Patent ID: 6186899
Filing Date: 2001-02-13
Classification: F16D

Abstract:
A torque transmitting constant velocity joint comprising an outer joint member having a plurality of longitudinal grooves equally spaced around the joint axis, an inner joint member having an equal plurality of longitudinal grooves equally spaced around the joint axis, a plurality of balls each retained in one of the longitudinal grooves of the outer joint member and one of the longitudinal grooves of the inner joint member, a cage having cage windows with each of the balls further retained within one of the cage windows, the balls thus being constrained by the grooves of the inner and outer joint members and the cage to remain in alignment in a plane which bisects an angle between planes normal to the rotational axes of the outer and inner members with variations in joint angle therebetween, the balls defining ball centered positions at a ball center radius from the joint axis when the joint angle is zero and each of the grooves defining ball centered points of contact with each of its associated grooves when its associated ball is in its ball centered position, each of the longitudinal grooves of the outer joint member on the inner side of its ball centered points of contact and each of the longitudinal grooves of the inner joint member on the outer side of its ball centered points of contact having a radial profile providing a ratio of the ball center radius to the maximum ball movement radially inward from the ball center radius of 45 or greater at a joint angle of 46 degrees, and the radial profiles of each of the longitudinal grooves of the outer joint members and the inner joint members retaining a ball varying in distance from the joint center through their ball centered points of contact so as to create a minimum funnel angle at the ball centered position.