Constant velocity joint

A constant velocity joint comprising:

• an outer joint member having an open end and a longitudinal axis;
• an inner joint member disposed in said outer joint member for relative angular movement;
• a plurality of circumferentially spaced aligned ball grooves formed in said inner and outer joint members;
• a plurality of torque-transmitting balls one each disposed in each of said aligned ball grooves of said inner and outer joint members;
• a cage disposed between said inner and outer joint members and having a plurality of windows in each of which is received an associated one of said plurality of said balls, said grooves and said windows restraining movement of said balls to maintain said balls in a common ball plane passing through said axis of said outer joint member and defining a centerpoint of angulation of said outer and inner joint members, said balls defining ball centered positions at a ball center radius from a joint axis when said outer and inner joint members are at a zero joint angle and said grooves defining ball centered points of contact with each of its associated ball when said associated ball is in said ball centered position;
• and
• said ball grooves of said outer joint member having a radial profile including at least one arcuate section defined by a polynomial curve having a slope at a point lying in said ball plane at said zero joint angle of between 6 and 10 degrees and providing a ratio of said ball centered radius to a maximum ball movement of said balls radially inwardly from said ball center radius of at least 30 at a joint angle of 46 degrees.

A constant velocity joint comprising:

• an outer joint member having an open end and a longitudinal axis;
• an inner joint member disposed in said outer joint member for relative angular movement;
• a plurality of circumferentially spaced aligned ball grooves formed in said inner and outer joint members;
• a plurality of torque-transmitting balls one each disposed in each of said aligned ball grooves of said inner and outer joint members;
• a cage disposed between said inner and outer joint members and having a plurality of windows in each of which is received an associated one of said plurality of said balls, said grooves and said windows restraining movement of said balls to maintain said balls in a common ball plane passing through said axis of said outer joint member and defining a centerpoint of angulation of said outer and inner joint members, said balls defining ball centered positions at a ball center radius from a joint axis when said outer and inner joint members are at a zero joint angle and said grooves defining ball centered points of contact with each of its associated ball when said associated ball is in said ball centered position;
• and
• said ball grooves of said outer joint member having a radial profile including a first arcuate section having a radial center lying on said longitudinal axis of said outer joint member and offset axially from said center point of said joint, and a second arcuate section having a radial center spaced radially from said radial center of said first arcuate section and providing a ratio of said ball centered radius to a maximum ball movement of said balls radially inwardly from said ball center radius of at least 30 at a joint angle of 46 degrees.