US3861812A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Ball joint
Assignee: Denso Corp
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Filing: 1972-07-19
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Granted: 1975-01-21
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Expires: 1992-07-19
Abstract
Abstract An improvement in the ball joint for drivingly connecting link members of a windshield wiper apparatus. The improved ball joint has a plastic socket provided with a plurality of arms extending radially outwardly therefrom and terminating in ends which are in engagement with a first link member on which the socket is mounted. The socket is formed therein with a spherical recess receiving a ball mounted on a second link member. The lower peripheral wall portion of the socket is received in an opening in the first link member in such a manner that the lower wall portion of the socket is radially supported by the peripheral inner surface defining the opening and restrained by the peripheral inner surface from being expanded beyond a diameter equal to the largest diameter of the ball to prevent the removal of the ball from the socket.
Inventors
- 👤 Isao Ito
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-07 22:24
CPC Classifications
B; B60; B60S; B60S1/00; B60S1/02; B60S1/04; B60S1/06; B60S1/16; B60S1/18; B60S1/24; F; F16; F16C; F16C11/00; F16C11/04; F16C11/06; F16C11/0619; F16C11/0623; F16C11/0657; F16C2326/00; F16C2326/01; F16C2326/09; Y; Y10; Y10T; Y10T403/00; Y10T403/32; Y10T403/32114; Y10T403/32131; Y10T403/32155; Y10T403/32606; Y10T403/32631; Y10T403/32786
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 7
Claim 1
Independent Claim
349 words
A ball joint including a coupling ball, a first member on which said ball is mounted, a socket having a body formed therein with a recess which rotatably receives said ball, said socket body including a first peripheral wall portion adjacent the peripheral edge of said recess, said first peripheral wall portion being formed with a plurality of circumferentially spaced notches dividing at least a part of said peripheral wall portion into a plurality of segments, and a second wall portion providing a bottom of said recess, and a second member on which said socket is mounted, wherein said socket is provided with resiliently deformable arms which secure said socket to said second member by virtue of the resilient spring force of said arms acting on said second member, said second member being formed with an opening in which said socket body is received at its portion adjacent the peripheral edge of said recess, wherein said arms comprise a first and second group of arms, each of the arms of said first group being integral with and extending radially outwardly from one of said segments, said second group of arms being integral with and extending from said second wall portion of said body toward said first group of arms, each of said second group of arms having a radially outwardly and obliquely extending inclined outer surface and an inner surface radially outwardly spaced by a gap from the radially outer peripheral surface of said first peripheral wall portion of said socket body, said inner surface being radially inwardly offset from the outermost end of said inclined outer surface to cooperate therewith to define therebetween a shoulder, each of said first group of arms terminating in an end turned toward said second group of arms to cooperate with said shoulder to resiliently grip said second member between said turned end and said shoulder, the arrangement being such that said peripheral edge of said recess is restrained by the peripheral edge of said opening in said second member against expansion beyond a diameter equal to the largest diameter of said ball.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
349 words
A ball joint including a coupling ball, a first member on which said ball is mounted, a socket having a body formed therein with a recess which rotatably receives said ball, said socket body including a first peripheral wall portion adjacent the peripheral edge of said recess, said first peripheral wall portion being formed with a plurality of circumferentially spaced notches dividing at least a part of said peripheral wall portion into a plurality of segments, and a second wall portion providing a bottom of said recess, and a second member on which said socket is mounted, wherein said socket is provided with resiliently deformable arms which secure said socket to said second member by virtue of the resilient spring force of said arms acting on said second member, said second member being formed with an opening in which said socket body is received at its portion adjacent the peripheral edge of said recess, wherein said arms comprise a first and second group of arms, each of the arms of said first group being integral with and extending radially outwardly from one of said segments, said second group of arms being integral with and extending from said second wall portion of said body toward said first group of arms, each of said second group of arms having a radially outwardly and obliquely extending inclined outer surface and an inner surface radially outwardly spaced by a gap from the radially outer peripheral surface of said first peripheral wall portion of said socket body, said inner surface being radially inwardly offset from the outermost end of said inclined outer surface to cooperate therewith to define therebetween a shoulder, each of said first group of arms terminating in an end turned toward said second group of arms to cooperate with said shoulder to resiliently grip said second member between said turned end and said shoulder, the arrangement being such that said peripheral edge of said recess is restrained by the peripheral edge of said opening in said second member against expansion beyond a diameter equal to the largest diameter of said ball.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
78 words
A ball joint as defined in claim 1, in which each of said first group of arms is disposed between each adjacent pair of said second group of arms, at least a pair of diametrically opposed arms of said first group being dimensioned such that the distance between their upwardly turned ends is slightly larger than the width of said second member so that said upwardly turned ends are engaged with the side edges of said second member.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
213 words
A ball joint including a coupling ball, a plastic socket having a body formed therein with a recess which rotatably receives said ball, said socket body including a first peripheral wall portion adjacent the peripheral edge of said recess, and a second wall portion providing a bottom of said recess, and a second member on which said socket is mounted, wherein said socket is provided with resiliently deformable arms which secure said socket to said second member by virtue of the resilient spring force of said arms acting on said second member, said second member being formed with an opening in which said socket body is received at its portion adjacent the peripheral edge of said recess and being formed with apertures adjacent said opening in said second member, said arms extending generally radially outward from said socket, each of said arms terminating in a turned end engaged with one of said apertures in said second member to hold said socket against removal therefrom and against rotation of said socket with respect to said second member, the arrangement being such that said peripheral edge of said recess is restrained by the peripheral edge of said opening in Aid second member against expansion beyond a diameter equal to the largest diameter of said ball.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
213 words
A ball joint including a coupling ball, a plastic socket having a body formed therein with a recess which rotatably receives said ball, said socket body including a first peripheral wall portion adjacent the peripheral edge of said recess, and a second wall portion providing a bottom of said recess, and a second member on which said socket is mounted, wherein said socket is provided with resiliently deformable arms which secure said socket to said second member by virtue of the resilient spring force of said arms acting on said second member, said second member being formed with an opening in which said socket body is received at its portion adjacent the peripheral edge of said recess and being formed with apertures adjacent said opening in said second member, said arms extending generally radially outward from said socket, each of said arms terminating in a turned end engaged with one of said apertures in said second member to hold said socket against removal therefrom and against rotation of said socket with respect to said second member, the arrangement being such that said peripheral edge of said recess is restrained by the peripheral edge of said opening in Aid second member against expansion beyond a diameter equal to the largest diameter of said ball.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
102 words
A ball joint as claimed in claim 3, in which the turned end of each of said arms has a substantially flat first surface substantially perpendicular with respect to the axis of said socket and a radially inwardly obliquely extending inclined second surface, said flat first surface being urged by the resiliency of the arm into engagement with one surface of said second member adjacent the peripheral edge of the corresponding aperture therein, said inclined second surface being operative to guide the turned end into the corresponding aperture in said second member when said socket and said second member are assembled together.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
98 words
A ball joint as defined in claim 3, in which said opening in said second member is defined by a tapered inner peripheral surface of an annular flange on said second member, said first peripheral wall portion of said socket body being snugly received in said opening in said second member, said first peripheral wall portion being formed therein with a plurality of notches which divide said first peripheral wall portion into a plurality of circumferentially spaced segments, the free ends of said segments forming a circumferentially discontinuous peripheral edge of said recess, the last-mentioned peripheral edge being
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1978-01-20 | 1978-07-22 | 1979-01-21 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1982-01-20 | 1982-07-22 | 1983-01-21 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1986-01-20 | 1986-07-22 | 1987-01-21 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |