An extension-retraction link includes: a stationary shaft having a tubular shape; a movable shaft that can slide with respect to the stationary shaft; and an actuator that has a bearing unit supporting a screw shaft and moves the movable shaft. The stationary shaft includes: first to fourth bushes in contact with first to fourth plane surfaces of the movable shaft, respectively; a first elastic member pressing the third bush to the third plane surface; and a second elastic member pressing the fourth bush to the fourth plane surface. The bearing unit includes: a bearing in contact with the screw shaft; a bearing holder that fits in a mounting groove provided to the stationary shaft and holds the bearing; and a third elastic member located between a bottom surface of the mounting groove and the bearing holder.

A pressure cup for a socket joint and a socket joint having the pressure cup. The pressure cup includes a cup end wall and a side wall extending from the cup end wall to a cup lip edge. The side wall has an outer surface configured to contact an inner bore of a housing and an inner surface configured to at least partially house a stud and a bearing. The inner surface of the side wall includes a curved bearing surface that is configured to contact a spherical bearing by including a curvature that is oriented substantially axially.

A socket joint includes a stud, a wear indicator configured to indicate a degree of wear relating to the stud or relating to a position of the stud, an elastomeric seal, and a Belleville washer. The elastomeric seal is located at least partially between the wear indicator and the Belleville washer. In some implementations, a domed cover plate is configured to help create a sealing engagement between the elastomeric seal, the wear indicator, and the Belleville washer when the cover plate is pressed into the internal bore of the housing of the socket joint.

A socket grommet formed from fiber-reinforced material, for attaching a stud pin with a head portion to a bracket, includes a body member; a first supporting member for supporting one side of the head portion; and second supporting members for supporting another side of the head portion. The first supporting member includes a supporting portion on one side of the body member and connecting portions connecting the supporting portion to the body member. Each connecting portion includes a breaking portion having a thickness less than a remaining portion thereof to be breakable upon a predetermined force. Each second supporting member includes a first connecting piece extending from the body member to another side of the body member, and a second connecting piece extending from the first connecting piece to the one side of the body member and having a supporting piece for contacting the another side of the head portion.

The socket assembly has a housing with an inner bore which extends from a first end to a second end. A ball portion of a ball stud is received in the inner bore. A backing bearing is disposed in the inner bore and presents a curved bearing surface in surface-to-surface contact with the ball portion. A first spring biases the backing bearing against the ball portion. The socket assembly also includes an exit bearing with a cylindrical portion that is in contact with an equator of the ball portion and a semi-spherical portion that is in surface-to-surface contact with an opposite hemisphere from the first bearing surface. A second spring biases the exit bearing into a predetermined location established by the housing. The exit bearing is movable from the predetermined location in a direction towards the second end of the housing against a biasing force of the second spring.

The ball socket assembly includes a housing that is made of a monolithic piece which includes a lower wall. A ball portion of a ball stud is disposed in an inner bore of the housing. An exit bearing, which is made of a polymeric material, is disposed in the inner bore and is in slidable contact with at least one hemisphere of the ball portion. The exit bearing has an upper surface which faces towards an open end of the housing. A cover plate is in direct contact with the upper surface of the exit bearing along a surface-to-surface contact area. The surface-to-surface contact area is angled towards the open end from its radially outermost end to its radially innermost end for supporting the exit bearing against radial expansion in response to axial loads being applied on the exit bearing from the ball portion of the ball stud.

A fastening system has a fastening element and at least one fastening device having a flanged housing, a closure element, a hollow-sphere element and a spherical insert. The hollow-sphere element pivots about a first pivoting axis relative to the flanged housing, while the spherical insert pivots about a second pivoting axis in the hollow-sphere element. First engagement means in an opening of the spherical insert are of complementary design to second engagement means of the fastening element. The first and second engagement means are designed such that, in a first rotational position, the fastening element can be inserted freely into the opening and, in a second rotational position, the first and second engagement means engage in one another.

A ball joint assembly includes a ball including an outer surface and a recess in the outer surface, a cup including an inner surface and a protrusion on the inner surface, and a sensor programmed to detect friction between the cup and the ball from the protrusion engaging the recess.

A tolerance absorbing spacer for controlling manufacturing dimensional tolerance variation in products made with multiple internal components, each requiring unique dimensional tolerance allowance. This component adjusts and compensates for the resulting overall cumulative component height variation within an assembly of components, sometimes referred to as stack height by compensating for the maximum to minimum range of possible assembly heights, compressing and yielding under applied external force until all excess internal clearance is removed, except for a small, and desirable remaining clearance. This component yields and becomes essentially fully plastic, to provide the necessary tolerance adjustment feature only after reaching a predetermined, minimum force which exceeds all applied forces the component could reasonably encounter in service use and below which, the tolerance absorbing spacer remains fully rigid.

The pivot joint assembly includes a housing with an opening which extends along an axis. A bearing is received in the opening and which has a cylindrical outer surface that is in slidable contact with another surface so that the bearing can slide in an axial direction relative to the housing. The bearing has a curved inner bearing surface. The pivot joint assembly also includes an inner ring with a curved outer surface that is in slidable contact with the curved inner bearing surface of the bearing so that the inner ring can rotate and articulate relative to the housing.