Spline shaft connection

Claim 1

A spline shaft connection between a shaft and a hub with a large number of axially extending tooth and counter tooth means form-lockingly engaging into one another, a tooth flank clearance being provided between the flanks of the mutually contacting tooth and counter tooth means that becomes larger along the direction of the axial dimension and is dimensioned of the order of magnitude of the elastic deformation under load of tooth or counter tooth means, characterized in that a centering length is provided wherein the tooth means and counter tooth means engages into one another at least approximately uniformly and substantially without clearance over a substantial portion of the axial extent of the spline shaft connection and are constructed in a cutting length constituting the remaining part of the axial extent with a tooth flank clearance that becomes larger in the direction toward the end of the spline shaft connection which is opposite to the flow of forces, whereby the enlargement of the tooth flank clearance follows such a relationship that the tooth flank clearance value is a function of the axial coordinate whose first derivative along the axial coordinate is substantially equal to zero at the juncture of the centering and cutting lengths.