U.S. patent application number 09/740998 was filed with the patent office on 2001-06-28 for flow passage structure for shaft-press-fitted flange members.
This patent application is currently assigned to Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha. Invention is credited to Ueno, Takao, Wakizaka, Naoyuki.
Application Number | 20010004955 09/740998 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 18485941 |
Filed Date | 2001-06-28 |
United States Patent
Application |
20010004955 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Wakizaka, Naoyuki ; et
al. |
June 28, 2001 |
Flow passage structure for shaft-press-fitted flange members
Abstract
In a stator shaft made by press-fitting a shaft member into a
press-fit bore of a flange member, first oil passages having
openings in an outer circumferential surface of the shaft member
are formed therein, and plural flow passage-forming bores are
formed in the flange member so as to extend from outer
circumferential surfaces of a flange portion and through the
press-fit bore, the shaft member being press-fitted into the
press-fit bore so that inner end openings (openings joined to the
press-fit bore) of the flow passage-forming bores are opposed to
and communicated with the openings of first flow passages, whereby
the first and second flow passages are communicated with each
other. In this structure, the plural flow passage-forming bores are
formed so as to extend in parallel with each other.
Inventors: |
Wakizaka, Naoyuki;
(Wako-shi, JP) ; Ueno, Takao; (Wako-shi,
JP) |
Correspondence
Address: |
ARMSTRONG, WESTERMAN, HATTORI,
McLELAND & NAUGHTON
Suite 1000
1725 K Street, N.W.
Washington
DC
20006
US
|
Assignee: |
Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki
Kaisha
Tokyo
JP
|
Family ID: |
18485941 |
Appl. No.: |
09/740998 |
Filed: |
December 21, 2000 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
192/3.29 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F16H 2061/0046 20130101;
F16H 41/30 20130101; F16D 33/20 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
192/3.29 |
International
Class: |
F16D 033/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Dec 24, 1999 |
JP |
11-366104 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A flow passage structure for shaft-press-fitted flange members,
comprising: a flange member provided with a press-fit bore opened
at at least one axial end thereof, a shaft member press-fitted in
the press-fit bore, first flow passages formed in the shaft member
and having openings in an outer circumferential surface thereof,
and plural flow passage-forming bores formed so as to extend from
an outer circumferential surface of the flange member and through
the press-fit bore, the shaft member being press-fitted into the
press-fit bore so that openings of the flow passage-forming bores
at which the flow passage-forming bores communicate with the
press-fit bore are opposed to and communicated with the openings of
the first flow passages, whereby the first flow passages and flow
passage-forming bores are communicated with each other, the plural
flow passage-forming bores being formed so as to extend in parallel
with each other.
2. A flow passage structure for shaft-press-fitted flange members
according to claim 1, wherein: the flow passage-forming bores
comprise blind bores extending linearly at right angles to a shaft
axis from the outer circumferential surface of the flange member,
and through the press-fit bore, and stopping at free end portions
thereof in the interior of the flange member, and communication
bores extending from a side surface of the flange member in the
axial direction thereof, and communicating with the parts of the
blind bores which extend from the press-fit bore to the free end
portions thereof, the parts of the blind bores which extend from
the press-fit bore to the free end portions thereof and the
communication bores constituting second flow passages, the shaft
member being press-fitted into the press-fit bore so that the parts
of the blind bores in the second flow passages which open into the
press-fit bore and the first flow passages communicate with each
other, whereby the first and second flow passages are communicated
with each other.
3. A flow passage structure for shaft-press-fitted flange members
according to claim 2, wherein the flange member is formed of a
cylindrical portion provided with the press-fit bore therein, and a
flange portion extending from an end part of the cylindrical
portion in the outer circumferential direction thereof, the blind
bores being formed so as to extend from the outer circumferential
surfaces of the flange portion in the direction which is at right
angles to the shaft axis.
