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. 29, 2005
Filed:
May. 01, 2003
Gary Bernard Challender, Grass Lake, MI (US);
Thomas A. Parrish, Parma, MI (US);
Gary Bernard Challender, Grass Lake, MI (US);
Thomas A. Parrish, Parma, MI (US);
Eaton Corporation, Cleveland, OH (US);
Abstract
An articulating ball-and-socket fluid coupling includes a ball body, a socket body, a primary retainer structure, an annular seal assembly and a secondary retainer structure. The primary retainer structure has a shaft extending through the ball and socket bodies to connect the ball body and the socket body together while permitting the ball body and the socket body to articulate relative to each other. The secondary retainer structure includes an annular member disposed in a ball receiving conduit portion of the socket member and connected to the socket body at or adjacent to an opening into the ball receiving conduit portion. The annular member has an inner secondary retainer diameter less than a spherical diameter of a partially spherical exterior surface defining a ball portion of the ball body so that the secondary retainer structure retains the ball body and the socket body connected if the primary retainer structure fails.