Driveshaft assembly and method of manufacturing same
View Patent ↗A driveshaft assembly includes a yoke including a body portion, a pair of opposed yoke arms that extends generally in a first axial direction from the body portion, and a neck portion that extends generally in a second axial direction from the body portion. A driveshaft tube is secured to the neck portion of the yoke, such as by magnetic pulse welding. A ring is secured to the body portion of the yoke, such as by press fitting, and a balance weight is secured to the ring, such as by welding.
1. A driveshaft assembly comprising:
a yoke including a body portion having a radially extending portion and an axially extending portion, a pair of opposed yoke arms that extends generally in a first axial direction from said body portion, and a neck portion that extends generally in a second axial direction from said body portion;
a driveshaft tube that is secured to said neck portion of said yoke;
a ring that is secured to said body portion of said yoke, said ring including a radially extending portion that engages said radially extending portion of said body and an axially extending portion that engages said axially extending portion of said body; and
a balance weight that is secured to said ring.
2. The driveshaft assembly defined in claim 1 wherein said yoke is a tube yoke having aligned openings formed through said pair of yoke arms.
3. The driveshaft assembly defined in claim 1 wherein said body portion of said yoke defines a shoulder, and wherein said ring includes a portion that engages said shoulder.
4. The driveshaft assembly defined in claim 1 wherein said yoke is formed from a first material and said ring is formed from a second material that is different from said first material.
5. The driveshaft assembly defined in claim 4 wherein said yoke is formed from an aluminum alloy material and said ring is formed from a steel alloy material.
6. The driveshaft assembly defined in claim 1 wherein said ring is secured to said body portion of said yoke in a press fit relationship.
7. The driveshaft assembly defined in claim 1 wherein said balance weight is secured to said ring by welding.
8. A method for manufacturing a driveshaft assembly comprising the steps of:
(a) providing a yoke including a body portion having a radially extending portion and an axially extending portion, a pair of opposed yoke arms that extends generally in a first axial direction from the body portion, and a neck portion that extends generally in a second axial direction from the body portion;
(b) securing a driveshaft tube to the neck portion of the yoke;
(c) securing a ring to the body portion of the yoke, the ring including a radially extending portion that engages the radially extending portion of the body and an axially extending portion that engages the axially extending portion of the body; and
(d) securing a balance weight to the ring.
9. The method defined in claim 8 wherein said step (a) includes providing a tube yoke having aligned openings formed through the pair of yoke arms.
10. The method defined in claim 8 wherein said step (a) includes providing the body portion of the yoke with a shoulder, and wherein said step (c) includes engaging a portion of the ring with the shoulder.
11. The method defined in claim 8 wherein said step (a) includes providing the yoke from a first material, and wherein said step (c) includes providing the ring from a second material that is different from the first material.
12. The method defined in claim 8 wherein said step (a) includes providing the yoke from an aluminum alloy material, and wherein said step (c) includes providing the ring from a steel alloy material.
13. The method defined in claim 8 wherein said step (c) includes securing the ring to the body portion of the yoke in a press fit relationship.
14. The method defined in claim 8 wherein said step (d) includes securing the balance weight to the ring by welding.