Patent ID: 7364395

Claim:
An improved gapped snap ring for retaining a part within a housing having a substantially circular snap ring groove through a locking action, said improvement comprising: a locking structure formed on an outer diameter of said snap ring, such that the locking structure extends sufficiently toward said snap ring groove to lock said snap ring in a fixed position with respect to said housing, whereby to prevent said gap in said snap ring from rotating with respect to said housing; and wherein said locking structure is formed by indenting said outer diameter to form a sufficient valley inward from said outer diameter so as to cause material from the valley to flow out of the valley to form a locking crest outward of said outer diameter as a result of indenting said outer diameter to form said sufficient valley; said valley having a valley wall which intersects with another wall extending from said outer diameter to form a tip on said crest having a sufficient distance between said tip and said valley to create high local contact stress between said tip and a snap ring groove whereby to facilitate such locking action.