Appeal No. 2003-0111 Page 5
Application No. 09/602,532
portion 56, and to a second reduced diameter portion 58. The first full diameter portion
52 is sized to freely rotate inside the hub 40, and has a short length. The first reduced
diameter portion 54 is sized to clear dimples 50 in the hub 40, and has a length equal to
the expected travel of the bearing 42 in the hub 40. The second full diameter portion
56 is sized to prevent entry into the bracket aperture 20 yet freely rotate inside the hub
40, and has a length sufficient to keep a bearing load per unit of area at or below a
magnitude which can be sustained by the plastic. The second reduced diameter
portion 58 provides a slight interference fit with the aperture 20 in the bracket 14 and
has a length slightly longer than that of the bracket aperture 20. There is a chamfer 60
on an end of the second reduced diameter portion 58.
The connecting mechanism 16 is assembled as follows. One of the bearings 42
is dropped into one end of the hub 40 with the first full diameter portion 52 being the
first in. The second reduced diameter portion 58 of that bearing 42 extends out of the
hub 42 and is pressed on to force the first full diameter portion 52 to snap past
the dimples 50. The spring 48 is placed in the other end of the hub 40 and received by
the spring pocket 44 of the bearing 42. Another bearing 42 is placed, spring pocket 44
first, into the hub 40 and over the spring 48. This bearing 42 is pressed further into the
hub 40, thereby compressing the spring 48, and snapping the first full diameter
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Last modified: November 3, 2007