US 5,601,378 AGranted

Rod-end bearing device

AssigneeKabushiki Kaisha Somic Ishikawa

InventorsTakao Fukukawa, Masao Takayama, Masahiro Yamada

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Abstract

A rod-end bearing device includes a ball seat crimped in place within an inner chamber of a housing. A ball head of a ball stud slides in the ball seat. An insertion hole for the ball stud flares outward at its outer end. A thick pressed portion contacts the housing around the outer surface of the ball seat, near the insertion hole. An indented portion around the outer perimeter of the pressed portion adjacent the insertion hole receives an annular raised portion of a dust cover. A generally thick portion of the ball seat transmits forces from contact by the stud portion of the ball stud to the housing when the ball stud is at its maximum angular extent. The force transmission is defined by a force line from the contact point to the housing. The indented portion is located axially outward from the force line. This separation of the indented portion from the force line retains the sealing ability of the dust cover.

Claims4

Dependent claims

A rod-end bearing device comprising:

a housing;
an inner chamber in said housing;
said inner chamber having an aperture at a first end and an inner surface at a second end thereof;
a ball seat disposed in said inner chamber;
said ball seat having an insertion hole at an end thereof;
said ball seat having an indented portion about its perimeter adjacent to an outer edge of said insertion hole;
a crimped portion at an outer end of said housing crimped over a portion of said ball seat to retain said ball seat in said housing;
a ball stud having a ball head and a stud portion;
said ball head being disposed in said ball seat with an outer surface thereof in sliding contact with said ball seat;
said stud portion projecting from said aperture through said insertion hole;
a dust cover disposed between said housing and said outer surface;
said dust cover having an annular raised portion at a first end thereof;
said annular raised portion being fitted in said indented portion;
said dust cover having a lip at a second end thereof;
said lip fitting on said stud portion;
said stud portion contacting said ball seat at a contact point when said stud portion is at its maximum angular position;
and
said indented portion being located a distance A axially further outward of said ball seat than said contact point.

15 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.