Cross groove type constant velocity joint with composite groove patterns

Abstract

A constant velocity joint for a drive system comprises: an outer joint member having a plurality of inwardly facing outer ball grooves, the outer ball grooves consisting of a first group of grooves and a second group of grooves with composite or non-linear groove pattern; an inner joint member disposed inside the outer joint member and having a plurality of outwardly facing inner ball grooves consisting of a first group of grooves and a second group of grooves with composite or non-linear groove pattern, each inner ball groove of the inner joint member being coupled with a corresponding outer ball groove of the outer joint member generally in crossed pair; and a cage having circumferentially displaced cage windows to accommodate a plurality of balls therein. The groove patterns of the ball grooves can be a combination of skewed grooves and non linear grooves, a combination of non linear of linear grooves and non linear grooves.

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         14 . A constant velocity joint for a drive system comprising:
 an outer joint member having a plurality of inwardly facing outer ball grooves, the outer ball grooves consisting of a first group of grooves, each groove of which having a continuously curved groove shape, and a second group of grooves, each groove of which having a continuously curved groove shape arranged in direction opposite to the groove of the first group of grooves;   an inner joint member disposed inside the outer joint member and having a plurality of outwardly facing inner ball grooves consisting of a first group of grooves, each groove of which having a continuously curved groove shape, and a second group of grooves, each groove of which having a continuously curved groove shape arranged in direction opposite to the groove of the first group of grooves, each inner ball groove of the inner joint member being coupled with a corresponding outer ball groove of the outer joint member generally in crossed pair;   a plurality of torque transfer balls which are guided by the ball groove faces of outer and inner joint member; and   a cage having circumferentially displaced windows to accommodate the balls therein.   
     
     
         15 . The constant velocity joint of  claim 14 , wherein the continuously curved groove shape of the first and second group of grooves of the outer and inner joint members is a circular shape with a radius and a skew angle other than zero at the center of the groove. 
     
     
         16 . The constant velocity joint of  claim 14 , wherein the first group of grooves of the outer and inner joint members, respectively, consist of four ball grooves displaced to one another with a phase angle of 90 degree, and the second group of grooves of the outer and inner joint members, respectively, consist of four ball grooves displaced to one another with a phase angle of 90 degree. 
     
     
         17 . The constant velocity joint of  claim 14 , wherein the number of the torque transfer balls is an even number. 
     
     
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