CONSTANT VELOCITY BALL JOINT WITH MULTIPLE-BALL CAGE WINDOW

• US 20200132128A1
• Filed: 10/28/2019
• Published: 04/30/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Neapco Intellectual Property Holdings, LLC
• Original Assignee: Neapco Intellectual Property Holdings, LLC
• Inventors: KRINGS, Dominik
• Granted Patent: US 11,353,065 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 2003/22303 Details of ball cages
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 2003/22306 having counter tracks, i.e. ball track surfaces which diverge in opposite directions
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 2003/22309 Details of grooves
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 3/223 the rolling members being guided in grooves in both coupling parts

Abstract

A constant velocity joint includes an outer joint portion with a first longitudinal axis, a first attaching end, an aperture end and outer ball tracks on an inner circumferential surface, an inner joint portion with a second longitudinal axis, a second attaching end, an inner face facing towards the outer joint portion and inner ball tracks on its outer circumferential surface, balls for torque transmission between the outer and inner joint portions, an annular ball cage between the outer and inner joint portions with several cage windows in which the balls are guided. The inner and outer joint portions are arranged so that one outer ball track and one inner ball track are in each case arranged opposite to each other to form three different types of track pairs to receive one respective balls. The balls have different controlling behaviors due to different track geometries.

Claims

1. A constant velocity joint comprising:

an outer joint portion comprising a first longitudinal axis, a first attaching end, an aperture end, and outer ball tracks which are arranged on an inner circumferential surface, the first attaching end and the aperture end being arranged axially opposite to each other;

an inner joint portion comprising a second longitudinal axis, a second attaching end, an inner face which is arranged to face towards the outer joint portion, and inner ball tracks which are arranged on an outer circumferential surface, the second attaching end and the inner face being arranged axially opposite to each other;

a plurality of balls to transmit torque between the outer joint portion and the inner joint portion; and

an annular ball cage arranged between the inner joint portion and the outer joint portion, the annular ball cage comprising cage windows which are arranged in a circumferential direction, the plurality of balls being guided in the cage windows,

wherein,

the inner joint portion and the outer joint portion are arranged so that one of the outer ball tracks and one of the inner ball tracks are in each case arranged opposite to each other so as to form three different types of track pairs comprising a first type of track pair, a second type of track pair, and a third type of track pair, each of which are configured to receive one of the plurality of balls,

when the constant velocity joint is bent, the plurality of balls each run along an outer center line prescribed by the respectively associated outer ball track and defined by a center of a respective ball of the plurality of balls and along an inner center line prescribed by the respectively associated inner ball track and defined by the center of the respective ball of the plurality of balls,

the plurality of balls are guided by the annular ball cage so that, when the constant velocity joint is straightened, the respective centers of the plurality of balls are guided by the annular ball cage in a common joint center plane which, when the constant velocity joint is straightened, is perpendicular to the first longitudinal axis and to the second longitudinal axis and, when the constant velocity joint is bent, corresponds to an angle-bisecting plane between the first longitudinal axis and to the second longitudinal axis,

a position of the constant velocity joint creates an opening angle which is defined by an outer tangent to the outer center line in an intersection point thereof with the joint center plane and by an inner tangent to the inner center line in the intersection point thereof with the joint center plane,

at least in a straightened position of the constant velocity joint,

the opening angle for the first type of the track pairs opens toward the first attaching end,

the opening angle for the second type of the track pairs opens toward the aperture end, and

the opening angle for the third type of the track pairs is less than each of the opening angle for the first type of track pairs and the opening angle for second type of track pairs, and

the annular ball cage comprises at least one cage window in which are arranged together at least one ball of the plurality of balls associated with the first type of track pairs, at least one ball of the plurality of balls associated with the second type of track pairs, and at least one ball of the plurality of balls associated with the third type of track pairs.

2. The constant velocity joint as recited by claim 1, wherein each of the at least one cage windows is provided as a multiple-ball cage window.

3. The constant velocity joint as recited in claim 2, wherein an angular distance in the circumferential direction between balls of the plurality of balls which are most closely adjacent to each other in each multiple-ball cage window that is the largest possible for all bent positions is smaller than the angular distance of the outermost balls of the plurality of balls in two most closely adjacent multiple-ball cage windows.

4. The constant velocity joint as recited in claim 2, wherein the balls of the plurality of balls which are arranged circumferentially outermost in each multiple-ball cage window are associated with the first type of track pairs or with the second type of track pairs.

5. The constant velocity joint as recited in claim 1, wherein the opening angle associated with the third type of track pairs is 0°

in the straightened position.

6. The constant velocity joint as recited in claim 1, wherein the opening angle associated with the third type of track pairs is 0°

in all possible bent positions.

7. The constant velocity joint as recited in claim 1, wherein,

the outer center line and the inner center line associated with the respective outer ball tracks and inner ball tracks of the third type of track pairs are each defined by a circle, and

a center associated with the respective circle is in each case positioned on the joint center plane.

8. The constant velocity joint as recited in claim 1, wherein the plurality of balls, with respect to their association in the three different types of track pairs, are disposed alternatingly in a regular sequence in the circumferential direction.

9. The constant velocity joint as recited in claim 1, wherein for the first type of track pairs, for the second type of the track pairs, and for an associated ball of the plurality of balls moving along a course of the respective outer center line and the inner center line, the associated opening angle changes continuously with respect to its absolute value when the constant velocity joint is maximally bent and rotating.

10. The constant velocity joint as recited in claim 1, wherein for the first type of track pairs, for the second type of the track pairs, and for an associated ball of the plurality of balls moving along a course of the respective outer center line and the inner center line, the associated opening angle maintains a respective direction of its opening when the constant velocity joint is maximally bent and rotating.

11. The constant velocity joint as recited in claim 1, wherein for at least one of the first type of track pairs, the second type of track pairs and the third types of the track pairs, and for an associated ball of the plurality of balls moving along a course of the respective outer center line and the inner center line, the associated opening angle changes a direction of its opening at least once when the constant velocity joint is maximally bent and rotating.

12. The constant velocity joint as recited in claim 1, wherein,

the inner center line and the outer center line associated with the respective outer ball track and inner ball track of the first type of ball track pair and the second types of track pair are each described by a curvature at least in portions,

for the first type of track pairs, a center of curvature describing the curvature of the outer center line is positioned offset relative to the joint center plane in a direction towards the first attaching end, and a center of curvature describing the curvature of the inner center line is positioned offset relative to the joint center plane in a direction towards the second attaching end, and

for the second type of track pairs, a center of curvature describing the curvature of the outer center line is positioned offset relative to the joint center plane in the direction towards the aperture end, and a center of curvature describing the curvature of the inner center line is positioned offset relative to the joint center plane in the direction towards the inner face.

13. The constant velocity joint as recited in claim 1, wherein,

each outer center line is configured to extend in a radial plane of the first longitudinal axis, and

each inner center line is configured to extend in a radial plane of the second longitudinal axis.