Socket Assembly Boot Seal Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing socket assemblies face challenges in maintaining a durable and fluid-tight seal between elastomeric dust boots and housing components, often requiring additional protective measures and bonding agents, which can be costly and prone to damage during deformation processes.
Innovation Solution
A socket assembly design featuring an elastomeric boot with a metal insert having raised and recessed sections, allowing for overmolding and surface-to-surface contact to establish a primary and secondary seal without the need for cover plates or adhesives, and a radially inwardly extending lip to capture the boot and stud within the housing, ensuring durability and preventing damage during deformation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a dust boot is sealed against the housing with the assistance of a retention device or cover plate, then the seal between the boot and housing is maintained, but additional components and bonding agents are required which increase device complexity and cost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the sealing function and retention function into a single integrated boot structure. The boot includes an integrated retention feature that is molded as part of the boot body, eliminating the need for separate retention devices or cover plates. This integration maintains the seal between the boot and housing while reducing the number of components and eliminating bonding agents.
Solution Approach 2:
The boot structure is designed to be self-retaining through its integrated retention feature. The retention feature includes a flange that engages with the housing bore and a lip that engages with the housing outer surface, allowing the boot to secure itself without additional components or bonding agents.
2Reliability
If the housing is deformed to capture the boot and cover plate in the interior, then the assembly is secured, but the elastomeric boot material is prone to damage during the deformation process
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary action by pre-forming the retention feature as an integral part of the boot body during the boot molding process. The retention feature includes a flange and lip that are already in place before housing deformation, allowing the housing to be deformed to capture the boot without requiring additional protective measures during the deformation process.
3Reliability
If metal inserts are bonded with elastomeric boot material to maintain the seal, then the seal between boot and housing is maintained, but special bonding agents or processes are required which increase total cost
Solution Approach 1:
The boot structure is designed to be self-retaining through its integrated retention feature, eliminating the need for metal inserts or bonding agents. The retention feature includes a flange that engages with the housing bore and a lip that engages with the housing outer surface, allowing the boot to secure itself through its own structural features without additional components or bonding processes.
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 provides a long-lasting, fluid-tight seal between the elastomeric boot and housing components, eliminating the need for bonding agents and protective measures, while allowing for direct deformation of the housing without damaging the boot, thus enhancing the assembly's durability and reducing costs.
Implementation Method 1
The dust boots is made of an elastomeric material, such as rubber or a rubber-like material, so that it can flex to maintain the seals with the housing and stud as these components articulate relative to one another
Implementation Method 2
The insert has a plurality of raised sections that are spaced from one another in a circumferential direction by a plurality of recessed sections and has a plurality of vertical sections that interconnect adjacent ones of the raised and recessed sections
Implementation Method 3
a radially inwardly extending lip to capture the boot and stud within the housing, ensuring durability and preventing damage during deformation
Data Source
Figure 1
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Figure 3
AI summary
The socket assembly includes a housing with an inner bore and a stud with a first portion and a shank portion. The first portion is disposed in the inner bore of the housing, and the shank portion extends out of the inner bore. The socket assembly further includes a boot with a boot body that extends from a first boot end to a second boot end. The first boot end is received in the inner bore of the housing and is operatively sealed with the housing. The second boot end is operatively sealed with the ball stud. The boot further includes an insert that is in an overmolding engagement with the first boot end. The insert has a plurality of raised sections and a plurality of recessed sections and has a plurality of vertical sections that interconnect adjacent ones of the raised and recessed sections.