An integrated pinion shaft and constant velocity joint (PS/CVJ) assembly for use in motor vehicle driveline applications to transfer torque between a propshaft and a ring gear. The PS/CVJ assembly includes a pinion shaft having a pinion gear segment meshed with the ring gear and a hollow pinion shaft segment. The PS/CVJ assembly also includes a constant velocity joint having an inner race coupled to the propshaft and an outer race integral with or fixed to an end portion of the pinion shaft segment.

A fluid path for a plug-in constant velocity joint assembly between a boot sleeve and a boot. The boot sleeve has a first end portion and a second end portion. The first end portion is disposed against and is in driving engagement with an inner race. The boot sleeve second end portion defines an inner ridge, a sleeve channel and an outer ridge. The boot has a first end portion and a second end portion. The second end portion comprises an inner seal where the inner seal comprises an inner axial groove and an outer axial groove. A fluid path is formed between the inner ridge and the boot, between inner axial groove and the sleeve, in the sleeve channel, between the outer axial groove and the sleeve and between the outer ridge and the boot.

A welding method for an outer joint member of a constant velocity universal joint includes constructing a cup section having track grooves, which engage with torque transmitting elements, formed along an inner periphery thereof and a shaft section that is formed on a bottom portion of the cup section by two or more separate members, joining a cup member forming the cup section and a shaft member forming the shaft section, and melt-welding end portions of the cup member and the shaft member. The cup member and the shaft member are shaped so that a sealed hollow cavity portion is formed when the end portions of the cup member and the shaft member are brought into abutment against each other, the melt-welding of the end portions being performed when the sealed hollow cavity portion is under atmospheric pressure or lower.

A constant velocity ball joint uses a star shaped sleeve with a splined connection to its shaft. The sleeve is longitudinally retained on its shaft using a retaining ring in an outwardly facing groove of the shaft. The star shaped sleeve has a 30° assembly assist chamfer angle on one side, as well as a 45° transition chamfer angle and a 65° ramp chamfer angle facing the opposite direction. These angles control the diameter of the retaining ring as it is compressed inward into the groove during assembly and disassembly. The star shaped sleeve can be used in a dynamic length CV joint, with the splines of a configuration that allows longitudinal sliding of the sleeve on the shaft, so the shell of the dynamic length CV joint still can be of the spherical race type.

A longitudinal shaft arrangement for a motor vehicle has at least a first shaft and a second shaft, wherein the first shaft has a journal with a first end and a second end, and a constant velocity ball plunging joint for connecting the first shaft to the second shaft, wherein a joint inner part of the constant velocity ball plunging joint is mounted at the second end and a joint outer part is arranged on the second shaft, wherein the joint outer part has a first stop for a cage of the constant velocity ball plunging joint in an end zone of a plunging region, with the result that the cage is brought into contact with the first stop when the first shaft and the second shaft are pushed into one another.

A longitudinal shaft arrangement for a motor vehicle has at least a first shaft and a second shaft, wherein the first shaft has a journal with a first end and a second end, and a constant velocity ball plunging joint for connecting the first shaft to the second shaft, wherein a joint inner part of the constant velocity ball plunging joint is mounted at the second end and a joint outer part is arranged on the second shaft, wherein the joint outer part has a first stop for a cage of the constant velocity ball plunging joint in an end zone of a plunging region, with the result that the cage is brought into contact with the first stop when the first shaft and the second shaft are pushed into one another.

An inspection device inspects a joint-type outer joint member of a constant velocity universal joint that includes a cup section having a bottomed cylindrical shape and track grooves in an inner periphery thereof for torque transmitting elements, and a shaft section extending from a bottom of the cup section. The inspection device inspects the outer joint member, which is obtained through melt-welding on a cup member forming the cup section and a shaft member forming the shaft section. The inspection device includes a surface inspection unit to inspect for a defect which appears on a surface of the outer joint member due to welding, an internal inspection unit to inspect for an internal defect of a welded portion, and a recording unit to record an inspection result of the inspection. The inspection device is configured to efficiently perform in-line total inspection for the melt-welded joint-type outer joint member.

A constant velocity joint assembly with a crash collapse feature. The constant velocity joint assembly includes an inner race, an outer race, a cage and one or more torque transfer elements. The inner race is drivingly connected to a first shaft and the outer race is connected to a second shaft. Circumferentially extending along at least a portion of an inner surface of the outer race is one or more outer race torque transfer element grooves. One or more crash collapse features circumferentially extend radially inward from at least a portion of the inner surface of the outer race and are disposed directly adjacent to the one or more outer race torque transfer element grooves in the outer race. The one or more crash collapse features are disposed entirely between the one or more outer race torque transfer element grooves and do not extend axially beyond the grooves.

A constant velocity joint assembly with a crash collapse feature. The constant velocity joint assembly includes an inner race, an outer race, a cage and one or more torque transfer elements. The inner race is drivingly connected to a first shaft and the outer race is connected to a second shaft. Circumferentially extending along at least a portion of an inner surface of the outer race is one or more outer race torque transfer element grooves. One or more crash collapse features circumferentially extend radially inward from at least a portion of the inner surface of the outer race and are disposed directly adjacent to the one or more outer race torque transfer element grooves in the outer race. The one or more crash collapse features are disposed entirely between the one or more outer race torque transfer element grooves and do not extend axially beyond the grooves.

Provided is a cage (5, 65, 95) for a constant velocity universal joint, which is formed into a ring shape with a substantially uniform thickness, including a plurality of pockets (20, 80, 110) formed in a circumferential direction of the cage (5, 65, 95), for receiving torque transmitting balls, respectively, the cage (5, 65, 95) being formed of carbon steel including 0.41 to 0.51 mass % of C, 0.10 to 0.35 mass % of Si, 0.60 to 0.90 mass % of Mn, 0.005 to 0.030 mass % of P, and 0.002 to 0.035 mass % of S, with the balance being Fe and an element inevitably remaining at the time of steelmaking and refining, the cage (5, 65, 95) being subjected to carburizing, quenching, and tempering as heat treatment, each of the plurality of pockets (20, 80, 110) having a side surface (23, 83, 113) finished after the heat treatment.