Boot band and constant velocity universal joint with boot

Abstract

To provide a boot band that offers good workability in tightening boots and can stably apply a predetermined tightening force to the boots. [Solution] A boot band 30 is used to apply a tightening force in the diameter-reducing direction to the cylindrical portion of a constant velocity universal joint boot 20 made of an elastic material. This is achieved by rolling up the band body 31, which is made of a metal strip, so that one end 31A and the other end 31B in the longitudinal direction overlap to form an annular body, and then sliding the one end 31A and the other end 31B relative to each other in a direction that reduces the circumference of the annular body to position them in the circumferential direction of the annular body. The boot band 30 is provided with a bulge portion 35 that bulges outwards in a convex shape toward the radially inward direction of the annular body at the other end 31B, which is located radially outward in the annular body state, and with a strip-shaped fitting groove 36 that extends in the circumferential direction of the annular body and into which the bulge portion 35 is slidably fitted at the one end 31A, which is located radially inward in the annular body state.

Description

Technical Field

[0004]

[0001] The present invention relates to a boot band and a constant velocity joint with a boot, and more particularly to a boot band that applies a tightening force in the diameter-reducing direction to the cylindrical portion of a constant velocity joint boot formed of an elastic material such as resin, and a constant velocity joint with a boot to which the boot band is attached.

Background Art

[0002] A constant velocity joint incorporated in a power transmission system such as an automobile or various industrial machines and transmitting torque at a constant speed between two shafts on the driving side and the driven side includes an outer joint member having a bottomed cylindrical or bottomed bowl-shaped cup portion, and a joint internal component disposed in the internal space of the cup portion. Usually, it is used in a state where a lubricant such as grease is filled in the internal space of the cup portion. In order to prevent external leakage of this lubricant and intrusion of foreign matter into the joint, one end of a boot (constant velocity joint boot) formed in a cylindrical shape of an elastic material such as rubber or resin and functioning as a seal member is attached to the outer periphery of the cup portion of the outer joint member. The other end of the boot is attached to the outer periphery of a shaft member connected to an inner joint member constituting the joint internal component.

[0003] For example, as described in Patent Document 1 below, one end and the other end (cylindrical portions provided respectively) of the boot are generally attached to the mating member by tightening the outer peripheral surface thereof with a fastening member called a boot band. As the boot band, an omega type, a rope profile type, a one-touch type, etc. are known and are appropriately used. Hereinafter, a structural example of an existing omega type boot band and its usage method, and a structural example of an existing rope profile type boot band and its usage method will be briefly described based on the drawings.

[0004] Figures 5(a) and 5(b) are a side view and a bottom view, respectively, of an existing omega-type boot band 100 in its unfolded state. The boot band 100 shown in the figures has a band body 101 made of a metal strip, with a convex insertion piece 102 and a plurality of claw portions 103 formed on one longitudinal end (the left end of the paper) 101A of the band body 101, and a housing groove 104, a projection 105, and a plurality of holes 106 formed on the other longitudinal end 101B of the band body 101. The housing groove 104 is formed on the back side of a cut-out portion 107, which is formed by cutting and raising a part of the band body 101 toward its surface (forming a pair of longitudinally extending slits in a part of the band body 101, and raising the region between the slits of the band body 101 toward the surface of the band body 101). The projection 105 is provided protruding toward the surface of the band body 101 so as to form an Ω shape in side view.

[0005] When tightening the cylindrical portion of the boot using the omega band 100 described above, first, as shown in Figure 6(a), the band body 101 is rolled into a ring shape so that one end 101A and the other end 101B overlap (here, one end 101A is radially inward and the other end 101B is radially outward), and an annular body is formed by fitting each claw portion 103 into the corresponding hole portion 106. When forming this annular body, as also shown in Figure 6(b), the tip of the insertion piece 102 provided on one end 101A of the band body 101 is housed in the housing groove 104. Next, with the boot and its mounting mating member placed on top of this annular body radially inward, the annular body is reduced in diameter by crimping the projection 105 and plastically deforming it, as shown in Figure 7, thereby tightening the cylindrical portion of the boot in the radial reduction direction. As the projection 105 is crimped, the insertion piece 102 slides relative to the receiving groove 104 in the circumferential direction in a direction that reduces the circumference of the annular body, and one end 101A and the other end 101B of the band body 101 are positioned in the circumferential direction of the annular body [see Figure 8(a)]. In this way, the cylindrical portion of the boot is attached to the mating member.

