Patent ID: 7892099

Claim:
A universal joint arrangement, comprising: a journal cross, supported in two joint yokes offset to one another by about 90° and in reflected arrangement to the plane of symmetry of the journal cross located perpendicular to the joint axis, each joint yoke comprising a flange part and two bearing parts; a bearing bore in each bearing part wherein the journals of the journal cross are supported in the bearing bores; at least one bearing arrangement for supporting each journal in the bearing bore, the bearing arrangement comprising a radial bearing and an axial bearing, wherein the axial bearing is a friction bearing comprising at least one axial friction bearing mold element that is at least indirectly supported by a connection element on the joint yoke to form a first friction pairing and on the journal cross to form a second friction pairing; first and second plane frontal areas on the axial friction bearing mold element, the second plane frontal area having at least one elevation region that forms a support region and at least one region outside of the support region, the support region forming a friction surface of the first or second friction pairing; wherein the support region of the axial friction bearing mold element is arranged in such a way that the support region rests on the connection element and elastically deflects when under active operational load of the universal joint arrangement, and wherein the regions outside of the support region are free from contact with the connection element in every load state, and wherein-the support region is arranged in the region of low relative axial movement of the connection element, while the regions outside of the support region are arranged in the region of greatest relative axial motion.