Constant velocity joint

Abstract

To provide a constant velocity joint capable of suppressing a bolt from being inclined.SOLUTION: A second joint J2 according to one embodiment of a constant velocity joint of the present invention is provided with a support part 8 made of a harder material than a seal member 7 inside the seal member 7, and so constituted as to withstand fastening force of a bolt 91 by the support part 8. Thus, the support part 8 bears the fastening force of the bolt 91 so as to effectively withstand the fastening force of the bolt 91 as compared with a conventional constant velocity joint that bears the fastening force of the bolt 91 only by the seal member 7. Consequently, the bolt 91 is suppressed from being inclined to properly exhibit the fastening force of the bolt 91, so that the bolt 91 can be suppressed from being loosened with time owing to vibrations etc., of a vehicle.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a constant velocity joint. [Background technology]

[0002] A known conventional constant velocity joint is, for example, that described in Patent Document 1 below.

[0003] Briefly, this constant velocity joint is a Birfield-type constant velocity joint and includes an outer ring member, an inner ring member, a cage, a sphere, a boot member, a cap member, and a seal member. The seal member is a thin plate made of rubber and is sandwiched between the boot member and the outer ring member, and between the cap member and the outer ring member. That is, when the fastening force of the bolts that secure the outer ring member to the companion flange on the vehicle acts on the seal member via the boot member and the cap member, the seal member elastically deforms between the boot member / cap member and the outer ring member, providing a liquid-tight seal between the boot member / cap member and the outer ring member. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 7117446 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, in the conventional constant velocity joint, the tightening force of the bolt is supported by the seal member. Therefore, the seal member, which is made of a rubber material and easily deforms elastically, has difficulty in adequately supporting the tightening force of the bolt acting through the boot member and the cap member, and there is a risk that the bolt may tilt toward the seal member. This makes it difficult to properly exert the tightening force of the bolt, and there is still room for improvement.

[0006] The present invention has been devised in view of the technical problems inherent in the conventional constant velocity joints, and has an object to provide a constant velocity joint that can suppress tilting of the bolt. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In one aspect of the present invention, a support portion made of a material harder than a sealing member is provided radially inside the sealing member that is placed in a first groove portion and a second groove portion formed on the axial end face of the outer ring member, and the support portion resists the fastening force of a bolt that fastens the outer ring member to a mating rotating body. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, tilting of the bolt can be suppressed. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is a half cross-sectional view taken along the direction of the rotation axis of a propeller shaft equipped with a constant velocity joint according to the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a second joint shown in FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 2. [Figure 4] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB in FIG. 2. [Figure 5] 3 is an enlarged view of a portion C shown in FIG. 2, showing a first embodiment of a constant velocity joint according to the present invention. FIG. [Figure 6] 3 is an enlarged view of a portion D shown in FIG. 2, showing a first embodiment of a constant velocity joint according to the present invention. FIG. [Figure 7] 3A is a plan view of the sealing member and the supporting portion shown in FIG. 2, and FIG. 3B is a cross-sectional view taken along the line EE in FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 shows a second embodiment of a constant velocity joint according to the present invention, and is an enlarged view of a main portion of the second joint shown in FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] Hereinafter, embodiments of a constant velocity joint according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Note that in the following embodiments, a constant velocity joint applied to a propeller shaft for an automobile, as in the prior art, will be described as an example. In other words, the constant velocity joint according to the present invention can be applied to various constant velocity joints, not just to the propeller shaft for an automobile illustrated in the present embodiment.

[0011] [First embodiment] Figures 1 to 5 show a first embodiment of a constant velocity joint according to the present invention. In the following description, for convenience, the left side of Figure 1 will be referred to as the "front" and the right side as the "rear," and the direction along rotation axis Z in Figures 1 to 5 will be referred to as the "axial direction," the direction perpendicular to rotation axis Z as the "radial direction," and the direction around rotation axis Z as the "circumferential direction."

[0012] (Propeller shaft configuration) FIG. 1 shows a half cross-sectional view of a propeller shaft for an automobile to which the present invention is applied, taken along the direction of a rotation axis Z.

[0013] 1, the propeller shaft PS according to this embodiment mainly includes a first joint J1, a first shaft S1, a second joint J2, a second shaft S2, and a third joint J3. The propeller shaft PS has a middle portion supported by a vehicle body (not shown) by a well-known center bearing CB that is suspended from the vehicle body (not shown) via a bracket BKT.

[0014] The first joint J1 is a well-known Cardan joint and is located at the front end of the propeller shaft PS. It connects the first shaft S1 to the drive source side of the vehicle, such as the output shaft of a transmission (not shown). The second joint J2 is a fixed constant velocity joint known as a Birrfield type and is located at the rear end of the propeller shaft PS. It connects the second shaft S2 to the drive wheels side of the vehicle, such as the input shaft of a differential (not shown). The third joint J3 is a sliding constant velocity joint known as a tripod type and is located in the middle of the propeller shaft PS. It connects the first shaft S1 and the second shaft S2 so that they can rotate at a constant speed.

[0015] (Constant velocity joint configuration) Fig. 2 shows an enlarged cross-sectional view of the second joint J2 shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 shows a cross-sectional view of the second joint J2 taken along line AA in Fig. 2. Fig. 4 shows a cross-sectional view of the second joint J2 taken along line BB in Fig. 2.

[0016] 2, the second joint J2 includes a cylindrical outer ring member 1, an inner ring member 2 arranged coaxially on the inner peripheral side of the outer ring member 1, a cylindrical cage 3 arranged between the outer ring member 1 and the inner ring member 2, and a plurality of (e.g., six in this embodiment) balls 4 as rolling elements held in a plurality of windows 30 provided in the cage 3 at approximately equal intervals in the circumferential direction. The outer ring member 1 is connected to a companion flange 92 on the vehicle side via a plurality of (e.g., six in this embodiment) fastening members, namely, bolts 91, so as to be integrally rotatable. Meanwhile, the inner ring member 2 is connected via a spline structure so as to be integrally rotatable with a stub shaft 93, which is connected by so-called friction stir welding to the rear end of a tube (not shown) constituting the second shaft S2.

[0017] As shown in Figures 2 to 4, the outer ring member 1 is made of a steel material such as SP steel and has a generally cylindrical shape, with a bearing accommodating space BS penetrating the inner circumference in the axial direction. On the inner circumferential surface of the outer ring member that opens into the bearing accommodating space BS, multiple outer ring side spherical rolling grooves 10 that, together with inner ring side spherical rolling grooves 20 (described later), guide the rolling of each ball 4 are formed at roughly equal intervals in the circumferential direction. Each of the outer ring side spherical rolling grooves 10 has the same semicircular groove shape and is recessed radially outward with a radius that allows the balls 4 to roll.

[0018] The outer ring member 1 has a generally flat first end face 11 at one axial end facing the second shaft S2 (stub shaft 93). The outer ring member 1 has a generally flat second end face 12 formed parallel to the first end face 11 at the other axial end opposite the first end face 11. A first groove 13 is formed in the radially inner inner peripheral edge of the first end face 11, recessed from the first end face 11 toward the second end face 12. Similarly, a second groove 14 is formed in the radially inner inner peripheral edge of the second end face 12, recessed from the second end face 12 toward the first end face 11. The first groove 13 and the second groove 14 are both formed to have a constant and identical depth (axial length Dg), and have flat first groove bottom surfaces 130 and second groove bottom surfaces 140 parallel to the first end face 11 and second end face 12.

[0019] Furthermore, the outer ring member 1 has a plurality of (for example, six in this embodiment) bolt insertion holes 15 that are circular in plan view and through which the bolts 91 can be inserted, and are arranged at equal intervals in the circumferential direction at positions corresponding to the plurality of female threaded holes 920 provided in the companion flange 92. The bolt insertion holes 15 all have the same inner diameter, which is set to be slightly larger than the inner diameter of the shanks 912 of the bolts 91.

[0020] The bolt 91 has a shaft portion 912 set to an axial length longer than the axial width of the outer ring member 1, and is inserted so that the shaft portion 912 penetrates from the first end face 11 side to the second end face 12 side via an annular washer 910. That is, the bolt 91 fastens the outer ring member 1 and the companion flange 92 together by screwing a male threaded portion 913 provided at the tip of the shaft portion 912 into a female threaded hole 920 provided in the companion flange 92.

[0021] Each bolt insertion hole 15 is provided at a position that straddles the first end face 11 and the first groove portion 13 in the radial direction, and also straddles the second end face 12 and the second groove portion 14. In this embodiment, each bolt insertion hole 15 is disposed such that an area that extends over more than half the circumference faces the first end face 11 and the second end face 12, and the remaining area faces the first groove portion 13 and the second groove portion 14 (see FIGS. 3 and 4).

[0022] The inner ring member 2 is formed in a generally cylindrical shape from the same steel material as the outer ring member 1, and is disposed coaxially with the rotation axis Z on the inner circumferential side (bearing accommodating space BS) of the outer ring member 1. A shaft insertion hole 21, through which a stub shaft 93 is inserted, penetrates the inner circumferential side of the inner ring member 2 in the axial direction. A female spline portion 210 is formed on the inner circumferential surface of the shaft insertion hole 21, which can mate with a male spline portion 930 provided on the rear end of the stub shaft 93. In other words, the female spline portion 210 of the inner ring member 2 mates with the male spline portion 930 of the stub shaft 93, connecting the inner ring member 2 and the stub shaft 93 so that they can rotate together.

[0023] Furthermore, on the outer peripheral surface of the inner ring member 2 that faces radially from the outer ring member 1, a plurality of inner ring side sphere rolling grooves 20 that guide the rolling of each sphere 4 together with the outer ring side sphere rolling groove 10 are formed at approximately equal intervals in the circumferential direction at circumferential positions that face the outer ring side sphere rolling groove 10. Each of the inner ring side sphere rolling grooves 20 has the same semicircular groove shape and is recessed radially outward with a radius that allows the spheres 4 to roll.

[0024] The retainer 3 is disposed in the bearing accommodating space BS of the outer ring member 1, radially between the outer ring member 1 and the inner ring member 2. The retainer 3 also has windows 30 formed at circumferential positions radially opposite the outer ring side sphere rolling groove 10 and the inner ring side sphere rolling groove 20, which hold the spheres 4 in a rollable manner.

[0025] The balls 4 are rollably disposed in a ball rolling groove formed between the outer ring member 1 and the inner ring member 2 by the outer ring side ball rolling groove 10 and the inner ring side ball rolling groove 20. That is, the balls 4 transmit rotational force between the outer ring member 1 and the inner ring member 2 by engaging with the outer ring side ball rolling groove 10 and the inner ring side ball rolling groove 20. As a result, in this embodiment, the rotational force input from the stub shaft 93 to the inner ring member 2 is transmitted to the outer ring member 1 via the balls 4, and also transmitted to the companion flange 92 on the vehicle side via the outer ring member 1. Furthermore, when the balls 4 roll in the ball rolling groove, they are lubricated by grease (not shown) sealed in the bearing accommodating space BS of the outer ring member 1.

[0026] Additionally, a boot member 5 is provided at the front end of the outer ring member 1 between the outer ring member 1 and the stub shaft 93 so as to cover the opening on the first end face 11 side of the bearing accommodating space BS of the outer ring member 1. The boot member 5 integrally includes a boot body 51 that is provided so as to be elastically deformable, and a boot adapter 52 that connects the boot body 51 to the outer ring member 1.

[0027] The boot body 51 is formed in a generally cylindrical shape from an elastically deformable material such as rubber, and has a shaft connecting portion 511 and an adapter connecting portion 512. The shaft connecting portion 511 is formed with a relatively small diameter at the front end of the boot body 51 and is connected to the outer circumferential surface of the stub shaft 93 via a boot band 53 that is wound around the outer circumferential side. The adapter connecting portion 512 is provided at the rear end of the boot body 51 in a manner that is folded back radially outward, and is connected to the front end of the boot adapter 52 by crimping.

[0028] The boot adapter 52 is formed into a generally cylindrical shape by press-molding a thin, corrosion-resistant metal plate, such as stainless steel, and includes a boot connecting portion 521, a seal component 522, and an outer ring connecting portion 523. The boot connecting portion 521 extends axially from the front end of the boot adapter 52, with its front end folded radially inward and connected to the adapter connecting portion 512 of the boot member 5 by crimping. The seal component 522 is bent radially outward relative to the boot connecting portion 521 and extends radially parallel to the first end face 11 of the outer ring member 1. The seal component 522 elastically contacts its inner surface with a seal member 7 (described later) to form a seal that can seal between the outer ring member 1 and the outer ring member 1. The outer ring connecting portion 523 is bent substantially at a right angle relative to the seal component 522 and extends axially toward its rear end, with its rear end connected to the outer peripheral surface of the outer ring member 1 by crimping.

[0029] Furthermore, a cap member 6 is provided at the rear end of the outer ring member 1 so as to cover the opening of the bearing accommodating space BS of the outer ring member 1 on the second end face 12 side. The cap member 6 is formed by press-molding a thin, corrosion-resistant metal plate such as stainless steel, and integrally includes a bulging portion 61 that bulges out toward the rear end and an outer ring connecting portion 62 that is provided on the outer peripheral edge of the bulging portion 61 and connects to the outer ring member 1. The bulging portion 61 is formed by bulging the center of the cap member 6 toward the rear end, and receives the tip end of the stub shaft 93 that penetrates the inner ring member 2 via the bulging portion 61. The outer ring connecting portion 62 has a seal forming portion 621 that forms a seal capable of sealing between it and the outer ring member 1, and an outer ring surrounding portion 622 that surrounds the outer peripheral surface of the rear end of the outer ring member 1. The bulge 61 extends radially from the outer peripheral edge of the bulge 61 in parallel to the second end face 12, and a seal member 7 (described later) elastically contacts the inner surface to form a seal between the cap member 6 and the outer ring member 1. The cap member 6 also has a plurality of female threaded holes 920 in the seal forming portion 621 at positions facing the bolt insertion holes 15 of the outer ring member 1, into which the male threaded portions 913 of the bolts 91 are respectively screwed.

[0030] (Configuration of sealing member) Fig. 5 shows an enlarged view of the main part of the second joint J2, enlarging part C shown in Fig. 2. Fig. 6 shows an enlarged view of the main part of the second joint J2, enlarging part C shown in Fig. 2. Fig. 7 shows the sealing member and the support part shown in Fig. 5 separately, with (a) being a plan view and (b) being a cross-sectional view taken along line DD in Fig. 5(a).

[0031] 5 to 7, for example, a sealing member 7 is fitted into each of the first groove portion 13 and the second groove portion 14 of the outer ring member 1. In this case, it is desirable that double-sided tape (not shown) be attached to the end faces of the sealing member 7 that face the first groove bottom surface 130 and the second groove bottom surface 140, and that the sealing member 7 be fixed to the first groove bottom surface 130 and the second groove bottom surface 140 via the double-sided tape. This prevents the sealing member 7 from falling off the first groove portion 13 and the second groove portion 14 when assembling the boot member 5 and the cap member 6 to the outer ring member 1, making it easier to assembling the boot member 5 and the cap member 6 to the outer ring member 1.

[0032] The seal member 7 is formed in a generally disk-like shape from an elastically deformable material such as rubber. The seal member 7 has a thickness (axial length Ts) greater than the depth (axial length Dg) of each of the first groove portion 13 and the second groove portion 14. Thus, when the seal component 522 of the boot member 5 is disposed in contact with the first end face 11, the seal member 7 elastically deforms between the first groove bottom surface 130 of the first groove portion 13 and the seal component 522, thereby creating a liquid-tight seal between the first groove bottom surface 130 of the first groove portion 13 and the seal component 522. Similarly, when the seal component 621 of the cap member 6 is disposed in contact with the second end face 12, the seal member 7 elastically deforms between the second groove bottom surface 140 of the second groove portion 14 and the seal component 621, thereby creating a liquid-tight seal between the second groove bottom surface 140 of the second groove portion 14 and the seal component 621.

[0033] Additionally, first notches 71, which are arc-shaped in plan view and which allow clearance for the shanks 912 of the bolts 91, are provided on the outer peripheral edge of the seal member 7 in regions that axially overlap with the bolt insertion holes 15 of the outer ring member 1. Each of the first notches 71 has a curvature slightly greater than that of the outer peripheral side of the shanks 912 of the bolts 91, and the peripheral edge of each first notch 71 is configured to overlap with the heads 911 (washers 910) of the bolts 91 in the axial direction. Meanwhile, second notches 72, which are arc-shaped in plan view and which allow clearance for the spheres 4, are provided on the inner peripheral edge of the seal member 7 in regions that axially overlap with each of the outer ring-side spherical rolling grooves 10 of the outer ring member 1. Each of the second notches 72 is formed with a curvature slightly greater than that of the outer ring-side spherical rolling grooves 10.

