Ball Joint
AssigneeTRW Automotive U.S. LLC
InventorsRyan Mark Belleau, Mike Holierhoek
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An improved ball joint for use in a motor vehicle steering or suspension system includes a housing, a bearing disposed in the housing, and a ball stud supported within the housing by the bearing. The bearing includes at least a first bearing member formed from a first material and a second bearing member formed from a second dampening material attached to at least a portion of an outer surface of the first bearing member. The first bearing member has a bidirectional slot formed therein which is configured to allow the ball stud to articulate in a first direction and restrict and dampen articulation in a second direction which is generally transverse to the first direction.
Claims25
A ball joint comprising:
- a housing;
- a bearing disposed in the housing;
- and
- a ball stud supported within the housing by the bearing;
- wherein the bearing includes at least a first bearing member formed from a first material and a second bearing member formed from a second dampening material attached to at least a portion of an outer surface of the first bearing member, the first bearing member having a bidirectional slot formed therein which is configured to allow the ball stud to articulate in a first direction and restrict and dampen articulation in a second direction which is generally transverse to the first direction.
A ball joint comprising:
- a housing having a chamber;
- a bearing disposed in the chamber of the housing;
- and
- a ball stud supported within the chamber of the housing by the bearing;
- wherein the bearing includes a first bearing member formed from a first material and a second bearing member formed from a second dampening material and attached to at least a portion of an outer surface of the first bearing member, the first bearing having a first slot portion and a second slot portion formed therein, wherein the first slot portion is configured to allow the ball stud to articulate in a first direction and the second slot portion is configured to restrict and dampen articulation in a second direction which is generally transverse to the first direction.
A bearing for a ball joint comprising:
- a first bearing member formed from a first material and a second bearing member formed from a second dampening material attached to at least a portion of an outer surface of the first bearing member, the first bearing member having and first opened end portion, a main body portion, and a second end portion, wherein the first bearing member includes an inner bearing seat defined by a first slot portion and a second slot portion, wherein the first slot portion is configured to allow the ball stud to articulate in a first direction and the second slot portion is configured to restrict and dampen articulation in a second direction which is generally transverse to the first direction.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.