The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jun. 13, 2000
Filed:
Dec. 04, 1998
Scott Jay Perrow, Saginaw, MI (US);
Steven Mark Thomas, Saginaw, MI (US);
General Motors Corporation, Detroit, MI (US);
Abstract
A tripod universal joint including a cup-shaped outer joint member having three inward facing longitudinal roller channels with opposite planar side walls, an inner joint member inside of the outer joint member having three radial trunnions in the three roller channels, three spherical inner rollers supported on the radial trunnions for rotation and for radial linear translation, and three outer rollers between the planar side walls of the roller channels supported on corresponding ones of the inner rollers for relative rotation and for relative universal articulation. The outer rollers are prevented from tipping in the roller channels by a cylindrical cage between the inner and outer joint members. The cylindrical cage consists of three arc-shaped cage segments supported on the outer joint member for independent linear translation each having a window therein for a corresponding one of the outer rollers. The window in each cage segment is defined by a pair of longitudinal runners and a pair of lateral retainers. The runners slide against the runners of adjacent cage segments and cooperate to prevent the cage segments from tipping. The lateral retainers bear against opposite sides of the outer rollers to prevent the outer rollers from tipping.