[0034] Furthermore, support portions 8 are provided continuously in the circumferential direction on the inner circumferential side of the seal member 7. The support portions 8 abut against the seal constituent portions 522 of the boot member 5 and the seal constituent portions 621 of the cap member 6 to support the fastening force of each bolt 91. The support portions 8 are formed of a material harder than the seal member 7, for example, a metal material such as SP steel. Note that the material of the support portions 8 is not limited to the metal material exemplified in this embodiment, and may be formed of a non-metallic material such as a hard resin, as long as it is harder than the seal member 7. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the support portions 8 are bonded to the inner circumferential side of the seal member 7 by a predetermined bonding method, for example, vulcanization bonding, and are formed integrally with the seal member 7.

[0035] Furthermore, the support portion 8 has a thickness (axial length Tx) that is smaller than the thickness (axial length Ts) of the seal member 7 and is the same as the depth (axial length Dg) of the first groove portion 13 and the second groove portion 14. That is, one axial end face of the support portion 8 abuts against the seal component 522 of the boot member 5 and the seal component 621 of the cap member 6, and the other end face abuts against the first groove bottom surface 130 and the second groove bottom surface 140, respectively, thereby making it possible to support the fastening force of each bolt 91 acting via the boot member 5 and the cap member 6.

[0036] (Effects of this embodiment) As described above, the conventional constant velocity joint is configured such that the fastening force of the bolt 91 is supported by the seal member 7. For this reason, it is difficult for the seal member 7, which is made of a rubber material that is easily elastically deformed, to adequately support the fastening force of the bolt 91 acting via the boot member 5 and the cap member 6, and there is a risk that the bolt 91 will tilt toward the seal member 7. This makes it difficult for the fastening force of the bolt 91 to be properly exerted, and there is still room for improvement.

[0037] In contrast, in the second joint J2, which is a constant velocity joint according to this embodiment, a support portion 8 made of a harder material than the seal member 7 is provided inside the seal member 7, and the support portion 8 is configured to be able to withstand the fastening force of the bolt 91. By configuring the fastening force of the bolt 91 to be supported by the support portion 8 in this way, it is possible to more effectively withstand the fastening force of the bolt 91 than in the conventional constant velocity joint described above, in which the fastening force of the bolt 91 is supported only by the seal member 7. This prevents the bolt 91 from tilting, allows the fastening force of the bolt 91 to be appropriately exerted, and makes it possible to prevent loosening of the bolt 91 over time due to vehicle vibrations, etc.

[0038] Furthermore, by suppressing tilting of the bolt 91, it is no longer necessary to set an excessively large fastening force of the bolt 91 to compensate for a decrease in the fastening force of the bolt 91 due to tilting of the bolt 91. Therefore, the thickness (axial length) of the washer 90 that receives the fastening force of the bolt 91 can also be minimized.

[0039] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the thickness (axial length Tx) of the support portion 8 is set to be smaller than the thickness (axial length Ts) of the seal member 7. Therefore, when the support portion 8 supports the fastening force of the bolt 91, the seal member 7 can be elastically deformed appropriately. This allows the seal member 7 to exhibit appropriate sealing properties.

[0040] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the support portion 8 is formed integrally with the seal member 7. Therefore, the number of parts required to assemble the second joint J2, which is a constant velocity joint, is reduced compared to when the seal member 7 and the support portion 8 are formed separately. This improves the ease of assembly of the second joint J2, which is a constant velocity joint.

[0041] Furthermore, by forming the support portion 8 integrally with the seal member 7, it is possible to increase the rigidity of the seal member 7, which is formed to be relatively thin. This makes it easier to handle the seal member 7, and from this perspective as well, it is possible to improve the workability in assembling the second joint J2, which is a constant velocity joint.

[0042] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the support portion 8 is formed of a metal material such as SP steel. This increases the rigidity of the support portion 8, making it possible to effectively resist the fastening force of the bolt 91. This makes it possible to more effectively prevent the bolt 91 from tilting due to the fastening force of the bolt 91.

[0043] Furthermore, since the support portion 8 is made of a metal material, it has good adhesion to the seal member 7 made of a rubber material, allowing the seal member 7 to exhibit its sealing properties appropriately and effectively.

[0044] Second Embodiment 8 shows a second embodiment of a constant velocity joint according to the present invention, in which the configuration of the support portion according to the present invention (the support portion 8 exemplified in the first embodiment) is modified. Note that the basic configuration other than the above modifications is the same as that of the first embodiment, and therefore the same components as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof will be omitted.

