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:
Feb. 07, 1995
Filed:
May. 02, 1994
Frederick E Lederman, Sandusky, OH (US);
General Motors Corporation, Detroit, MI (US);
Abstract
A design for a plastic bearing ball separator is moldable by a true, axial draw technique, which provides no resistance to mold parting, but which also provides complete, gripping ball pockets without limiting the degree to which the ball row can be closely packed. Each ball is gripped between a pair of hook shaped fingers which have ball contact zones facing in one direction, and a ball seat between them that faces in the opposite direction. The ball contact zones touch one side of the ball, and since the fingers wrap around the ball in such a way as to miss the centers of the balls, the ball packing or spacing is not restricted. The ball seats touch the other side of the balls, and have no circumferential overlap with the ball contact zones, so the cage may be molded by molds that form the oppositely axially facing surfaces without conflict, and without restriction as the molds are parted. Axially running notches bordering the ball seats allow the ball seats to have some radial overlap with the pair of ball contact zones that they face, so the ball is securely gripped.