Rubber outboard deflector ring

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12345301-B2
Application number	US-202418587930-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 26, 2024
Priority date	Dec 7, 2020
Publication date	Jul 1, 2025
Grant date	Jul 1, 2025

Abstract

A constant velocity joint assembly includes a housing body having an outer surface and an inner surface extending between a first housing end and a second housing end along a central axis. The inner surface of the housing body defines a raceway. A plurality of rollers are disposed in the raceway. A flexible boot is operably fixed to the housing body, with the flexible boot extending along the central axis. A deflector ring is fixed to the outer surface of the housing body. The deflector ring has a metal inner ring portion and a non-metal outer ring portion.

First claim

Having thus described the invention, it is claimed:

1. A constant velocity joint housing, comprising:
a housing body having an outer surface and an inner surface extending between a first housing end and a second housing end along a central axis, the inner surface of the housing body defining a raceway;
a flexible boot operably fixed to the housing body, the flexible boot extending along the central axis; and
a deflector ring fixed to the outer surface of the housing body, the deflector ring having a rigid inner ring portion and a flexible, resilient outer ring portion, said rigid inner ring portion and said flexible, resilient outer ring portion being formed of dissimilar materials,
wherein the rigid inner ring portion has a maximum outermost first dimension relative to the central axis and the flexible, resilient outer ring portion has a maximum outermost second dimension relative to the central axis, the second dimension being greater than the first dimension.

2. The constant velocity joint housing of claim 1 , wherein the flexible, resilient outer ring portion is a non-metal material and the rigid inner ring portion is a metal-based material.

3. The constant velocity joint housing of claim 2 , wherein the flexible, resilient outer ring portion is a polymeric material and the rigid inner ring portion is a metal material.

4. A constant velocity joint assembly, comprising:
a housing body having an outer surface and an inner surface extending between a first housing end and a second housing end along a central axis, the inner surface of the housing body defining a raceway;
a plurality of rollers disposed in the raceway;
a flexible boot operably fixed to the housing body, the flexible boot extending along the central axis; and
a deflector ring fixed to the outer surface of the housing body, the deflector ring having a rigid inner ring portion and a flexible, resilient outer ring portion, said rigid inner ring portion and said flexible, resilient outer ring portion being formed of dissimilar materials,
wherein the rigid inner ring portion has a maximum outermost first dimension relative to the central axis and the flexible, resilient outer ring portion has a maximum outermost second dimension relative to the central axis, the second dimension being greater than the first dimension.

5. The constant velocity joint assembly of claim 4 , wherein the flexible, resilient outer ring portion is a non-metal material and the rigid inner ring portion is a metal-based material.

6. The constant velocity joint assembly of claim 5 , wherein the flexible, resilient outer ring portion is a polymeric material and the rigid inner ring portion is a metal material.

7. The constant velocity joint assembly of claim 4 , wherein the rigid inner ring portion is overmolded with material of the flexible, resilient outer ring portion.

8. The constant velocity joint assembly of claim 4 , wherein the flexible, resilient outer ring portion has an inner periphery and the rigid inner ring portion has a recessed channel, at least a portion of the inner periphery being disposed in the recessed channel.

9. The constant velocity joint assembly of claim 8 , wherein the recessed channel is bounded by a first lip spaced axially from a second lip along the central axis, the first lip having an outermost first dimension and the second lip having an outermost second dimension, the first dimension being greater than the second dimension.

10. The constant velocity joint assembly of claim 8 , wherein the outer surface of the housing body has a generally cylindrical portion with a shoulder extending radially outwardly from the generally cylindrical portion, and wherein the recessed channel is bounded by a first lip spaced axially from a second lip along the central axis by a cylindrical portion, the first lip abutting the shoulder.

11. The constant velocity joint assembly of claim 8 , wherein the recessed channel is bounded by a first lip spaced axially from a second lip along the central axis by a cylindrical portion, the first lip, the cylindrical portion, and the second lip having a constant thickness.

12. The constant velocity joint assembly of claim 4 , wherein the outer surface of the housing body has a maximum housing outermost dimension, the maximum outermost first dimension being less than the maximum housing outermost dimension, and the maximum outermost second dimension being greater than the maximum housing outermost dimension.

13. A constant velocity joint assembly, comprising:
a housing body having an outer surface and an inner surface extending between a first housing end and a second housing end along a central axis, the inner surface of the housing body defining a raceway;
a plurality of rollers disposed in the raceway;
a flexible boot operably fixed to the housing body, the flexible boot extending along the central axis; and
a deflector ring fixed to the outer surface of the housing body, the deflector ring having a rigid inner ring portion and a flexible, resilient outer ring portion, said rigid inner ring portion and said flexible, resilient outer ring portion being formed of dissimilar materials;
wherein the rigid inner ring portion is overmolded with material of the flexible, resilient outer ring portion,
wherein the rigid inner ring portion is entirely encapsulated by material of the flexible, resilient outer ring portion.

14. A constant velocity joint assembly, comprising:
a housing body having an outer surface and an inner surface extending between a first housing end and a second housing end along a central axis, the inner surface of the housing body defining a raceway;
a plurality of rollers disposed in the raceway;
a flexible boot operably fixed to the housing body, the flexible boot extending along the central axis; and
a deflector ring fixed to the outer surface of the housing body, the deflector ring having a rigid inner ring portion and a flexible, resilient outer ring portion, said rigid inner ring portion and said flexible, resilient outer ring portion being formed of dissimilar materials;
wherein the rigid inner ring portion is overmolded with material of the flexible, resilient outer ring portion,
wherein the flexible, resilient outer ring portion has a generally L-shaped leg forming an annular inner periphery of the flexible, resilient outer ring portion.

15. The constant velocity joint assembly of claim 14 , wherein the rigid inner ring portion has a generally L-shaped leg forming an annular inner periphery of the rigid inner ring portion.

16. A constant velocity joint assembly, comprising:
a housing body having an outer surface and an inner surface extending between a first housing end and a second housing end along a central axis, the inner surface of the housing body defining a raceway;
a plurality of rollers disposed in the raceway;
a flexible boot operably fixed to the housing body, the flexible boot extending along the central axis; and
a deflector ring fixed to the outer surface of the housing body, the deflector ring having a rigid inner ring portion and a flexible, resilient outer ring portion, said rigid inner ring portion and said flexible, resilient outer ring portion being formed of dissimilar materials,
wherein the flexible, resilient outer ring portion has an inner periphery and the rigid inner ring portion has a recessed channel, at least a portion of the inner periphery being disposed in the recessed channel,
wherein the recessed channel is circumferentially continuous and the entire inner periphery of the flexible, resilient outer ring portion is disposed in the reces

Assignees

• Steering Solutions Ip Holding

Inventors

• Tebbe Adam J
• Baker Ray A
• Phillpotts Scott T

Classifications

• Y10S464/906

  Torque transmitted via radially spaced balls · CPC title

• F15D1/10

  around bodies of solid material · CPC title

• F16D3/845

  allowing relative movement of joint parts due to the flexing of the cover · CPC title

• F16D2003/22326

  Attachments to the outer joint member, i.e. attachments to the exterior of the outer joint member or to the shaft of the outer joint member · CPC title

• F16D3/841

  Open covers, e.g. guards for agricultural p.t.o. shafts · CPC title