Drive shaft bearing support assembly and multi-radius cap for bearing support housing
AssigneeToyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.
InventorDaniel J. McLaughlin
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A drive shaft bearing support assembly is disclosed. The assembly may include a bearing support housing structured to be mountable to a portion of a vehicle. The bearing support housing may define a cavity structured for receiving a portion of a bearing therein. The assembly may also include a bearing support housing cap structured to be securable to the bearing support housing to secure the bearing in the cavity. The bearing support housing cap may be structured to contact the bearing only along two discrete regions of contact when the bearing support housing cap is secured to the bearing support housing to secure the bearing in the cavity.
Claims25
A drive shaft bearing support assembly comprising:
- a bearing support housing structured to be mountable to a portion of a vehicle, the bearing support housing defining a cavity structured for receiving a portion of a bearing therein;
- and
- a bearing support housing cap structured to be securable to the bearing support housing to secure the portion of the bearing in the cavity,
- wherein the bearing support housing cap is structured to contact the bearing only along two discrete regions of contact when the bearing support housing cap is secured to the bearing support housing to secure the portion of the bearing in the cavity.
A cap structured to be securable to a bearing support housing of a bearing support assembly to secure a bearing in the bearing support housing, the cap comprising:
- a bearing support portion including a first surface and a second surface, the first surface having a first radius, the second surface having a second radius,
- the bearing support portion being structured to contact the bearing along the first surface to provide a first discrete region of contact between the bearing support portion and the bearing,
- the bearing support portion also being structured to contact the bearing along the second surface to provide a second discrete region of contact between the bearing support portion and the bearing,
- the cap also being structured to be spaced apart from the bearing at locations other than the first discrete region of contact and the second discrete region of contact when the cap is secured to the bearing support housing to secure the bearing in the bearing support housing.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.