Patent ID: 7597628

Claim:
A transmission joint, comprising: first and second drive shafts ( 3 , 1 ), the first drive shaft having a multilobed element arranged to engage the second drive shaft to create an articulated mechanical connection between the first and second drive shafts; and an elastic socket ( 6 ) connecting the two shafts, the elastic socket comprising: first and second ends, the first end arranged with respect to the two drive shafts so that the first end overlies the multilobed element of the first drive shaft; a wall disposed at the first end of the elastic socket, the wall having alternating regions of relatively greater and lesser thickness, the regions of greater thickness defining socket lobes; a tightening collar arranged to surround the wall and apply a compression force to an outside face of the wall; wherein the socket and the first drive shaft are constructed and arranged so that when the socket is installed so that the wall surrounds the multilobed element of the first drive shaft, and without the compression force of the tightening collar applied, the outside face of the wall is non-circular, such that the socket lobes of relatively greater thickness further form bulges in the outside face that outwardly extend a greater distance from a longitudinal axis of the socket than the outside face at the regions of lesser thickness to balance tightening forces among the regions of alternating greater and lesser thickness.