US 12,345,299 B2
Shaft coupling and shaft for the shaft coupling
Jan Haupt, Kürten (DE); Moritz Abbenhaus, Troisdorf (DE); Thomas Weckerling, St. Augustin (DE); and Maximilian Werkhausen, Overath (DE)
Assigned to GKN Automotive Limited, Birmingham (GB)
Appl. No. 18/682,970
Filed by GKN Automotive Ltd., Birmingham (GB)
PCT Filed Oct. 1, 2021, PCT No. PCT/EP2021/077153
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Feb. 12, 2024,
PCT Pub. No. WO2023/051938, PCT Pub. Date Apr. 6, 2023.
Prior Publication US 2025/0137495 A1, May 1, 2025
Int. Cl. F16D 11/10 (2006.01); F16C 3/02 (2006.01); F16D 15/00 (2006.01)
CPC F16D 15/00 (2013.01) [F16C 3/02 (2013.01)] 11 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A shaft coupling for the switchable connection of a first shaft to a second shaft arranged coaxially thereto, comprising:
the first shaft, including a circumferential surface having thereon a plurality of first ball tracks extending along an axis of rotation over at least a first section and a second section, the first ball tracks being spaced apart from one another along a circumferential direction in the first section by first webs and in the second section by second webs, as well as a plurality of first balls arranged in the first section and a plurality of second balls arranged in the second section;
wherein the first ball tracks are connected to each other in the first section along the circumferential direction via first apertures arranged in alignment with each other along the circumferential direction, and are connected to each other in the second section via second apertures arranged in alignment with each other along the circumferential direction;
wherein the shaft coupling is switchable at least between two positions and the balls are displaceable between the positions within the respective section along the ball tracks;
wherein the balls, in a coupled position, are arranged in the circumferential direction in alignment with the webs and, in a decoupled position, in alignment with the apertures;
wherein in the first section a first end face of the first webs pointing towards the first apertures is smaller than in the second section a second end face pointing towards the second apertures.