The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Mar. 24, 2020
Filed:
May. 07, 2018
Zf Friedrichshafen Ag, Friedrichshafen, DE;
Richard Putnam, Montrose, MI (US);
Eric Holmes, Ann Arbor, MI (US);
ZF FRIEDRICHSHAFEN AG, Friedrichshafen, DE;
Abstract
The system and method of making an asymmetrical buckling portion in a linkage member that is formed at the same time a hexagonal holding feature is being formed. The presence of the elongated groove drives the force of a buckling event asymmetrically through the inner tie rod ball stud near the area of failure, which influences the tie rod assembly to buckle in the direction of the groove, prior to other components in the linkage system and thus negates the effects of inner tie rod ball stud run-out tolerances that are present in conventional inner tie rod ball studs formed by machining.