CONVOLUTED BOOT SEAL WITH LOW FRICTION AND HIGH WALL STRENGTH

Abstract: Multi-convoluted boot seal (36) for universal joints (10) and other mechanisms in which convolution side walls (56,58) have radial ribs formed therein to strengthen the walls to reduce wrinkling and resultant cracking at high joint angles. The ribs (70) on one side wall (56) are external at high joint angles and mesh with rib spaces (80) formed by internal ribs on an adjacent side wall (58). This meshing reduces relative turning movement between the side walls (56,58) so that abrasion and boot seal wear is reduced.

Description: This invention relates to boot seals for universal joints and other movable mechanisms and more particularly to a new and improved convoluted boot seal operative over a wide temperature and flexure range as specified in the preamble of Claim 1. Prior to the present invention, convoluted boot seals of rubber and plastics materials for universal joints and other mechanisms have been designed with various constructions to control and enhance the action of the boot seal during the various geometric motions of the seal-protected device. The boot seal disclosed in U.S. Patent 4,456,269 issued to Werner Krude et al, June 26, 1984, for example, is provided with web-like external ribs interconnecting an end attachment collar to an adjacent convolution to re-inforce and strengthen the boot seal. The disclosed boot seal further has radially-inward projections which act as stop means when the joint is articulated towards its limits. In U.S. Patent 4,702,483 issued to Mikio Ukai et al, October 27, 1987, a circumferential convex strip is provided on an inner surface of at least one of the convolutions of the boot seal to control the manner in which the seal collapses under certain operations to prevent the entrapment of convolutions between a first convolution and a drive shaft. A boot seal according to the present invention is characterised by the features specified in the characterising portion of claim 1. The present invention is of the general category of U.S. Patents 4,456,269 and 4,702,483 cited above, but provides a new and improved convoluted boot seal, preferably of a suitable resilient plastics material, with wall construction designed to increase wall strength to reduce wrinkling and to reduce wall-to-wall scrubbing for minimized abrasion and convolute root stress during the flexure action of the boot including the high-angled reciprocating and rotational drive of an axle shaft with respect to a universal joint housing. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention a boot seal is blow-moulded from a thermoplastics material and the walls of at least some adjacent convolutions respectively have aligned and co-operative internal and external ribs formed directly therein. During action of the device protected by the seal, the co-operative ribs can mesh with one another to limit sliding contact of adjacent convolution side walls, to limit and transfer torsional load and to reduce abrasion and wear of such walls as well as convolution root joint stress, and thereby increase boot service life. These ribs also strengthen the walls of the convolution so that they will not wrinkle and crack under working conditions particularly at low temperatures which may range down to a lower limit of -40°C. More particularly, the arcuately-spaced external ribs are directly formed in the surface of one sidewall in an annular pattern and generally project towards the sidewall of an adjacent convolution. The sidewall of the adjacent convolution is formed with internal ribs directly therein providing corresponding recesses or spaces into which the external ribs of the first sidewall fit during certain boot seal flexure actions. This rib and the rib space engagement is similar to that of spur gear teeth. However, in the present invention, the rib space or lash provided by the side walls of the internal ribs can be varied to control the relative rotational movement allowed between the sidewalls of the convolutions. With a wide rib space, limited turning of one convolution side wall relative to the side wall of the adjacent convolution is provided so that torsional boot flexure loads can be distributed throughout the entire boot seal. The spacing for the ribs can also be such that there is substantially no relative rotary movement between the rib and the meshing rib space allowed so that there is substantially no relative turning motion between adjacent large diameter convolutions, so that torsional flexure loads are transmitted to different areas of the boot. Accordingly, with a "no lash" configuration, the relative turning of the convolution could be limited to the outboard small-diameter convolutions of the boot seal, which generally do not contact each other so that frictional wear of interfacing side walls throughout the boot seal is substantially eliminated. The invention and how it may be performed are hereinafter particularly described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is an elevational view, partially sectioned, of a universal joint of a drive axle assemble with a boot seal according to this invention shown in section. Figure 2 is a sectional view taken along lines 2-2 of Figure 1. Figure 3 is a sectional view partially broken-away and taken substantially along lines 3-3 of Figure 1. Figure 4 is a view of an area of the boot of Figure 1 shown encircled and identified by numeral 4. Figure 5 is a view illustrating an interconnection of ribs into rib spaces of the boot of Figure 1 as the drive axle angulates with respect to the housing. Figure 6 is a view in cross-section taken generally along lines 6-6 of Figure 5, and Figure 7 is a view similar to that of Figure 6, but showing the ribs and the rib spaces to closely mesh, to illustrate a second embodiment of the invention. Referring now in greater detail to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 shows a portion of a vehicle drive axle including a reciprocating universal joint 10 of the tri-pot type having a three-lobe drive housing 12. The drive housing is closed at its inboard end by an end wall 14 and has a centralized drive shaft 16 integral therewith which extends axially therefrom to a terminal splined end adapted to be connected to a side gear of a differential providing the output of an automatic or manual transmission, not shown. The drive housing 12 is open at its outer end and has three-equally spaced and longitudinally-extending drive channels 18, only one of which is illustrated, formed by the internal walls of the lobes. These channels 18 have partial spherical tracks that engage outer surfaces of associated drive rollers 20 of a spider assembly 22. Each drive roller is mounted on an associated one of three arcuately-spaced trunnions 24 extending radially from a centralized hub of the spider assembly 