Abstract:
The present invention provides a retainer ring for axially retaining a first member with respect to a second member. The retainer ring includes a plurality of substantially linear segments disposed about the first member. The retainer ring further includes a break or opening that facilitates positioned the retainer ring about the first member.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This nonprovisional application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/674,642, filed Jul. 23, 2012, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
     FIELD 
       [0002]    The present disclosure relates to a snap ring. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to a snap ring for use with motor vehicle axles. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0003]    The statements in this section merely provide background information related to the present disclosure and may or may not constitute prior art. 
         [0004]    A retainer ring or snap ring is typically a substantially circular or annular retaining device having a break or opening which divides the ring into two interconnected curvilinear members. The members may be deflected or flexed to facilitate insertion into a mating groove. Snap-rings are constructed to direct a retaining or clamping force along the circumference or periphery of the snap-clip when properly inserted onto a component. Specifically, the directional force is most commonly used to retain or clamp together various mating components. 
         [0005]    There are generally two styles of snap-rings: an internal snap-ring employed for applying outwardly-directed clamping force, and an outer snap-ring positioned for applying inwardly-directed clamping force. Of these two types of snap-rings, internal snap-rings are of particular beneficial use within an automatic vehicle transmission. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0006]    The present invention provides a retainer ring for axially retaining a first member with respect to a second member. The retainer ring includes a plurality of substantially linear segments positioned about the first member. The retainer ring further includes a break or opening that facilitates positioned the retainer ring about the first member. 
         [0007]    Further features, advantages, and areas of applicability will become apparent from the description provided herein. It should be understood that the description and specific examples are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. 
     
    
     
       DRAWINGS 
         [0008]    The drawings described herein are for illustration purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure in any way. The components in the figures are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon illustrating the principles of the invention. Moreover, in the figures, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the views. In the drawings: 
           [0009]      FIG. 1  shows a retainer ring positioned about a shaft in accordance with the principles of the present invention; 
           [0010]      FIG. 2  shows a conventional retainer ring; 
           [0011]      FIG. 3  shows a retainer ring in accordance with the principles of the present invention; and 
           [0012]      FIGS. 4A ,  4 B and  4 C and  FIGS. 5A ,  5 B and  5 C show a comparison of the performance between the conventional retainer ring of  FIG. 2  and the retainer ring of  FIG. 3 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0013]    The following description is merely exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit the present disclosure, application, or uses. 
         [0014]    Referring now to the drawings, a snap ring or retainer ring embodying the principles of the present invention is designated at  10  in  FIG. 1 . The retainer ring  10  includes four substantially linear segments  14  of about the same length and two shorter linear segments  16  of about the same length. One end of each segment  16  is connected to an adjacent segment  14  while the other ends of the segments  16  define a break or opening to facilitate placement of the retainer ring  10  about a mechanical component such as a shaft  12 . As such, the retainer ring  10  provides a connection between an axle such as the shaft  12  and a transmission associated with a motor vehicle. 
         [0015]    Referring now to  FIG. 3 , there is shown another retainer ring  100  in accordance with the principles of the present invention. The retainer ring  100  has a hexagonal shape with five substantially linear segments  22  of about the same length and two shorter substantially linear segments  24  of about the same length, each connected at one end to an adjacent linear segment  22 . The segments  22  and  24  have a substantially circular cross sectional shape with a diameter of t 2 . Note, that the segments  22  and  24  can have non-circular cross sectional shapes. The non-connected ends of the segments  24  define a break or opening  26  to allow placement of the retainer ring  100  about a component such as an axle or shaft. 
         [0016]    The segments  24  and  26  may deflected or flexed to facilitate insertion into a component with, for example, a mating groove. The retainer ring  100  is formed, stamped, or otherwise constructed from a relatively thin layer of metal, such as, for example, stainless steel, which directs a retaining or clamping force along the circumference or periphery of the component. The directional force is most commonly used to retain or clamp together various mating components associated with a motor vehicle transmission. 
         [0017]    For the sake of comparison  FIG. 2  shows a conventional retainer ring  18 . The retainer ring  18  is typically a substantially circular or annular retaining device having a break or opening  20  which divides the ring  18  into two interconnected curvilinear members. These members have a cross sectional diameter t 1  and may be deflected or flexed to facilitate insertion into, for example, a mating groove of a component such as an axle. 
         [0018]      FIGS. 4A ,  4 B and  4 C and  FIGS. 5A ,  5 B and  5 C illustrate the benefit of using the retainer ring  100  ( FIGS. 5A ,  5 B and  5 C) over the conventional retainer ring ( FIG. 4A ,  4 B and  4 C) when either are employed with a shaft with a diameter of about 12 mm. 
         [0019]    Specifically,  FIGS. 4A ,  4 B and  4 C show that the minimum drop ( FIG. 4B ) is about 6% less than the nominal drop ( FIG. 4A ) for the conventional retainer ring, and the maximum drop ( FIG. 4C ) is about 4% greater than the nominal drop for the conventional retainer ring. 
         [0020]    On the other hand,  FIGS. 5A ,  5 B and  5 C show that the minimum drop ( FIG. 5B ) is about 2% less than the nominal drop ( FIG. 5A ) for the hexagonal shaped retainer ring, and the maximum drop ( FIG. 5C ) is about 2% greater than the nominal drop for the hexagonal retainer ring. Among other benefits provided by the retainer ring  100 , the reduction in drop or droop enables avoidance of damaging the axle seal lip, which is made from a rubber material, during the assembly process. Also note, that the retainer ring  100  is also scalable to fit different shaft diameters, for example, three to four shaft diameters. 
         [0021]    The description of the invention is merely exemplary in nature and variations that do not depart from the gist of the invention are intended to be within the scope of the invention. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention.