Turbocharger turbine wheel and shaft assembly

Patent 5536144 Issued on July 16, 1996. Estimated Expiration Date:

October 13, 2014. Estimated Expiration Date is calculated based on simple USPTO term provisions. It does not account for terminal disclaimers, term adjustments, failure to pay maintenance fees, or other factors which might affect the term of a patent.

Abstract Claims Description Full Text

Patent References

2801070

3356339

Rotor-shaft assembly
Patent #: 4123199
Issued on: 10/31/1978
Inventor: Shimizu , et al.

Wheel lock, centering and drive means and turbocharger impeller combination Patent #: 5163816
Issued on: 11/17/1992
Inventor: Goetzke, et al.

Inventors

Assignee

General Motors Corporation

Application

No. 322752 filed on 10/13/1994

US Classes:

416/198A, Turbo machine416/244ATurbo machine

Examiners

Primary: Koczo, Michael

Attorney, Agent or Firm

Veenstra; Charles K.

International Class

F01D 005/02

Abstract

A turbine wheel for a turbocharger or the like is mounted to an impeller shaft and optionally an additional drive shaft by annular rows of coupling teeth preferably of the CURVIC™ coupling type having radially and rotationally locking convex sided and concave sided interlocking teeth. Flexible webs connecting coupling rings on the turbine allow thermo and mechanical growth of the turbine wheel without excessive deflection of the coupling rings and the associated shaft flanges. A single central stud threaded into one of the shafts and retained by a bolt against the other maintains the components in assembly with the coupling teeth fully engaged. A radial slot formed in the coupling flange for one of the shafts prevents thermal distortion of the flange from substantially affecting an adjacent thrust bearing portion of the flange. The arrangement simplifies rotor assembly and avoids the need for rebalancing after disassembly and reassembly. The full width of the coupling teeth are available for the transmission of torque and radial alignment forces.