Housing for a brake booster

Abstract

A housing for a brake booster ( ) having a first shell ( ) joined to a second shell ( ) by deforming a first peripheral surface on a flange ( ) of the first shell ( ) with respect to a second peripheral surface, ( ) on the second shell ( ) toward an axial center of the second shell ( ). The deformation axially compresses a bead ( ) on a diaphragm ( ) located between the first ( ) and second ( ) shells to seal an interior of the housing from the surrounding environment. The housing is characterized by the first peripheral surface having a flange ( ) that extends from a shoulder ( ) to an opened end ( ) thereof that receives the second shell ( ). The flange ( ) has a plurality of slits ( ) that axially extend from the opened end ( ) toward the shoulder ( ) and a plurality of slots ( ) located in a radial plane perpendicular to the opened end ( ). The plurality of slots ( ) are sequentially spaced in the flange ( ) with respect to the plurality of slits ( ) and the deformation of the first peripheral surface substantially occurs in the flange ( ) at mid-points ( ) between the plurality of slits ( ) and adjacent mid-points of the plurality of slots ( ) such that the opened end ( ) remains in a substantially circular shape.