[0006] Figures 9(a) and 9(b) show a side view and a bottom view, respectively, of an existing low-profile type boot band 200 in its deployed state. This boot band 200 has a band body 201 made of a metal strip, with a convex insertion piece 202, a first tool claw 203, a temporary fastening hook 204, and engaging claws 205, 206 formed at one longitudinal end 201A of the band body 201, and a housing groove 207, a second tool claw 208, and engaging holes 209, 210 formed at the other longitudinal end 201B of the band body 201. The housing groove 207 is formed on the back side of a cut-out portion 211, which is formed by cutting and bending a part of the band body 201 toward its surface, similar to the housing groove 104 provided in the omega type boot band 100 described above.

[0007] When tightening the cylindrical portion of a boot using the boot band 200 having the above configuration, first, as shown in Figure 10, the band body 201 is rolled into a ring shape so that one end 201A and the other end 201B overlap (here, one end 201A is located radially inward and the other end 201B is located radially outward), and the first tool claw 203 and temporary fastening hook 204 are inserted into the engagement hole 209 to form an annular body. When forming the annular body, the tip of the insertion piece 202 provided on one end 201A of the band body 201 is housed in the housing groove 207. Next, with the boot and its mounting mating member overlapping on the radially inward side of this annular body, as shown in Figure 11, the annular body is reduced in diameter by clamping the first tool claw 203 and the second tool claw 208 from the circumferential outside with the tool T, thereby tightening the cylindrical portion of the boot in the diameter reduction direction. Consequently, the insertion piece 202 slides relative to the receiving groove 207 in the circumferential direction in a direction that reduces the circumference of the annular body, and the engaging claws 205 and 206 enter the engaging holes 209 and 210, respectively, and engage with the annular body in the circumferential direction. As a result, one end 201A and the other end 201B of the band body 201 are positioned in the circumferential direction of the annular body. In this way, the cylindrical portion of the boot is attached to the mating member.

[0008] Furthermore, with respect to the omega-type boot band 100 described above, if the tip of the insertion piece 102 provided on the band body 101 is housed in the housing groove 104 when forming the annular body [see Figures 6(a) and 6(b)], when tightening the band, the longitudinal end 101A and the other end 101B of the band body, which overlap radially, will not move relative to each other in the band width direction (the end 101A can be guided and moved along the other end 101B), thus allowing the boot band 100 to be tightened with precision. The same effect can be enjoyed with the low-profile type boot band 200 which employs a similar structure. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0009] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2022-148751 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0010] In the omega-type boot band 100 shown in Figures 5(a) and 5(b), when the projection 105 is crimped to reduce the diameter of the annular body of the band body 101, and the boot positioned radially inward of the annular body is tightened, as is clear from comparing Figure 6(b) and Figure 8(a), the tip of the insertion piece 102 provided at one end 101A of the band body 101 is positioned further back in the housing groove 104 than before the projection 105 was crimped. When the constant velocity universal joint operates in this state (rotates with an operating angle), as shown in Figure 8(b), the elastic restoring force F of the boot 110, which is a radially outward stress, is repeatedly applied to the cut-up portion 107 provided at the other end 101B of the band body 101 via the insertion piece 102 provided at one end 101A of the band body 101, making the cut-up portion 107 (especially its base portion 107a) prone to fracture. If the cut-up section 107 breaks, the tightening force that should be applied to the boot may decrease.

[0011] Although a diagrammatic explanation is omitted, similar problems can occur with the low-profile type boot band 200 described above.

[0012] In view of the above circumstances, the present invention aims to provide a boot band that offers good workability in fastening boots and can stably apply a predetermined fastening force to boots over a long period of time. [Means for solving the problem]

[0013] The present invention, devised to achieve the above objectives, In a boot band that applies a tightening force in the diameter-reducing direction to the cylindrical portion of a constant velocity universal joint boot made of an elastic material, the band body is formed by rolling the band body, which is made of a metal strip, into a ring shape so that one end and the other end overlap in the longitudinal direction, and the two ends are slid relative to each other in a direction that reduces the circumference of the annular body to position them in the circumferential direction of the annular body, The above-mentioned end and other end are characterized in that one end, which is positioned radially outward in the annular shape, is provided with a bulging portion that protrudes convexly toward the radially inward direction of the annular shape, and the other end, which is positioned radially inward in the annular shape, is provided with a band-shaped fitting groove that extends in the circumferential direction of the annular shape and into which the bulging portion is slidably fitted.