4. A flow passage structure for shaft-press-fitted flange members
according to claim 3, wherein the flange member and shaft member
constitute a stator shaft supporting a stator of a torque
converter, the flange member being held fixedly.
5. A flow passage structure for shaft-press-fitted flange members
according to claim 2, wherein the shaft member is formed to a
hollow cylindrical body and press-fitted in the press-fit bore, the
shaft member being provided with axially extending grooves in the
outer circumferential surface thereof, the grooves being covered
with the press-fit bore in the condition in which the shaft member
is press-fitted in the press-fit bore, whereby the first flow
passages are formed.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] This invention relates to a flow passage structure formed by
press-fitting a shaft member into a press-fit bore provided in a
flange member so as to be opened at one axial end thereof, and
thereby communicating with each other flow passages formed in the
flange member and those formed in the shaft member.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] Such a flow passage structure is used for a support flange
member of a fluid joint, and a support flange of a stator member of
a torque converter as disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent
Publication No. 40904/1990. An example of such a related art flow
passage structure for a shaft-press-fitted flange member is shown
in FIGS. 6 and 7. This structure is formed by press-fitting a shaft
member 210 into a press-fit bore 201 of a flange member 200 so as
to communicate an oil passage 221 in a housing 220, to which the
flange member 200 is fixed, and shaft-side radial bores 212, which
are formed in the shaft member 210, with each other via an
inside-flange flow passage including flange side radial bores 202
and flange side axial bores 203 which are formed in the flange
member 200. The inside-shaft radial bores 212 are joined to axially
extending inside-shaft axial bores 211, and these axial bores 211
are jointed to, for example, the interior of a torque converter.
This enables the supplying of an oil from the oil passages 221 of
the housing 220 to the interior of a torque converter and the
discharging of the oil from the latter to the former to be
done.
[0003] As described above, in the flow passage structure, flange
side flow passages are formed of flange side radial bores 202 made
so as to extend from an outer circumferential surface of a flange
member and through a press-fit bore 201, and flange side axial
bores 203 made so as to extend from a side surface of the flange
member and communicate with the flange side radial bores 202. The
flange side radial bores 202 are closed at the portions thereof
which are in the outer circumferential surface of the flange member
200 with plugs 25, or with balls 206 press-fitted thereinto.
[0004] Generally speaking, plural flange side flow passages are
formed in many cases, and, in such cases, plural flange side radial
bores 202 and plural flange side axial bores 203 are formed. These
plural flange side radial bores 202 are formed from an axial
portion of the flange member so as to extend in the radially
outward direction, for example, as shown in FIG. 6. However, such
radial bores 202 are formed by drilling, and the indexing of an
angular position thereof is required every time one axial bore 203
is formed, so that the processing efficiency (productive
efficiency) is low. When the bores 202 extend radially in this
manner, the flange side axial bores 203 formed at radially outer
end portions of the radial bores 202 are positioned away from one
another, and the arrangement of oil passages (oil passages 221 of a
housing 220) to which these axial bores 203 are joined, and a
hydraulic circuit (for example, a hydraulic control valve) formed
on these oil passages is limited. Furthermore, when the flange
member of such a construction is fixed to the housing 220, the
flange member and housing have to be combined with each other by
bolts so that each axial bore 203 is positioned between adjacent
bolts as shown in FIG. 7, for the purpose of preventing an oil from
leaking from joint surfaces of the flange member and housing. This
causes the number of the bolts to increase, a utilizable space to
be narrowed, and the weight of the structure to increase.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above
circumstances, and provides a flow passage structure capable of
easily carrying out a drilling operation for the formation of flow
passages made of radial bores in a flange member, and arranging
axial bores, which are joined to the radial bores, close to one
another.
