# US 2019/0345984 A1 · Homokinetic Joint > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2019/0345984 A1 - Document ID: US20190345984A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 16/398,737 - Filed: 2019-04-30 - Published: 2019-11-14 - Earliest claimed: 2018-05-08 - Assignees: Airbus Operations GmbH - Applicants: Airbus Operations GmbH - Inventors: Hermann Benthien; Andreas Poppe - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20190345984A1 ## CPC - F16D 3/34: parts being connected by ridges, pins, balls, or the like guided in grooves or between cogs - F16D 3/46: each coupling part embracing grooves or ridges on the intermediate member - F16C 11/0652: {combined with a damper other than elastic linings} - F16D 3/224: the groove centre-lines in each coupling part lying on a sphere - F16D: COUPLINGS FOR TRANSMITTING ROTATION; CLUTCHES; BRAKES - F16C: SHAFTS; FLEXIBLE SHAFTS; ELEMENTS OR CRANKSHAFT MECHANISMS; ROTARY BODIES OTHER THAN GEARING ELEMENTS; BEARINGS ## Abstract A homokinetic joint includes a joint socket shaft having a joint socket flange; a housing nut, which surrounds the joint socket shaft and has an internal thread; a joint head shaft, which has an external thread, wherein the external thread is of complementary design to the internal thread of the housing nut, wherein the joint socket shaft can be pivoted in a first pivoting direction and in a second pivoting direction relative to the joint head shaft; and a torsion disc between the joint socket shaft and the joint head shaft for transmitting torsional loads between the joint socket shaft and the joint head shaft; wherein a respective ball bearing is formed between the housing nut and the joint socket flange, between the joint socket flange and the torsion disc, and between the torsion disc and the joint head shaft. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A homokinetic joint comprising: a joint socket shaft having a joint socket flange, the joint socket flange having an at least partially spherical-convex flange surface and an at least partially spherical-concave flange surface, wherein a flange guide track is arranged on the spherical-concave flange surface and is aligned in a first pivoting direction; a housing nut having an at least partially spherical-concave nut surface surrounding the joint socket shaft and having an internal thread; a joint head shaft having an at least partially spherical-convex head surface and an external thread, wherein the external thread is of complementary design to the internal thread of the housing nut, wherein a head guide track is arranged on the spherical-convex head surface and is aligned in a second pivoting direction, wherein the joint socket shaft is configured to be pivoted in the first pivoting direction along the flange guide track and in the second pivoting direction along the head guide track relative to the joint head shaft; and a torsion disc having an at least partially spherical-convex disc surface, on which the joint socket flange is seated via the spherical-concave flange surface, and an at least partially spherical-concave disc surface, via which the torsion disc is seated on the spherical-convex head surface of the joint head shaft, wherein a first torsion disc guide track is arranged on the spherical-convex disc surface and is aligned in the first pivoting direction, wherein a second torsion disc guide track is arranged on the spherical-concave disc surface and is aligned in the second pivoting direction, wherein the flange guide track is configured to engage in the first torsion disc guide track, and the second torsion disc guide track is configured to be engage in the head guide track in order to transmit torsional loads between the joint socket shaft and the joint head shaft, wherein a respective ball bearing is formed between the spherical-concave nut surface of the housing nut and the spherical-convex flange surface of the joint socket flange, between the spherical-concave flange surface of the joint socket flange and the spherical-convex disc surface of the torsion disc, and between the spherical-concave disc surface (8a) of the torsion disc and the spherical-convex head surface of the joint head shaft. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The joint according to claim 1, wherein the spherical-convex flange surface is formed with a multiplicity of first ball receptacles, wherein, in each first ball receptacle, a ball is enclosed between the spherical-concave nut surface and the spherical-convex flange surface to form the ball bearing. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The joint according to claim 2, wherein at least three first ball receptacles are formed. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The joint according to claim 2, wherein the first ball receptacles are arranged around the joint socket flange at regular azimuthal intervals. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The joint according to claim 1, wherein the spherical-concave flange surface and the spherical-convex disc surface are formed with a multiplicity of second ball receptacles, which are each situated opposite one another in pairs, wherein, in each pair of second ball receptacles, a ball is enclosed between the spherical-concave flange surface and the spherical-convex disc surface to form the ball bearing, and/or wherein the spherical-concave disc surface and the spherical-convex head surface are formed with a multiplicity of third ball receptacles, which are each situated opposite one another in pairs, wherein, in each pair of third ball receptacles, a ball is enclosed between the spherical-concave disc surface and the spherical-convex head surface to form the ball bearing. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The joint according to claim 5, wherein at least four pairs of second ball receptacles and/or at least four pairs of third ball receptacles are formed. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The joint according to claim 5, wherein the pair of second ball receptacles and/or third ball receptacles each have a peripheral load transmission edge for transmitting torsional loads by the respective ball. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The joint according to claim 7, wherein the load transmission edge is of right-angled design. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The joint according to claim 7, wherein at least two pairs of second ball receptacles in each case are configured for transmitting torsional loads in a direction of rotation and at least two pairs of second ball receptacles in each case are configured for transmitting torsional loads counter to the direction of rotation, and/or wherein at least two pairs of third ball receptacles in each case are configured for transmitting torsional loads in a direction of rotation and at least two pairs of third ball receptacles are configured for transmitting torsional loads counter to the direction of rotation. ### Claim 10 (depends on 7) The joint according to claim 7, wherein the pairs of second ball receptacles and/or third ball receptacles are arranged along the guide tracks and guide track edges of the guide tracks are in each case formed as load transmission edges. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The joint according to claim 1, wherein the joint socket flange and the joint head shaft are each formed with a transverse hole for the passage of a lubricant in a radial direction, wherein the joint socket flange, the torsion disc and the joint head shaft are each formed with an axial hole for the passage of the lubricant, wherein the axial holes and the transverse holes interact to form a closed lubricant circuit through the homokinetic joint. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The joint according to claim 1, wherein the housing nut has a nut hole on an opposite side of the internal thread, wherein a diameter of the nut hole is larger than a diameter of the joint socket shaft but smaller than a diameter of the joint socket flange. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The joint according to claim 12, wherein the nut hole is sealed off by a bellows between the housing nut and the joint socket shaft. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The joint according to claim 1, wherein the curvature of the spherical-concave flange surface corresponds to the curvature of the spherical-convex disc surface, and the curvature of the spherical-concave disc surface corresponds to the curvature of the spherical-convex head surface. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The joint according to claim 1, wherein the first pivoting direction is aligned perpendicularly to the second pivoting direction.