[0014] As mentioned above, when a constant velocity universal joint to which a boot for a constant velocity universal joint is attached using a boot band is operated (rotates at an operating angle), the elastic restoring force of the boot, which is a radially outward stress, repeatedly acts on the band body. In the boot band according to the present invention, instead of the cut-and-bent portion that was provided in the conventional boot bands 100 and 200 shown in Figures 5 and 9, a convex bulge portion is provided. When forming a cut-and-bent portion in the boot band (band body), it is necessary to cut a part of the metal strip, but the above-mentioned bulge portion can be formed without cutting the metal strip, so the mechanical strength (fatigue strength) is higher than that of the cut-and-bent portion. Therefore, even if the elastic restoring force of the boot repeatedly acts on the boot band, the boot band is less likely to break, and as a result, a predetermined tightening force can be stably applied to the boot.

[0015] Furthermore, in the boot band according to the present invention, the other end, which is positioned radially inward in an annular shape, has a strip-shaped fitting groove that extends in the circumferential direction of the annular shape (the longitudinal direction of the band body) and into which the bulging portion is slidably fitted. In this case, when the boot is tightened with the bulging portion fitted into the fitting groove, the bulging portion can be guided and moved along the circumferential direction of the annular shape (restricting the relative movement of one end and the other end of the band body in the band width direction of the band body), so that the boot can be tightened with precision.

[0016] In the boot band with the above configuration, it is preferable that the bulging portion and its surrounding portion of the band body are continuous. This effectively reduces the possibility of the boot band breaking or other damage due to the elastic restoring force of the boot that repeatedly acts on a part of the boot band (the bulging portion and its surrounding portion) when the constant velocity universal joint is in operation.

[0017] The bulge described above can be formed by deep drawing (pressing), a type of plastic deformation. This method allows for the easy formation of a bulge of a predetermined shape, and also improves the strength of the bulge through work hardening.

[0018] In the boot band having the above-described configuration, the positioning of one longitudinal end portion and the other end portion in the circumferential direction of the annular body can be achieved, for example, by crimping a projection having an Ω shape in a side view provided on the band body, or by fitting a convex claw portion provided on one of the one end portion and the other end portion of the band body, which is located on the radially outer side in the state of the annular body, into a hole portion provided on the other, which is located on the radially inner side in the state of the annular body. That is, the present invention can be applied to a so-called omega type boot band or a rope profile type boot band.

[0019] An outer joint member having a bottomed cylindrical or bottomed bowl-shaped cup portion with one end in the axial direction open, A joint internal component disposed in the internal space of the cup portion, A constant velocity joint boot formed in a cylindrical shape from an elastic material, A boot band that attaches the cylindrical portion to the outer periphery of the cup portion by tightening the cylindrical portion provided on the constant velocity joint boot to elastically reduce the diameter and deform it. The constant velocity joint with a boot having this boot band according to the present invention is highly reliable and can prevent, as much as possible, a decrease in the tightening force of the boot due to breakage of the boot band, and thus a decrease in the sealing performance.

Advantages of the Invention

[0020] As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to realize a boot band that has good workability in tightening the boot and can stably apply a predetermined tightening force to the boot over a long period of time.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0021] [Figure 1] It is a longitudinal sectional view showing an example of a constant velocity joint with a boot to which a boot is attached using the boot band according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] (a) FIG. is a side view in an unfolded state of a boot band (omega type boot band) according to an embodiment of the present invention, (b) FIG. is a bottom view of (a) FIG., and (c) FIG. is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along the line Y-Y in (a) FIG.. [Figure 3] The side view in the state of use (boot tightening state) of the boot band shown in FIG. 2. [Figure 4] Among the annular bodies formed by bending the boot band shown in FIG. 2, it is a partial plan view of the overlapping part of one end and the other end in the longitudinal direction. (a) The figure shows the state before caulking the protrusion (boot unfastened state), and (b) The figure shows the state after caulking the protrusion (boot tightened state). [Figure 5] (a) The figure is a side view in the unfolded state of a conventional omega-type boot band, and (b) The figure is a bottom view of (a) figure. [Figure 6] (a) The figure is a side view of an annular body formed by bending the boot band shown in FIG. 5, showing the unfastened state of the boot, and (b) The figure is a plan view of part A in (a) figure seen from the radially inner side. [Figure 7] The side view in the boot tightening state of the boot band shown in FIG. 5. [Figure 8] (a) The figure is a developed plan view when part B in FIG. 7 is seen from the radially inner side, and (b) The figure is a cross-sectional view taken along the line X-X of (a) figure, which is a figure for explaining the problems of the conventional boot band. [Figure 9] (a) The figure is a side view in the unfolded state of a conventional rope profile type boot band, and (b) The figure is a bottom view of (a) figure. [Figure 10] The side view in the boot unfastened state of the boot band shown in FIG. 9. [Figure 11] The side view in the boot tightening state of the boot band shown in FIG. 9.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0022] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described based on the drawings.