22. The rollers 20 are mounted on the trunnions 24 with a full complement of needle bearings interposed between each roller and the associated trunnion. These drive rollers 20 are thus rotatable on the trunnions 24 and are slidable with respect to housing 12 to allow the sliding pivotal movement of an elongated axle shaft 26 drivingly connected to the spider assembly. The hub of the spider assembly has internal splines for drive connection with the externally splined inboard end portion of the axle shaft 26 that extends through the open end of the drive housing 12. The spider hub is trapped in the Fig. 1 position of drive shaft between snap rings 32 which fit into annular grooves formed in the splines of the inboard end portion of the shaft 26. The outboard end of universal joint 10 is sealed by a bellows-type boot seal 36 preferably blow-moulded from a thermoplastics material which has high strength and toughness throughout a wide range of temperatures and other environmental conditions such as would be experienced by automotive vehicles in worldwide use. The boot seal has a series of convolutions 38, 40, 42, 44, 46 and 48 whose diameters are stepped with the largest-diameter convolution 38 having a cylindrical collar 48′ that fits around the outer periphery of the outboard end of housing 12 and is secured thereto by clamp 49. The smallest-diameter convolution 48 has a neck portion 50 that fits over the axle shaft 26 and is secured thereto in a fluid-type manner by constricted clamp 52 so that the interior of the housing 12 is sealed and environmentally protected by the boot seal 36. The convoluted boot seal 36 is a continuous bellows and the convolutions have angularly facing sidewalls which extend radially inward into connection with one another at annular roots which form live hinges that allow boot seal flexure and bending during reciprocating and angular movements of the shaft 26 relative to housing 12. For example, the first and largest diameter convolution 38 has an inclined outboard sidewall 56 which faces adjacent inboard sidewall 58 of second convolution 40, which sidewalls are joined to one another at an annular root (i.e., live hinge) 60. The second convolution 40 (Figure 4) has a slightly reduced diameter as compared to the first convolution 38 and has an outboard sidewall 62 which faces an inboard sidewall 64 of third-diameter convolution 42. These sidewalls are joined at an annular live hinge root 66. As shown, this construction continues throughout the whole extent of the boot seal down to the inner facing sidewalls of the smaller-diameter convolutions 46 and 48. To reduce root joint stress and frictional wear between the sidewalls of the boot seal 36 so that the boot seal has a long service life, the preferred embodiment of this invention has arcuately-spaced external ribs 70, 72, respectively, on the outboard side walls 56, 62 of convolutions 38 and 40 and arcuately-spaced internally-extending ribs 74, 76 respectively on the inboard side walls 58, 64 of convolutions 40 and 42. The internally-extending ribs 74, 76 provide rib spaces 80, 82 for the external ribs 70, 72. The rib and rib space orientation are such that the external ribs 70, 72, respectively, mesh into the rib spaces 80, 82 of the adjacent side faces at various flexure positions of the boot seal in accommodating the angular movement of the axle shaft 26 relative to the housing 12. Without the present invention, and at high joint angles, the sidewalls of the large-diameter convolutions could experience substantial relative rotation and frictional rubbing contact with one another, whereas the sidewalls of the smaller-diameter convolutions generally do not wear. For example, in the universal joint of Figure 1, the axle shaft 34 can, within limits, be moved from the horizontal position shown to an indefinite number of reciprocated and pivoted positions. Figures 5 and 6 show one fluid position of the boot seal 36 when the axle shaft 26 has been swung from the Figure 1 position to an angular position with respect to housing 12 so that sectors of the large-diameter convolutions 38, 40, 42 are moved towards sidewall contact with one another. However, the ribs 70 and 72 of the outboard-facing sidewalls 56 and 62 engage into the rib spaces 80 and 82 formed in the inboard side walls 58 and 64 of the convolutions 40 and 42. With this construction, as convolutions 38, 40, 42 try to turn relative to one another, the meshing rib and rib spaces limit this motion so that the frictional wear of the side walls of these convolutions is reduced. In Figure 6 it will be seen that the rib spaces 80, 82 have a width larger than the width of ribs 70, 72 of the sidewalls adjacent thereto so that there may be some relative motion allowed between these sidewalls. However, the motion is limited and wear is reduced. This relative motion terminates as the end walls of the rib spaces are contacted by the associated ribs and the torsion loads are transmitted to convolutions which normally do not experience side wall engagement. Under such conditions, side wall frictional wear is minimized in the larger convolutions whilst torsional root joint loads are distributed throughout the boot seal. The internal and external ribs extend radially and strengthen the walls of the thin-walled plastics boot seal 36 which may otherwise wrinkle and crack particularly at high joint angle operation and severely cold temperatures. Figure 7 illustrates another preferred embodiment of the invention where ribs 70′, 72′ of sidewalls 56′, 62′ of convolutions 38′, 40′ and 42′ fit into the rib spaces 80′, 82′ of side walls 58′, 64′, without any lash. With this construction, relative turning motion of the large-diameter convolution is eliminated so that the side walls thereof cannot abrade against one another and wear. The torsional loads are again transferred to the smaller-diameter convolutions, but those convolutions generally do not have any side face contact so that there is no wear in those areas. Furthermore, the large torsional loads normally carried by the root joints of the larger convolution are distributed along the boot seal to the root joints of the smaller convolutions. With this invention there is increased strength of some or all of the walls of the convolutions of the half-shaft boot seal without adding extra material since the ribs and rib spaces are formed directly into the walls of the boot. Furthermore, there is no wrinkling of the side walls of the boot seal convolution at high joint angles and in cold environments which could result in creases and cracks to reduce the integrity of the boot seal. While specific and preferred embodiments of the invention have been shown and described in detail to illustrate the present invention it will be understood that the scope of the present invention is determined by the scope of the appended claims.

