Delphi Technologies, Inc.

Daniel Patrick O'Neill

Thomas Howard Lichti

William Paul Vukovich

Albert C Stone

Charles Michael Philo

Nathan B Owen

A C-clip retainer is provided in a groove of a piston, such as for an engine hydraulic valve lash adjuster, to allow installation and removably retain the piston in a cylinder of an associated assembly. The groove has a novel shape including an inner surface that is angled relative to a longitudinal axis of the piston to provide a larger groove diameter at a first axial end surface and a smaller diameter at an opposite second axial end surface of the groove. Upon installation, the clip is urged into the smaller diameter, allowing easier installation, but upon removal the clip is expanded by forcing it to the larger diameter, thereby increasing the retention force on the piston. The first axial end surface may also be formed with a back angle that reduces forces of the associated cylinder edge that tend to compress the retainer into the groove, thus further increasing the piston retention force.

Retainer groove and variable resistance assembly

A hydraulic lash adjuster for disposition between a rocker arm and a valve stem of an internal combustion engine comprises a body having an axially extending neck depending from a lower end thereof. An enlarged head portion extends from the terminal end of the neck and has a semispherical lower surface. A foot assembly includes a disk shaped foot with an upper surface, a lower surface and a cylindrical sidewall defining an outer perimeter. The upper surface has a socket configured to receive the enlarged head. The foot assembly further includes an inverted cup shaped retainer having a cylindrical wall and radial leaves extending inwardly from the upper end of the cylindrical wall, defining a central opening. The axially extending neck extends through the central opening and the opening has a diameter smaller than the enlarged head. The cylindrical wall of the retainer is parallel to the cylindrical sidewall of the foot and is sized to define a parallel frictional force therebetween sufficient to maintain engagement of the foot and retainer. The retainer operates to prevent disassembly of the body and the foot assembly.

Growing community of inventors

Fairport, NY, United States of America

Daniel Patrick O'Neill