[0023] Figure 1 shows an example of a constant velocity universal joint 1 with a boot. This constant velocity universal joint 1 constitutes a drive shaft that transmits rotational power (torque) output from a drive source such as an engine or electric motor mounted on the chassis of an automobile to the wheels. When installed in an automobile, it is located on the wheel side and only allows angular displacement of the two connected shafts (drive shaft and driven shaft).

[0024] In other words, the constant velocity universal joint 1 shown in Figure 1 is a so-called fixed constant velocity universal joint, comprising an outer joint member 2 having a bottomed cup-shaped cup portion 6 and a shaft portion 7, and an internal joint component housed in the inner circumference of the cup portion 6. The internal joint component comprises an inner joint member 3 to which a shaft member 10 is connected in a central hole so as to transmit torque, a plurality of balls 4 arranged between an arc-shaped outer track groove 8 formed on the inner diameter surface of the cup portion 6 and an arc-shaped inner track groove 9 formed on the outer diameter surface of the inner joint member 3 to transmit torque between the outer joint member 2 and the inner joint member 3, and a retainer 5 that holds the plurality of balls 4 spaced apart in the circumferential direction. The number of balls 4 can be, for example, 6, 8, 10, or 12.

[0025] Although not shown in the diagram, the internal space of the cup portion 6 of the outer joint member 2 is filled with a lubricant such as grease. To prevent external leakage of this lubricant and the intrusion of foreign matter from outside the joint, a cylindrical constant velocity universal joint boot 20 (hereinafter simply referred to as "boot 20") is provided between the cup portion 6 of the outer joint member 2 and the shaft member 10. This boot 20 is a so-called resin boot molded using a resin material mainly composed of thermoplastic elastomer, and integrally has a large-diameter cylindrical portion 21 attached to the outer diameter surface of the cup portion 6 of the outer joint member 2, a small-diameter cylindrical portion 22 attached to the outer diameter surface of the shaft member 10, and a bellows portion 23 connecting the two cylindrical portions 21 and 22. The bellows portion 23 elastically expands, contracts and bends as the outer joint member 2 and the inner joint member 3 (shaft member 10) are relatively angularly displaced.

[0026] The large-diameter cylindrical portion 21 of the boot 20 is attached to the cup portion 6 of the outer joint member 2 by tightening the bottom surface of the annular groove formed on its outer circumference with a boot band 30. The small-diameter cylindrical portion 22 of the boot 20 is attached to the shaft member 10 by tightening the bottom surface of the annular groove formed on its outer circumference with a boot band 30. The boot band 30 used is a boot band according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0027] The following describes in detail a boot band according to one embodiment of the present invention. The boot bands 30 used to fasten the large-diameter cylindrical portion 21 and the small-diameter cylindrical portion 22 of the boot 20 have the same configuration except for their overall length (circumference). In the following description, the boot band 30 used to fasten the large-diameter cylindrical portion 21 of the boot 20 will be described as a representative example.

[0028] Figures 2(a) and 2(b) are a side view and a bottom view, respectively, of a boot band 30 in its deployed state according to one embodiment of the present invention. This boot band 30 is an improvement over the conventional omega-type boot band 100 described with reference to Figure 5, etc., and has the same configuration as the boot band 100, except for a few parts. That is, the boot band 30 comprises a band body 31 made of a metal strip, and a claw portion 32, a hole portion 33, a projection portion 34, a bulge portion 35, and a fitting groove 36 formed on the band body 31. The claw portion 32 and the fitting groove 36 are formed at one end 31A in the longitudinal direction of the band body 31 [the left end in Figure 2(a)], and the hole portion 33, projection portion 34, and bulge portion 35 are formed at the other end 31B in the longitudinal direction of the band body 31. A stepped portion 31C is provided between the one end 31A and the other end 31B, with a height difference that is approximately the same as the thickness of the band body 31 (metal strip).

