Universal joint for vehicle

Abstract

A universal joint for a vehicle according to the present invention comprises: a hollow tube body; one end of the shaft is inserted into one end of the tube body; and the first fork-shaped piece is connected to the other end of the pipe body. A through hole communicated with the hollow interior of the pipe body is formed in the first fork-shaped piece. The inner diameter or the inner width of the through hole is at least larger than the outer diameter or the outer width of the shaft.

Description

Universal joint for vehicles Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a universal joint for vehicles that can improve collision performance. Background Technology

[0002] Universal joints are used in vehicle steering systems. They transmit rotational torque from the steering column of the steering wheel to the steering gear, and prevent steering column deformation by blocking the transmission of impact loads when the steering gear collapses due to a vehicle collision.

[0003] When the steering column and steering gear are close together and the universal joint is short, the amount of collapse of the universal joint is physically reduced in the event of a vehicle collision. Therefore, the universal joint may not be able to fully absorb the upward and backward movement of the steering gear, thus pushing the steering column upward.

[0004] In this situation, bending loads can be generated in the steering column. Therefore, the steering column's collapsible mechanism may fail to function properly to absorb the impact load, and the steering column may tilt downwards. This alters the deployment position of the airbag, thus weakening its protective function. Consequently, it may increase the risk of injury to the driver.

[0005] The statements in this section are only background information related to the present invention and may not constitute prior art. Summary of the Invention

[0006] Various aspects of the present invention provide a universal joint for vehicles that improves collision performance by increasing the collapsibility of the universal joint.

[0007] According to one aspect of the invention, a universal joint includes: a tube having a first end and a second end opposite to the first end; a shaft having its first end inserted into the first end of the tube; and a first fork member connected to the second end (i.e., the other end) of the tube. The first fork member may have a through hole communicating with the hollow interior of the tube, specifically, the inner diameter or inner width of the through hole may be at least greater than the outer diameter or outer width of the shaft.

[0008] The tube body and the first forked component can be fixedly joined together or can be integrally formed.

[0009] The through hole can be formed in the first fork-shaped member in such a way that it is coaxially connected to the hollow interior in the longitudinal direction of the tube, and has a cross-sectional shape corresponding to the cross-sectional shape of the shaft.

[0010] The shaft can slide within the hollow interior of the tube along its length, and the shaft can be fixed relative to the tube in the circumferential direction.

[0011] The universal joint may also include a hollow sliding bushing located between the tube body and the shaft.

[0012] The hollow sliding bushing may include a plurality of rotating members arranged axially within the hollow sliding bushing, and the plurality of rotating members are arranged in multiple rows spaced apart from each other in the circumferential direction of the hollow sliding bushing. A plurality of guide grooves may be formed on the outer circumferential surface of the shaft and the inner circumferential surface of the tube body, respectively, along the length of the tube body. The rotating members may be seated within the guide grooves.

[0013] When the universal joint collapses, the hollow sliding bushing can be restricted from movement by at least the ends of the first fork-shaped members of the multiple guide grooves of the tube body.

[0014] An annular stop can be installed on the outer circumferential surface of one end of the shaft to prevent the hollow sliding bushing from detaching.

[0015] The inner diameter of the through hole can be larger than the outer diameter of the annular stop.

[0016] The universal joint may also include: a first clamping fork-shaped member, coupled to the first fork-shaped member via a first cross shaft; and a cap, fixedly mounted on a first end of the tube body (e.g., one side end).

[0017] The universal joint may also include: a second fork-shaped member connected to a second end of the shaft; and a second clamping fork-shaped member coupled to the second fork-shaped member via a second cross shaft.

[0018] The universal joint may have: a collapsible portion of the shaft that allows movement until the cap contacts the second fork; and a collapsible portion of the tube that allows movement until the first end of the shaft passes through the tube and the first fork and reaches the first cross shaft.

[0019] Universal joints can be used in the steering systems of vehicles with steering columns and steering gears. A first clamping fork can be coupled to the output shaft of the steering gear, and a second clamping fork can be coupled to the input shaft of the steering column.

[0020] When an external force is applied to the shaft, the first end of the shaft is configured as a through hole passing through the tube and the first fork-shaped member.

