Socket assembly and method of making a socket assembly

1. A socket assembly, comprising:

a housing with an inner bore that extends along an axis from a wall at a generally closed first end to an open second end;

a ball stud having a ball portion which is received in said inner bore of said housing and having a shank portion which projects out of said inner bore through said open second end;

a backing bearing disposed in said inner bore and presenting a curved first bearing surface in surface-to-surface contact with an outer surface of said ball portion of said ball stud;

a first spring disposed in said inner bore and biasing said first bearing surface of said backing bearing against said ball portion of said ball stud;

an exit bearing disposed in said inner bore of said housing and presenting a second bearing surface with a cylindrical portion in contact with an equator of said ball portion of said ball stud and with a semi-spherical portion in surface-to-surface contact with an opposite hemisphere of said ball portion of said ball stud from said first bearing surface of said backing bearing, said cylindrical portion having a constant diameter and extending axially past said equator of said ball portion of said ball stud;

a second spring biasing said exit bearing into a predetermined location established by said housing; and

said exit bearing being movable from said predetermined location in a direction towards said open second end of said housing against a biasing force of said second spring.

2. The socket assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said exit bearing has an outer surface that is frustum of a cone shaped with a first diameter nearest said open second end of said housing and a second diameter nearest said first closed end of said housing and wherein said first diameter is greater than said second diameter and wherein said outer surface is seated against a tapered inner surface of said housing when said exit bearing is in said predetermined location.

3. The socket assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said exit bearing is in an interference fit connection with said housing.

4. The socket assembly as set forth in claim 3 wherein said exit bearing has an outer surface which presents a plurality of axially extending ridges that are spaced circumferentially from one another.

5. The socket assembly as set forth in claim 3 further including a dust boot sealed with said housing and sealed with said ball stud for retaining a lubricant within said inner bore of said housing and for keeping contaminants out of said inner bore of said housing.

6. The socket assembly as set forth in claim 5 wherein said second spring is at least partially embedded in an elastic body of said dust boot.

7. The socket assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said first spring is a Belleville washer.

8. The socket assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said wall at said closed first end of said housing presents a lubricant opening for receiving a lubricant into said inner bore of said housing.

9. The socket assembly as set forth in claim 8 wherein said first bearing surface of said backing bearing presents at least one lubricant channel for conveying the lubricant from said lubricant opening in said housing into a gap between said backing and exit bearings.

10. The socket assembly as set forth in claim 9 wherein said second bearing surface of said exit bearing presents at least one lubricant channel.

11. The socket assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said second spring is a Belleville washer.

12. The socket assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said housing presents a shoulder which faces towards said open second end of said housing and wherein said exit bearing abuts said shoulder when in said predetermined location.

13. The socket assembly as set forth in claim 1 further including a cover plate disposed in said inner bore of said housing adjacent said open second end.

14. The socket assembly as set forth in claim 13 wherein said housing at said second open end is bent inwardly to trap said cover plate in said inner bore of said housing.

15. A method of making a socket assembly, comprising the steps of:

preparing a housing with an inner bore which extends along an axis from a wall at a generally closed first end to an open second end;

inserting a first spring into the inner bore of the housing;

inserting a backing bearing with a first bearing surface into the inner bore of the housing such that the backing bearing is movable in a radial direction relative to the housing within the inner bore;

inserting a ball portion of a ball stud into the inner bore of the housing such that a shank portion of the ball stud projects out of the inner bore though the open second end and wherein a curved outer surface of the ball portion is in sliding contact with the first bearing surface of the backing bearing;

preparing an exit bearing which has a second bearing surface with a cylindrical portion and a semi-spherical portion, the cylindrical portion having a constant diameter that extends in an axial direction;

inserting the exit bearing into the inner bore of the housing such that the cylindrical portion of the second bearing surface of the exit bearing is in sliding contact with and extends axially past an equator of the ball portion of the ball stud and such that the semi-spherical portion of the second bearing surface is in sliding contact with an opposite hemisphere of the ball portion from the first bearing surface of the backing bearing; and

inserting a second spring into the inner bore of the housing and biasing the exit bearing towards a predetermined location established by the housing while allowing the exit bearing to move from the predetermined location in a direction towards the open second end of the housing against a biasing force of the second spring.

16. The method as set forth in claim 15 further including the step of inserting a cover plate into the inner bore of the housing.

17. The method as set forth in claim 16 further including the step of deforming the housing adjacent the open second end to trap the cover plate, the first spring, the backing bearing, the ball portion of the ball stud, the exit bearing and the second spring in the inner bore of the housing.

18. The method as set forth in claim 16 wherein the second spring is a Belleville washer.

19. The method as set forth in claim 18 wherein the second spring is at least partially embedded within an elastic body of a dust boot.

20. The method as set forth in claim 15 wherein the first spring is a Belleville washer.