Ball socket assembly with a preload bearing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11396906-B2
Application number	US-201916515560-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 18, 2019
Priority date	Jul 18, 2018
Publication date	Jul 26, 2022
Grant date	Jul 26, 2022

Abstract

The ball socket assembly includes a housing which has at least one open end and an inner bore that extends along a central axis. The ball socket assembly further includes a ball stud that has a ball portion and a shank portion. The ball portion is disposed in the inner bore of the housing, and the shank portion extends out of the inner bore through the at least one open end. At least one bearing is disposed in the inner, and the at least one bearing has a bearing surface which is in direct contact with the ball portion of the ball stud. The at least one bearing is made of a monolithic piece of a spring-like material and has a single gap and is flexed to preload the at least one bearing against the ball portion.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A ball socket assembly, comprising:
a housing comprising an inner bore extending along a central axis between a first open end and a second end, wherein the first open end defines a first shoulder;
said inner bore comprising a first diameter portion adjacent said first open end and a larger diameter portion adjacent said second end, wherein a second shoulder separates said first diameter portion and said larger diameter portion;
a ball stud, said ball stud having a ball portion and a shank portion;
said ball portion being disposed in said inner bore of said housing and said shank portion extending out of said inner bore through said first open end;
a first bearing received in said inner bore of said housing and contacting said first shoulder and having a first bearing surface that contacts said ball portion of said ball stud;
a second bearing disposed in said inner bore having a second bearing surface which is in direct contact with said ball portion of said ball stud and captured within said inner bore via said second end of said housing;
a radial ring sandwiched between said second shoulder and said second bearing and being in contact with an equator of said ball portion of said ball stud; and
said second bearing being clamped between said second end and said radial ring and being made of a monolithic piece of spring material and having a single gap and is flexed to preload said second bearing against said ball portion and to preload said radial ring against said second shoulder without any additional springs or other spring components.

2. The ball socket assembly of claim 1 wherein said second bearing surface of said second bearing extends at a generally constant angle relative to said central axis where it contacts said ball portion of said ball stud.

3. The ball socket assembly as set forth in claim 2 wherein said second bearing is made of metal.

4. The ball socket assembly as set forth in claim 3 wherein said second bearing is made of spring steel.

5. The ball socket assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said first and second bearing surfaces are disposed at different acute angles relative to said central axis from one another.

6. The ball socket assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said second end of said housing is further defined as a second open end and wherein a cover plate closes said second open end.

7. The ball socket assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein no washer springs are disposed in said inner bore of said housing.

8. The ball socket assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said second bearing surface includes a plurality of lubrication grooves.

9. A method of making a ball socket assembly, comprising the steps of:
providing a housing that has an inner bore that extends along a central axis between a first open end and a second end, wherein said first open end defines a first shoulder;
said inner bore comprising a first diameter portion adjacent said first open end and a larger diameter portion adjacent said second end, wherein a second shoulder separates said first diameter portion and said larger diameter portion;
inserting a first bearing that has a first bearing surface into said inner bore of said housing, the first bearing contacting said first shoulder and being made of a monolithic piece of a spring material;
inserting a ball portion of a ball stud into the inner bore of the housing and establishing direct contact between the ball portion and the first bearing surface of the first bearing, wherein a shank portion of said ball stud extends out of said inner bore through said first open end;
inserting a radial ring into the inner bore of the housing against said second shoulder and into contact with an equator of the ball portion of the ball stud;
inserting a second bearing into the inner bore of the housing and capturing said second bearing within said inner bore via said second end of said housing, the second bearing having a pair of end faces that are spaced from one another by a gap, the second bearing having a second bearing surface in contact with the ball portion of the ball stud, and wherein said second bearing is clamped between said second end of said housing and said radial ring and said radial ring is sandwiched between said second shoulder and said second bearing; and
flexing the second bearing radially outwardly to preload the second bearing surface against the ball portion of the ball stud and to bias the radial ring against the second shoulder without any additional springs or spring components.

10. The method as set forth in claim 9 wherein the first and second bearing surfaces are generally frustoconical in shape.

11. The method as set forth in claim 9 wherein the first and second bearings are made of spring steel.

12. The method as set forth in claim 9 wherein the second bearing further comprises a single gap and comprising flexing the second bearing radially outwardly to preload the second bearing surface against the ball portion of the ball stud.

Assignees

• Fed Mogul Motorparts Llc

Inventors

• Blair John
• Krueger Brian
• Byrnes Jr Thomas J

Classifications

• F16C11/08

  with resilient bearings · CPC title

• F16C11/0695

  Mounting of ball-joints, e.g. fixing them to a connecting rod · CPC title

• F16C11/0628 Primary

  with linings · CPC title

• F16C11/068

  Special features relating to lubrication · CPC title

• Y10T403/32737

  including liner, shim, or discrete seat · CPC title