US 12,146,525 B2
Drive shaft with lubricated accident-prevention end protections
Edi Bondioli
Appl. No. 17/429,881
Filed by Lea Lusetti, Suzzara (IT); Carlo Bondioli, Suzzara (IT); and Claudio Bondioli, Borgo a Virgilio (IT)
PCT Filed Nov. 3, 2020, PCT No. PCT/EP2020/080766
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Aug. 10, 2021,
PCT Pub. No. WO2021/089515, PCT Pub. Date May 14, 2021.
Claims priority of application No. 102019000020574 (IT), filed on Nov. 7, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2022/0268319 A1, Aug. 25, 2022
Int. Cl. F16C 3/03 (2006.01); F16C 3/035 (2006.01); F16D 3/40 (2006.01); F16D 3/41 (2006.01); F16D 3/84 (2006.01); A01B 71/06 (2006.01)
CPC F16C 3/03 (2013.01) [F16C 3/035 (2013.01); F16D 3/40 (2013.01); F16D 3/41 (2013.01); F16D 3/841 (2013.01); F16D 3/848 (2013.01); A01B 71/06 (2013.01); F16C 2310/00 (2013.01); F16C 2326/06 (2013.01); F16D 2300/06 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A drive shaft comprising:
an outer hollow shaft, comprising a first end and a second end;
an inner shaft inserted slidable into the outer shaft and comprising a first end and a second end; wherein the outer shaft and the inner shaft are torsionally coupled and form a telescopic shaft;
a first universal joint with a first inner fork connected, by means of a respective sleeve, to the first end of the inner shaft;
a second universal joint with a second inner fork connected, by means of a respective sleeve, to the first end of the outer tubular shaft;
an accident-preventing protection comprising: a telescopic tubular protection surrounding the outer shaft and the inner shaft and comprising a first protection tube and a second protection tube, one of which is inserted slidable into the other, and sliding with respect to each other; and an end protection for each of said first universal joint and second universal joint; wherein each end protection is constrained to the telescopic tubular protection; wherein each end protection comprises a rigid annular structure, through which the end protection is constrained to the inner fork of the respective universal joint; wherein the rigid annular structure comprises an annular sliding block slidably engaged in an annular groove of the sleeve of the inner fork of the respective universal joint;
wherein the sleeve of the inner fork comprises an annular bearing track for the end protection, the end protection slidingly resting on the annular bearing track and on the annular groove, the annular bearing track and the annular groove being offset with respect to each other in the direction of the axis of the drive shaft.