Patent ID: 7717794

Claim:
A longitudinal plunging unit for transmitting torque in a shaft assembly, comprising: a profiled sleeve with circumferentially distributed, longitudinally extending first ball grooves; a profiled journal which comprises a first portion with circumferentially distributed, longitudinally extending second ball grooves with ball groove run-outs, and an axially adjoining second portion; balls which are arranged in groups in pairs of first ball grooves and second ball grooves; a ball cage arranged radially between the profiled sleeve and the profiled journal and fixing the balls in their axial position relative to one another, wherein the ball cage is displaceable, relative to the profiled journal, between axial stops arranged at a distance from one another; and an abutment sleeve on the profiled journal and abutting the profiled journal or a component connected thereto to delimit the displacement path of the ball cage towards the second portion, wherein the abutment sleeve abuts the profiled journal or the component connected thereto with an axial distance from the ball groove run-outs in a region of the second portion of the profiled journal, wherein the abutment sleeve abuts the profiled journal or the component connected thereto with an axial distance from the ball groove run-outs in a region of the second portion of the profiled journal, wherein the abutment sleeve comprises an inner diameter which is greater than a greatest outer diameter of the first portion of the profiled journal.