[0029] In this embodiment, three claw portions 32 (32a, 32b, 32c) are formed at intervals along the longitudinal direction of the band body 31. Of the three claw portions, claw portions 32a and 32b are formed by raising (bulging) a part of the band body 31 toward its surface, and claw portion 32c is formed by bending a part of the band body 31 toward its surface. The holes 33 are through holes into which the claw portions 32 fit when the band body 31 is rolled into a ring shape to form an annular body. In this embodiment, where three claw portions 32a to 32c are provided, three holes 33a, 33b, and 33c into which the claw portions 32a, 32b, and 32c fit are formed at intervals along the longitudinal direction of the band body 31.

[0030] The projection 34 has an Ω shape in side view, consisting of a pair of legs 34a, 34a spaced apart in the longitudinal direction and a top portion 34b connecting the tips of both legs 34a. The distance between the pair of legs 34a, 34a is set according to the tightening force to be applied to the object to be tightened (in this case, the large-diameter cylindrical portion 21 of the boot 20).

[0031] The bulge 35 is formed by causing a portion of the band body 31 to bulge outwards on the back side. Although not shown in the illustration, the bulge 35 is formed here by deep drawing, in which a punch with a roughly rectangular outline is pressed into the surface of the band body 31 (metal strip). As a result, there are no cuts or seams in the bulge 35 and its surrounding parts of the band body 31, and the bulge 35 and its surrounding parts are continuous.

[0032] The fitting groove 36 is a strip-shaped groove extending in the longitudinal direction of the band body 31 into which the bulging portion 35 slides when the band body 31 is rolled into a ring shape to form an annular body. Therefore, the groove length and groove width of the fitting groove 36 are slightly larger than the longitudinal dimension and width dimension of the bulging portion 35, respectively [see Figure 4(b)]. Such a fitting groove 36 is formed by partially cutting out (punching out) one end 31A of the band body 31 (metal strip). Thus, the bulging portion 35, the fitting groove 36, and the aforementioned claw portion 32, hole portion 33, and projection portion 34 can all be provided simultaneously by press working.

[0033] The boot band 30 having the above configuration can be used, for example, as follows.

[0034] First, the band body 31 is rolled into a ring shape so that one end 31A and the other end 31B overlap (in the thickness direction of the band body 31), and the claw portions 32 (32a to 32c) are fitted into the corresponding holes 33 (33a to 33c) to form an annular body. Next, the large-diameter cylindrical portion 21 of the boot 20 and the cup portion 6 of the outer joint member 2 to which it is attached are placed on top of each other radially inside the annular body. Then, the legs 34a, 34a of the projection 34 are crimped in a direction in which their base ends approach each other, causing the projection 34 to plastically deform (see Figure 3). As a result, the circumference of the annular body decreases, and a tightening force in the radially reducing direction is applied to the large-diameter cylindrical portion 21 of the boot 20 that is positioned radially inside the annular body. This attaches the large-diameter cylindrical portion 21 of the boot 20 to the cup portion 6 of the outer joint member 2.

[0035] As shown in Figure 4(a), when the band body 31 is rolled into a ring shape to form an annular body, a portion of the bulge 35 provided on the other end 31B of the band body 31 is slidably fitted into the strip-shaped fitting groove 36 provided on one end 31A of the band body 31. In other words, the crimping of the protrusion 34, i.e., the tightening of the boot band 30, is performed with the bulge 35 slidably fitted into the strip-shaped fitting groove 36. When the protrusion 34 is crimped, the one end 31A and the other end 31B of the band body 31 move relative to each other along the longitudinal direction of the band body 31 (circumferential direction of the annular body) in a direction that increases the fitted length of the bulge 35 with respect to the fitting groove 36. In this way, it is possible to restrict the relative movement of the one end 31A and the other end 31B of the band body 31 in the band width direction of the band body 31 during the crimping of the protrusion 34, so that the crimping of the protrusion 34, i.e., the tightening of the boot band 30, can be performed with high precision. Furthermore, in order to apply sufficient tightening force to the boot 20, the groove length of the fitting groove 36 is adjusted so that the bulging portion 35 does not abut against the inner end of the fitting groove 36 before the crimping of the protrusion 34 is completed.

[0036] As explained with reference to Figure 8(b), when the constant velocity universal joint 1 is in operation (when the constant velocity universal joint 1 rotates at an operating angle), the elastic restoring force (radially outward stress) of the large-diameter cylindrical portion 21 of the boot 20, which is tightened in the radially reducing direction by the boot band 30, repeatedly acts on one end 31A and the other end 31B of the boot band 30.

