Patent ID: 6764406
Filing Date: 2004-07-20
Classification: F16D,Y10S

Abstract:
A constant velocity joint comprising:a hollow housing having an opening at one end, an inner face of the housing being provided with three guide grooves extending in an axial direction of the housing and being spaced apart equally in a circumferential direction, each groove having a pair of side faces opposed to each other, extending in the axial direction, and a bottom portion connecting the side faces; a tripod having three trunnions positioned in the grooves of the housing with each of the trunnions extending radially along respective trunnion axes, the trunnions being spaced apart equally in a circumferential direction and having end portions defining partially spherical outer surfaces with a trunnion centerline passing through a center of each of the end portions wherein the trunnion centerline is perpendicular to each of the respective trunnion axes; inner rollers mounted to the end portions of respective trunnions with each of the inner rollers having a partially spherical inner face defining an inner diameter and a cylindrical outer surface, the spherical inner face of the inner rollers cooperating with the spherical outer surfaces of the trunnions such that the inner rollers may pivot freely on the respective outer surfaces of the trunnions; outer rollers mounted to respective outer surfaces of the inner rollers through needle bearings, the outer rollers having cylindrical inner surfaces and spherical outer faces, the cylindrical inner surfaces of the outer rollers mating with the respective cylindrical outer surfaces of the inner rollers through the needle bearings to allow relative sliding movement between the inner and outer rollers allow the trunnion axis and the outer faces of the outer rollers mating with the side faces of respective guide grooves; and a partial cylindrical face formed on each spherical outer surface of each trunnion with each cylindrical face having a diameter sized relative to the inner diameter of the inner rollers and inclined relative to both the trunnion centerline and the trunnion axis of each associated trunnion to present and expose the cylindrical face to the respective inner rollers to enable the inner rollers to be installed onto respective trunnions by aligning the inner rollers coaxially with the cylindrical faces and guiding the inner rollers axially over the diameter of the cylindrical faces into engagement with the trunnions.