Daimler Chrysler Ag

Juergen Henkel

Guenter Woerner

Rolf Schroeder

Peter Muenich

Andreas Kollmann

Stefan Weniger

Dietmar Rill

Birgit Neuwirth

Thomas Keller

A ball body is guided in a partially cylindrical hole into which a guide ring is inserted to secure it axially and to guide the pivoting movement. The tripod joint is suitable for the displaceable and pivotable driving connection of two shaft ends, in particular in conjunction with drive trains or side shafts of motor vehicles.

Tripod joint

Tripod joints have a joint outer part and a joint inner part which are in driving connection to each other with cylindrical rolling bodies being connected in between and axial displacement and pivotability being ensured. The longitudinal axes of adjacent rolling bodies are arranged at an acute angle to one another. This may result in an improved mechanical behavior of the tripod joint particularly during pivoting. The tripod joints may be suitable for the displaceable and pivotable driving connection of two shaft ends, in particular in conjunction with drive trains or side shafts of motor vehicles.

A drive train of a motor vehicle includes a power divider, a side shaft, a constant-velocity joint, an intermediate shaft, and a bearing unit. The intermediate shaft has first and second ends. The first end of the intermediate shaft is rotatably connected to the power divider and is mounted in the power divider with a first bearing, and the second end is located opposite the power divider and is connected to the side shaft via the constant-velocity joint. The bearing unit provides further mounting for the intermediate shaft between the first bearing and the constant-velocity joint. The bearing unit has a play oriented radially with respect to the intermediate shaft, and is able to exert a force oriented radially to the intermediate shaft on the intermediate shaft only after the play has been overcome.

Drive train of a motor vehicle and method of making a bearing unit

A tripod joints includes a joint outer part and a joint inner part. The joint inner part has a tripod star with ball pins, which transmits a drive torque from the joint inner part to the joint outer part via a pressure element and via rolling bodies which are arranged between the joint outer part and a running surface of the pressure element. The running surface of the pressure element is curved in the rolling direction of the rolling bodies. The force may be distributed more uniformly between the rolling bodies when large drive torques are intended to be transmitted. The tripod joint may be suitable for the displaceable and pivotable driving connection of two shaft ends, e.g., in conjunction with drive trains or half shafts of motor vehicles.

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Kernen, Germany

Juergen Henkel