Universal joint with adhesive bearing cup retention system

Abstract

An automotive driveline that includes a spider with a plurality of trunnions, a yoke, a pair of bearing caps and a pair of retaining members. The yoke has a pair of arms with each of the arms defining a trunnion aperture into which one of the trunnions is received. The bearing caps are received in the trunnion apertures and are disposed between one of the arms and a corresponding one of the trunnions. The retaining members are formed of an adhesive and couple one of the bearing cups to an associated one of the arms. A retaining feature is formed into the bearing cups, the arms, or both the bearing cups and the arms and the retaining member being at least partially received into the retaining feature.

1 . An automotive driveline comprising: 
 a spider having a plurality of trunnions;    a yoke with a pair of arms, each of the arms defining a trunnion aperture into which one of the trunnions is received;    a pair of bearing caps received in the trunnion apertures, each bearing cap being disposed between one of the arms and a corresponding one of the trunnions;    a pair of retaining members, each retaining member being formed of an adhesive and coupling one of the bearing cups to an associated one of the arms;    wherein a retaining feature is formed into the bearing cups, the arms, or both the bearing cups and the arms, the retaining member being at least partially received into the retaining feature.    
   
   
       2 . The automotive driveline of  claim 1 , wherein each of the arms defines a filling aperture that intersects a respective one of the trunnion apertures, each retaining member extending into an associated one of the filling apertures.  
   
   
       3 . The automotive driveline of  claim 2 , wherein each filling aperture is generally perpendicular to its associated one of the filling apertures.  
   
   
       4 . The automotive driveline of  claim 1 , wherein the retaining feature includes a groove that is formed at last partly about a circumference of each of the bearing cups.  
   
   
       5 . The automotive driveline of  claim 1 , wherein the adhesive is an epoxy-based adhesive.  
   
   
       6 . The automotive driveline of  claim 5 , wherein the epoxy-based adhesive is a two-part adhesive.  
   
   
       7 . The automotive driveline of  claim 1 , wherein a force in excess of 2000 lbf applied to one of the bearing cups is required to separate the one of the bearing cups from the yoke.  
   
   
       8 . An automotive driveline comprising: 
 a propshaft having a shaft member and a first yoke coupled thereto, the first yoke including a pair of arm members, each of the arm members defining a trunnion aperture;    a spider having a pair of trunnions, each of the trunnions being received into an associated one of the trunnion apertures;    a pair of bearing caps received in the trunnion apertures, each bearing cap being disposed between one of the arms and a corresponding one of the trunnions;    a pair of retaining members, each retaining member being formed of an adhesive and coupling one of the bearing cups to an associated one of the arms;    wherein a retaining feature is formed into the bearing cups, the arms, or both the bearing cups and the arms, the retaining member being at least partially received into the retaining feature.    
   
   
       9 . The automotive driveline of  claim 8 , wherein each of the arms defines a filling aperture that intersects a respective one of the trunnion apertures, each retaining member extending into an associated one of the filling apertures.  
   
   
       10 . The automotive driveline of  claim 9 , wherein each filling aperture is generally perpendicular to its associated one of the filling apertures.  
   
   
       11 . The automotive driveline of  claim 8 , wherein the retaining feature includes a groove that is formed at last partly about a circumference of each of the bearing cups.  
   
   
       12 . The automotive driveline of  claim 8 , wherein the adhesive is an epoxy-based adhesive.  
   
   
       13 . The automotive driveline of  claim 12 , wherein the epoxy-based adhesive is a two-part adhesive.  
   
   
       14 . The automotive driveline of  claim 8 , wherein a force in excess of 2000 lbf applied to one of the bearing cups is required to separate the one of the bearing cups from the first yoke.  
   
   
       15 . An automotive driveline comprising: 
 a shaft member    first and second yokes each including a pair of arm members, each of the arm members defining a trunnion aperture, the first yoke being coupled to the shaft member;    a spider having a plurality of trunnions, each of the trunnions being received into an associated one of the trunnion apertures;    a plurality of bearing caps received in the trunnion apertures, each bearing cap being disposed between one of the arms and a corresponding one of the trunnions;    a plurality of retaining members, each retaining member being formed of an adhesive and coupling one of the bearing cups to an associated one of the arms;    wherein a retaining feature is formed into the bearing cups, the arms, or both the bearing cups and the arms, the retaining member being at least partially received into the retaining feature.    
   
   
       16 . The automotive driveline of  claim 15 , wherein each of the arms defines a filling aperture that intersects a respective one of the trunnion apertures, each retaining member extending into an associated one of the filling apertures.  
   
   
       17 . The automotive driveline of  claim 16 , wherein each filling aperture is generally perpendicular to its associated one of the filling apertures.  
   
   
       18 . The automotive driveline of  claim 15 , wherein the retaining feature includes a groove that is formed at last partly about a circumference of each of the bearing cups.  
   
   
       19 . The automotive driveline of  claim 15 , wherein the adhesive is an epoxy-based adhesive.  
   
   
       20 . The automotive driveline of  claim 12 , wherein the epoxy-based adhesive is a two-part adhesive.  
   
   
       21 . The automotive driveline of  claim 15 , wherein a force in excess of 2000 lbf applied to one of the bearing cups is required to separate the one of the bearing cups from the first yoke.