Back to results
US 9,022,683 B2Granted
Tolerance ring with slotted sidewall
AssigneeSaint-Gobain Performance Plastics Rencol Limited
InventorsBenjamin Nias, Andrew Robert Slayne, Simon Alan Hughes
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A tolerance ring can include a generally cylindrical body having a sidewall. The sidewall can include a plurality of wave structures extending from the sidewall at regular intervals around the body, a first unformed section between a first pair of adjacent wave structures, and a second unformed section between a second pair of adjacent wave structures. The gap can extend along an entire length, L, of the body to establish a split in the body. The second unformed section can include a slot therein. The slot can have a length, LS, and LS≧80% L.
Claims19
A tolerance ring comprising:
- a generally cylindrical body having a sidewall including a first hemisphere and a second hemisphere, wherein the sidewall includes:
- an unformed section;
- and
- a plurality of wave structures extending from the unformed section;
- wherein the unformed section includes:
- a first unformed section between a first pair of circumferentially adjacent wave structures in the first hemisphere, the first unformed section including a gap, wherein the gap extends along an entire length, L, of the body to establish a split in the body, and wherein the gap bisects the first hemisphere, and
- a second unformed section between a second pair of circumferentially adjacent wave structures non-consecutive with said gap in the first hemisphere, the second unformed section including at least one slot having an axial length, wherein the at least one slot is disposed entirely between the second pair of adjacent wave structures in a circumferential direction, and
- wherein the plurality of wave structures are disposed in a plurality of axially extending columns, and wherein a number of the plurality of wave structures in each axially extending column is different than a number of the at least one slot in the axial direction.
5 more elements
An assembly, comprising:
- an outer component including a bore within the outer component;
- an inner component disposed within the bore;
- and
- a tolerance ring disposed between the inner and outer components, the tolerance ring comprising:
- a generally cylindrical body having a sidewall, wherein the sidewall includes:
- an unformed section;
- and
- a plurality of wave structures extending from the unformed section,
- wherein the unformed section includes:
- a first unformed section between a first pair of circumferentially adjacent wave structures, the first unformed section including a gap, wherein the gap extends along an entire length, L, of the body to establish a split in the body;
- and
- a second unformed section between each remaining pair of circumferentially adjacent wave structures non-consecutive with said gap, the second unformed section including at least one slot therein having an axial length, wherein the at least one slot has a closed periphery defined entirely by the second unformed section, and
- wherein the plurality of wave structures extend in a plurality of axially extending columns, and wherein a number of the plurality of wave structures in each axially extending column is different than a number of the at least one slot in the axial direction.
10 more elements
A hard disk drive, comprising:
- an actuator arm formed with a bore;
- a pivot assembly installed within the bore of the actuator the arm, the pivot assembly including a post and a tolerance ring around the post, wherein the tolerance ring includes:
- a generally cylindrical body having a sidewall including a first hemisphere and a second hemisphere, wherein the sidewall includes:
- an unformed section;
- and
- a plurality of wave structures extending from the unformed section,
- wherein the unformed section includes:
- a first unformed section between a first pair of circumferentially adjacent wave structures in the first hemisphere, the first unformed section including a gap, wherein the gap extends along an entire length, L, of the body to establish a split in the body, and wherein the gap bisects the first hemisphere, and
- a second unformed section between a second pair of circumferentially adjacent wave structures non-consecutive with said gap in the first hemisphere, the second unformed section including at least one slot having an axial length, and wherein the circumferential sides of the slot are defined by the second unformed section, and
- wherein the plurality of wave structures extend in a plurality of axially extending columns, and wherein a number of the plurality of wave structures in each axially extending column is different than a number of the at least one slot in the axial direction.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.