Patent ID: 7393152

Claim:
A ball and socket joint assembly for use in vehicular steering and suspension applications in which an anchoring control member is incorporated, said assembly comprising: a stud having a ball portion terminating at a substantially spherical surface on one end thereof and a shank extending therefrom, said shank including a thread form for attaching said stud to the anchoring control member; said shank including an adaptor interface region unitarily formed with and between said ball portion and said thread form; an annular, loose piece adaptor constructed of a single piece of material slidably disposed on said shank and matingly engaging said adaptor interface region in abutting surface-to-surface contact therewith, said adaptor having an interior surface and a frustoconical exterior surface tapering inwardly toward said thread form configured to seat with a complimentary shaped flare of the anchoring member; and said interior surface of said adaptor including a generally spheroidal female surface configuration and said adaptor interface region of said shank having a complementary-shaped generally spheroidal male surface configuration, whereby the generally spheroidal female and male mating surfaces abut in surface-to-surface contact with one another to provide enhanced stress distributions and load carrying capabilities with less adaptor-to-shank slippage in operation.