Patent attributes
A weld between a tube yoke and a driveshaft tube can accommodate a greater amount of torsional shear stresses and, therefore, increase the load carrying capacity of a driveshaft assembly. The driveshaft assembly includes a yoke having a sleeve portion and a driveshaft tube having an end that extends about the sleeve portion of the yoke. The end of the tube is secured to the sleeve portion of the yoke by a weld having a shape that traverses multiple planes, such as a sinusoidal, saw-tooth, or square tooth shape. The weld occupies a greater area and, thus, has a greater surface contact between the sleeve portion of the yoke and the end of the driveshaft tube. The force vectors of the torsional shear stress sustained by the weld are in multiple planes. As a result, the force vectors of the torsional shear stress impinge the welds at different angles, and the weld has a greater load carrying capacity.
