Patent ID: 8523687
Filing Date: 2013-09-03
Classification: F16D

Abstract:
1. A joint comprising: an inner hub having a longitudinal axis and inner ball tracks, an outer hub having a longitudinal axis and outer ball tracks, said outer ball tracks being associated in pairs with respective inner ball tracks of the inner hub; a cage disposed between the inner hub and the outer hub and having apertures distributed around its periphery, and balls disposed in the apertures of the cage and in respective pairs of associated inner and outer ball tracks and held in a plane by the cage; wherein: tangential planes at the contact points of the balls with the inner ball tracks and the outer ball tracks form an angle of inclination; each of the inner ball tracks and each of the outer ball tracks has an active section in which the balls move; at least the active sections of the inner ball tracks exhibit a curvature that changes substantially continuously along the longitudinal axis of the inner hub; at least the active sections of the outer ball tracks exhibit a curvature that changes substantially continuously along the longitudinal axis of the outer hub, and the curvature of the active sections of the inner ball tracks and the curvature of the active sections of the outer ball tracks are configured and adapted to each other in such a way that the angle of inclination is substantially constant at least between a totally extended state of the joint and a maximally bent state of the joint, at least the active sections of the inner ball tracks are without a lateral offset and are in alignment with the longitudinal axis of the inner hub, and at least the active sections of the outer ball tracks each are without a lateral offset are in alignment with the longitudinal axis of the outer hub.