1. A driveshaft assembly comprising:
a yoke including a body portion having a radially extending portion and an axially extending portion, a pair of opposed yoke arms that extends generally in a first axial direction from said body portion, and a neck portion that extends generally in a second axial direction from said body portion;
a driveshaft tube that is secured to said neck portion of said yoke;
a ring that is secured to said body portion of said yoke, said ring including a radially extending portion that engages said radially extending portion of said body and an axially extending portion that engages said axially extending portion of said body; and
a balance weight that is secured to said ring.
2. The driveshaft assembly defined in claim 1 wherein said yoke is a tube yoke having aligned openings formed through said pair of yoke arms.
3. The driveshaft assembly defined in claim 1 wherein said body portion of said yoke defines a shoulder, and wherein said ring includes a portion that engages said shoulder.
4. The driveshaft assembly defined in claim 1 wherein said yoke is formed from a first material and said ring is formed from a second material that is different from said first material.
5. The driveshaft assembly defined in claim 4 wherein said yoke is formed from an aluminum alloy material and said ring is formed from a steel alloy material.
6. The driveshaft assembly defined in claim 1 wherein said ring is secured to said body portion of said yoke in a press fit relationship.
7. The driveshaft assembly defined in claim 1 wherein said balance weight is secured to said ring by welding.
8. A method for manufacturing a driveshaft assembly comprising the steps of:
(a) providing a yoke including a body portion having a radially extending portion and an axially extending portion, a pair of opposed yoke arms that extends generally in a first axial direction from the body portion, and a neck portion that extends generally in a second axial direction from the body portion;
(b) securing a driveshaft tube to the neck portion of the yoke;
(c) securing a ring to the body portion of the yoke, the ring including a radially extending portion that engages the radially extending portion of the body and an axially extending portion that engages the axially extending portion of the body; and
(d) securing a balance weight to the ring.
9. The method defined in claim 8 wherein said step (a) includes providing a tube yoke having aligned openings formed through the pair of yoke arms.
10. The method defined in claim 8 wherein said step (a) includes providing the body portion of the yoke with a shoulder, and wherein said step (c) includes engaging a portion of the ring with the shoulder.
11. The method defined in claim 8 wherein said step (a) includes providing the yoke from a first material, and wherein said step (c) includes providing the ring from a second material that is different from the first material.
12. The method defined in claim 8 wherein said step (a) includes providing the yoke from an aluminum alloy material, and wherein said step (c) includes providing the ring from a steel alloy material.
13. The method defined in claim 8 wherein said step (c) includes securing the ring to the body portion of the yoke in a press fit relationship.
14. The method defined in claim 8 wherein said step (d) includes securing the balance weight to the ring by welding.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A power semiconductor module comprising:
a housing; and
at least one substrate carrier with a circuit arrangement formed thereon and electrical connection elements extending from said circuit arrangement;
wherein said at least one substrate carrier has at least one continuous cutout which reaches from an inner main surface thereof, which inner surface faces the interior of the power semiconductor module to an outer main surface of said substrate carrier and the clear width of which cutout, at its inner main surface, is smaller than its clear width on its outer main surface; and
wherein said housing has, in the region of said substrate carrier, at least one extension which extends into a respective cutout in said at least one substrate carrier and is capable of forming a riveted connection therewith.
2. The power semiconductor module of claim 1,
wherein said substrate carrier is formed as a surface-refined copper plate, and arranged on said inner main surface thereof is a power electronic circuit arrangement that is electrically insulated from said copper plate.
3. The power semiconductor module of claim 1,
wherein said substrate carrier is arranged in a recess of said housing and is laterally enclosed thereby.
4. The power semiconductor module of claim 1,
wherein said riveted connection of said housing to said substrate carrier is formed so that said cutout is closed off sufficiently tightly to prevent the substantial outflowing of the interior space of the power semiconductor module with a potting compound.
5. The power semiconductor module of claim 1,
wherein said extension is formed integrally with said housing and said recess has an elastic seal formed circumferentially and in a direction towards said inner main surface of said substrate carrier.
6. The power semiconductor module of claim 1,
wherein at least one said electrical connection element is a spring contact device.
7. The power semiconductor module of claim 1,
wherein said cutout is formed in the shape of a truncated cone with its base at said outer main surface.