[0021] In another embodiment, a universal joint includes: a tube having a first end, a second end, and a hollow interior extending along the length of the tube; a shaft configured to move along the length of the hollow interior of the tube; a first fork fixedly connected to the second end of the tube; and a second fork fixedly connected to the shaft on the side opposite to the first fork. Specifically, the first fork includes a through-hole communicating with the hollow interior of the tube, and when an external force is applied to the shaft, one end of the shaft is configured to pass through the through-hole of the tube and the first fork.

[0022] The universal joint also includes a hollow sliding bushing located between the tube body and the shaft, and the hollow sliding bushing includes a plurality of rotating members arranged axially within the hollow sliding bushing. The plurality of rotating members are disposed within a plurality of guide grooves, which are formed along the length of the tube body on the outer circumferential surface of the shaft and the inner circumferential surface of the tube body, respectively. Specifically, the shaft is slidably movable relative to the tube body along its length via the hollow sliding bushing, and the shaft is fixed relative to the tube body circumferentially via the plurality of guide grooves formed along the length of the tube body.

[0023] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, even under limited conditions, the collapsibility of the universal joint can be increased, thereby achieving the effect of reliably ensuring collision performance.

[0024] Furthermore, according to exemplary embodiments of the present invention, no changes are required to surrounding components, and collision performance can be improved at the same cost as prior art. Attached Figure Description

[0025] The above and other aspects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

[0026] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a steering device of a vehicle using a universal joint according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 2 is a diagram illustrating a universal joint according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0028] Figures 3A and 3B are diagrams showing an example of the combination of the tube body and the first fork-shaped component;

[0029] Figure 4 is a diagram showing the operating state of the universal joint according to an embodiment of the present invention after a vehicle collision.

[0030] The accompanying drawings described herein are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention in any way. Detailed Implementation

[0031] The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the exemplary accompanying drawings. When assigning reference numerals to components in the various drawings, it should be noted that the same components are represented by the same reference numerals even if they appear in different drawings.

[0032] This paper uses terms such as “first,” “second,” “A,” “B,” “(a),” and “(b)” to describe components. These terms are not intended to define the nature, order, or sequence of the corresponding components, but only to distinguish the corresponding components from other components.

[0033] In this article, direction-related terms such as "top", "bottom", "forward", and "rearward" are defined based on the vehicle body or installation target.

[0034] When a component, device, element, etc. of the present invention is described as having a certain purpose or performing a certain operation or function, the component, device, or element should be regarded as being "configured" to achieve that purpose or perform that operation or function.

[0035] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating the steering device of a vehicle using a universal joint according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0036] When the driver rotates the steering wheel (not shown) in the desired direction, the steering column 2, which is connected to the steering wheel, can rotate, and the steering column can transmit rotational force (i.e., rotational torque) to the steering gear 3 through the universal joint 1. The steering gear 3 may include a rack and pinion mechanism (rack and pinion drive).

[0037] The steering gear 3 converts the rotational motion of the steering column 2 into linear motion via a rack and pinion mechanism and transmits it to the rack. The rack then transmits force to the tie rod connected to the wheel steering knuckle to change the direction of the vehicle's movement.

[0038] As shown in Figure 1, the input shaft of the steering column 2 that transmits rotational force and the output shaft of the steering gear 3 that receives rotational force can be non-axis aligned with each other, but are instead tilted at a predetermined angle.

[0039] Therefore, the rotational force between the steering column 2 and the steering gear 3 may not be able to be transmitted through a normal shaft connection, so a universal joint 1 that can connect two tilting shafts and transmit power is required.

[0040] One end of the universal joint 1 can be bent at a predetermined angle and connected to the steering column 2, which is connected to the steering wheel. The other end of the universal joint 1 can be bent at a predetermined angle and connected to the steering gear 3. Therefore, the universal joint 1 can transmit the rotational torque generated by the steering wheel and the steering column to the steering gear.

[0041] Figure 2 is a diagram illustrating a universal joint according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0042] As shown in Figure 2, the universal joint 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention may include a tube body 10, a shaft 20 and a first fork-shaped member 31.

[0043] The tube body 10 may have a hollow interior extending along its length. The shaft 20 may be slidably assembled within the tube body 10.

