Automotive Ball Socket Boot with Pressure-Relief Gates
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing elastomeric sealing members or boots in automotive pivoting and rotating sockets face issues with lubricant release, as release ports located at the small end or sidewall can lead to over-sealing, bursting, or contamination due to wear and flex orientations, failing to effectively manage the escape of contaminated lubricant and ingress of external contaminants.
Innovation Solution
The elastomeric sealing member features one or more thin sections or gates adjacent to the point of attachment to the socket housing, combined with notches in the annular flange, which provide a secure seal against contaminants during normal conditions and flex to allow lubricant release when internal pressure is applied, utilizing an embedded ring with serrations to maintain the seal and facilitate lubricant flow.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a release port is located at the small end of the boot, then lubricant can be released, but the seal is pressed tightly causing over-sealing that cannot be overcome by release passages, leading to bursting or unseating
Solution Approach 1:
The boot incorporates a localized thin section or gate in the elastomeric material at a specific position, creating a region with different mechanical properties (thinner wall) compared to the rest of the boot. This local variation allows the gate to flex open under pressure while the thicker surrounding material maintains seal integrity, resolving the contradiction between lubricant release and preventing over-sealing.
2Ease of operation
If a release port is located in the sidewall of the boot, then lubricant can be released, but additional sealing gates are needed to prevent contamination during flex orientations, increasing complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the release function from a complex multi-component sealing gate system and implements it through a simple thin section or gate in the elastomeric boot itself. This eliminates the need for additional sealing gates and complex structures, reducing device complexity while maintaining lubricant release capability.
3Reliability
If a sealing flap is added at the small end to protect from contaminants, then sealing is improved, but the flap wears due to sliding motion, exposing internal passages to contamination
Solution Approach 1:
The thin section or gate is designed as a simple, inexpensive elastomeric feature that can be easily manufactured into the boot. While it may wear, the simple design allows for economical replacement of the entire boot assembly, making it a practical solution compared to complex wearable sealing flaps.
4Reliability
If the boot is pressed tightly against the mating part to create a seal, then contaminant protection is improved, but internal pressure rises causing the boot to burst or become unseated
Solution Approach 1:
The thin section or gate is designed to be flexible and dynamic, capable of deforming from a sealed state to an open state in response to internal pressure. The gate transitions from maintaining seal integrity at normal pressure to flexing open when pressure exceeds a threshold, automatically relieving pressure without compromising seal integrity during normal operation.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This design effectively isolates internal components from contaminants while allowing for the escape of contaminated lubricant, maintaining a secure seal under normal conditions and ensuring reliable lubricant release without risking bursting or contamination, even under varying flex orientations.
Implementation Method 1
one or more thinned sections or gates in the elastic sealing member, adjacent to the point of attachment to the socket housing that will provide an effective seal against intrusion of above noted contaminants when lubricant is not being added, that will flex and thereby open when the elastic sealing member is exposed to internal pressure
Data Source
AI summary
A boot for a ball socket assembly in an automotive pivoting and/or rotating socket having a flange with one or more thinned sections or gates adjacent a point of attachment to a socket housing that provides an effective seal against contaminants when lubricant is not being added with external pressure and also flexes when exposed to internal pressure allowing contaminated lubricant to escape from the socket. A ring is embedded in the flange with inwardly directed teeth flanking the thinned sections or gates for securing the boot to the socket housing.