Patent ID: 7025683

Claim:
A constant velocity fixed ball joint ( 31 , 51 , 71 ) comprising: an outer joint part ( 32 , 52 , 72 ) having a first longitudinal axis and outer tracks ( 33 , 53 , 73 ) extending in the longitudinal direction; an inner joint part ( 34 , 54 , 74 ) having a second longitudinal axis and inner tracks ( 35 , 55 , 75 ) extending in the longitudinal direction, the outer tracks and inner tracks forming sets of tracks, with a torque transmitting ball ( 38 , 56 , 78 ) being guided in each set of tracks, the outer tracks and inner tracks each comprising curved center lines, with the center lines of the individual sets of tracks intersecting one another in a central joint plane (E 2 , E 3 , E 4 ) positioned normally relative to the longitudinal axes when the longitudinal axes are aligned; and, a ball cage ( 36 , 56 , 76 ) accommodating the balls ( 38 , 58 , 78 ) in circumferentially distributed cage windows ( 37 , 57 , 77 ) and, when the joint is articulated, guiding the balls on to an angle-bisecting plane between the longitudinal axes, wherein the cage windows ( 37 , 57 , 77 ) each accommodate only pairs ( 38 1 , 38 2 ) of balls and, when the joint ( 31 , 51 , 71 ) is aligned, in the central joint plane (E 2 , E 3 , E 4 , a first angular distance (α 1 ) of the balls within the individual pairs ( 38 1 , 38 2 ) of balls is smaller than a second angular distance (α 2 ) between balls associated with pairs adjoining one another and the ratio of the first and second angular distances (α 1 ), (α 2 ) ranges between 1.2 and 1.8, and wherein the center lines of the sets of tracks of the pairs ( 38 1 , 38 2 ) of balls extend in planes which extend parallel relative to one another, and wherein the joint is provided with four pairs of balls.