Sealed spherical joint
AssigneeDeere & Company
InventorDustin T. Staade
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A spherical joint comprises a socket, a ball stud, and a seal. The ball stud comprises a shaft, an inner ring positioned within an outer ring of the socket and within which the shaft is positioned, and a ring retainer attached to the shaft and retaining the inner ring to the shaft. The ring retainer provides an axial end of the ball stud relative to the axis. The outer ring and the inner ring comprise respectively a first spherical surface and a second spherical surface. The first and second spherical surfaces spherically mate with one another. The seal establishes a sealed connection between the outer ring and the inner ring. The socket and the ring retainer cooperate to provide a motion limiter that limits relative movement between the socket and the ball stud so as to prevent contact between the ring retainer and the seal.
Claims20
A spherical joint, comprising
- a socket comprising an outer ring,
- a ball stud comprising a shaft, an inner ring within which the shaft is positioned, and a ring retainer attached to the shaft and retaining the inner ring to the shaft, the inner ring positioned within the outer ring, the ring retainer providing an axial end of the ball stud relative to an axis of the shaft, the outer ring and the inner ring comprising respectively a first spherical surface and a second spherical surface, the first and second spherical surfaces spherically mating with one another;
- a mounting eye attached to a housing of the socket for securing a component, the outer ring being fitted within the mounting eye such that the outer ring is configured to be maintained between the secured component and the inner ring;
- and
- a seal establishing a sealed connection between the outer ring and the inner ring;
- and
- a hollow dome comprising a recessed portion, the recessed portion of the hollow dome being secured to the socket, wherein the hollow dome is open so as to cover the ring retainer to provide a motion limiter that limits relative movement between the socket and the ball stud, thereby preventing contact between the ring retainer and the seal.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.