Patent ID: 8171842

Claim:
A piston comprising: a crown portion generally defining an axis and having a skirt connecting portion, the skirt connecting portion defined, at least in part, by a first crown mating portion, a second crown mating portion positioned radially from the first crown mating portion, and a crown chamber surface extending between the first crown mating portion and the second crown mating portion; and a skirt having a crown connecting portion, the crown connecting portion defined, at least in part, by a first skirt mating portion, a second skirt mating portion, and a skirt chamber surface extending between the first skirt mating portion and the second skirt mating portion, wherein the first crown mating portion is selectively coupled to the first skirt mating portion, the second crown mating portion is selectively coupled to the second skirt mating portion to define a piston chamber that is defined, at least in part, by the crown chamber surface and the skirt chamber surface; wherein the first crown mating portion is defined, at least in part, by a plurality of generally radially extending first crown protrusions, the first skirt mating portion is defined, at least in part, by a plurality of generally radially extending first skirt protrusions, and wherein interference between the first crown protrusions and the first skirt protrusions inhibit axial movement of the crown portion relative to the skirt portion; wherein the second crown mating portion is defined, at least in part, by a plurality of generally radially extending second crown protrusions, the second skirt mating portion is defined, at least in part, by a plurality of generally radially extending second skirt protrusions, and wherein interference between the second crown protrusions and the second skirt protrusions inhibit axial movement of the crown portion relative to the skirt portion; and wherein the second crown mating portion and the second skirt mating portion are engaged to substantially prevent relative rotation between the second crown mating portion and the second skirt mating portion, thereby substantially preventing disengagement of the second crown mating portion and the second skirt mating portion; wherein the engagement of the second crown mating portion and the second skirt mating portion includes a sintering of the second crown mating portion to the second skirt mating portion.