Planet carrier assembly, shaft-hub connection, and method for producing the shaft-hub connection between a carrier flange and a carrier from the planet carrier assembly

Inventors: Manuel Seubert (Eckental, DE); Ralph Schimpf (Nuremberg, DE); Marián Cintula (Myjava, SK); Michal Žácek (Gbely, SK); Martin Capicík (Smolenice, SK)

Assignee: Schaeffler Technologies AG & Co. KG

F16H57/082 F16H57/0025 F16D1/10 F16H2001/2881

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Quick Facts

Patent No.: US 12680606
App. No.: 18/278,028
Granted: Jul 14, 2026
Kind: B2

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Abstract

A planet carrier assembly includes a rotational axis, a carrier and a carrier flange. The carrier has circumferentially spaced first driver elements formed thereon and the carrier flange has circumferentially spaced second driver elements formed thereon. The second driver elements are interconnected with the first driver elements at common contact areas in an interlocking manner. The carrier flange is axially secured to the carrier in an axial direction by plastically deformed material at the common contact areas. In an example embodiment, the plastically deformed material is displaced from the first driver elements or the second driver elements.

Claims (20)

1 . A planet carrier assembly comprising:

a rotational axis;

a carrier comprising circumferentially spaced first driver elements formed thereon; and

a carrier flange comprising circumferentially spaced second driver elements formed thereon, the second driver elements being interconnected with the first driver elements at common contact areas in an interlocking manner, the carrier flange being non-detachably connected to and axially secured to the carrier in both axial directions at the common contact areas with material which is plastically displaced by embossing, creating a depression into at least one of the driver elements.

2 . The planet carrier assembly of claim 1 , wherein:

the first driver elements and the second driver elements rest against one another in a circumferential direction around the rotational axis; and

a convex contour on one of the first driver elements or the second driver elements engages in an interlocking manner in a concave contour on the other of the first driver elements or the second driver elements in a tangential direction to the rotational axis or in the circumferential direction.

3 . The planet carrier assembly of claim 2 , wherein the convex contour is axially interlocked at two axially distancing positions by two projections axially opposite each other on the concave contour.

4 . The planet carrier assembly of claim 3 , wherein:

the two projections are formed by the material; and

the material is displaced from the first driver elements or the second driver elements.

5 . The planet carrier assembly of claim 1 , wherein:

each one of the first driver elements is arranged circumferentially between two of the second driver elements;

each one of the second driver elements is arranged circumferentially between two of the first driver elements; and

successive driver elements of the first driver elements and the second driver elements are in interlocking or force-locking contact with one another.

6 . A planet carrier assembly having at least one carrier flange and a carrier, wherein the carrier flange is arranged to be concentric to a rotational axis of the planet carrier assembly, wherein first driver elements of the carrier formed on the carrier and second driver elements of the carrier flange formed on the carrier flange in opposite circumferential directions around the rotational axis are interconnected in an interlocking manner, wherein the carrier flange and the carrier are axially secured to one another in the same direction as the rotational axis, wherein the carrier flange and the carrier engage in one another in an interlocking manner in the circumferential directions around the rotational axis at common contact areas in the circumferential directions, and are non-detachably interconnected, and wherein the common contact areas axially secure the carrier flange and the carrier with material which is plastically displaced by embossing, creating a depression into at least one of the driver elements.

7 . The planet carrier assembly according to claim 6 , wherein the first driver elements and the second driver elements rest against one another in the circumferential directions, and wherein a convex contour on one of the driver elements engages in an interlocking manner in a concave contour on the other driver element in the tangential direction to the rotational axis or in the circumferential direction around the rotational axis.

8 . The planet carrier assembly according to claim 6 , wherein a convex contour is axially interlocked at two axially distancing positions by two projections axially opposite each other on a concave contour, and wherein the convex contour is formed on the carrier or on the carrier flange.

9 . The planet carrier assembly according to claim 8 , wherein the projections are formed by material of the driver element plastically displaced from at least one of the driver elements.

10 . The planet carrier assembly according to claim 6 , wherein, in the circumferential direction around the rotational axis, one of the first driver elements is successively arranged between two second driver elements and each second driver element between two first driver elements, and wherein the driver elements are in interlocking or force-locking contact with one another.