[0006] The present invention is directed to a flow passage
structure for a shaft-press-fitted flange member (for example, a
stator shaft 40 in a mode of embodiment) formed by press-fitting a
shaft member (for example, a shaft member 41 in the mode of
embodiment) into a press-fit bore (for example, a press-fit bore
141 formed in a flange member 42 in the mode of embodiment), in
which the shaft member is provided with first flow passages (for
example, oil passages 102 in the mode of embodiment) having
openings (for example, right end portions 106 of the oil passages
102 in the mode of embodiment) in an outer circumferential surface
thereof, the flange member being provided with plural flow
passage-forming bores (for example, oil passages 101 in the mode of
embodiment) made from outer circumferential surfaces (for example,
outer circumferential surfaces 43b, 43c in the mode of embodiment)
thereof so as to extend through the press-fit bore, the shaft
member being press-fitted into the press-fit bore so that inner end
openings (openings joined to the press-fit bore) of the flow
passage-forming bores are opposed to and communicated with openings
of the first flow passages, whereby the first and second flow
passages are communicated with each other with the plural flow
passage-forming bores extending in parallel with one another.
[0007] In the case of the flow passage structure formed in this
manner, plural flow passage-forming bores extend from the outer
circumferential surfaces of the flange member in parallel with each
other, so that the indexing of rotational positions during the
drilling of the flow passage-forming bores is not needed, i.e., the
formation of these bores can be carried out easily. Especially,
plural flow passage-forming bores can be formed at once by using
plural drills, so that the processing efficiency is high. Since the
flow passage-forming bores extend in parallel with each other, the
flange-side axial bores communicating therewith can be positioned
close to one another, and a hydraulic circuit (for example, a
hydraulic control valve) to which these axial bores are connected
can be arranged or formed compactly. Furthermore, the fixing of the
flange member to a housing can be done by only combining these
parts with each other by bolts so that each of the plural axial
bores is positioned between adjacent bolts. This enables the number
of necessary bolts to be reduced, a space between the joint
surfaces of the flange member and housing to be utilized
effectively, and the weight of the structure to be reduced.
[0008] Further scope of applicability of the present invention will
become apparent from the detailed description given hereinafter.
However, it should be understood that the detailed description and
specific examples, while indicating preferred embodiments of the
invention, are given by way of illustration only, since various
changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of the
invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from
this detailed description.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0009] The present invention will become more fully understood from
the detailed description given herein below and the accompanying
drawings which are given by way of illustration only, and thus are
not limitative of the present invention and wherein:
[0010] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the construction of a
non-stage vehicular transmission formed by using the
shaft-press-fitted flange member in the present invention for a
stator shaft;
[0011] FIG. 2 is a sectional view showing on an enlarged scale a
portion around a torque converter of the same non-stage vehicular
transmission;
[0012] FIG. 3 is a sectional view showing a stator shaft of the
same torque converter;
[0013] FIG. 4 is a side view showing the stator shaft of the same
torque converter;
[0014] FIG. 5 is a side view showing a different example of the
stator shaft of the same torque converter;
[0015] FIG. 6 is a sectional view showing a related art flow
passage structure for shaft-press-fitted flange members; and
[0016] FIG. 7 is a sectional view showing a related art flow
passage structure for shaft-press-fitted flange members.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0017] A preferred mode of embodiment of the flow passage structure
for shaft-press-fitted flange members according to the present
invention will now be described with reference to the drawings. In
the embodiment to be described below, the shaft-press-fitted flange
member in the present invention is used as a stator shaft
supporting a stator of a torque converter. First, a non-stage
vehicular transmission using this torque converter will now be
described briefly with reference to FIG. 1.
[0018] This transmission is held in a transmission case 10, and an
input shaft 20, a primary shaft S1, a secondary shaft S2, a
countershaft S3, and left and right axle shafts S4, S5 are
supported rotably via bearings fixed to the transmission case 10.
In this transmission, the input shaft 20 and primary shaft S1 are
provided coaxially, and the secondary shaft S2 is positioned in
parallel with and a predetermined distance away from the input
shaft 20 (or the primary shaft S1). The countershaft S3 is
positioned in parallel with and a predetermined distance away from
the secondary shaft S2, and the left and right axle shafts S4, S5
are provided coaxially, and positioned in parallel with and a
predetermined distance away from the countershaft S3.
