Patent ID: 8414215

Claim:
A ball joint assembly comprising: a ball stud having an elongated stud portion that extends between a spherical ball end and a fastener end, the ball stud further including a seal support collar disposed between the spherical ball end and the elongated stud portion, the elongated stud portion having a conical sealing surface, wherein a diameter of the conical sealing surface decreases between the spherical ball end and the fastener end; a socket housing supporting the spherical ball end for relative movement; a boot and seal assembly including a body having a retaining end that is engaged with the socket housing, and a diaphragm extending from the body towards the elongated stud portion, the diaphragm including a seal portion comprising a plurality of annular seal lips separated by alternating spaces to permit deflection of the plurality of annular seal lips, each of the plurality of annular seal lips having an elongated cross-sectional profile of generally uniform thickness and terminating in a generally flat seal surface, each of the plurality of seal lips further defining a seal lip axis extending therethrough, wherein each of the seal lip axes of the plurality of seal lips forms an acute angle with the conical sealing surface; whereby in an installed configuration: a mating component is connected to the fastener end of the ball stud such that the mating component engages an upper end of the seal portion; the seal support collar engages a lower end of the seal portion; and each of the flat seal surfaces of the plurality of annular seal lips engages the conical sealing surface of the elongated stud portion to provide a fixed seal stop position of the annular seal lips along a portion of the conical sealing surface.