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US 6,855,059 B2Granted
Universal joint with bearing cup retention thrust washer
AssigneeAmerican Axle & Manufacturing, Inc.
InventorsMarc. M. Menosky, Salvatore N. Grupido
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A universal joint includes a pair of bifurcated yokes interconnected by a cruciform. The cruciform includes four orthogonal trunnions each including a lubricant passage. A thrust washer engages a portion of the trunnion to retain a bearing assembly on each trunnion.
Claims10
A universal joint comprising:
- a yoke including a leg having an aperture extending therethrough;
- a cruciform having a trunnion, said trunnion including an end portion having an outer wall surface and an end face;
- a bearing rotatably positioned on said trunnion;
- and
- a thrust washer having a substantially planar disk segment and a circumferential flange, said disk segment engaging said end face of said trunnion, said circumferential flange biasingily engaging said outer wall surface of said trunnion to retain said bearing on said trunnion, wherein said circumferential flange includes an inner surface having a plurality of radially inwardly extending protrusions engaging said outer wall surface of said trunnion.
2 more elements
A universal joint comprising:
- a yoke including a leg having an aperture extending therethrough;
- a cruciform having a trunnion, said trunnion including a substantially cylindrical portion having an outer substantially cylindrical surface, an end face and a lubricant passage extending at least partially through said trunnion in communication with said end face;
- a bearing rotatably positioned on said substantially cylindrical portion;
- and
- a thrust washer having a substantially planar disk segment, a flange circumscribing said disk segment and a plurality of protrusions extending radially inwardly from an inner surface of said flange, said disk segment engaging said end face of said trunnion, said inner surface of said flange partially enveloping said substantially cylindrical portion and said protrusions engaging said outer substantially cylindrical surface of said trunnion to retain said bearing on said trunnion.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.