[0019] Into the input shaft 20, the power from an engine (not
shown) is inputted via a torque converter 30. The torque converter
30 has a pump impeller 31, a turbine runner 32 and a stator 33, and
the pump impeller 31 is made integral with a converter cover 34,
which covers an outer circumference thereof, and mounted fixedly on
a crankshaft Es of the engine via a drive plate 36 to which a
stator gear is fixedly mounted. Turbine runner 32 is combined with
the input shaft 20 via a turbine runner hub 32a, and the stator 33
is fixed to a stator shaft 40 via a one-way clutch 37.
[0020] This stator shaft 40 corresponds to the shaft-press-fitted
flange member according to the present invention. As shown in
detail in FIGS. 2 and 3, the shaft member 41 (corresponding to the
shaft member defined in the claims) positioned on an outer
circumferential side of the input shaft 20 and mounted fixedly with
a stator 33 (and one-way clutch 37), and a flange member 42 into
which the shaft member 41 is press-fitted to be formed into a
unitary structure therewith constitute a stator shaft 40. The
flange member 42 has a press-fit bore 141 into which the shaft
member 41 is press-fitted, and a flange portion 43, and is fixed at
the flange portion 43 to a partition wall 11 of the transmission
case 10 by bolts B, whereby the stator shaft 40 is fixed.
[0021] The pump impeller 31 is combined with a left end portion of
a boss member 31a positioned on an outer circumferential surface of
the flange member 42, and an outer circumferential surface of this
boss member 31a is supported rotatably via a bearing 12 provided on
the partition wall 11. Therefore, the input shaft 20, stator shaft
40 and boss member 31a are in a coaxially positioned condition.
[0022] A pump drive gear 92 is mounted fixedly on a right end
portion of the boss member 31a, and connected via a chain to a pump
driven gear mounted on a rotor shaft of an oil pump (vane pump).
Therefore, when an engine is rotated, the pump impeller 31 and boss
member 31a are rotated to cause the oil pump to be driven via a
chain. An oil discharged from the oil pump is supplied to various
portions in the transmission via a predetermined oil passage.
[0023] The torque converter 30 is provided with a lockup mechanism
50 adapted to press a lockup clutch piston 51, which is fixed to
the turbine runner hub 32a, against an inner surface of the
converter cover 34 and engage these two members 51, 34 with each
other, whereby the power from the engine can be transmitted
directly to the input shaft 20. Such an operation of the lockup
clutch piston 51 is carried out by supplying and discharging an oil
to and from two oil chambers, which are formed by partitioning a
space in the torque converter 30 into two by the lockup clutch 51,
i.e. an oil chamber 52 (which will be called a turbine side oil
chamber 52) formed closer to the turbine runner 32 than to the
lockup clutch 51, and an oil chamber (which will be called a cover
side oil chamber 53) formed closer to the converter cover 34 than
to the lockup clutch piston 51. An oil passage structure for
supplying an oil to the two oil chambers 52, 53 thus formed and
discharging the oil therefrom shows an example of the flow passage
structure according to the present invention, the details of which
will be described later.
[0024] The power of the input shaft 20 is transmitted to the
primary shaft S1 via a forward and backward movement change-over
mechanism 60. As shown in FIG. 2, the forward and backward movement
change-over mechanism 60 is formed of a sun gear 61 mounted fixedly
on the primary shaft S1, plural pinion gears 62 engaged with the
sun gear 61 from an outer side thereof, a carrier 63 rotatable with
respect to the primary shaft S1 and supporting the plural pinion
gears 62 rotatably, and a ring gear 64 mounted fixedly on the input
shaft 20 and engaged with the plural pinion gears 62 from an inner
side thereof. The primary shaft S1 and ring gear 64 can be engaged
with each other by hydraulically operating a forwarding clutch 65,
and the carrier 63 and transmission case 10 by hydraulically
operating a backing brake 66.
