Resilient-membrane coupling element for use in a torque transmission path, and method of manufacture

Claim 1

A resilient coupling element for use in a torque transmission path and adapted for allowing at least one of axial, radial and angular displacement of adjacent sections of said torque transmission path, said resilient coupling element having an axis and comprising two membrane components (1,2), each of said membrane components (1,2) having a radially outer circumference (D), a radially inner circumference (d) and an annular membrane wall portion (1a,2a) extending radially between said radially outer circumference (D) and said radially inner circumference (d) substantially along a respective plane perpendicular to said axis and having a respective radial length, said membrane components (1,2) being connected with each other at their respective radially outer circumferences (d) by spacer rim means (7,8) extending in axial direction between said two membrane components (1,2) and defining a gap between respective axially opposite faces (1c,2c) of said membrane wall portions (1a,2a) of said two membrane components (1,2), said gap having an axial gap width in an unloaded condition of said coupling element, at least one (2) of said membrane components (1,2) having at its radially inner circumference (d) a connector hub portion, said connector hub portion being welded by an annular radially inner weld (52) to an annular shaft section (4a) of said torque transmission path, said connector hub portion having a radially inward directed, radially inner circumferential face having a diameter corresponding to the diameter of said radially inner circumference (d) of the respective membrane component (2), said shaft section (4a) having a radially inward directed, radially inner circumferential face, said radially inward directed, radially inner circumferential face of said connector hub portion and said radially inward directed, radially inner circumferential face of said shaft section (4a) being in substantial axial alignment with each other, said membrane wall portions (1a,2a) of said membrane components (1,2) having respective wall thicknesses such that said axial gap width is increasable in response to axially opposite pulling forces acting onto said membrane components (1,2) along said respective radially inner circumferences (d) thereof, the increase of axial gap width under action of said axially opposite pulling forces being dependent on the radial location of gap width measuring points along a radial line extending between said radially inner circumferences (d) and said spacer rim means (7,8), the increase of axial gap width being larger at said radially inner circumferences (d) and smaller at said spacer rim means (7,8), said spacer rim means (7,8) having a predetermined rim stiffness against elastic reduction of a radially outer diameter (D) thereof corresponding to said radially outer circumferences (D) of said two membrane components (1,2), said connector hub portion providing a predetermined stiffness against elastic increase of a diameter (d) thereof corresponding to said radially inner circumference (d) of said at least one membrane component (2), said radial length of said membrane wall portion of said at least one membrane component (2) as measured along a radial line in the respective plane perpendicular to said axis being reducible in response to said increase of axial gap width resulting from said axially opposite directed pulling forces, said predetermined rim stiffness of said spacer rim means (7,8) against elastic reduction of its radially outer diameter (D) and said predetermined stiffness against the increase of the inner diameter (d) of said connector hub portion being such that, in response to said increase of axial gap width, both an appreciable diameter reduction (2ΔR) occurs at said spacer rim means (7,8) and an appreciable diameter increase (2ΔR) occurs at said hub portion.

Claim 13

A method for manufacturing a resilient coupling element, said resilient coupling element having an axis and comprising two membrane components (1,2), each of said membrane components (1,2) having a radially outer circumference (D), a radially inner circumference (d) and an annular membrane wall portion (1a,2a) extending radially between said radially outer circumference (D) and said radially inner circumference (d) substantially along a respective plane perpendicular to said axis and having a respective radial length, said membrane components (1,2) being connected with each other at their respective radially outer circumferences (D) by spacer rim means (7,8) extending in axial direction between said two membrane components (1,2) and defining a gap between respective axially opposite faces (1c,2c) of said membrane wall portions (1a,2a) of said two membrane components (1,2), said gap having an axial gap width in an unloaded condition of said coupling element, at least one (2) of said membrane components (1,2) having at its radially inner circumference (d) a connector hub portion, said connector hub portion being welded by an annular radially inner weld (52) to an annular shaft section (4a) of said torque transmission path, said connector hub portion having a radially inward directed, radially inner circumferential face having a diameter corresponding to the diameter of said radially inner circumference (d) of the respective membrane component (2), said shaft section (4a) having a radially inward directed, radially inner circumferential face, said membrane wall portions (1a,2a) of said membrane components (1,2) having respective wall thicknesses such that said axial gap width is increasable in response to axially opposite pulling forces acting onto said membrane components (1,2) along said respective radially inner circumferences (d) thereof, the increase of axial gap width under action of said axially opposite pulling forces being dependent on the radial location of gap width measuring points along a radial line extending between said radially inner circumferences (d) and said spacer rim means (7,8), the increase of axial gap width being larger at said radially inner circumferences (d) and smaller at said spacer rim means (7,8), said method comprising: (a) providing said two membrane components (2,1) and said annular shaft section (4a); (b) interconnecting said two membrane components (1,2) at said radially outer circumferences (D) and interconnecting said connector hub portion of said at least one membrane component (2) with said annular shaft section (4a); wherein said interconnecting of said connector hub portion with said annular shaft section (4a) comprises: (i) axially approaching a substantially axially directed contact face (4c) of said shaft section (4a) against an oppositely directed contact face (2d) of said connector hub portion; (ii) centering said shaft section (4a) with respect to said connector hub portion by inserting a radially inner, axially directed annular projection (4g) of said shaft section (4a) inside the radially inward directed, radially inner circumferential face (2e) of the respective membrane component (2) while applying a radially outward directed centering face (4f) of said radially inner, axially directed annular projection (4g) against said radially inward directed, radially inner circumferential face (2e) of said connector hub portion; (iii) continuing said approaching until said axially directed contact face (4c) of said shaft section (4a) abuts said oppositely directed contact face (2d) of said connector hub portion; (iv) providing a welding seam between said abutting contact faces (4c and 2d ) by one of an electron beam or laser beam welding method; (v) removing material from a radially inner circumferential material zone of said shaft section (4a) with a radial thickness of removal corresponding at least to a radial wall thickness of said annular projection (4g); (vi) aligning said radially inward directed, radially inner circumferential face (2e) of said connector hub portion with a radially inward directed, radially inner circumferential face of said shaft section (4a) obtained by said removing of material.

