Gkn Automotive Ag

Lohr & Bromkamp Gmbh

Gkn Driveline Deutschland Gmbh

Volker Bergmann

Norbert Hofmann

Michael Ricks

Hans-Heinrich Welschof

Peter Schwarzler

Hans Wormsbaecher

Dieter Burghardt

Frank Braun

Joachim Prölss

A homokinetic rotary ball joint in the form of a plunging joint is described. The joint comprises a joint outer partwith outer first ball tracksand with outer second ball tracks, the outer second ball tracksintersecting a joint mid-axis A when the joint is aligned; a joint inner partwith inner first ball tracksand with inner second ball tracks, the inner second ball tracksintersecting the joint mid-axis A when the joint is aligned; first ballswhich are held in first pairs of tracks including, in each case, an outer first ball trackand of an inner first ball track; second ballswhich are held in second pairs of tracks including, in each case, an outer second ball trackand of an inner second ball track, in each case the outer and the inner ball trackof the second pairs of tracks intersecting one another; a ball cagewhich has, distributed circumferentially, cage windowsin which the first and the second ballsare held in a common plane; a second radial play formed between the second ballsand the second ball tracksis greater than a first radial play formed between the first ballsand the first ball tracks

Homokinetic plunging ball joint with low plunging forces

A tripode joint with an outer joint part which comprises three circumferentially distributed axis-parallel recesses forming circumferentially opposed tracks, and an inner joint part whose cross-section is star-shaped and which is provided with three circumferentially distributed arms which engage the recesses of the outer joint part, with the arms supporting roller assemblies each comprising a roller carrier and a roller, which by way of a needle bearing, is rotatably supported on the roller carrier, with the rollers being arranged relative to the respective arms so as to be axially movable relative to the arm axis and angularly movable relative to the arm axis; and with reference to the roller axis (B), there is provided only one mutually effective axial securing element between each roller carrier and the respective roller in the form of only one single securing ring which may be subjected to loads in both directions and which engages radially opposed first and second annular grooves in the inner face in the roller on the one hand and in the outer face of the roller carrier on the other hand.

Tripode joint with roller securing ring

A constant velocity universal joint of the tripod type has an outer joint part with three axially extending, circumferentially distributed longitudinal recesses with circumferentially distributed opposed tracks. The tracks have surfaces which are grooved so as to have the shape of a circular cylindrical portion. An inner joint part includes three radial circumferentially distributed arms each engaging one of the longitudinal recesses and carrying roller assemblies having roller carriers and roller elements. The roller elements have running faces in the shape of a spherical portion and are axially guided so as to roll on the tracks in the longitudinal recesses of the outer joint part. The roller carriers are guided on the arms so as to be pivotable and longitudinally movable relative to the respective arm axis. The roller elements are coaxially supported on the roller carriers so as to be rotatable, with the roller assemblies consisting of the roller carriers and roller elements, to prevent them from tilting relative to the outer joint part, are supported on the base of the recesses and on longitudinally extending guiding shoulder faces of the outer joint part which radially inwardly adjoin the tracks, with the roller elements, on their respective radial insides, each including an annular shoulder face which adjoins the running face in the shape of a spherical portion and which provides the supporting contact between the respective roller assembly and the guiding shoulder faces.

Constant velocity universal joint

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Stockstadt, Germany

Volker Bergmann