Patent ID: 7806773

Claim:
A drive shaft comprising: (a) at least one hollow shaft section having at least one zone demonstrating a defined plastic deformation behavior; (b) at least one constant velocity joint comprising an inner hub comprising inner hub running tracks, an outer hub comprising outer hub running tracks, a cage disposed between the inner hub and the outer hub, and balls accommodated in the cage and engaged into the inner hub running tracks and the outer hub running tracks for transferring torque, the outer hub being connected with said at least one hollow shaft section; and (c) a lid sealing off the at least one constant velocity joint from the at least one hollow shaft section; wherein the lid and the at least one hollow shaft section are configured and disposed to resist penetration of the inner hub into the at least one hollow shaft section as a result of an axial force resulting from an accident acting on the inner hub, the lid having a projection facing the inner hub and defining a contact surface that allows an axial displacement of the inner hub and the outer hub with respect to each other as a result of the axial force and limits the axial displacement of the inner hub relative to the outer hub to a maximum value.