[0025] When the forwarding clutch 65 is engaged with the backing
brake 66 disengaged, the input shaft 20, ring gear 64, pinion gears
62, sun gear 61 and carrier 63 are rotated together, so that the
primary shaft S1 is rotated in the same direction as the input
shaft 20. When the forwarding clutch 65 is disengaged with the
backing brake 66 engaged, the rotation of the input shaft 20 is
transmitted to the sun gear 61 by the carrier 63 via the pinion
gears 62, to which rotary shafts are fixed, so that the primary
shaft SI is rotated in the direction opposite to the direction of
rotation of the input shaft 20.
[0026] The power of the primary shaft SI is transmitted to the
secondary shaft S2 via a belt type non-stage transmission 70 formed
of a driving pulley 71 mounted on the primary shaft S1, a driven
pulley 75 mounted on the secondary shaft S2, and a metal V-belt 79
passed around these two pulleys 71, 75.
[0027] The driving pulley 71 is formed of a fixed half pulley body
72 mounted fixedly on the primary shaft S1, and a movable half
pulley body 73 mounted on the primary shaft S1 so that the movable
half pulley body 73 is opposed to the fixed half pulley body 72 and
can be moved slidingly thereon in the axial direction. A distance
(pulley width) between the fixed half pulley body 72 and movable
half pulley body 73 can be varied by moving the movable half pulley
body 73 by supplying an oil to the interior of a hydraulic cylinder
74 and discharging the oil therefrom. The driven pulley 75 is
formed of a fixed half pulley body 76 mounted fixedly on the
secondary shaft S2, and a movable half pulley body 77 mounted on
the same shaft S2 so that the movable half pulley body 77 is
opposed to the fixed half pulley body 76 and can be moved slidingly
thereon in the axial direction. A distance (pulley width) between
the fixed half pulley body 76 and movable half pulley body 77 can
be varied by supplying an oil to the interior of a hydraulic
cylinder 78 and discharging the oil therefrom. A radius of winding
of the metal V-belt 79 can be varied by regulating a width of these
two pulleys, and this enables the non-stage variation of a gear
ratio of one of the two shafts S1, S2 to the other to be
attained.
[0028] The power inputted into the secondary shaft S2 is
transmitted to the countershaft S3 via gears G1, G2, and further to
a differential mechanism 80 via a final drive gear G3 and a final
driven gear G4. In the differential mechanism 80, the input power
is transmitted in a divided state to left and right front axle
shafts S4, S5 to drive left and right wheels (front wheels) (not
shown) provided on respective end portions of the two shafts S4,
S5.
[0029] Thus, in this transmission, the power of the engine inputted
into the input shaft 20 via the torque converter 30 is transmitted
to the left and right front wheels via the forward and backward
movement change-over mechanism 60 and belt-type non-stage
transmission 70, whereby a vehicle can travel. An arbitrary gear
ratio can be obtained in a non-stepped manner by operating the belt
type non-stage transmission 70 in the above-described manner. The
switching of the direction in which the vehicle travels is done by
an operation of the forward and backward movement change-over
mechanism 70.
[0030] A detailed construction of the stator shaft 40 using the
flow passage structure according to the present invention will now
be described. First, as shown in FIG. 2, the input shaft 20 is
provided therein with first to third oil passages 21, 22, 23 which
constitute oil supply and discharge passages. The first oil passage
21 is an oil passage for supplying an oil to the cover side oil
chamber 53 of the converter 30 and discharging the oil from the
latter to the former, and this oil passage 21 is provided at left
and right end portions thereof with opened oil passages 21a, 21b.
