US 6,981,919 B2
Power train
Kenichi Sugiyama, Kanagawa (Japan); Toshiyuki Masuda, Kanagawa (Japan); and Masao Kishi, Kanagawa (Japan)
Assigned to Hitachi, Ltd., Tokyo-to (Japan)
Filed on Nov. 15, 2002, as Appl. No. 10/294,612.
Claims priority of application No. 2001-350943 (JP), filed on Nov. 16, 2001.
Prior Publication US 2003/0096653 A1, May 22, 2003
Int. Cl. F16D 3/227 (2006.01)
U.S. Cl. 464—146 12 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A power train comprising:
(1) a driving shaft;
(2) an inner structure including balls forming a first joint; and
(3) a follower shaft connecting to the driving shaft by way of the first joint, the follower shaft being adapted to slide relative to the driving shaft in an axial direction, the follower shaft comprising:
(a) a cylindrical holder, the holder holding therein the inner structure of the first joint, and
(b) a tubular shaft section coupled with the holder in the axial direction in such a manner as to cause an inner curl to a second joint coupling the holder and the tubular shaft section, the inner curl defining an inner diameter greater than an outer diameter of the inner structure of the first joint received in the cylindrical holder,
wherein the tubular shaft section is coupled with the holder in the axial direction by a friction welding,
wherein the first joint is a constant velocity joint, and
wherein the tubular shaft section has an inside cavity sized to accommodate the inner structure of the first joint when moved axially out of the cylindrical holder, through the second joint, into the tubular shaft section.