Output shaft to which the universal joint is connected
A universal joint in which the output shaft and input shaft connected to the universal joint transmit motion at an instantaneous angular velocity that is always equal. It is divided into:
a) Ball fork type constant velocity universal joint. A universal joint composed of a ball fork with a raceway and a steel ball. Among them, the arc groove raceway ball fork universal joint refers to a universal joint in which the ball raceway on the sphere is an arc type. The joint structure is characterized by arc grooves made on the driving fork and the driven fork of the ball fork. After the two are assembled, four steel ball raceways are formed, and a total of 4 steel balls are accommodated in the raceways. The centering steel ball is installed in the spherical groove in the center of the main and driven forks. Straight groove raceway ball fork universal joint refers to a universal joint with a straight groove raceway on the ball fork. Its structural feature is that straight grooves are made on the two ball forks, and each straight groove is inclined to the center line of the shaft, and the inclination angles are the same and symmetric to each other. There are 4 steel balls in the raceway between the two ball forks.
b) Ball cage type constant velocity universal joint. According to whether the universal joint can move in the axial direction, it can be divided into an axially non-telescopic (fixed) ball type universal joint and a retractable ball type universal joint. Structurally, the inner surface of the star sleeve of the fixed ball cage universal joint is connected to the drive shaft with inner splines, and its outer surface has 6 arc grooves as the inner raceway of the steel ball, and the outer raceway is made in On the inner surface of the spherical shell. The six raceways formed by the star sleeve and the spherical shell are each equipped with a steel ball, and the cage (ball cage) makes the six steel balls in the same plane. The power is transmitted from the drive shaft through the steel ball and spherical shell (Figure 2). The structural feature of the telescopic ball cage universal joint is that cylindrical straight grooves are made on the inner wall of the cylindrical shell and the outer part of the star sleeve, and steel balls are installed in the raceway formed by the two assembled. The steel ball is also installed in the hole of the cage. The inner hole of the star sleeve is splined to connect with the input shaft. This structure allows the star sleeve and the simple shell to move in the axial direction relative to each other.