Crimpless boot
AssigneeGKN Driveline North America, Inc.
InventorsMichael Miller, Eric J. LaMothe, Sam Junior D'Angelo
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A constant velocity joint may include a shaft and a boot assembly. The boot assembly may include a boot having a boot neck. The boot neck may include a boot lip. A shaft may be rotationally coupled to a housing and may define a shaft groove. An attachment mechanism may be integrated within the boot neck. The shaft groove may be configured to receive the boot lip and the attachment mechanism may exert a radial force on the groove to secure the boot neck to the shaft.
Claims24
A boot comprising:
- a boot neck including a boot lip;
- an attachment mechanism at least partially disposed within the boot neck such that the attachment mechanism is integral with the boot neck and wherein the attachment mechanism is overmolded into the boot neck;
- wherein the boot lip is configured for receipt by a groove of a shaft and the attachment mechanism is configured to exert radial force on the groove to secure the boot neck to the shaft and the attachment mechanism includes an elastic property and is configured to expand before being received in the groove and to retract to exert the radial force on the shaft after the lip is received by the groove.
(canceled)
(canceled)
A constant velocity joint, comprising:
- a shaft including a groove extending around the shaft;
- a boot having a boot neck, the boot neck including a boot lip;
- and
- an attachment mechanism disposed at least partially within the boot neck so the attachment mechanism is integrally carried by the boot neck;
- wherein the groove is configured to receive the boot lip and the attachment mechanism includes an elastic property and is configured to expand before being received in the groove and to retract to exert a radial force on the shaft after the lip is received by the groove to secure the boot neck to the shaft.
(canceled)
(canceled)
A boot for a constant velocity joint, comprising:
- a boot neck configured to be received around a rotational member of the constant velocity joint;
- an attachment mechanism partially disposed within the boot neck such that the attachment mechanism is integral with the boot neck and a portion of the attachment mechanism is exposed at an exterior of the boot neck.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.