| US 7,527,559 B2 | ||
| Torque tube apparatus | ||
| Akihiko Ikeda, Nishikamo-gun (Japan) | ||
| Assigned to Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha, Toyota-shi (Japan) | ||
| Filed on Nov. 10, 2005, as Appl. No. 11/270,498. | ||
| Claims priority of application No. 2004-339217 (JP), filed on Nov. 24, 2004. | ||
| Prior Publication US 2006/0111216 A1, May 25, 2006 | ||
| Int. Cl. F16D 3/84 (2006.01) | ||
| U.S. Cl. 464—177 [464/179; 464/182] | 19 Claims |
| 1. A torque tube apparatus, comprising:
a first power transmission device;
a second power transmission device that is provided at a given distance from the first transmission device;
a tube member that connects the first power transmission device and the second power transmission device to each other;
a first shaft that extends from the first power transmission device, having a first end portion at an end on an extension
side;
a second shaft that extends from the second power transmission device, having a second end portion at an end on an extension
side, the second end portion being positioned at a given distance from the first end portion; and
an intermediate shaft having a first end that is connected to the first end portion, and wherein the first end is slidable
with respect to the first shaft in an axial direction, and a second end that is connected to the second end portion, and wherein
the second end is removable from the second shaft,
wherein the tube member has a removable intermediate shaft case that surrounds the intermediate shaft, wherein the intermediate shaft case can be removed by removing the second end from the second shaft, and sliding the first
end with respect to the first shaft toward the first power transmission device,
wherein the tube member further includes a main body case which extends from at least one of the first power transmission
device and the second power transmission device, and to which the intermediate shaft case is removably connected, and
wherein the intermediate shaft case can be removed from the main body case by separating the second end from the second shaft
and sliding the first end with respect to the first shaft toward the first power transmission device,
wherein the tube member further includes a first main body case that has an attachment surface that the intermediate shaft
case contacts, and that extends from the first power transmission device, the first shaft and the second shaft extend in a
predetermined direction, and
wherein the intermediate shaft slides with respect to the first shaft, to a position at which the intermediate shaft does
not protrude from the attachment surface, and a distance between the first end portion and the second end portion is longer
than a length of the intermediate shaft case in the predetermined direction.
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