Socket assembly and method of making a socket assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11209043-B2
Application number	US-201916530143-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 2, 2019
Priority date	Jun 1, 2016
Publication date	Dec 28, 2021
Grant date	Dec 28, 2021

Abstract

The socket assembly has a housing with an inner bore which extends from a first end to a second end. A ball portion of a ball stud is received in the inner bore. A backing bearing is disposed in the inner bore and presents a curved bearing surface in surface-to-surface contact with the ball portion. A first spring biases the backing bearing against the ball portion. The socket assembly also includes an exit bearing with a cylindrical portion that is in contact with an equator of the ball portion and a semi-spherical portion that is in surface-to-surface contact with an opposite hemisphere from the first bearing surface. A second spring biases the exit bearing into a predetermined location established by the housing. The exit bearing is movable from the predetermined location in a direction towards the second end of the housing against a biasing force of the second spring.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A socket assembly, comprising:
a housing with an inner bore that extends along an axis from a wall at a generally closed first end to an open second end;
a ball stud having a ball portion which is received in said inner bore of said housing and having a shank portion which projects out of said inner bore through said open second end;
a backing bearing disposed in said inner bore and presenting a curved first bearing surface in surface-to-surface contact with an outer surface of said ball portion of said ball stud;
a first spring disposed in said inner bore and biasing said first bearing surface of said backing bearing against said ball portion of said ball stud;
an exit bearing disposed in said inner bore of said housing and presenting a second bearing surface with a cylindrical portion in contact with an equator of said ball portion of said ball stud and with a semi-spherical portion in surface-to-surface contact with an opposite hemisphere of said ball portion of said ball stud from said first bearing surface of said backing bearing;
a second spring biasing said exit bearing into a predetermined location established by said housing;
said exit bearing being movable from said predetermined location in a direction towards said open second end of said housing against a biasing force of said second spring;
wherein said exit bearing has an outer surface that is frustum of a cone shaped with a first diameter nearest said open second end of said housing and a second diameter nearest said first closed end of said housing and wherein said first diameter is greater than said second diameter and wherein said outer surface is seated against a tapered inner surface of said housing when said exit bearing is in said predetermined location;
wherein said exit bearing is in an interference fit connection with said housing;
further including a dust boot sealed with said housing and sealed with said ball stud for retaining a lubricant within said inner bore of said housing and for keeping contaminants out of said inner bore of said housing; and
wherein said second spring is at least partially embedded in an elastic body of said dust boot.

2. The socket assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said first spring is a Belleville washer.

3. The socket assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said wall at said closed first end of said housing presents a lubricant opening for receiving the lubricant into said inner bore of said housing.

4. The socket assembly as set forth in claim 3 wherein said first bearing surface of said backing bearing presents at least one lubricant channel for conveying the lubricant from said lubricant opening in said housing into a gap between said backing and exit bearings.

5. The socket assembly as set forth in claim 4 wherein said second bearing surface of said exit bearing presents at least one lubricant channel.

6. The socket assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said second spring is a Belleville washer.

7. The socket assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said housing presents a shoulder which faces towards said open second end of said housing and wherein said exit bearing abuts said shoulder when in said predetermined location.

8. The socket assembly as set forth in claim 1 further including a cover plate disposed in said inner bore of said housing adjacent said open second end.

9. The socket assembly as set forth in claim 8 wherein said housing at said second open end is bent inwardly to trap said cover plate in said inner bore of said housing.

10. The socket assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said outer surface of said exit bearing presents a plurality of axially extending ridges that are spaced circumferentially from one another.

Assignees

• Fed Mogul Motorparts Llc

Inventors

• Parker Glen C
• Bretz Kurt R
• Sugg Brennan
• Kopsie Eric M

Classifications

• F16C11/0671 Primary

  allowing operative relative movement of joint parts due to flexing of the sealing means · CPC title

• F16C11/0685

  Manufacture of ball-joints and parts thereof, e.g. assembly of ball-joints · CPC title

• F16C11/0628

  with linings · CPC title

• F16C11/068

  Special features relating to lubrication · CPC title

• F16C25/04

  self-adjusting · CPC title