Claim 14

A method for manufacturing a resilient coupling element, said resilient coupling element having an axis and comprising two membrane components (1,2), each of said membrane components (1,2) having a radially outer circumference (D), a radially inner circumference (d) and an annular membrane wall portion (1a,2a) extending radially between said radially outer circumference (D) and said radially inner circumference (d) substantially along a respective plane perpendicular to said axis and having a respective radial length, said membrane components (1,2) being connected with each other at their respective radially outer circumferences (D) by spacer rim means (7,8) extending in axial direction between said two membrane components (1,2) and defining a gap between respective axially opposite faces (1c,2c) of said membrane wall portions (1a,2a) of said two membrane components (1,2), said gap having an axial gap width in an unloaded condition of said coupling element, at least one (2) of said membrane components (1,2) having at its radially inner circumference (d) a connector hub portion, said connector hub portion being welded by an annular radially inner weld (52) to an annular shaft section (4a) of said torque transmission path, said connector hub portion having a radially inward directed, radially inner circumferential face having a diameter corresponding to the diameter of said radially inner circumference (d) of the respective membrane component (2), said shaft section (4a) having a radially inward directed, radially inner circumferential face, said membrane wall portions (1a,2a) of said membrane components (1,2) having respective wall thicknesses such that said axial gap width is increasable in response to axially opposite pulling forces acting onto said membrane components (1,2) along said respective radially inner circumferences (d) thereof, the increase of axial gap width under action of said axially opposite pulling forces being dependent on the radial location of gap width measuring points along a radial line extending between said radially inner circumferences (d) and said spacer rim means (7,8), the increase of axial gap width being larger at said radially inner circumferences (d) and smaller at said spacer rim means (7,8), said method comprising: (a) providing said two membrane components (2,1) and said annular shaft section (4a); (b) interconnecting said two membrane components (1,2) at said radially outer circumferences (D) and interconnecting said connector hub portion of said at least one membrane component (2) with said annular shaft section (4a); wherein said interconnecting of said connector hub portion with said annular shaft section (4a) comprises: (i) axially approaching a substantially axially directed contact face (4c) of said shaft section (4a) against an oppositely directed contact face (2d) of said connector hub portion; (ii) centering said shaft section (4a) with respect to said connector hub portion by inserting a radially inner, axially directed annular projection (4g) of said shaft section (4a) inside the radially inward directed, radially inner circumferential face (2e) of the respective membrane component (2) while applying a radially outward directed centering face (4f) of said radially inner, axially directed annular projection (4g) against said radially inward directed, radially inner circumferential face (2e) of said connector hub portion; (iii) continuing said approaching until said axially directed contact face (4c) of said shaft section (4a) abuts said oppositely directed contact face (2d) of said connector hub portion; (iv) providing a welding seam between said abutting contact faces (4c and 2d ) by one of an electron beam or laser beam welding method; (v) removing material from a radially inner circumferential material zone of said shaft section (4a) with a radial thickness of removal corresponding at least to a radial wall thickness of said annular projection (4g); (vi) aligning said radially inward directed, radially inner circumferential face (2e) of said connector hub portion with a radially inward directed, radially inner circumferential face of said shaft section (4a) obtained by said removing of material.