Torque transmitting ball joint
AssigneeTennant Company
InventorEric Sam Nortrup
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A torque transmitting ball joint can include a spherical ball, a stem extending from the spherical ball, one or more pins coupled to the spherical ball, and a socket. The socket can define an opening sized to contain the spherical ball within the socket and one or more slots sized to accommodate a pin of the one or more pins. The one or more pins can be contained by the one or more slots and can translate within the slot as the spherical ball rotates relative to the socket about a pivot center. At least one of the one or more pins can abut a sidewall of its slot and transmit torque from the stem to the socket via the spherical ball when the stem and spherical ball rotates relative to the socket.
Claims20
A torque transmitting ball joint comprising:
- a spherical ball;
- a stem extending from the spherical ball;
- one or more pins coupled to the spherical ball;
- and
- a socket comprising an opening sized to contain the spherical ball within the socket and one or more slots sized to accommodate a respective pin of the one or more pins, each of the one or more slots having opposing first and second ends adjacent a periphery of the opening, the first end of the slot being sized to receive the stem at an angle greater than 45 degrees relative to a center position within the opening, at least one of the one or more pins being contained within a respective slot and translating relative to the respective slot as the stem and the spherical ball rotate relative to the socket about a pivot center, the at least one of the one or more pins abutting a sidewall of the respective slot and transmitting torque from the stem and the spherical ball to the socket when the stem and the spherical ball rotate relative to the socket.
A torque transmitting ball joint comprising:
- a spherical ball;
- a stem coupled to the spherical ball;
- a pin coupled to the spherical ball;
- and
- a socket sized to retain the spherical ball comprising an opening, the stem and a portion of the spherical ball extending outside of the socket, the socket comprising a slot sized to accommodate the pin, each of the one or more slots having opposing first and second ends adjacent a periphery of the opening, the first end of the slot being sized to receive the stem at an angle greater than 45 degrees relative to a center position within the opening, the pin being contained within the slot and sliding relative to the slot as the stem and the spherical ball rotate relative to the socket about a pivot center, the pin abutting a sidewall of the respective slot and transmitting torque from the stem and the spherical ball to the socket when the stem and the spherical ball rotate relative to the socket.
A torque transmitting ball joint comprising:
- a spherical ball comprising two or more detents, the two or more detents sized to contain two or more bearings;
- a stem extending from the spherical ball;
- and
- a socket comprising an opening sized to contain the spherical ball within the socket and one or more channels sized to contain the two or more bearings within the socket, each of the one or more channels having opposing first and second ends adjacent a periphery of the opening, the first end of the slot being sized to receive the stem at an angle greater than 45 degrees relative to a center position within the opening, the two or more bearings translating relative to the one or more channels as the stem and the spherical ball rotate relative to the socket about a pivot center, the two or more bearings abutting a sidewall of the one or more channels and transmitting torque from the stem and the spherical ball to the socket when the stem and the spherical ball rotate relative to the socket.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.