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US 2004/0204249 A1Published application
Universal joint with venting seal assembly
AssigneeAmerican Axle & Manufacturing, Inc.
InventorSalvatore N. Grupido
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A universal joint includes a pair of bifurcated yokes interconnected by a cruciform. The cruciform includes four orthogonal trunnions each including a lubricant passage. A seal includes a plurality of protrusions engaging a portion of the trunnion to provide a purging path for trapped air.
Claims21
A universal joint comprising:
- a yoke including a leg having an aperture extending therethrough;
- a cruciform having a trunnion;
- a bearing cup mounted on said trunnion, said bearing cup having a tubular segment positioned in said aperture;
- and
- a seal having a case and an elastomer mounted to said case, said case engaging said tubular segment of said bearing cup, said elastomer including a plurality of annular lips engaging said trunnion, wherein one of said lips includes a plurality of inwardly extending protrusions, said protrusions engaging said trunnion to define a plurality of spaces between said one of said lips and said trunnion to allow the release of trapped air or grease.
2 more elements
A method of assembling a universal joint comprising the steps of:
- mounting a seal to a bearing cup, said bearing cup including a tubular segment, said seal including a plurality of annular lips, wherein one of said lips includes a plurality of inwardly extending protrusions;
- rotatably coupling said bearing cup to a trunnion of a cruciform;
- engaging said plurality of protrusions with said trunnion;
- defining a plurality of passageways between said trunnion and said one of said lips adjacent said plurality of protrusions;
- purging air trapped within said bearing cup to atmosphere by allowing said air to pass through said plurality of passageways;
- and
- coupling said bearing cup to a yoke.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.