Fixed constant velocity universal joint

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10837498-B2
Application number	US-201615761594-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 7, 2016
Priority date	Sep 24, 2015
Publication date	Nov 17, 2020
Grant date	Nov 17, 2020

Abstract

In a fixed type constant velocity universal joint according to the present invention, six torque transmitting ball tracks ( 20 ) are defined as a first track, a second track, a third track, a fourth track, a fifth track, and a sixth track along a circumferential direction. Further, in the fixed type constant velocity universal joint according to the present invention, an axial offset amount of a curvature center of each of track grooves ( 12 ) of an outer joint member ( 13 ) and an axial offset amount of a curvature center of each of track grooves ( 15 ) of an inner joint member ( 16 ) are set to 0. Further, in the fixed type constant velocity universal joint according to the present invention, the track grooves ( 12 ) of the outer joint member ( 13 ) and the track grooves ( 15 ) of the inner joint member ( 16 ) are each inclined with respect to an axis line.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A fixed type constant velocity universal joint comprising:
an outer joint member having a plurality of track grooves formed in an inner spherical surface thereof;
an inner joint member having a plurality of track grooves, which are paired with the track grooves of the outer joint member, formed in an outer spherical surface thereof;
a plurality of torque transmission balls, which are arrayed in a plurality of torque transmitting ball tracks that are each formed by one of the track grooves of the outer joint member and a corresponding one of the track grooves of the inner joint member; and
a cage, which is interposed between the inner spherical surface of the outer joint member and the outer spherical surface of the inner joint member, and is configured to retain the plurality of torque transmission balls,
wherein the plurality of torque transmitting ball tracks comprise six torque transmitting ball tracks, which are defined as a first track, a second track, a third track, a fourth track, a fifth track, and a sixth track along a circumferential direction,
wherein an axial offset amount of a curvature center of each of the plurality of track grooves of the outer joint member and an axial offset amount of a curvature center of each of the plurality of track grooves of the inner joint member is set to 0,
wherein the plurality of track grooves of the outer joint member and the plurality of track grooves of the inner joint member are each inclined with respect to an axis line, and
wherein, in each of the plurality of torque transmitting ball tracks, the one of the plurality of track grooves of the outer joint member and the corresponding one of the plurality of track grooves of the inner joint member, which are opposed to each other, are inclined with respect to the axis line in opposite directions so that inclination angles of the plurality of torque transmitting ball tracks adjacent to each other in the circumferential direction are set to be different from each other, by which a spherical surface width on a side of the inner joint member on which the track grooves are closely adjacent to each other is larger as compared to a configuration in which the inclination angles are not set to be different from each other.

2. The fixed type constant velocity universal joint according to claim 1 ,
wherein the curvature center of each of the plurality of track grooves of the outer joint member is offset with respect to a curvature center of the inner spherical surface of the outer joint member in a radial direction, and
wherein the curvature center of each of the plurality of track grooves of the inner joint member is offset with respect to a curvature center of the outer spherical surface of the inner joint member in the radial direction.

3. A fixed type constant velocity universal joint comprising:
an outer joint member having a plurality of track grooves formed in an inner spherical surface thereof;
an inner joint member having a plurality of track grooves, which are paired with the track grooves of the outer joint member, formed in an outer spherical surface thereof;
a plurality of torque transmission balls, which are arrayed in a plurality of torque transmitting ball tracks that are each formed by one of the track grooves of the outer joint member and a corresponding one of the track grooves of the inner joint member; and
a cage, which is interposed between the inner spherical surface of the outer joint member and the outer spherical surface of the inner joint member, and is configured to retain the plurality of torque transmission balls,
wherein the plurality of torque transmitting ball tracks comprise six torque transmitting ball tracks, which are defined as a first track, a second track, a third track, a fourth track, a fifth track, and a sixth track along a circumferential direction,
wherein an axial offset amount of a curvature center of each of the plurality of track grooves of the outer joint member and an axial offset amount of a curvature center of each of the plurality of track grooves of the inner joint member is set to 0,
wherein the plurality of track grooves of the outer joint member and the plurality of track grooves of the inner joint member are each inclined with respect to an axis line,
wherein, in each of the plurality of torque transmitting ball tracks, the one of the plurality of track grooves of the outer joint member and the corresponding one of the plurality of track grooves of the inner joint member, which are opposed to each other, are inclined with respect to the axis line in opposite directions so that inclination angles of the plurality of torque transmitting ball tracks adjacent to each other in the circumferential direction are set to be different from each other, and
wherein, when crossing angles being the inclination angles of the first track, the third track, and the fifth track are set to be the same and are each defined as γ 1 , and crossing angles being the inclination angles of the second track, the fourth track, and the sixth track are set to be the same and are each defined as γ 2 , a relationship of γ 1 >γ 2 is satisfied.

4. The fixed type constant velocity universal joint according to claim 3 , wherein the crossing angle γ 1 of each of the first track, the third track, and the fifth track is set to satisfy a relationship of 8°≤γ1≤20°.

5. The fixed type constant velocity universal joint according to claim 4 , wherein the crossing angle γ 1 of each of the first track, the third track, and the fifth track, and the crossing angle γ 2 of each of the second track, the fourth track, and the sixth track are set to satisfy a relationship of 4°≤γ 2 ≤γ 1 .

6. The fixed type constant velocity universal joint according claim 4 , wherein each of the plurality of torque transmitting balls and each of the plurality of track grooves of the inner and outer joint members are held in angular contact with each other at a contact angle of from 30° to 45°.

7. The fixed type constant velocity universal joint according to claim 4 ,
wherein the curvature center of each of the plurality of track grooves of the outer joint member is offset with respect to a curvature center of the inner spherical surface of the outer joint member in a radial direction, and
wherein the curvature center of each of the plurality of track grooves of the inner joint member is offset with respect to a curvature center of the outer spherical surface of the inner joint member in the radial direction.

8. The fixed type constant velocity universal joint according to claim 3 , wherein the crossing angle γ 1 of each of the first track, the third track, and the fifth track, and the crossing angle γ 2 of each of the second track, the fourth track, and the sixth track are set to satisfy a relationship of 4°≤γ 2 ≤γ 1 .

9. The fixed type constant velocity universal joint according claim 8 , wherein each of the plurality of torque transmitting balls and each of the plurality of track grooves of the inner and outer joint members are held in angular contact with each other at a contact angle of from 30° to 45°.

10. The fixed type constant velocity universal joint according to claim 8 ,
wherein the curvature center of each of the plurality of track grooves of the outer joint member is offset with respect to a curvature center of the inner spherical surface of the outer joint member in a radial direction, and
wherein the curvature center of each of the plurality of track grooves of the inner joint member is offset with respect to a curvature center of the outer spherical surface of the inner joint member in the radial direction.

11. The fixed type constant velocity universal join

Assignees

• Ntn Toyo Bearing Co Ltd

Inventors

• Fujio Teruaki

Classifications

• F16D2003/22309

  Details of grooves · CPC title

• F16D3/2245

  where the groove centres are offset from the joint centre · CPC title

• F16D3/2265

  the joints being non-telescopic · CPC title

• Y10S464/906

  Torque transmitted via radially spaced balls · CPC title

• F16D3/224 Primary

  the groove centre-lines in each coupling part lying on a sphere · CPC title