[0044] One end of the shaft 20 can be inserted into the first end (e.g., one side end) of the tube 10, and thus can slide relative to the tube in the length direction within the hollow interior. However, the shaft 20 can be fixed to the tube 10 in the circumferential direction, and thus will not rotate relative to the tube 10.

[0045] Using this structure, when assembling the tube body 10 and the shaft 20, the length change of the universal joint 1 can be compensated or the input load can be absorbed, and the rotational torque with no relative slippage between them can be accurately transmitted.

[0046] For example, a convex spline or convex serration extending along the length direction can be formed on the outer peripheral surface of the shaft 20, and a concave spline or concave serration extending along the length direction can be formed on the inner peripheral surface of the tube body 10 to engage with the convex spline or convex serration of the shaft.

[0047] The tube body 10 and the shaft 20 can be splined or serrated together, so that the shaft can slide along its length inside the hollow interior of the tube body without rotating in the circumferential direction. Thus, the tube body and the shaft can form a slip joint.

[0048] In another embodiment of the invention, the universal joint may further include a hollow sliding bushing 50 located between the tube body 10 and the shaft 20. For this purpose, guide grooves 11 and 21 extending along the length direction may be formed on the outer circumferential surface of the shaft and the inner circumferential surface of the tube body, respectively. A rotating member 51 of the sliding bushing may be mounted in the guide groove.

[0049] The sliding bushing 50 may be formed as a hollow tube and inserted between the tube body 10 and the shaft 20. For example, the sliding bushing may be formed of a plastic material with rigidity and wear resistance, but is not limited thereto.

[0050] In one embodiment, the sliding bushing 50 may include a plurality of rotating members 51 passing through the sliding bushing, and the plurality of rotating members 51 may be arranged axially in the sliding bushing and in a plurality of rows spaced apart from each other in the circumferential direction of the sliding bushing. The rotating members may be, for example, spherical ball members or cylindrical roller members.

[0051] The inner side of each rotating component 51 can protrude toward the outer peripheral surface of the shaft 20 and be accommodated in the guide groove 21 of the shaft. The outer side of each rotating component 51 can protrude toward the inner peripheral surface of the tube 10 and be accommodated in the guide groove 11 of the tube.

[0052] Using this structure, multiple rotating members 51 can contact the outer peripheral surface of the shaft 20 and the inner peripheral surface of the tube 10, thereby minimizing the friction generated when the shaft slides along the length direction within the tube. Furthermore, since the multiple rotating members 51 are constrained in the rotation direction by the guide groove 21 of the shaft and the guide groove 11 of the tube, the rotational torque applied to the shaft can be accurately transmitted to the tube.

[0053] An annular stop 52 can be installed on the outer peripheral surface of one end of the shaft 20 to prevent the sliding bushing 50 from dislodging. For this purpose, an annular groove 22 can be formed on the outer peripheral surface of one end of the shaft, and the annular stop 52 is seated in the annular groove 22.

[0054] Furthermore, after the sliding bushing 50 is installed on the outer circumferential surface of the shaft 20, when the shaft and the sliding bushing are inserted into the hollow interior of the tube body 10, a cap 12 can be fixedly installed at the first end (e.g., one side end) of the tube body, thereby completing the assembly of the sliding joint.

[0055] The first fork-shaped member 31 can be connected to the second end of the tube body 10 (e.g., the end on the other side), that is, the end of the tube body 10 opposite to the shaft 20. The first fork-shaped member can be formed in a generally U-shape by branching its pair of fork ends into two parts. For example, the pair of fork ends extend into two branches. The two ends of the first cross shaft 32, which has a cross (+) shape, are rotatably connected to the inside of the pair of fork ends.

[0056] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the universal joint 1 may further include a first clamping fork 33 connected to the first fork 31 via a first cross shaft 32.

[0057] The first clamping fork member 33 may include a pair of clamping fork ends extending into two branches, and the pair of fork ends of the first fork member 31 and the pair of clamping fork ends may be staggered. In other words, the pair of fork ends of the first fork member 31 and the pair of clamping fork ends may be staggered and offset from each other. The remaining two ends of the first cross shaft 32, which engages with the inside of the pair of fork ends, are rotatably connected to the inside of the pair of clamping fork ends.

