A ball socket assembly, bearing therefor, and method of construction thereof are provided. The ball socket assembly includes a housing with an inner bore extending between a closed first end region and an open second end region. A fiber-reinforced bearing is disposed in the inner bore. The bearing has a lower portion presenting a lower bearing surface having a first radius of curvature and an upper portion presenting an upper bearing surface having a second radius of curvature that is greater than the first radius of curvature. The lower bearing surface and the upper bearing surface surround a ball cavity in which a spherical ball portion of a ball stud is disposed. The housing second end region is plastically deformed radially inwardly to impart a bias on the bearing upper portion that causes the second radius of curvature to be biased substantially equal to the first radius of curvature.

The ball joint assembly includes a housing with an inner wall which surrounds an inner bore that extends along a central axis. The ball joint assembly further includes a ball stud with a ball portion and a shank portion. The ball portion is received in the inner bore of the housing, and the shank portion projects out of the inner bore through an open end of the housing. First and second preload members are disposed in the inner bore on opposite axial sides of the ball portion and are in contact with the ball portion. The preload members are of an elastomeric material. At least one of the preload members is compressed to urge the ball portion to a central location.

A compressively resilient bushing useful for aligning shafts and couplings and adjusting shaft misalignment. They find use as component parts of shaft, and other coupling devices. It comprises a cylindrical sleeve having an outer wall, and a hollow core through. The cylindrical sleeve defines an inner wall of the cylindrical sleeve. The hollow core extends longitudinally from a top to a bottom of the cylindrical sleeve. The cylindrical sleeve comprises a compressively resilient material. Grooves through the outer wall are around a circumference of the cylindrical sleeve. T-shaped grooves through the outer wall extend longitudinally from the top to the bottom of the cylindrical sleeve. Each T-shape groove has a ledge partially overlapping from the top to the bottom of the cylindrical sleeve at opposite sides of. Said T-shape grooves and the ledges extend from the top to the bottom of the cylindrical sleeve.

A ball joint has a ball stud, a housing and a ball seat. The seat is an elastic body in a tubular shape with the top and the bottom being open, and has a spherical space to accommodate a ball portion. The housing has a spherical inner face that is close to an outer periphery of the ball portion, to accommodate the ball portion in the inner face via the seat so as to support the ball stud. A clamped portion arranged at a peripheral end of the housing is clamped to press the seat so that the ball stud can be swung and rotated.

The socket assembly includes a housing that presents an inner wall which surrounds an open bore. A stud is partially received in the open bore with a bearing interposed between the inner wall and the stud. The bearing has a bearing piece, which is in surface-to-surface contact with the stud, and a preload piece which is elastically compressed to impart a biasing force on the bearing piece, thereby preloading the bearing piece against the stud. The preload piece is in an overmolded engagement with the bearing piece to securely couple these pieces together such that the bearing can be inserted into the open bore of the housing together as a unit. The bearing and preload pieces are made of different materials with different elasticities.

The ball joint assembly includes a housing with an inner wall which surrounds an inner bore that extends along a central axis. The ball joint assembly further includes a ball stud with a ball portion and a shank portion. The ball portion is received in the inner bore of the housing, and the shank portion projects out of the inner bore through an open end of the housing. First and second preload members are disposed in the inner bore on opposite axial sides of the ball portion and are in contact with the ball portion. The preload members are of an elastomeric material. At least one of the preload members is compressed to urge the ball portion to a central location.

A ball socket assembly, bearing therefor, and method of construction thereof are provided. The ball socket assembly includes a housing with an inner bore extending between a closed first end region and an open second end region. A fiber-reinforced bearing is disposed in the inner bore. The bearing has a lower portion presenting a lower bearing surface having a first radius of curvature and an upper portion presenting an upper bearing surface having a second radius of curvature that is greater than the first radius of curvature. The lower bearing surface and the upper bearing surface surround a ball cavity in which a spherical ball portion of a ball stud is disposed. The housing second end region is plastically deformed radially inwardly to impart a bias on the bearing upper portion to fix the bearing and the ball portion in the housing. The bias causes the second radius of curvature to be biased substantially equal to the first radius of curvature.

A ball joint may include a stud member having a spherical portion formed to be convex along an exterior circumference, a bearing member seated on an exterior circumference of the spherical portion and facilitating rotation of the stud member, an outer pipe provided at an outside of the bearing member, a seat member provided between and coupling the bearing member and the outer pipe, a pair of rubber ring members provided respectively at both sides of the spherical portion on the exterior circumference of the stud member, and a pair of outer ring members, each of the pair of outer ring members being coupled on an exterior circumference of each rubber ring member.

A ball joint has a ball stud, a housing and a ball seat (seat). The seat is an elastic body in a tubular shape with the top and the bottom being open, and has a spherical space to accommodate a ball portion. The housing has a spherical inner face that is close to an outer periphery of the ball portion, to accommodate the ball portion in the inner face via the seat so as to support the ball stud. A clamped portion arranged at a peripheral end of the housing is clamped to press the seat so that the ball stud can be swung and rotated.

The socket assembly includes a housing that presents an inner wall which surrounds an open bore. A stud is partially received in the open bore with a bearing interposed between the inner wall and the stud. The bearing has a bearing piece, which is in surface-to-surface contact with the stud, and a preload piece which is elastically compressed to impart a biasing force on the bearing piece, thereby preloading the bearing piece against the stud. The preload piece is in an overmolded engagement with the bearing piece to securely couple these pieces together such that the bearing can be inserted into the open bore of the housing together as a unit. The bearing and preload pieces are made of different materials with different elasticities.