Joint connection between two plastic parts

• US 5,176,463 A
• Filed: 06/11/1991
• Issued: 01/05/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/1987
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: TRW United CARR GmbH & Company KG
• Original Assignee: TRW United CARR GmbH & Company KG
• Inventors: Ruckwardt, Hans-Werner, Kraus, Willibald
• Primary Examiner(s): Reese, Randolph A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): SHACKELFORD, HEATHER CHUN
• Application Number:
  US07/713,730
• Time in Patent Office: 574 Days
• Field of Search: 403/2, 403/61, 403/59, 403/120, 403/119, 403/265, 403/267, 403/291, 403/405.1, 16/227, 16/257, 16/259, 16/222, 16/386, 248/74.1-74.5, 24/274 R
• US Class Current: 403/265
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2045/0065 the parts being interconnected before assembling by a breaking or shearing point
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 45/0017 moulding interconnected elements which are movable with respect to one another, e.g. chains or hinges
• CPC Class Codes: E05D 9/005 from plastics E05D1/02 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 24/1427 Worm and tooth
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 403/47 Molded joint
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 403/472 including mechanical interlock
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 403/54 Flexible member is joint component

Abstract

The invention relates to a joint connection (3) between two plastic parts (1 and 2), one part being at least partly rotatable in relation to the other part. According to the invention, the joint connection (3) consists of a shell-form outer element (4) on the one plastic part (1) and an inner element (5), at least partly supported in the outer element (4), on the other plastic part (2), both elements (4) and (5) being made by being injection molded one in the other, from one tool.

Claims

1. A joint connection (3) comprising two plastic parts, the two plastic part (1, 2) being at least partially relatively rotatable, the joint connection having an outer element (4'"'"') which is formed on a first of the parts and an inner element (5'"'"') which is formed on a second of the parts and which is at least partially located within the outer element (4'"'"'), the outer element (4'"'"') defining a cylindrical circumferential space (7) disposed about an axis and the inner element (5'"'"') being located within the outer element centrally of the circumferential space (7), the joint connection having an axial middle between two zones (I, II) extending substantially along the axis, each zone extending radially through the two plastic parts (1, 2) and comprising a pair of radially opposed flat surfaces (9, 12) and a pair of radially opposed curved surfaces (10, 11) oriented in the axial direction, a cross-section of one zone resembling that of the other zone when rotated through 180°

relative to the axis.

2. The joint connection according to claim 1, wherein the inner element (5'"'"') is substantially pin-shaped and further wherein respective flat surfaces (9) and respective curved surfaces (10) of the outer element correspond to an radially oppose respective flat and curved surfaces (12, 11) of the inner element.

3. The joint connection according to claim 2, wherein the surfaces of the inner element (11, 12) extend towards the axial middle.

4. The joint connection according to claim 3, wherein a connecting member (18) is arranged between axially adjacent surfaces (11, 12) of the inner element.

5. The joint connection according to claim 2, wherein a connecting member (18) is arranged between axially adjacent surfaces (11, 12) of the inner element.

6. The joint connection according to claim 5, wherein the outer element comprises radial openings (13, 14) in a region of close proximity to the connecting member (18).

7. The joint connection according to claim 1, wherein in each said zone the outer element has an inner surface configuration comprising a planar and a curved surface (9, 10) and the inner element has an outer surface configuration comprising a curved and a planar surface (11, 12).

8. The joint connection according to claim 7, wherein said zones extend to the axial middle.

9. The joint connection according to claim 8, wherein the inner and outer elements define a cavity (13, 14) between said zones.

10. The joint connection according to claim 7, wherein said zones extend to the axial middle, and the inner and outer elements define a cavity (13, 14) between said zones.

11. The joint connection according to claim 10, wherein said cavity is bounded by:

(i) the outer element wherein respective opposed plan surfaces (15) are axially disposed between the curved surfaces (10) of the outer element in each said zone and the planar surfaces (9) thereof in the other said zone, and respective further surfaces (16) extend radially inwardly from said plane surfaces (15) to said planar surfaces (9); and

(ii) the inner element wherein other surfaces (17) radially oppose said further surfaces (16) on the outer element, and surfaces of a web (18) interconnect parts of the inner element in the zones of the joint connection.