[0037] In the omega-type boot band 30 of this embodiment, a convex bulge 35 is provided instead of the cut-and-bent portion 107 that was provided in the conventional omega-type boot band 100 shown in Figure 5, etc. When forming the cut-and-bent portion 107 in the boot band 100, it is necessary to cut a part of the band body 101, but the above-mentioned bulge 35 can be formed without cutting the band body 31, and since it is continuous with the surrounding portion of the bulge 35, its mechanical strength (fatigue strength) is higher than that of the cut-and-bent portion 107. In particular, since the bulge 35 of this embodiment is formed by deep drawing, which is a type of plastic deformation, an improvement in strength due to work hardening can also be expected. As a result, even if the elastic restoring force of the boot 20 is repeatedly applied to the boot band 30, the boot band 30 is less likely to break, and as a result, a predetermined tightening force can be stably applied to the boot 20.

[0038] From the above, the omega-type boot band 30 according to the embodiment of the present invention has the advantage of providing good tightening workability for the boot 20 and being able to stably apply a predetermined tightening force to the boot 20 over a long period of time.

[0039] The boot band (omega-type boot band) 30 according to one embodiment of the present invention has been described above, but the present invention can also be applied to low-profile type boot bands as described with reference to Figure 9, etc. In that case, although not shown in the figures, a fitting groove 36 as shown in Figure 2, etc. can be provided in place of the insertion piece 202 provided at one end 201A of the boot band 200 (boot body 201), and a bulging portion 35 as shown in Figure 2, etc. can be provided in place of the cut-out portion 211 (accommodating groove 207) provided at the other end 201B.

[0040] Furthermore, although the above description has focused on the use of the boot band 30 according to an embodiment of the present invention when attaching a resin boot 20 to a mounting surface, the boot band 30 according to the present invention can also be used when attaching and fixing a rubber boot to a mounting surface.

[0041] Furthermore, while the above describes the application of the present invention to a boot band used to fix a boot to a constant velocity universal joint and shaft member constituting a drive shaft, the present invention can also be applied to a boot band used to fix a boot to a constant velocity universal joint and shaft member constituting a propeller shaft.

[0042] The present invention is not limited in any way to the embodiments described above, and can be implemented in various other forms without departing from the spirit of the invention. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0043] 1. Constant velocity universal joint (constant velocity universal joint with boot) 2. Outer joint member 6 cup section 10 Shaft member 20 Boots (Boots for constant velocity universal joints) 21. Large diameter cylindrical section (cylindrical section) 30 Bootbands 31 Boot body 31A One end 31B Other end 34. Protrusion 35 Bulge 36 Fitting groove

Claims

1. In a boot band that applies a tightening force in the diameter-reducing direction to the cylindrical portion of a constant velocity universal joint boot made of an elastic material, the band body is formed by rolling the band body, which is made of a metal strip, into a ring shape so that one end and the other end in the longitudinal direction overlap, and the one end and the other end are slid relative to each other in a direction that reduces the circumference of the annular body to position them in the circumferential direction of the annular body, A boot band characterized in that, of the one end and the other end, the one that is positioned radially outward in the annular shape is provided with a bulging portion that protrudes convexly toward the radially inward side of the annular shape, and the other end that is positioned radially inward in the annular shape is provided with a band-shaped fitting groove that extends in the circumferential direction of the annular shape and into which the bulging portion is slidably fitted.

2. The boot band according to claim 1, wherein the bulging portion and its surrounding portion of the band body are continuous.

3. The boot band according to claim 1, wherein the bulging portion is formed by a drawing process.

4. The boot band according to claim 1, wherein the positioning of the one end and the other end of the annular body in the circumferential direction is performed by crimping the Ω-shaped projection provided on the band body in a side view.

5. The boot band according to claim 1, wherein the positioning of the one end and the other end of the annular body in the circumferential direction is performed by fitting a convex claw portion provided on the other end into a hole portion provided on the one end.

6. An outer joint member having a bottomed cylindrical or bottomed bowl-shaped cup portion with one end open in the axial direction, The internal components of the joint are arranged in the internal space of the cup portion, A boot for a constant velocity universal joint, formed in a cylindrical shape from an elastic material, A boot band according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the cylindrical portion provided on the constant velocity universal joint boot is tightened and elastically deformed to reduce its diameter, thereby attaching the cylindrical portion to the outer circumference of the cup portion, A constant velocity universal joint with a boot.

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