US 12,460,713 B2
Variable stiffness device to absorb backlash in splined components
Balazs Palfai, Newark, CA (US); Michael Abosch, San Francisco, CA (US); Jiajun Wu, San Jose, CA (US); and Ahmad Abdullah Alawaji, Fremont, CA (US)
Assigned to Atieva, Inc., Newark, CA (US)
Appl. No. 18/700,370
Filed by Atieva, Inc., Newark, CA (US)
PCT Filed Oct. 17, 2022, PCT No. PCT/US2022/078186
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Apr. 11, 2024,
PCT Pub. No. WO2023/069883, PCT Pub. Date Apr. 27, 2023.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/262,663, filed on Oct. 18, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2025/0224028 A1, Jul. 10, 2025
Int. Cl. F16H 1/10 (2006.01); F16D 1/10 (2006.01); F16H 57/023 (2012.01); F16H 57/028 (2012.01); F16H 57/02 (2012.01)
CPC F16H 57/028 (2013.01) [F16D 1/101 (2013.01); F16H 57/023 (2013.01); F16D 2001/103 (2013.01); F16D 2250/0084 (2013.01); F16D 2300/12 (2013.01); F16D 2300/22 (2013.01); F16H 2057/02034 (2013.01); F16H 2057/02052 (2013.01)] 18 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A splined coupling system, comprising:
a first mechanical component including a first mating portion, the first mating portion including a first splined portion and a first plurality of recesses;
a second mechanical component including a second mating portion, the second mating portion including a second splined portion and a second plurality of recesses, wherein
the second splined portion of the second mating portion is configured to engage the first splined portion of the first mating portion to couple the first mechanical component and the second mechanical component; and
in a coupled state of the first mechanical component and the second mechanical component, the second plurality of recesses is aligned with the first plurality of recesses to define a plurality of openings; and
a plurality of biased coupling members configured to be removably received in the plurality of openings, wherein a number of the plurality of biased coupling members is less than a number of the plurality of openings.