Constant velocity universal joint

摘要

A constant velocity universal joint in which an outer member and an inner member are coupled through a cage member which has an outer spherical surface and an inner spherical surface. These spherical surfaces of the cage member are in contact with an inner spherical surface of the outer member and an outer spherical surface of the inner member, respectively. The cage member supports a number of balls in respective windows, and these balls are in engagement with respective pairs of longitudinally extending ball grooves formed in the inner spherical surface of the outer member and the outer spherical surface of the inner member. The bottom surfaces of the ball grooves extend substantially along respective circular arcs whose centers are located at equal distances on opposite sides of the center of the joint. The inner and outer spherical surfaces of the cage member are eccentric to one another and their centers are also located at equal distances on opposite sides of the center of the joint. The offset centers of the circular arcs and the offset centers of the spherical surfaces of the cage member are respectively coincident.