Patent ID: 6796906
Filing Date: 2004-09-28
Classification: F16D,Y10S,Y10T

Abstract:
A method of assembling a constant velocity universal ball joint comprising:providing an outer joint part (11) with outer ball tracks (15), an inner joint part (12) with inner ball tracks (16), torque transmitting balls (13) guided in pairs of tracks comprising one of said outer ball tracks (15) and one inner ball tracks (16), and an annular ball cage (17) held between the outer joint part (11) and the inner joint part (12) and having circumferentially distributed cage windows (18) each receiving one of the balls (13), the ball cage (17) comprising an inner face (23) which is internally widened between two end apertures (21, 22) of the ball cage, the end apertures 21, 22) defining an inner diameter (d1), the inner joint part (12) defining an outer diameter (d2) which is greater than the inner diameter (d1) of the end apertures (21, 22) of the ball cage, and wherein adjoining inner ball tracks (16) of the inner joint part (12) form webs (27) whose axial length (x) is greater than a circumferential extension (y) of the cage windows (18) of the ball cage (17); elastically ovalising the ball cage (17); and when respective axes of the ball cage (17) and of the inner joint part (12) intersect one another approximately perpendicularly upon contact between a web (271) of the inner joint part (12) and the inner face (23) of the ball cage (17), passing an opposed web (272) of the inner joint part (12) through an end aperture (21, 22).