Claims: A boot seal (36) for a mechanism (10) that has a housing section (12) and a shaft section (26) interconnected by a pivot (20,22,24) so that said sections are movable through a wide range of pivot angles with respect to one another whilst rotating together, said boot seal (36) having a first end (48′) adapted to be fastened to the housing (12) and a second end (50) adapted to be fastened to the shaft section (26), there being convolutions (38,40, 42,44,46,48) in said boot seal (36) between said first and second ends, a pair of said convolutions have sidewalls (56,58;62,64) which face one another; characterised in that one of said sidewalls has a number of externally-extending ribs (70,72) formed therein and the other of said sidewalls has a number of internally-extending ribs (74,76) formed therein; and said internally-extending ribs (74,76) form recesses (80,82) for meshing with the externally-extending ribs (70,72) when the shaft section (26) is at a predetermined angle with respect to the housing section (12), so as to limit the relative turning movement of said sidewalls (56,58;62,64) with respect to one another and the frictional wear therebetween. A boot seal according to claim 1, characterised in that said recesses (80,82) have widths greater than the widths of corresponding externally-extending ribs (70,72) in said one of the convolution sidewalls so that said relative rotary movement between said sidewalls (56,58;62,64) is limited after predetermined relative rotary movement therebetween. A boot seal according to claim 1, characterised in that said recesses (80′,82′) have widths substantially the same as the widths of corresponding externally-extending ribs (70′,72′) so that there is substantially no relative motion between said sidewalls (56,58;62,64) subsequent to the meshing of said ribs (70′,72′) with said recesses (80′,82′). A boot seal (36) of a resilient plastics material for sealing the rotatable housing (12) of a universal joint (10) to a shaft (26) rotatable with said housing (12) and extending from a universal pivot joint connection (20,22,24) within the interior of said housing (12), which boot seal (36) comprises a thin-walled boot seal body having a number of annular convolutions (38,40,42,44,46,48) therein extending from a first, large-diameter convolution (38) for seal connection to said housing (12) of the universal joint (10) to a final, small-diameter convolution (48) for sealing connection with the shaft (26), a pair of said convolutions (38,40) have inclined, facing sidewalls (56,58) which extend in a generally radial and inward direction into connection at an annular root (60) therebetween, characterised in that one of said walls having arcuately-spaced, external ribs (70) formed therein, and the other one of said sidewalls having arcuately-spaced internal ribs (74) therein forming rib spaces (80) in general axial alignment with said external ribs (70) for meshing with said external ribs (70), said ribs (70) being spaced from said rib spaces (80) in a first range of angles of said shaft (26) with respect to said housing (12) and meshing with said rib spaces (80) in a second range of angles greater than said first range, said meshing rib (70) and rib spaces (80) co-operating with one another during said second range to reduce the relative rotation and friction between the adjacent sidewalls (56,58) to thereby limit frictional wear of said side walls (56,58) and resultantly increase the service life of said boot seal (36). A boot seal (36) according to claim 4, characterised in that said rib spaces (80) have a width greater than the width of the ribs (70) to allow limited rotational movement of one of said sidewalls relative to the other so that the torsional deflection is distributed into the roots of other convolutions of said boot seal (36). The boot seal (36) according to claim 4, characterised in that said rib spaces (80′) have a width that closely corresponds to width of the ribs (70′) to meshingly receive the ribs (70′) therein for reducing the relative rotary movement between said sidewalls (56′58′) to a minimum relative rotary movement.

Inventors: ZOLLINGER, DONOVAN J.
Applicants: GENERAL MOTORS CORPORATION
Application year: 1990
Main classification: F16D3
IPC codes: F16J15, F16D3, F16J3