Patent ID: 12234866

The drawings show diagrammatic exemplifying embodiments of the present invention and are thus not necessarily drawn to scale. It shall be understood that the embodiments shown and described are exemplifying and that the invention is not limited to these embodiments. It shall also be noted that some details in the drawings may be exaggerated in order to better describe and illustrate the invention. Like reference characters refer to like elements throughout the description, unless expressed otherwise.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXAMPLE EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

InFIG.1, a vehicle in the form of a truck100is shown. The truck100comprises a wheel drive shaft arrangement1as e.g. shown inFIG.2forming part of a wheel driving arrangement60as e.g. shown inFIG.3. The wheel drive shaft arrangement1and the wheel driving arrangement60are here provided at a front wheel end of the truck100. It shall however be understood that the wheel drive shaft arrangement1and/or the wheel driving arrangement60may be provided also in other positions, such as in one or more rearward positions. The wheel drive shaft arrangement1may be drivingly connected to one or more electric motors (not shown) and/or to an internal combustion engine. Even though a truck100is shown it shall be understood that the present invention can also be used in other types of vehicles, such as buses, construction equipment vehicles etc.

FIG.2shows a sectional view of a wheel drive shaft arrangement1for a vehicle. The wheel drive shaft arrangement1comprises a wheel drive shaft10which has a first axial end11and a second axial end12. The section is a sectional plane defined by a rotational axis A of the wheel drive shaft1. The wheel drive shaft arrangement1further comprises a constant-velocity joint2provided at the first end11, wherein the constant-velocity joint comprises a first articulated joint member21and a second articulated joint member22which are drivingly and pivotally connected. The first articulated joint member21is drivingly connected to the first end11and the second articulated joint member22is drivingly connectable to a driving member3(seeFIG.3) of the vehicle100.

The wheel drive shaft arrangement1further comprises a double centered universal joint4provided at the second end12. The double centered universal joint4comprises a third articulated joint member41which is drivingly connected to the second end12, a fourth articulated joint member42which is drivingly connectable to a wheel hub5(seeFIG.3) of the vehicle100and an intermediate articulated joint member43which is drivingly and pivotally connecting the third and fourth articulated joint members,41and42. The fourth articulated joint member42is in the shown embodiment drivingly connectable to the wheel hub5via a shaft member10′.

Further, as shown inFIG.2, the first and second articulated joint members,21and22, may be arranged to rotate about respective rotational center lines, A and B, respectively, which rotational center lines intersect each other in an intersection point AB, wherein the constant-velocity joint2is adapted so that the intersection point AB is axially displaceable. Hence, the first and second articulated joint members,21and22, are arranged so that they can be relatively axially displaced. Thereby the constant-velocity joint2can accommodate axial displacements of the wheel drive shaft10caused by e.g. an angle adjustment of the double centered universal joint4. The constant-velocity joint2as shown inFIG.2is in the form of a plunging joint which is configured to be able to accommodate axial displacements. More particularly, the shown constant-velocity joint2inFIG.2is a tripod plunging joint, which may comprise spherical rollers (not shown), i.e. members each having a contact surface formed as a portion of a sphere, which may be attached to needle roller bearings.

The double centered universal joint4comprises needle roller bearings (not shown) for pivoting the third, fourth and intermediate joint members,41-43, with respect to each other. Moreover, the double centered universal joint4comprises a centering member44provided inside the intermediate articulated joint member, which centering member44is connected to the third and fourth articulated joint members,41and42, and adapted so that rotational center lines of the respective third and fourth articulated joint members are centered in a substantially fixed intersection point during use.

The centering member as shown inFIG.2comprises a male portion441connected to the third articulated joint member41and a female portion442connected to the fourth articulated joint member42, wherein the male portion441is adapted to move inside the female portion442during use so that the rotational center lines of the respective third and fourth articulated joint members are centered in the substantially fixed intersection point. The female portion is sphere-shaped, allowing it to pivot about the joint's intersection point.

Further, the wheel drive shaft10as shown inFIG.2has a constant nonadjustable axial length. Hence, a more cost-effective configuration is provided, in comparison to e.g. a design having an adjustable telescope-shaft.

The double centered universal joint4is adapted so that an angle adjustment between the third and fourth articulated joint members,41and42, which are caused by suspension movements and/or steering angle adjustments during use transfers an axial displacement to the wheel drive shaft10and to the first end11of the wheel drive shaft10.

Now, with respect toFIG.3, a sectional view of a wheel driving arrangement60for a vehicle100is shown. The section is a sectional plane defined by the rotational axis A of the wheel drive shaft1. The wheel driving arrangement60comprises the wheel drive shaft arrangement1as shown inFIG.2. It further comprises a driving member3, which in this embodiment is a differential gear, which is drivingly connected to the second articulated joint member22, and a wheel hub5which is drivingly connected to the fourth articulated joint member42via the shaft member10′. The wheel driving arrangement60as shown inFIG.3is adapted to provide steering for the vehicle and is a front steering wheel driving arrangement. As already mentioned, the wheel driving arrangement60may also be used in other positions of a vehicle. By the provision of the present invention, the wheel drive shaft10is only supported by the constant-velocity joint2and the double centered universal joint4, i.e. there are no bearings or the like for radially supporting the wheel drive shaft10. A radial direction with respect to the wheel drive shaft10as used herein means a direction which is perpendicular to the axial direction of the wheel drive shaft10. The wheel driving arrangement60as shown inFIG.3is further connected to a suspension member70.

The wheel drive shaft arrangement and/or the wheel driving arrangement60may further comprise means (not shown) for measuring at least one of torque and rotational speed of the wheel drive shaft10during use. For example, the means may comprise a sensor provided on a stationary member and an encoder which is rotatable with the wheel drive shaft10, wherein the sensor is adapted to detect rotational movement which is indicative of rotational speed and/or acceleration of the wheel drive shaft10.

It is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above and illustrated in the drawings; rather, the skilled person will recognize that many changes and modifications may be made within the scope of the appended claims.