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US 2007/0178978 A1Published application
Clampless steering gear bellow for automated assembly
OwnerRobert Boutininventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A bellow assembly covers portions of a tie rod and a steering gear housing of an automotive vehicle. The bellow assembly includes a first ring and a bellow. The first ring has a cylindrical portion formed to be press fit onto the tie rod. The bellow has an outer end axially retained by the first ring for coupling the bellow to the tie rod. The outer end of the bellow is rotatable relative to the first ring to facilitate an alignment of vehicle wheels.
Claims20
A bellow assembly for covering portions of a tie rod and a steering gear housing of a vehicle, said bellow assembly comprising:
- a first ring formed for press fitting onto the tie rod;
- a bellow having an outer end axially retained by the first ring for coupling the bellow to the tie rod, the outer end of the bellow being rotatable relative to the first ring to facilitate an alignment of vehicle wheels.
A steering assembly comprising:
- a tie rod;
- a steering gear housing;
- and
- a bellow assembly having:
- a first ring formed for press fitting onto the tie rod;
- a second ring formed for press fitting onto the steering gear housing;
- a bellow having an inner end and an opposite outer end, the inner end being axially and rotatably constrained by the second ring for securing the bellow to the steering gear housing, the outer end being axially retained by the first ring for coupling the bellow to the tie rod, the outer end further being rotatable relative to the first ring to facilitate an alignment of vehicle wheels.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.