Patent ID: 7448951

Claim:
A universal joint comprising: a first joint yoke and a second joint yoke having respective base portions that are centered on respective longitudinal axes, each of the joint yokes having two yoke arms that are attached on the respective base portions and are off-set in opposite directions from the longitudinal axis, each of the yoke arms ending in a free end and having an inner face facing toward the longitudinal axis and an outer face facing away from the inner face, each of the yoke arms having a circular cylindrical bearing bore extending between the outer face and the inner face, the bearing bores being arranged on a common axis intersecting the longitudinal axis at a right angle, the inner face of each of the yoke arms having a first recess that is open toward the free end and that ends in the corresponding bearing bore, and a journal cross assembly including a journal cross having four circular cylindrical trunnions arranged at right angles toward each other, each trunnion supporting a bearing bushing having a cylindrical envelope face and a cylindrical bore, the bearing bushings being supported on the trunnions by rolling members, wherein the envelope face, in the area of the first recess, has a first support-free portion and, diametrically to the first support-free portion, a second support-free portion that is provided between the bearing bushing and the corresponding bearing bore, wherein the envelope face is supported in the bearing bore by circumferential support portions that are oriented transversely relative to the longitudinal axis and that are provided between the first and second support-free portions, each support portion extending over an angle around the circumference of at least 90° around the axis of the bearing bore.