Flexible hybrid joint

The flexible hybrid joint presents a unique design in which the main joint and damper are aligned and work in the same plane. This allows for optimal design and best use of individual parts functions and performance.

Product description

The ideal steering damper should provide excellent decoupling in all directions with optimal performance for the application. Low axial stiffness in combination with high torsional stiffness is desired and targeted.
However, these properties are opposing each other and are so far only matched optimally by a flexible couplings. However, flexible couplings have bending angle limitations of approx. 12°. For larger bending angles, they are used in combination with a universal joint. In order to avoid static indeterminate condition, the flexible coupling must be guided by a alignment support. The innovative flexible hybrid joint eliminates this problem by its unique design. Flexible coupling and universal joint are aligned on the same plane inside one another. Due to the missing moment between the two parts there is no restoring force that needs to be supported therefore the alignment support is obsolete.

This provides a decoupling behavior comparable to that of the flexible coupling including low axial stiffness. Compared to a flexible coupling, the range of possible bending angles is significantly increased and no longer an issue.
The new special design offers few additional benefits. The metal components are designed to interlock with each other allowing the elimination of the safety plates.
In addition, all elastic elements are located at the perimeter allowing for design of ideal damper with higher torsional stiffness and low axial stiffness. This also help in increasing the stability of torsional stiffness over life.