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US 4,559,025 AGranted
Universal joint with bellows seal and vent
AssigneesAutomobiles Citroen, Automobiles Peugeot
InventorJacques P. Dore
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A bellows seal for a universal joint has its sleeve surrounding the drive shaft separated from this shaft over only a cylindrical segment by a device communicating between the interior of the sleeve and the external atmosphere. This device has a portion of small circumferential width lying below the sleeve and a portion of large circumferential width integral with the first portion. An axial groove in the first portion communicating with a meandering groove forming a baffle in the second portion before this meandering groove opens into the ambient atmosphere.
Claims6
A universal joint comprising:
- an inner element fixed to a driving shaft;
- an outer element fixed to a driven shaft and coupled with said inner element for joint rotation therewith;
- a bellows seal connected to one end with said outer element and having a sleeve to an opposite end thereof surrounding said driving shaft and directly contacting same;
- and
- a device communicating between the interior of said bellows seal and the atmosphere external of said bellows seal, said device comprising a cylindrical segment interposed between only a portion of said sleeve and said driving shaft, said cylindrical segment having an axially extending portion of relatively smaller circumferential width connected to a portion of relatively greater circumferential width, said segment being provided with an inner surface abutting said shaft and formed with a groove open toward said shaft having a rectilinear axially extending stretch in said axially extending portion communicating with said interior of said bellows seal and a meandering stretch forming a baffle in said portion of relatively greater circumferential width communicating with the external atmosphere.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.