Such a tripod roller or a constant velocity joint constructed with such a tripod roller is known e.g. from EP 0 426 186 B1. Such constant velocity joints are used for instance in all drive shafts in front wheel-drive passenger vehicles. They have a rotatable exterior joint part with three circumferentially distributed raceway devices, each of which has two parallel, flat running faces, as well as a tripod star that the joint exterior part wraps around and that has three circumferentially distributed radial journals, whereby each of the journals is received in the interior ring of a tripod roller.
The tripod roller that is described in EP 0 426 186 B1 provides an exterior ring and an interior ring, between which the roller bodies are arranged. At one end, the interior ring has an integral, outwardly projecting projection on which the exterior ring is borne on its first end face. Arranged at the opposing end of the roller unit is a disk and a locking ring via which the roller unit is held together. The disk sits outside on the interior ring, and the exterior ring is placed thereupon with its second end face and with no clearance. The locking ring is received in a groove embodied on the interior ring and overlaps the disk such that no axial movement of the interior ring is possible relative to the exterior ring. The roller bodies that are received between interior ring and exterior ring with minimum axial clearance are guided at their end faces on the projection of the interior ring or of the disk. Although this multi-part design of the tripod roller does serve its purpose, four parts are required in addition to the roller bodies, which is disadvantageous in terms of assembling the roller and in terms of production costs.