[0058] The first cross shaft 32 has four ends extending in a cross (+) shape. Of the four ends of the first cross shaft 32, a first pair of ends, which are arranged at 180 degrees to each other (i.e., spaced 180 degrees apart), can be hinged to the inside of the fork end of the first fork member 31. A second pair of ends, which are arranged at 180 degrees to each other (i.e., spaced 180 degrees apart), can be hinged to the inside of the clamping fork end of the first clamping fork member 33.

[0059] Using this structure, the first fork-shaped member 31 and the first clamping fork-shaped member 33, which are joined together by the first cross shaft 32, can form a first fork-shaped joint.

[0060] In one embodiment of the present invention, the universal joint 1 may further include a second fork 41 connected to the other end of the shaft 20, and a second clamping fork 43 coupled to the second fork via a second cross shaft 42.

[0061] The second fork-shaped member 41 can be connected to the end of the shaft 20 opposite to the tube body 10. The second fork-shaped member may have a pair of fork ends branched into two parts, and be generally U-shaped. For example, the pair of fork ends extend into two branches. The two ends of the second cross shaft 42, which has a cross (+) shape, are rotatably connected to the inside of the pair of fork ends.

[0062] The second clamping fork member 43 may include a pair of clamping fork ends extending into two branches, and the pair of fork ends of the second fork member 41 and the pair of clamping fork ends may be arranged to be staggered. The remaining two ends of the second cross shaft 42, which is coupled to the inside of the pair of fork ends, are rotatably connected to the inside of the pair of clamping fork ends.

[0063] The second cross shaft 42 has four ends extending in a cross (+) shape. Of the four ends of the second cross shaft 42, the first pair of ends, which are arranged at 180 degrees relative to each other, can be hinged to the inside of the fork end of the second fork member 41. The second pair of ends, which are arranged at 180 degrees relative to each other, can be hinged to the inside of the clamping fork end of the second clamping fork member 43.

[0064] Using this structure, a second fork-shaped joint can be formed by the second fork-shaped member 41 and the second clamping fork-shaped member 43, which are joined together via the second cross shaft 42.

[0065] The first clamping fork 33 and the second clamping fork 43 may each include: shaft connection holes 36 and 46 for connecting an input shaft or an output shaft; slit cuts 37 and 47 having a slit shape to communicate with the shaft connection holes; and fastening holes 38 and 48 orthogonal to the slit cuts and formed to communicate with the slit cuts.

[0066] Bolts and nuts can be fastened to fastening holes 38 and 48, but the invention is not limited thereto. For example, screws can be fastened when threads are formed on the inner circumferential surface of the fastening hole. Here, bolts, nuts, screws, etc., can be collectively referred to as fasteners.

[0067] When the end of the input shaft or the end of the output shaft is inserted into the shaft connection holes 36 and 46, and the fastener is tightened through the fastening holes 38 and 48, the slit cuts 37 and 47 can deform, allowing the outer circumferential surface of the end of the input shaft or output shaft to be tightened. Therefore, the input shaft or output shaft can be securely fixed to the corresponding clamping fork 33 or 43.

[0068] For example, the output shaft of the steering gear 3 can be coupled to the first clamping fork 33, and the input shaft of the steering column 2 can be coupled to the second clamping fork 43, but the invention is not limited thereto. For example, the output shaft of the steering gear 3 can be coupled to the second clamping fork 43, and the input shaft of the steering column 2 can be coupled to the first clamping fork 33.

[0069] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the universal joint 1 may be formed with a through hole 35 so that the first fork-shaped member 31 can communicate with the hollow interior of the tube body 10, and the inner diameter of the through hole may be at least larger than the outer diameter of the shaft 20.

[0070] Figures 3A and 3B are diagrams showing an example of the combination of the tube body and the first fork-shaped member.

[0071] As shown in Figure 3A, in the universal joint 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention, the tube body 10 and the first fork-shaped member 31 coupled thereto can be manufactured separately and then fixed together by methods such as welding or thread fastening.

[0072] As shown in Figure 3B, in another embodiment, the tube body 10 and the first fork-shaped member 31 coupled thereto can be integrally formed by methods such as insert injection. In this case, the number of processing steps for each component can be reduced.

[0073] Regardless of how the tube body 10 and the first fork member 31 are joined together, the first fork member 31 of the universal joint 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention may have a through hole 35, which may be coaxially connected with the hollow interior of the tube body in the length direction of the tube body 10, and the inner diameter of the through hole 35 may be at least larger than the outer diameter of the shaft 20.

