Gkn Automotive Gmbh

Gkn Driveline North America, Inc.

Joachim Proelss

Erik Harry Meyer

Theodore H Collins

Daniel Booker

A constant velocity joint for use with an automotive vehicle. The constant velocity joint includes an outer race and an inner race supported within the outer race. The constant velocity joint includes a cover, wherein that cover creates a barrier between a lubricant and the atmosphere. The constant velocity joint also includes a permeable membrane adjacent to the cover.

Venting solution for constant velocity joint

A propeller shaft assembly ( ) comprising a constant velocity universal joint ( ) including a hollow shaft ( ) and a connecting shaft ( ) is provided. The hollow shaft ( ) includes an outer joint part ( ) having an outer race surface ( ) that includes an outer forward portion ( ) and an outer rearward portion ( ). The connecting shaft ( ) includes an inner joint part ( ) having an inner race surface ( ) that includes an inner forward portion ( ) and an inner rearward portion ( ). The connecting shaft ( ) further includes a recessed surface portion ( ). A ball cage ( ) that has a plurality of torque transmitting balls ( ) is included. During a collision, the torque transmitting balls ( ) translate off said inner race surface ( ) and drop into the recessed surface portion ( ) allowing the connecting shaft ( ) to collapse into the hollow shaft ( ).

Long plunge VL joint

The invention relates constant velocity fixed universal joints A fixed constant-velocity ratio universal joint, comprising an outer joint part, an inner joint part, a ball cage and a plurality of balls. The ball cage is disposed between the inner and outer joint parts and includes windows in which respective balls are received and constrained such that their centers lie in a common plane. At least two opposing windows are wider than said outer joint part lands to accommodate receiving the lands during assembly. The cage includes substantially spherical inner and outer surfaces which engage the land surfaces on the inner and outer joint parts respectively. The ball cage also includes a relief groove between at least one pair of adjacent windows thereby providing a reduced circumference for the ball cage outer surface in the region of the groove. The groove is at least as wide as one of the outer joint part lands to accommodate introduction of the ball cage into the outer joint part when the ball cage is rotated about a transverse axis by 90&deg; with respect to the outer joint part axis during assembly.

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Rochester Hills, MI, United States of America

Joachim Proelss