Socket assembly and method of making
AssigneeFederal-Mogul Motorparts LLC
InventorsBrennan Sugg, Glen Parker
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The socket assembly includes a housing with an inner bore that extends along a central axis from a generally closed first end to an open second end. The socket assembly also includes a ball stud which includes a ball portion and a shank portion. The ball portion is received in the inner bore of the housing, and the shank portion projects out of the inner bore through the open second end. A backing bearing is disposed in the inner bore. The backing bearing has a curved bearing surface that is in slidable contact with the ball portion of the ball stud. The backing bearing includes a polymeric piece and a metal sleeve which surrounds the polymeric piece to resist radial expansion of the polymeric piece.
Claims15
A socket assembly, comprising:
- a housing having an inner bore which extends along a central axis from a closed first end to an open second end;
- a ball stud including a ball portion and a shank portion;
- said ball portion being received in said inner bore of said housing and said shank portion projecting out of said inner bore through said open second end;
- a backing bearing disposed in said inner bore of said housing and having a curved bearing surface that is in slidable contact with said ball portion of said ball stud;
- said backing bearing including a polymeric piece;
- said backing bearing further including a sleeve made of metal and surrounding said polymeric piece to resist radial expansion of said polymeric piece;
- and
- said backing bearing having an outer diameter that is less than a diameter of said inner bore of said housing so that said sleeve and said polymeric piece of said backing bearing can move in a radial direction within said inner bore of said housing.
A method of making a socket assembly, comprising the steps of:
- preparing a housing with an inner bore which extends along a central axis from a closed first end to an open second end;
- making a polymeric piece of a backing bearing out of a polymeric material;
- inserting the polymeric piece of the backing bearing into a metal sleeve such that the metal sleeve surrounds the polymeric piece;
- inserting the backing bearing into the inner bore of the housing through the open second end and wherein the backing bearing has a diameter that is less than the inner bore of the housing so that the polymeric piece and the metal sleeve are movable within the inner bore in a radial direction relative to the housing;
- and
- inserting a ball portion of a ball stud into the inner bore of the housing through the open second end and establishing slidable contact between the ball portion of the ball stud and a curved bearing surface of the plastic piece of the backing bearing.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.