Shoulderless tolerance ring
AssigneeSaint-Gobain Performance Plastics Rencol Limited
InventorsAdam Sandey, Llewelyn Pickering
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A tolerance ring can include a generally cylindrical body that can include a sidewall that defines a top and a bottom. The sidewall can include an upper unformed band and a lower unformed band opposite the upper unformed band. A plurality of shoulderless wave structures can protrude radially from the sidewall between the upper unformed band and the lower unformed band. Each shoulderless wave structure can be connected only to the upper unformed band and the lower unformed band. The sidewall of the tolerance ring can also include a plurality of unformed sections and a gap that extends along the entire axial length of the body. Each unformed section can be located between a pair of adjacent shoulderless wave structures. Moreover, the gap can establish a split in the body.
Claims20
A tolerance ring, comprising:
- a generally cylindrical body having a sidewall that defines a top, and a bottom, wherein the sidewall includes:
- an upper unformed band;
- a lower unformed band opposite the upper unformed band;
- a plurality of shoulderless wave structures protruding radially from the sidewall between the upper unformed band and the lower unformed band, wherein each shoulderless wave structure is connected only to the upper unformed band and the lower unformed band;
- a plurality of unformed sections, wherein each unformed section is located between a pair of adjacent shoulderless wave structures;
- and
- a gap extending along the entire axial length of the body, wherein the gap establishes a split in the body.
A tolerance ring, comprising:
- a generally cylindrical body having a sidewall that defines a top, and a bottom, wherein the sidewall includes:
- an upper unformed band;
- a lower unformed band opposite the upper unformed band;
- a plurality of unformed sections extending between the upper unformed band and the lower unformed band;
- a plurality of wave structures protruding radially from the sidewall between adjacent unformed sections wherein each wave structure includes a first side edge established by a first cutout extending along a first side of the wave structure and a second side edge established by a second cutout extending along a second side of the wave structure opposite the first side, wherein each edge has a height, HE, and each unformed section has a height, HUS, and HE is ≧60% HUS;
- and
- a gap extending along the entire axial length of the body, wherein the gap establishes a split in the body.
An assembly, comprising:
- an outer component including a bore within the outer component;
- an inner component disposed within the bore;
- and
- a tolerance ring mounted between the inner component and the outer component, the tolerance ring comprising:
- a generally cylindrical body having a sidewall that defines a top, and a bottom, wherein the sidewall includes:
- an upper unformed band;
- a lower unformed band opposite the upper unformed band;
- a plurality of shoulderless wave structures protruding radially from the sidewall between the upper unformed band and the lower unformed band, wherein each shoulderless wave structure is connected only to the upper unformed band and the lower unformed band;
- a plurality of unformed sections, wherein each unformed section is located between a pair of adjacent shoulderless wave structures and between the upper unformed band and the lower unformed band;
- and
- a gap extending along the entire axial length of the body, wherein the gap establishes a split in the body.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.