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US 11,713,783 B2Granted
Grease boot for a ball joint
AssigneeFederal-Mogul Motorparts LLC
InventorsSeth Englebright, Sean Smith
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A ball joint includes a grease boot having a snap ring at least partially embedded in an elastomeric body. The snap ring has a C-shaped body that defines a compressible radial gap in the elastomeric body. The snap ring can be at least partially embedded in a flange of the grease boot, with a radially outermost edge of the flange including a first elastomeric shoulder, a second elastomeric shoulder, and an exposed outer wall of the snap ring located between the first elastomeric shoulder and the second elastomeric shoulder.
Claims16
A grease boot, comprising:
- an elastomeric body;
- and
- a snap ring that is at least partially embedded in the elastomeric body, wherein the snap ring has a C-shaped body that defines a compressible radial gap in the elastomeric body, wherein the C-shaped body includes one or more through holes for interlocking the snap ring with the elastomeric body, wherein each through hole is wholly surrounded by a material of the C-shaped body, wherein the elastomeric body includes an axially extending sleeve extending between a housing attachment end and a stud attachment end, the elastomeric body having a flange located toward the housing attachment end, and wherein a radially outermost edge of the flange includes a first elastomeric shoulder, a second elastomeric shoulder, and an exposed outer wall of the snap ring located between the first elastomeric shoulder and the second elastomeric shoulder.
A grease boot, comprising:
- an elastomeric body having an axially extending sleeve extending between a housing attachment end and a stud attachment end, the elastomeric body having a flange located toward the housing attachment end;
- and
- a snap ring that is at least partially embedded in the flange, wherein a radially outermost edge of the flange includes a first elastomeric shoulder, a second elastomeric shoulder, and an exposed outer wall of the snap ring located between the first elastomeric shoulder and the second elastomeric shoulder.
A ball joint, comprising:
- a ball;
- a stud extending from the ball;
- a grease boot at least partially surrounding the stud, the grease boot having a snap ring at least partially embedded in an elastomeric body, wherein the elastomeric body includes an axially extending sleeve extending between a housing attachment end and a stud attachment end, the elastomeric body having a flange located toward the housing attachment end, wherein a radially outermost edge of the flange includes a first elastomeric shoulder, a second elastomeric shoulder, and an exposed outer wall of the snap ring located between the first elastomeric shoulder and the second elastomeric shoulder;
- and
- a housing at least partially surrounding the ball, the housing having an internal bore, a chamfered receiving end, and a radially extending groove in the internal bore toward the chamfered receiving end, wherein the snap ring is at least partially seated in the radially extending groove in the internal bore of the housing.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.