US 8,500,566 B2Granted

Cross groove type constant velocity joint

AssigneeHyundai Wia Corporation

InventorsSeung Tark Oh, Tae Hong Kim

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Abstract

A constant velocity joint for a drive system comprises an outer joint member and an inner joint member each having a plurality of ball grooves in pairs for accommodating balls therein, the ball grooves consisting of a first group of grooves, each groove of which having a linear groove shape with no skew angle or a skewed groove shape with a relatively smaller skew angle, and a second group of grooves, each groove of which having a skewed groove shape with a relatively larger or regular skew angle. In addition to having the differentiated skew angles in the first and second groups of grooves, a taper angle is provided to the pair of grooves of at least one or both of the first and second groups of grooves in order to reduce the potential risk of ball locking in the grooves. In an alternative embodiment, all the grooves of the outer and inner joint members have a skewed groove shape with a skew angle which is less than the regular skew angle of the conventional cross groove joint, and a taper angle is provided to the pairs of grooves of the outer and inner joint members.

Claims8

Dependent claims

A constant velocity joint for a drive system comprising:

an outer joint member having a plurality of inwardly facing outer ball grooves, the outer ball grooves consisting of a first group of grooves, each groove of which having a linear groove shape with no skew angle, and a second group of grooves, each groove of which having a skewed groove shape with a skew angle other than zero and alternately arranged in opposite directions relative to an axis of rotation of outer joint member;
an inner joint member disposed inside the outer joint member and having a plurality of outwardly facing inner ball grooves consisting of a first group of grooves, each groove of which having a linear groove shape with no skew angle, and a second group of grooves, each groove of which having a skewed groove shape with a skew angle other than zero and alternately arranged in opposite directions relative to an axis of rotation of inner joint member;
wherein each inner ball groove of the first group of grooves of the inner joint member is coupled with a corresponding outer ball groove of the first group of grooves of the outer joint member generally in paralleled pair, wherein each inner ball groove of the second group of grooves of the inner joint member is coupled with a corresponding outer ball groove of the second group of grooves of the outer joint member generally in crossed pair, wherein each pair of grooves of the first group of grooves of the outer and inner joint members define a taper angle other than zero, and wherein each pair of grooves of the second group of grooves of the outer and inner joint members define no taper angle;
a plurality of torque transfer balls which are guided by the ball grooves of the outer and inner joint members;
and
a cage having circumferentially displaced windows to accommodate the balls therein.

3 more elements

A constant velocity joint for a drive system comprising:

an outer joint member having a plurality of inwardly facing outer ball grooves, the outer ball grooves consisting of a first group of grooves, each groove of which having a skewed groove shape with a first skew angle other than zero and alternately arranged in opposite directions relative to an axis of rotation of outer joint member, and a second group of grooves, each groove of which having a skewed groove shape with a second skew angle other than zero and alternately arranged in opposite directions relative to an axis of rotation of outer joint member, the first skew angle being less than the second skew angle;
an inner joint member disposed inside the outer joint member and having a plurality of outwardly facing inner ball grooves consisting of a first group of grooves, each groove of which having a skewed groove shape with a first skew angle other than zero and alternately arranged in opposite directions relative to an axis of rotation of inner joint member, and a second group of grooves, each groove of which having a skewed groove shape with a second skew angle other than zero and alternately arranged in opposite directions relative to an axis of rotation of inner joint member, the first skew angle being less than the second skew angle;
wherein each inner ball groove of the first group of grooves of the inner joint member is coupled with a corresponding outer ball groove of the first group of grooves of the outer joint member generally in crossed pair, wherein each inner ball groove of the second group of grooves of the inner joint member is coupled with a corresponding outer ball groove of the second group of grooves of the outer joint member generally in crossed pair, wherein each pair of grooves of the first group of grooves of the outer and inner joint members define a taper angle other than zero, and wherein each pair of grooves of the second group of grooves of the outer and inner joint members define no taper angle;
a plurality of torque transfer balls which are guided by the ball grooves of the outer and inner joint members;
and
a cage having circumferentially displaced windows to accommodate the balls therein.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 12/702,757Filed 9 Feb 2010 · continuation in part
Priority: 18 Sep 2009
Published: US 2011/0070954 A124 Mar 2011
Granted: 6 Aug 2013
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification2 codes

F16D 3/229
The rolling members being guided in grooves in both coupling parts: prismatic coupling parts having each groove centre-line lying on planes…
F16D
Couplings for transmitting rotation

Family

Application12/563,029Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 18 Sep 2009
Application12/582,602Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 20 Oct 2009
US 2011/0070954 A1Pre-grant publication · published 24 Mar 2011
US 2011/0070955 A1Published application
US 2011/0092299 A1Published application
US 8,382,600 B2Related patent
US 8,444,495 B2Related patent
US 8,500,566 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.