[0045] 8, in the second joint J2 according to this embodiment, the outer ring member 1 is provided with a first protruding portion 81 that protrudes from the first groove bottom surface 130 toward the boot member 5 (seal component 522), and a second protruding portion 82 that protrudes from the second groove bottom surface 140 toward the cap member 6 (seal component 621). In other words, in this embodiment, the first protruding portion 81 and the second protruding portion 82 are configured as a support portion 8 that supports the fastening force of the bolt 91, and the support portion 8 is formed integrally with the outer ring member 1.

[0046] As described above, in this embodiment, the support portion 8 is configured by the first protruding portion 81 and the second protruding portion 82, which are formed integrally with the outer ring member 1. Therefore, the first protruding portion 81 and the second protruding portion 82 can restrict radially inward movement of the seal member 7 in the first groove portion 13 and the second groove portion 14. This improves the ease of assembling the seal member 7 to the outer ring member 1, and can improve the ease of assembly of the second joint J2, which is a constant velocity joint.

[0047] Furthermore, in this embodiment, by integrating the support portion 8 with the outer ring member 1 as the first protrusion 81 and the second protrusion 82, it is not necessary to adhere the support portion 8 to the seal member 7 as in the first embodiment. This reduces the number of manufacturing steps for the second joint J2, and improves the productivity of the second joint J2.

[0048] The present invention is not limited to the configuration of the second joint J2, which is a constant velocity joint, exemplified in each of the above-described embodiments. As long as the configuration can achieve the above-described effects of the present invention, it can be freely modified depending on the specifications of the constant velocity joint or propeller shaft to which the present invention is applied.

[0049] In particular, in the above embodiment, the present invention is applied to a Birrfield-type constant velocity joint, which is a fixed constant velocity joint, but the present invention can also be applied to a sliding-type constant velocity joint, for example, a tripod-type constant velocity joint. [Explanation of symbols]

[0050] 1...outer ring member, 11...first end face, 12...second end face, 13...first groove portion, 14...second groove portion, 2...inner ring member, 3...retainer, 4...sphere (rolling element), 5...boot member, 6...cap member, 7...seal member, 8...support portion, 81...first protrusion portion, 82...second protrusion portion, 91...bolt, 92...companion flange (counter rotating body), 93...stub shaft, J2...second joint (constant velocity joint),

Claims

1. An outer ring member that is connected to a mating rotating body via a bolt and rotates together with the mating rotating body, a first end surface formed at one end of the outer ring member in an axial direction, which is the direction of the rotation axis; a second end surface formed at an end opposite to the first end surface in the axial direction; a plurality of bolt insertion holes provided in a circumferential direction of the rotation shaft, through which the bolts are inserted; a first groove portion provided on the first end surface on the inner side in a radial direction perpendicular to the rotation axis, the first groove portion being recessed from the first end surface side to the second end surface side; a second groove portion provided on the second end surface on the inner side in the radial direction and recessed from the second end surface side to the first end surface side; the outer ring member having an inner ring member disposed coaxially with respect to the rotation shaft and radially inside the outer ring member; a plurality of rolling elements disposed between the outer ring member and the inner ring member; a boot member fixed to the first end surface by the fastening force of the bolt and covering an opening on the first end surface side of the outer ring member; a cap member that is fixed to the second end surface by the fastening force of the bolt and that covers an opening on the second end surface side of the outer ring member; a seal member that is sandwiched between the boot member and the outer ring member in the first groove portion and the second groove portion, and that seals between the boot member and the outer ring member, and between the cap member and the outer ring member; a support portion formed of a material harder than the seal member, the support portion being provided radially inward of the seal member in the first groove portion and the second groove portion, and supporting the boot member and the cap member against the fastening forces of the bolts acting from the boot member side and the cap member side; A constant velocity joint comprising:

2. 2. The constant velocity joint according to claim 1, The length of the support portion in the axial direction is set to be shorter than the length of the seal member. A constant velocity joint characterized by:

3. 2. The constant velocity joint according to claim 1, The support portion is formed integrally with the seal member. A constant velocity joint characterized by:

4. 4. The constant velocity joint according to claim 3, The support portion is formed of a metal material. A constant velocity joint characterized by:

5. 2. The constant velocity joint according to claim 1, The support portion includes a first protruding portion protruding from the first groove portion toward the boot member side and a second protruding portion protruding from the second groove portion toward the cap member side. A constant velocity joint characterized by:

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