Shaft assembly with recirculating ball roller joint unit
AssigneeDelphi Technologies, Inc.
InventorsTroy Daenzer, Jesus Raul Garcia, Lorenzo Perea, Jr.
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A shaft assembly with recirculating ball roller joint unit for use with an automotive steering column or the like has an inner shaft extending lengthwise within an outer shaft. A recirculating ball joint is provided between the shafts. The ball joint includes a shell assembly having two shells which together surround the inner shaft. Each shell has an outer cage, an inner cage and a retainer defining ball races, with balls recirculating in the races in rolling engagement with the inner shaft.
Claims8
A shaft assembly with recirculating ball roller joint unit for use with an automotive steering column or the like comprising:
- an elongated tubular outer shaft,
- an elongated inner shaft extending lengthwise within the outer shaft, and
- a recirculating ball joint enabling relative axial movement between said shafts,
- said ball joint comprising a shell assembly secured within the outer shaft and surrounding said inner shaft,
- said shell assembly and said inner shaft defining closed circuit ball races,
- balls in said ball races in rolling engagement with the inner shaft wherein said shell assembly comprises two shells, said shells respectively extending about opposite peripheral portions of the inner shaft and both of said shells together extending about an entire periphery of the inner shaft,
- wherein the closed circuit ball races include a first closed circuit ball race and each of said shells comprises:
- a radially inner cage, a radially outer cage, and a ball retainer between said cages,
- a first inner cage groove in said inner cage and a first outer cage groove in said outer cage,
- the first inner cage groove and the first outer cage groove cooperating to define a portion only of the first closed circuit race leaving open a remaining portion of the first closed circuit race,
- the retainer having a first retainer groove,
- said inner shaft having a first longitudinally extending inner shaft groove, and
- said first retainer groove and said first inner shaft groove cooperating to close the remaining portion of the first closed circuit race.
A shaft assembly with recirculating ball roller joint unit for use with an automotive steering column or the like comprising:
- an elongated tubular outer shaft,
- an elongated inner shaft extending lengthwise within the outer shaft, and
- a recirculating ball joint enabling relative axial movement between said shafts,
- said ball joint comprising a shell assembly including two shells secured within the outer shaft and surrounding said inner shaft,
- said shell assembly and said inner shaft defining closed circuit ball races,
- balls in said ball races in rolling engagement with the inner shaft;
- where the closed circuit ball races include a first closed circuit ball race and said shells comprise:
- a radially inner cage, a radially outer cage, and a ball retainer between said cages,
- a first inner cage groove in said inner cage and a first outer cage groove in said outer cage,
- the first inner cage groove and the first outer cage groove cooperating to define a portion only of the first closed circuit race leaving open a remaining portion of the first closed circuit race,
- the retainer having a first retainer groove,
- said inner shaft having a first longitudinally extending inner shaft groove, and
- said first retainer groove and said first inner shaft groove cooperating to close the remaining portion of the first closed circuit race.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.