Patent ID: 7189162

Claim:
A universal joint comprising: a yoke having a leg segment defining an aperture; a cruciform having a trunnion positioned within said aperture in said leg segment, said trunnion having an end surface and a lubricant passage communicating with said end surface; a plurality of rollers positioned to surround said trunnion; a thrust washer having a disk segment defining a central aperture and a tubular segment extending from said disk segment so as to generally surround said central aperture, said disk segment engaging said end surface of said trunnion, and said tubular segment having a cylindrical side wall and an end wall defining an aperture permitting lubricant in said lubricant passage to communicate with said central aperture, said tubular segment having a plurality of axially extending and circumferentially spaced apart slots extending through said cylindrical side wall; and a bearing cup having an end segment engaging said disk segment of said thrust washer and a cylindrical segment surrounding said rollers.