Drive shaft assembly

A drive shaft assembly particularly for use for driving the wheels of a motor vehicle comprising a first universal joint, a second universal joint and an intermediate shaft interconnecting said two universal joints, said intermediate shaft being made exclusively of fiber reinforced plastic material and being structured integrally with a component of at least one of said universal joints, at least one of said universal joints being a constant velocity ratio joint having a member which is formed integrally with said intermediate shaft, said integrally formed member having a diameter which is considerably larger than the diameter of said intermediate shaft but being formed with the same wall thickness as said intermediate shaft.

A drive shaft assembly particularly for use for driving the wheels of a motor vehicle comprising a first universal joint, a second universal joint and an intermediate shaft interconnecting said two universal joints, said intermediate shaft being made exclusively of fiber reinforced plastic material and being structured integrally with a component of at least one of said universal joints, at least one of said universal joints being a constant velocity ratio joint having a member formed integrally with said intermediate shaft, said at least one constant velocity ratio joint being a tripode joint having a tripod element with limbs connected at their outermost ends to said intermediate shaft.

A drive shaft assembly particularly for use for driving the wheels of a motor vehicle comprising a first universal joint, a second universal joint and an intermediate shaft interconnecting said two universal joints, said intermediate shaft being made exclusively of fiber reinforced plastic material and being structured integrally with a component of at least one of said universal joints, at least one of said universal joints being a constant velocity ratio joint having a member formed integrally with said intermediate shaft, said at least one constant velocity ratio universal joint comprising an outer joint member having internal grooves, wherein said intermediate shaft comprises an end portion having apertures therein and wherein a plurality of balls are provided received one in each of said grooves and occupying said apertures in said end portion of said intermediate shaft, said balls being supported against inward movement.