Shaft bearing and method of assembling the same
First Claim
1. A shaft bearing comprising a housing having a body with a cavity therein, a bearing insert seating in said cavity for journalling a shaft, a retainer for seating on said body for securing said bearing insert in place in said housing, said body and said retainer being constructed of a plastic material joined together at their interface by ultrasonic vibration, forming an integral body retainer structure with the bearing insert entrapped in said body cavity.
0 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A shaft bearing including a bearing insert and a housing constructed of plastic and having a body and a retainer for the bearing insert, the plastic housing body and the retainer being integrally joined by an ultrasonic vibration method to fuse the interface between the two parts to form a unitary housing structure and secure the bearing insert in place in the bearing housing. The invention includes the method of assembling the plastic housing parts and bearing insert, and welding the housing body and the retainer by ultrasonic vibration to secure the bearing insert in place in the housing and conform the internal surface of the body and retainer to the adjacent external surface of the bearing insert.
23 Citations
13 Claims
- 1. A shaft bearing comprising a housing having a body with a cavity therein, a bearing insert seating in said cavity for journalling a shaft, a retainer for seating on said body for securing said bearing insert in place in said housing, said body and said retainer being constructed of a plastic material joined together at their interface by ultrasonic vibration, forming an integral body retainer structure with the bearing insert entrapped in said body cavity.
- 10. A method of constructing a bearing assembly, comprising forming a housing body of thermoplastic material with a cavity therein for receiving a bearing insert, forming a retainer of thermoplastic material, seating a bearing insert in said cavity seating said retainer on said body to hold said insert in said cavity, and subjecting said body and retainer to ultrasonic vibration to secure said body and retainer together and conforming the inner surfaces of said body and retainer to the adjacent outer surface of said insert.
Specification