[0074] For example, when the universal joint 1 includes a hollow sliding bushing 50 located between the tube body 10 and the shaft 20, an annular stop 52 can be installed on the outer circumferential surface of one end of the shaft. The annular stop 52 can protrude radially from the outer circumferential surface of one end of the shaft. Therefore, the inner diameter of the through hole 35 of the first fork-shaped member 31 can be greater than or equal to the outer diameter of the annular stop.

[0075] Figure 4 is a diagram showing the operating state of the universal joint according to an embodiment of the present invention after a vehicle collision.

[0076] Universal joint 1 ensures the collapse amount (Cs) of the shaft, which allows movement until the cap 12 mounted on the tube 10 contacts the second fork 41 of the shaft 20; and the collapse amount (Ct) of the tube, which allows movement until one end of the shaft passes through the tube and the first fork 31 to reach the first cross shaft 32.

[0077] When the steering gear 3 moves upward due to a vehicle collision, and the universal joint 1 collapses, one end of the shaft 20 can completely pass through the tube 10, and then through the through hole 35 of the first fork-shaped member 31 to reach the first cross shaft 32 forming the first fork-shaped joint or its vicinity, so that the universal joint 1 can maximize the collapse amount (Ct) of the tube. Therefore, the total collapse amount can be significantly increased.

[0078] In the universal joints of the prior art, the collapse amount of the tube body is set as the distance between one end of the shaft and the first fork of the tube body. However, in the universal joint 1 of the example according to an embodiment of the present invention, one end of the shaft 20 can pass through the first fork 31 of the tube body 10 to reach the first cross shaft 32, thereby increasing the collapse amount (Ct) of the tube body compared to the prior art.

[0079] Universal joint 1 may include a hollow sliding bushing 50 located between tube body 10 and shaft 20. When the universal joint collapses due to a vehicle collision, the sliding bushing 50 may be located between the end of the guide groove 11 of the tube body facing the first fork 31 and the end of the guide groove 21 of the shaft facing the second fork 41.

[0080] In other words, when the universal joint 1 collapses due to a vehicle collision, the sliding bushing 50 can be prevented from moving by at least one end of the guide groove 11 of the tube body facing the first fork member 31 (the end on the side of the first fork member 31).

[0081] A universal joint 1 according to the invention was installed on a vehicle, and the crash performance of the universal joint was evaluated. In a frontal collision of the vehicle, the crumple volume of the universal joint according to the invention and the acceleration of the driver's chest (acceleration per unit g) were compared with those of the prior art.

[0082] The evaluation results show that, compared with the prior art, the collapsibility of the universal joint 1 according to the present invention is increased by approximately 33 mm. Furthermore, the chest acceleration in the prior art is 90.6%, close to the target value. However, in the universal joint according to the present invention, the chest acceleration is reduced to 75%, thereby confirming improved collision performance under equivalent collision load conditions.

[0083] As described above, according to embodiments of the present invention, even under limited conditions, the collapsibility of the universal joint can be increased, thereby achieving the effect of reliably ensuring collision performance.

[0084] Furthermore, according to embodiments of the present invention, no changes to surrounding components are required, and collision performance can be improved at the same cost as existing technologies.

[0085] Although the embodiments have been described and illustrated above, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications and variations can be made without departing from the scope of the invention.

[0086] For example, as described herein, the invention is directed toward tubes and shafts having a circular cross-sectional shape, but the invention is not limited thereto, and the principles of the invention can be applied to tubes and shafts having a polygonal cross-sectional shape (e.g., rectangular, etc.).

[0087] In this case, the through hole can have a polygonal cross-sectional shape corresponding to the cross-sectional shape of the shaft, and the inner width of the through hole can be greater than the outer width of the shaft.

[0088] The embodiments described herein should be considered descriptive only and not for limiting purposes. Therefore, the scope of the invention is not defined by the detailed description, but by the scope of the claims and their equivalents, and all variations within the scope of the claims and their equivalents should be interpreted as included within the invention.

