CONSTANT VELOCITY UNIVERSAL JOINT

摘要

A tripod universal joint (10) including a cup-shaped outer joint member (12) having three inward facing longitudinal roller channels (20) with opposite planar side walls (24A, 24B), an inner joint member (28) inside of the outer joint member (12) having three radial trunnions (30) in the three roller channels (20), three spherical inner rollers (38) supported on the radial trunnions (30) for rotation and for radial linear translation, and three outer rollers (46) between the planar side walls (24A, 24B) of the roller channels (20) supported on corresponding ones of the inner rollers (38) for relative rotation and for relative universal articulation. The outer rollers (46) are prevented from tipping in the roller channels (20) by a cylindrical cage (52) between the inner and outer joint members (28, 12). The cylindrical cage (52) consists of three arc-shaped cage segments (54) supported on the outer joint member (12) for independent linear translation each having a window (60) therein for a corresponding one of the outer rollers (46). The window (60) in each cage segment (54) is defined by a pair of longitudinal runners (56) and a pair of lateral retainers (58). The runners (56) slide against the runners of adjacent cage segments and cooperate to prevent the cage segments from tipping. The lateral retainers (58) bear against opposite sides of the outer rollers (46) to prevent the outer rollers from tipping.