The second and third oil passages 22, 23 are oil passages for
supplying an oil to the forward and backward movement change-over
mechanism 60 and belt type non-stage transmission 70 and
discharging the oil from the latter to the former. Therefore, an
oil passage 22a communicates with the second oil passage 22, and an
oil passage 23a the third oil passage 23. The oil is supplied from
these oil passages 22a, 23a to the forward and backward movement
change-over mechanism 60 and belt type non-stage transmission 70,
and discharged from the latter to the former. Accordingly, an oil
passage 22a communicates with the second oil passage 22, and an oil
passage 23a the third oil passage 23, and the oil is supplied from
these oil passages 22a, 23a to the forward and backward movement
change-over mechanism 60 and belt type non-stage transmission 70,
and discharged from the latter to the former.
[0031] As is understood from FIGS. 3 and 4 as well, the stator
shaft 40 is provided in the flange member 42 (flange portion 43)
thereof with five oil passages 101a, 101b, 101c, 101d, 101e
(representatively shown by the oil passages 101 in FIGS. 2 and 3)
extending at right angles to a shaft axis. Five oil passages 102a,
102b, 102c, 102d, 102e (representatively shown by the oil passages
102 in FIGS. 2 and 3) communicating with these oil passages
101a-101e respectively are formed between an outer circumferential
surface of the shaft member 41 and an inner circumferential surface
of the flange member 41. Furthermore, five oil passages 103a, 103b,
103c, 103d, 103e (representatively shown by the oil passages 103 in
FIGS. 2 and 3) are formed which extend axially from a side surface
43a of the flange portion 43 of the flange member 42 and
communicate with the five oil passages 101 (101a, 101b, 101c, 101d,
101e) respectively. In this structure, the oil passages 102
correspond to first flow passages defined in the claims, and the
oil passages 101, 103 formed in the flange member 42 the second oil
passages defined in the claims. In this example, first and second
flow passages including five flow passages each are formed, and
opposed first and second flow passages communicate with each other
to form five independent flow passages.
[0032] The shaft member 41 is provided with oil passage openings
40a, 40b, 40d, 40e constituting outlet ports of the oil passages
102a, 102b, 102d, 102e, and the flange member 42 an oil passage
opening 40c constituting an outlet port of the oil passage 102c.
The oil passage opening 40a communicates the oil passage 102a and
the communication oil passage 21b of the first oil passage 21 with
each other. The oil passage opening 40b communicates with each
other the oil passage 102b and an oil passage space 111 formed
between the input shaft 20 and the shaft member 41 of the stator
shaft 40. The oil passage opening 40c communicates with each other
the oil passage 102c and a space 112 formed between the stator
shaft 40 and boss member 31a, and the oil passage opening 40d the
oil passage 102d and the communication oil passage 22a of the
second oil passage 22. The oil passage opening 40e communicates the
oil passage 102e and the communication passage 23a of the third oil
passage 23 with each other.
[0033] The five oil passages 103 (103a, 103b, 103c, 103d, 103e)
formed in the flange portion 43 of the flange member 42 communicate
respectively with five oil supply ports 100a, 100b, 100c, 100d,
100e (representatively shown by the oil supply ports 100 in FIG. 3)
formed in the transmission case 10, whereby the supplying of
corresponding oils is done. Consequently, predetermined oils are
supplied to predetermined parts respectively to carry out the
lubrication of oil in the interior of the torque converter, and the
controlling of the operations of the lockup clutch, forward and
backward movement change-over mechanism 60 and non-stage
transmission 70.
[0034] The oil passages used to carry out the supplying of these
five different oils are formed in the stator shaft 40 as mentioned
above. The construction of these oil passages will now be described
in detail with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4.
