Patent ID: 7237978

Claim:
A ball and socket joint bellows seal, comprising: a ball pivot pin with a connection piece; a bellows with an annular engagement surface with a sliding ring groove, wherein said annular engagement surface includes a pair of flaps monolithically formed with said bellows to define a material barrier preventing leakage at an entrance of said ring groove, said sliding ring groove having a widened portion spaced axially inwardly of said engagement surface; a bellows seal element having a T-shaped cross section with a connection piece sealing face of a radially extending sealing portion statically with said connection piece and a sliding ring portion connected to said radially extending sealing portion and extending into said sliding ring groove; lubricant disposed in said sliding ring groove, said engagement surface having a lubricant retaining portion defined by one of a narrowed gap and a material barrier at an entrance of said sliding ring groove, said lubricant retaining portion acting to retain at least a portion of said lubricant in said sliding ring groove in a pre-assembly state prior to said sliding ring portion being inserted into said widened portion of said sliding ring groove and to form a seal in a state with said sliding ring portion inserted into said widened portion of said sliding groove with an amount of lubricant at each of two sealing sides of said widened portion.