US 4,626,121 AGranted

Pivot joint assembly capable of amplified wear indication

AssigneeMusashi Seimitsu Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha

InventorsTakashi Tajima, Tatsuyoshi Tsuji

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Abstract

A ball and socket joint for automotive wheel suspensions or the like has a ball stud extending into a housing through its open end. The ball end of the ball stud rotatably bears against a load carrying bearing and a wear takeup bearing within the housing, in which is also mounted a spring urging the wear takeup bearing toward the load carrying bearing. The wear takeup bearing has a protuberance extending through an aperture in a cover closing the housing end opposite to its open end. Fitted over the protuberance, a wear indicator cap is normally engaged therewith in a position close to the housing cover and is sprung or otherwise preloaded in a direction away therefrom. When the protuberance recedes into the housing to such an extent that the wear of the joint exceeds an acceptable limit, the wear indicator cap travels from the housing under the preload and comes to a stop on the distal end of the protuberance, indicating the wear of the joint in a greatly amplified, visually recognizable manner.

Claims13

Dependent claims

A pivot joint assembly capable of amplified wear indication, comprising:

(a) a housing open at one end and closed at another end, the closed end of the housing having an aperture defined therein;
(b) a stud member having a shank extending into the housing through the open end thereof and terminating in a head supported within the housing in a manner subject to wear in use;
(c) wear takeup means mounted within the housing adjacent the closed end thereof and held against the head of the stud member for displacement therewith toward the open end of the housing with the progress of wear;
(d) a protuberance on the wear takeup means extending through the aperture in the closed end of the housing, the protuberance receding into the housing with the development of wear;
(e) a wear indicator cap mounted on the protuberance on the wear takeup means and preloaded with respect to the protuberance in a direction away from the housing:
(f) first engagement means on the protuberance for normally holding the wear indicator cap in a first position on the protuberance, where the wear indicator cap is arranged for abutment against of the housing, the first engagement means allowing the wear indicator cap to travel under the preload to a second position on the protuberance, farther away from the housing than the first position, when the wear developes beyond an acceptable limit;
and
(g) second engagement means on the protuberance for engaging the wear indicator cap in the second position.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.