Nissan Motor Company Limited

Taisuke Kizu

Koichi Takahashi

Nobuteru Hitomi

Kazuo Arita

Hirotugu Honchi

A constant velocity universal joint comprises an outer joint element having grooves on its spherical inner surface. An inner joint element is positioned within the outer joint element and is provided with grooves on its spherical outer surface to form pairs of opposed grooves with the grooves on the outer joint element. A ball is positioned in every pair of opposed grooves and a cage disposed between the two joint elements retains the balls in a plane perpendicular to the axis of the cage. The cage is guided within the outer joint element by a spherical surface on the outer face of the cage and is guided with respect to the inner joint element by a spherical surface on the inner face of the cage. To facilitate assembly in the joint without weakening structural strength of the cage, the cage is provided with transverse notches or grooves in two diagonal positions. Each groove is formed at a ball aperture and has a width and a depth so as to be capable of receiving a ridge between adjacent grooves on the outer joint element.

Constant velocity universal joint

A sliding constant velocity universal joint comprises an annular outer joint member with a polygonal bore within which a ball retaining cage is guided.

Sliding constant velocity universal joint

A sliding constant velocity universal joint comprises an annular outer joint member having an axially extending portions interconnecting the adjacent two grooves of the outer member. Every axially extending portion makes a line-to-line contact with spherical outer surface portion of a ball retaining cage to provide two spaces on the opposite sides of the contacting portion of the axially extending portion.

A constant velocity universal joint comprises an outer member with an axial bore therethrough, a ball retaining cage within the axial bore and having first and second part-spherical outer surface portions which have the centers of curvature offset by an equal amount on opposite sides of the joint center along the joint axis, and inner member within the cage and restraining means having a part-spherical inner surface portion which engages the second part-spherical outer surface portion of the cage to assist in preventing relative movement between the cage and inner member in at least one direction.

A cage having spherical inner and outer surfaces with their respective center points of curvature offset from joint center point to the opposite sides of same.

Growing community of inventors

Fujisawa, Japan

Taisuke Kizu