Ball and socket joint assembly

A ball and socket joint comprising:

• a socket;
• an outer bearing disposed within said socket, said outer bearing including an outer surface adapted to conform to an inner surface of said socket, a first spherical inner seat face, and a generally cylindrical inner skirt that defines a cavity extending axially about an axis of symmetry;
• a ball stud with a spherical stud head and shank;
• said stud head engaging said first spherical inner seat face;
• an inner bearing compression pre-loaded within said cavity of said outer bearing, said inner bearing including a second spherical inner seat face engaging said stud head, and a generally cylindrical outer wedge surface, an unloaded diameter of said outer wedge surface being greater than a corresponding unloaded diameter of said inner skirt;
• and
• closure means to retain said bearings and said spherical stud head within said socket.

A ball and socket joint comprising:

• a socket;
• an outer bearing disposed within said socket, said outer bearing including an outer surface adapted to conform to an inner surface of said socket, a first spherical inner seat face, and a generally cylindrical inner skirt that defines a cavity extending axially about an axis of symmetry;
• a ball stud with a spherical stud head and shank;
• said stud head engaging said first spherical inner seat face;
• an inner bearing compression loaded within said cavity of said outer bearing, said inner bearing including a second spherical inner seat face engaging said stud head, and a generally cylindrical outer wedge surface, an unloaded diameter of said outer wedge surface being greater than a corresponding unloaded diameter of said inner skirt, said inner bearing includes a compression rim that extends axially outwardly of an axially inner skirt edge of said outer bearing;
• and
• closure means to retain said bearings and said spherical stud head within said socket, wherein said closure means includes a sealing means in initial facial contact with one of said inner bearing and said outer bearing with the other of said inner bearing and said outer bearing in facial contact with a floor of said socket, such than an axial force applied by said sealing means provides additional compression loading to at least one of said inner and outer bearings.

A method for making a ball and socket joint, comprising the steps of:

• inserting a spherical stud head of a ball stud into an outer bearing;
• engaging a first spherical inner seat face of said outer bearing with said stud head;
• forcing an inner bearing into an axially extending cavity defined by a generally cylindrical inner skirt of said outer bearing, said inner bearing including a generally cylindrical outer wedge surface such that an unloaded diameter of said outer wedge surface is greater than a corresponding unloaded diameter of said inner skirt with a compression pre-load resulting between said outer and inner bearings;
• engaging a second spherical inner seat face of said inner bearing with said stud head;
• disposing said inner and outer bearings and said stud head within a socket, said outer bearing including an outer surface adapted to conform to an inner surface of said socket;
• and
• closing said socket to secure said ball stud within said inner and outer bearings in said socket.

A ball and socket joint comprising:

• a socket;
• an outer bearing disposed within said socket, said outer bearing including an outer surface adapted to conform to an inner surface of said socket, a first spherical inner seat face, and a generally cylindrical inner skirt that defines a cavity extending axially about an axis of symmetry;
• a ball stud with a spherical stud head and shank;
• said stud head engaging said first spherical inner seat face;
• an inner bearing compression pre-loaded within said cavity of said outer bearing, said inner bearing including a second spherical inner seat face engaging said stud head, and a generally cylindrical outer wedge surface, a diameter of said outer wedge surface being greater than a corresponding diameter of said inner skirt;
• closure means to retain said bearings and said spherical stud head within said socket;
• and
• an annular pocket formed by a lip of said outer bearing in a transition zone between said inner skirt and said first spherical inner seat face together with said inner bearing and said spherical stud head.