[0035] As is understood from the two drawings, the oil passages 101
are formed of processed drill bores extending from the outer
circumferential surfaces 43b, 43c of the flange member 43 at right
angles to a shaft axis. These drill bores have three blind bores
extending side by side in parallel with one another from the outer
circumferential surface 43b in the direction which is at right
angles to the shaft axis, further through the press-fit bore 141,
into which the shaft member 41 is to be press-fitted, and then
toward the opposite side of one of the mentioned outer
circumferential surfaces, which is beyond the press-fit bore 141
but within the flange portion 43; and two blind bores extending
side by side in parallel with each other from the outer
circumferential surface 43c in the direction which is at right
angles to the shaft axis, further through the press-fit bore 141,
into which the shaft member 41 is to be press-fitted, and then
toward the opposite side of the outer circumferential surface 43c
beyond the press-fit bore 141 but within the flange portion 43. As
shown in the drawing, in three drill bores formed so as to extend
from the outer circumferential surface 43b, inlet portions thereof,
which extend from the outer circumferential surface 43c to the
press-fit bore 141, are represented by numbers 105a, 105b, 105c,
while rear portions of the same drill bores which extend through
the press-fit bore 141 toward the opposite portion of the surface
43b constitute the above-mentioned oil passages 101a, 101b, 101c.
Similarly, in the two drill bores formed so as to extend from the
outer circumferential surface 43c, inlet portions extending from
the outer circumferential surface 43c to the press-fit bore 141 are
represented by numbers 105d, 105e, while rear portions of the drill
bores which extend through the press-fit bore 141 toward the
opposite portion of the surface 43c constitute the above-mentioned
oil passages 101d, 101e.
[0036] After the five blind bores are thus formed, the shaft member
41 is press-fitted into the press-fit bore 141 as shown in the
drawings. The shaft member 41 is provided in an outer
circumferential surface thereof with five axially extending
grooves, which are covered with the flange member 42 with the shaft
member press-fitted in the press-fit bore 141, to form the
above-mentioned oil passages 102 (102a, 102b, 102c, 102d, 102e). In
the condition in which the shaft member 41 is thus press-fitted in
the press-fit bore, right end portions 106 (106a, 106b, 106c, 106d,
106e) of the oil passages communicate with the oil passages 101
(101a, 101b, 101c, 101d, 101e) formed of the rear portions of the
drill bores. Left end portions 107 (107a, 107b, 107c, 107d, 107e)
of the oil passages communicate with the oil passage openings 40a,
40b, 40c, 40d, 40e formed in the shaft member 41 or the flange
member 42 as mentioned above.
[0037] As a result, the first flow passages provided in the shaft
member 41 and formed of the oil passages 102 communicate with the
second flow passages provided in the flange member 42 and formed of
the oil passages 101, 103, whereby five independent oil passages
are formed. In this structure, the rear portions of the drill bores
formed from the outer circumferential surface of the flange member
43 communicate directly with the oil passage of the press-fitted
inner cylindrical member 41, and the inlet portions 105a-105e do
not specially require to be closed, so that the drill bores are
easily formed with members for closing these inlet portions
therewith becoming unnecessary.
[0038] The present invention is not limited to the above-described
construction, and it may have the construction shown in FIG. 5. A
stator shaft 40' shown in FIG. 5 is formed by press-fitting a shaft
member 41' identical with the above-described shaft member into a
press-fit bore 141 of a flange member 42' which is different from
the above-described flange member only at radially extending oil
passages 101' (101a'-101e') thereof. The oil passages 101' are
formed of two sets of drill bores 101a', 101b', 101c' and 101d',
101e' made from outer circumferential surfaces 43b', 43c' of the
flange portion 43' of the flange member 42' so as to extend in
parallel with each other, and through the press-fit bore 141.
Radially outer end portions of the drill bores are closed with
balls 106 (106a-106e) press-fitted thereinto to thereby form the
oil passages 101'.
[0039] The invention being thus described, it will be obvious that
the same may be varied in many ways. Such variations are not to be
regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention,
and all such modifications as would be obvious to one skilled in
the art are intended to be included within the scope of the
following claims.
RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0040] This application claims the priority of Japanese Patent
Application No. 11-366104 filed on Dec. 24, 1999, which is
incorporated herein by reference.
* * * * *