outer joint members comprising a cup member and a shaft member, the cup member having track grooves formed at an inner periphery thereof to be engageable with torque transmitting elements, and the shaft member being welded to a bottom portion of the cup member, the method comprising, for each of the outer joint members: forming the cup member of medium carbon steel through steps including a forging step comprising forging the cup member to have a cylindrical portion with the track grooves and the bottom portion integrally, and a machining step comprising forming a joining end surface on an outer surface of the bottom portion; forming the shaft member of medium carbon steel through steps including a machining step comprising forming a joining end surface on an end portion of the shaft member to be joined to the bottom portion of the cup member, and a machining step comprising forming a bearing mounting surface on an outer periphery of the shaft member, wherein the shaft member is one of a plurality of shaft members prepared with respect to the cup member, each of the shaft members having a particular specification depending on a type of a vehicle in which the shaft member is to be assembled; abutting the joining end surface of the cup member and the joining end surface of the one of the plurality of shaft members against each other; and welding the cup member and the one of the plurality of shaft members to each other by radiating a beam from an outer side of the cup member to an abutment portion between the joining end surface of the cup member and the joining end surface of the one of the plurality of shaft members in a radial direction of the cup member, wherein an outer diameter of the joining end surface of the cup member of each of the outer joint members and an outer diameter of the joining end surface of each of the shaft members of each of the outer joint members are set so that the outer diameters of the joining end surfaces of the cup members are equal to each other among the outer joint members for the constant velocity universal joints having the same joint size, and the outer diameters of the joining end surfaces of the shaft members are equal to each other among the outer joint members for the constant velocity universal joints having the same joint size, irrespective of the joint type and the particular specification of the shaft member.