Claims

1. A universal joint, comprising: A tube having a first end and a second end; a shaft having its first end inserted into the first end of the tube; and a first fork-shaped member connected to the second end of the tube, wherein the first fork-shaped member has a through hole communicating with the hollow interior of the tube, and the inner diameter or inner width of the through hole is at least greater than the outer diameter or outer width of the shaft.

2. The universal joint according to claim 1, wherein, The tube body and the first fork-shaped component are fixedly connected to each other or formed as a single piece.

3. The universal joint according to claim 2, wherein, The through hole is formed in the first fork-shaped member in such a way that it is coaxially connected to the hollow interior in the longitudinal direction of the tube body, and has a cross-sectional shape corresponding to the cross-sectional shape of the shaft.

4. The universal joint according to claim 1, wherein, The shaft is slidable within the hollow interior of the tube along its length, and is fixed relative to the tube in the circumferential direction.

5. The universal joint according to claim 4 further includes: A hollow sliding bushing is located between the tube body and the shaft.

6. The universal joint according to claim 5, wherein, The hollow sliding bushing includes a plurality of rotating members arranged axially in the hollow sliding bushing. The plurality of rotating members are arranged in multiple rows circumferentially spaced from each other in the hollow sliding bushing. A plurality of guide grooves are formed on the outer circumferential surface of the shaft and the inner circumferential surface of the tube body along the length direction of the tube body, and the plurality of rotating members are disposed in the plurality of guide grooves.

7. The universal joint according to claim 6, wherein, When the universal joint collapses, the hollow sliding bushing is restricted from movement at least by the ends of the plurality of guide grooves of the tube toward the first fork.

8. The universal joint according to claim 5, wherein, An annular stop is installed on the outer circumferential surface of one end of the shaft to prevent the hollow sliding bushing from dislodging.

9. The universal joint according to claim 8, wherein, The inner diameter of the through hole is larger than the outer diameter of the annular stop.

10. The universal joint according to claim 1, further comprising: The first clamping fork-shaped member is connected to the first fork-shaped member via the first cross shaft; And a cap, which is fixedly installed at the first end of the tube body.

11. The universal joint according to claim 10, further comprising: A second fork-shaped member is connected to the second end of the shaft; and a second clamping fork-shaped member is coupled to the second fork-shaped member via a second cross shaft.

12. The universal joint according to claim 11, wherein, The universal joint has a collapsibility of the shaft that allows it to move until the cap contacts the second fork.

13. The universal joint according to claim 11, wherein, The universal joint has a collapsibility of the tube that allows movement to the first end of the shaft through the tube and the first fork to the first cross shaft.

14. The universal joint according to claim 11, wherein, The universal joint is applied to the steering system of a vehicle having a steering column and a steering gear; and the first clamping fork is coupled to the output shaft of the steering gear, and the second clamping fork is coupled to the input shaft of the steering column.

15. The universal joint according to claim 1, wherein, When an external force is applied to the shaft, the first end of the shaft is configured as a through hole passing through the tube and the first fork-shaped member.

16. A universal joint, comprising: A tube having a first end, a second end, and a hollow interior extending along the length of the tube; A shaft is configured to move along its length inside the hollow interior of the tube; a first fork-shaped member is fixedly connected to the second end of the tube; and a second fork-shaped member is fixedly connected to the shaft on the side opposite to the first fork-shaped member, wherein the first fork-shaped member includes a through hole communicating with the hollow interior of the tube, and when an external force is applied to the shaft, one end of the shaft is configured to pass through the through hole of the tube and the first fork-shaped member.

17. The universal joint according to claim 16, wherein, The shaft is slidably movable relative to the tube along the length of the tube, and the shaft is fixed relative to the tube in the circumferential direction of the tube.

18. The universal joint according to claim 16 further includes a hollow sliding bushing, the hollow sliding bushing being located between the tube body and the shaft, and including a plurality of rotating members arranged axially in the hollow sliding bushing, the plurality of rotating members being disposed in a plurality of guide grooves, the plurality of guide grooves being formed along the length direction of the tube body on the outer peripheral surface of the shaft and the inner peripheral surface of the tube body respectively.

19. The universal joint according to claim 18, wherein, The shaft is slidably movable relative to the tube body along the length direction of the tube body via the hollow sliding bushing, and the shaft is fixed relative to the tube body in the circumferential direction of the tube body via a plurality of guide grooves formed along the length direction of the tube body.

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