A boot for protecting the male and female elements of a transmission joint, one element is formed by a transmission shaft having radial arms for carrying rollers, the other is formed by a bell housing suitable for at least partially receiving the rollers suitable to be inserted into the bell housing's open end, the boot, has an elongate hollow body enabling the shaft to pass there through, with a “first” one of its ends suitable for being secured to the shaft, and its “second” end suitable for being positioned in overlapping and interfitting manner over the bell housing's open end. This boot has an internal peripheral shoulder, whose surface that faces towards the second end of the boot is provided with at least two recesses which open towards the second end, the inside of each recess forming a seat having a concave bearing surface for receiving a roller in thrusting contact.

The present invention relates to a rotational force driving assembly and a process cartridge used for being engaged with a rotational force driving head inside an electrophotographic image forming device. The rotational force driving assembly can comprise a hub, a rotational force receiving component, a side plate, and an axis offset adjusting mechanism. When the axis offset adjusting mechanism is not subjected to external force, the axis offset adjusting mechanism enables the axis of the rotational force receiving component to be parallel and offset to the axis of the hub. When the axis offset adjusting mechanism is subjected to external force, the rotational force receiving component extends out to be engaged with the rotational force driving head.

A rotational driving force transmission mechanism includes a cylindrical shaft made of fiber reinforced plastic, and a first constant velocity joint. The shaft is joined to the first constant velocity joint via a metallic intervening member which is attached to one end of the shaft in the axial direction. The intervening member includes a shaft portion and a main body portion. The shaft portion is inserted into the one end of the shaft from a distal end side thereof. The main body portion is of a bottomed tubular shape made up from a bottom part joined to a proximal end side of the shaft portion, and a tubular portion fitted over the one end of the shaft. The first constant velocity joint includes an inner ring fitted externally over the tubular portion of the intervening member.

A roller unit includes: an outer roller rollably provided in a corresponding one of raceway grooves of an outer member; an inner roller rotatably supported on a corresponding one of tripod shafts of an inner member; rolling elements rollably provided between an inner peripheral surface of the outer roller and an outer peripheral surface of the inner roller; an annular spacer in contact with an end surface of each of the rolling elements; and a snap ring fitted to the outer roller and configured to restrict axial displacement of the inner roller and the spacer. The rolling elements are rollably supported in the axial direction by the annular spacer in contact with the end surfaces of the rolling elements.

A first constant velocity joint is equipped with a cup part made of a light alloy. First ball grooves that receive a torque from torque transmitting members are formed on an inner wall of the cup part. A high hardness layer made of ceramic or cermet as a principal component thereof is formed on an inner surface of the cup part including at least inner surfaces of the first ball grooves.

In a method of manufacturing an intermediate shaft including: an internal shaft having an external spline; a tubular external shaft having on an inner circumference thereof an internal spline; and a resin coating provided on the external spline, a central axis line of an internal shaft manufacturing intermediate product and a central axis line of an external shaft manufacturing intermediate product are aligned with each other, and the internal shaft manufacturing intermediate product and the external shaft manufacturing intermediate product are held in such a way that the central axis lines thereof can be adjusted, in a heating adaptation step. In this state, the internal shaft manufacturing intermediate product and the external shaft manufacturing intermediate product slide relatively in an axial direction. In the heating adaptation step, a grease is interposed between the internal shaft manufacturing intermediate product and the external shaft manufacturing intermediate product.

A tripod constant-velocity joint includes: an outer joint member having a cavity elongated in a longitudinal direction and three roller tracks; an inner joint member having a center body and three journals outwardly radially protruded from the center body; and three roller assemblies respectively coupled to the journal in a state of being respectively disposed in the roller tracks. The respective roller assembly comprises: an inner race which is connected to the journal and is provided with a first inner ball groove and a second inner ball groove on both lateral sides thereof; a first ball array and a second ball array respectively having a plurality of balls which are respectively disposed in the first inner ball groove and in the second inner ball groove; and a ball cage which restricts movements of the first ball array and the second ball array in a longitudinal direction thereof.

A joint assembly includes a first shaft having an end, a second shaft having an end, a first inner ring coupled to the first shaft, and a second inner ring coupled to the second shaft. The assembly further includes a sleeve coupled to the first and second inner rings, the first and second inner rings disposed within the sleeve, and a centering device engaging the ends of the first and second shaft. The centering device is configured to maintain the angular positions of the first and second shafts relative to one another, and the centering device is substantially fixed from rotation during rotation of the first and second shafts.

A gimbal joint may employ a plurality of wear sleeves, each disposed between a pin or pin receptive bore of a first structure and a corresponding bore or pin of a second structure and between another pin or bore of the second structure and a corresponding bore or pin of a third structure. Each of these structures may be adapted to rotate in a single plane, with one structure adapted to also tilt about a first axis, and one other structure adapted to tilt about a second axis. Each integral flanged wear sleeve may comprise a right circular hollow cylindrical body portion, which may be interiorly sized to be retained on one of the pins and externally sized to be retained in one of the pin receptive bores, and a flange portion may radiate from one end of the cylindrical body portion.

A universal joint or other vehicle driveline assembly includes an inner race, an outer race, and bearings positioned between the races. In some embodiments, the components of the universal joint that are in contact with the bearings are selectively processed to be harder than the other non-contact surfaces of the component.