Patent ID: 6439795
Filing Date: 2002-08-27
Classification: F16C,Y10T

Abstract:
For a ball joint arrangement comprising a ball member, having an end portion that has a spherical curvature facing along the member from the end portion, and a housing member, comprising a container for at least part of the end portion of the ball member and an aperture surrounding a longitudinal axis thereof to permit passage of the uncontained part of the ball member and provide a seat for the spherical surface thereof, a ball joint cover, operable to prevent ingress of contaminants to the seat, comprising:a ball seal arranged to extend around the longitudinal axis of the housing member as a ball sealing ring; a carrier adapted to be attached to the housing member operable to support the ball sealing ring biased against the spherical surface of the ball member displaced from the housing, such that said spherical surface can slide relative to the ball sealing ring, and to define a cover region between said carrier and said housing member, said carrier including, (a) a supporting end arranged to support said ball sealing ring displaced from the housing member; (b) a housing attachment end, adapted to attach the carrier to the housing member; and (c) at least one carrier spoke region extending between said supporting end and said housing end; and (d) a plurality of through-aperture elements operable to define the resilience of said carrier between said supporting end and said housing attachment end; and a barrier operable to inhibit ingress of contaminants to the seat from the cover region.