Federal-Mogul World Wide, Inc.

Federal-Mogul Corporation

Norman F Curtis

George Robert Schmidt

Thomas J Byrnes, Jr

Roger Sellers

Yanjun Xue

Scott Warhover

A ball joint assembly for a vehicular steering or suspension application includes a cap-like housing in which is captured the articulating ball portion of a stud. A shank extends from the ball portion, outwardly from the housing cap, to provide a connection and anchoring interface for the suspension member or other anchoring component. The connection interface with the anchoring suspension member is characterized by a specially designed surface which is convenient to machine, provides increased surface-to-surface contact area, and provides additional advantages such as improved stress distribution and NVH benefits. A washer-like cone adaptor mates with a specially formed adaptor interface region on the stud. On its outer surface, the adaptor has a broad tapering feature designed to seat in a complementary-shaped receiving flare in the anchoring suspension member. The mating contact region between the adaptor and the stud is formed with spherical or spheroidal curvatures, or by single or multiple step configurations.

Cone adaptor for ball joint studs, tie rods, sway bar links and the like

A ball joint assembly () for a vehicular steering or suspension application includes a cap-like housing () in which is captured the articulating ball portion () of a stud (). A shank () extends from the ball portion (), outwardly from the housing cap (), to provide a connection and anchoring interface for the suspension member () or other anchoring component. The connection interface with the anchoring suspension member () is characterized by a specially designed surface which is convenient to machine, provides increased surface-to-surface contact area, and provides additional advantages such as improved stress distribution and NVH benefits. A washer-like cone adaptor () mates with a specially formed adaptor interface region () on the stud (). On its outer surface, the adaptor () has a broad tapering feature () designed to seat in a complementary-shaped receiving flare () in the anchoring suspension member (). The mating contact region between the adaptor () and the stud () is formed with spherical or spheroidal curvatures, or by single or multiple step configurations.

Growing community of inventors

Cottleville, MO, United States of America

Norman F Curtis