Homokinetic tripod joint
AssigneeNTN Toyo Bearing Co., Ltd.
InventorKeiji Iwasaki
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A homokinetic tripod type universal joint including a tripod member having three trunnions, with a roller rotatably mounted on each trunnion is mounted in an outer member. The roller consists of an inside ring and an outside ring wherein contact is established between a spherical outer periphery of the inside ring and a cylindrical inner periphery of the outside ring. The outside ring is guided in a direction parallel with the axis of the outer member by guide surfaces provided internally of grooves formed on the outer member. This arrangement helps to reduce sliding resistance, temperature rise and vibrations due to induced thrust.
Claims4
A homokinetic tripod joint comprising:
- an outer member formed in its inner surface with three track grooves extending axially and equally angularly spaced around its axis, each of said track grooves being formed at each side thereof with a guide surface extending in the direction of the axis of said outer member;
- a tripod member having three trunnions projecting radially and equally angularly spaced around its axis, said tripod member being mounted in said outer member with said trunnions received in said respective track grooves in said outer member;
- an inside ring mounted on each said trunnion and having a spherical outer periphery;
- a plurality of rolling elements mounted between said trunnion and said inside ring;
- an outside ring mounted on said inside ring and guided by a guide surface of said respective track groove and having an outer periphery in contact with said guide surface and a cylindrical inner periphery;
- and
- means for preventing said inside ring from sliding axially on said trunnion;
- said inside ring and said outside ring rolling around said trunnion in contact with each other between said spherical outer periphery of said inside ring and said cylindrical inner periphery of said outside ring with said outside ring being guided by said guide surface formed on said outer member in a direction parallel with the axis of said outer member.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.