System, method and apparatus for tolerance ring control of slip interface sliding forces

A method of forming a tolerance ring comprising:

• providing a layered structure including laminating a strip of resilient material comprising spring steel having a radial thickness of 0.1 to 0.7 mm and a low friction layer comprising a fluoropolymer;
• forming projections in the layered structure;
• and
• bending the layered structure into a curved shape, wherein the projections are axially-elongated ridges with rounded peaks, wherein the tolerance ring comprises a rim disposed at an axial end, and wherein the tolerance ring is adapted to provide at least one of:
• a radial stiffness that is greater than 20,000 N/mm, a axial sliding force in a range of 10 to 600 N, or a slip torque in a range of 1 to 25 Nm, wherein the coefficient of friction provided by the low friction layer is in a range of about 0.04 to 0.25, wherein the projections are adapted to be compressed between inner and outer components such that the tolerance ring operates in a flattened portion of a compression/retention force characteristic whereby the projections initially exhibit elastic behavior and are plastically deformed.

A method of forming a tolerance ring comprising:

• providing a strip of resilient material comprising spring steel having a radial thickness of 0.1 to 0.7 mm;
• laminating a low friction layer comprising a fluoropolymer to the strip of resilient material to form a layered structure;
• forming projections in the layered structure, wherein the projections are axially-elongated ridges with rounded peaks;
• and
• bending the layered structure into a curved shape such that the low friction layer is disposed radially inside of the strip of resilient material, wherein the tolerance ring comprises a rim disposed at an axial end, and wherein the tolerance ring is adapted to provide at least one of:
• a radial stiffness that is greater than 20,000 N/mm, a axial sliding force in a range of 10 to 600 N, or a slip torque in a range of 1 to 25 Nm, wherein the coefficient of friction provided by the low friction layer is in a range of about 0.04 to 0.25, wherein the projections are adapted to be compressed between inner and outer components such that the tolerance ring operates in a flattened portion of a compression/retention force characteristic whereby the projections initially exhibit elastic behavior and are plastically deformed.