US 12,434,332 B2
High hardness steel race welded to a carburized steel shaft and a method of welding the same
Huaxin Li, Rochester Hills, MI (US); Yi Liu, Troy, MI (US); Sen Jiang Zhou, Troy, MI (US); and Jack M. Gayney, Grosse Ile, MI (US)
Assigned to GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC, Detroit, MI (US)
Filed by GM Global Technology Operations LLC, Detroit, MI (US)
Filed on Apr. 12, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/299,223.
Prior Publication US 2024/0342836 A1, Oct. 17, 2024
Int. Cl. B23K 31/00 (2006.01); B23K 26/242 (2014.01); B23K 31/02 (2006.01); B23K 101/00 (2006.01)
CPC B23K 31/02 (2013.01) [B23K 26/242 (2015.10); B23K 31/003 (2013.01); B23K 2101/005 (2018.08); B23K 2101/008 (2018.08)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A gear box for a vehicle, comprising:
a housing;
a rolling-element bearing comprising:
an inner-race having an inner-race first annular face, an inner-race second annular face opposite the inner-race first annular face, and an inner-race faying surface connecting the inner-race first annular face to the inner-race second annular face;
an outer-race having an outer-race first annular face, an outer-race second annular face opposite the outer-race first annular face, and an outer-race faying surface connecting the outer-race first annular face to the outer-race second annular face, wherein the outer-race is concentric with the inner-race and the outer-race faying surface is joined to the housing;
a rolling element disposed between the outer-race and the inner-race, wherein the rolling element includes a geometric center; and
a first distance (D1) between the geometric center to the outer-race second annular face and a second distance (D2) between the geometric center to the inner-race second annular face, wherein D2 is greater than D1; and
a shaft comprising a shaft faying surface, a distal end surface extending perpendicularly from the shaft faying surface, and a shaft angled surface extending from the shaft faying surface to the distal end surface to define a shaft annular beveled edge;
wherein the shaft faying surface is in contact with the inner-race faying surface, and the inner-race second annular face is coplanar with the distal end surface;
wherein the shaft annular beveled edge cooperates with the inner-race faying surface to define a half-V shaped groove; and
a laser weld joint formed in the half-V shaped groove to join the shaft to the inner-race;
wherein the inner-race is formed of a high hardness steel;
wherein the shaft is a carburized shaft; and
wherein an outer carburized layer of the shaft is removed to define the shaft annular beveled edge.